mmarshall

In the world of full-size FWD sedans, the Ford Taurus, along with its two Korean competitors Kia Cadenza and Hyundai Azera, tends to be forgotten or overlooked by many in the market for a sedan of that type (the Azera will probably be discontinued in the American market at the end of the 2017 model year). Only law-enforcement agencies and rental-car firms seem to have shown any real interest in the car....... the police market, of course, is shared mostly by the Taurus, Dodge Charger, Chevy SS, and Chevy Tahoe (and refurbished Crown Vics LOL). I confess that I showed little interest in the Taurus myself, although, when I was deciding on my next car Lacrosse), I did take a serious look at the Lincoln Continental (which is done on a modified Taurus platform) and the MKZ (from the slightly smaller Ford Fusion platform). I did a full-review on the Taurus when the car first debuted (2010), and, from my memory, found the ride a little stiffer than I would have liked (noticeably stiffer than the nice-driving Ford Five Hundred/Taurus model it replaced). The high-performance SHO model has not found much of a market, either....as with the slow-selling full-size RWD Mercury Marauder several years before it. Today, SHO sales are being decimated by the RWD Dodge Charger R/T, and probably would be decimated by the RWD Chevy SS if GM (Holden) would just produce more of them. The Taurus, though, from what I remember in my review, did have one outstanding feature.....a whale of a back seat, with enough thick padding in it to support a Sumo Wrestler LOL.

Yet, Ford still sees fit to invest time, money, and resources into a refurbished (?) 2018 version. Rather than simply include one link and copy/post the whole thing, I thought I'd include several links, each with different info/data.

http://fordnewmodels.com/2018-ford-taurus-redesign/

https://fordredesigns.com/2018-ford-...-sho-redesign/

http://carreleasedates2017.com/2018-ford-taurus-sho/

Carsdirect, though, disagrees with the other links, and says the new 2018 model will be a carryover with no significant changes. Given the slow sales of the taurus, I tend to believe this one a little more.

http://www.carsdirect.com/2018/ford/taurus

Sulu

I personally do not think that a new Taurus model will be introduced in North America for the 2018 model year. If a new model is on its way, we would likely have seen camouflaged test models and news / leaks by now. The auto industry does not work that quickly; you cannot snap your fingers and suddenly introduce a new model, even if the "same" model has already been introduced in a foreign market.

American and Canadian federal regulations for motor vehicles are unique; unlike European regulations, nobody else follows them so any foreign models to be introduced here must be tested and certified here prior to sale.

I had a quick look at those links you posted. One or another said to expect a new Taurus model for 2016 or 2017; and the English was terrible -- obviously not published by a North American for the true North American market. I would not put any trust in those websites.

mmarshall

Oh yes.......definitely. No arguments there. I myself pointed out that they all didn't agree, and gave conflicting stories. I think that has been part of the Taurus's problem.....Ford has neglected it, and as a result, not much credible data can be found on its future. That was one reason why I opened the thread to start with (and showed some questionable links)......to show how the current-generation Taurus has been neglected, even as a sedan flagship.

Fizzboy7

Taaaauuuurus...makin the dream come true (for you)!

Ford has failed greatly with the last three Tauri. If they can get the next model right, it would wake a lot of former fans up. They know how to do the Explorer... they need to get the Taurus right. Increase interior space, get rid of the retro dash styling that no one likes or wants in a modern sedan, and style it a bit edgy. The possibilities are there. The police departments will also invest if done well.

mmarshall

Actually, the cops are investing right now......although not to the same extent as with the older Crown Vics.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

the first 3 links are a few of the thousands of bogus car info sites put there, preying on people looking for info on future models. Most are auto (program) generated crap. Not surprising their info doesn't agree with what legit website carsdirect says.

FrankReynoldsCPA

I considered a Taurus recently, but the interior is very bland and it's not as roomy as a car that size should be.

And it's falling out of favor among PD. Not that Ford should be worried because its biggest competitor that's taking its sales is the Explorer.


As far as the Explorer goes, it's a damn shame they turned it into a unibody crossover. Hopefully the new Bronco will be a body on frame SUV

Fizzboy7

The Taurus barely sells to the PD's compared to what the Crown Vic did. If it weren't for the Explorer, Ford would have little to sell to the officials. The CV was the gold standard.

mmarshall

In this area, the Taurus and Dodge Charger seem to be the top two sellers to law-enforcement.


Unfortunately for true-SUV enthusiasts (which seem to get fewer and fewer each year), most people today want crossover SUVs. Except for some occasional heavy towing, (boats, trailers, etc...), most people don't use SUVs for what most of the old body-on-frame ones were primarily designed for.

On the upcoming Bronco, I'm with you...for the enthusiasts, I hope it's the classic old 2-door Bronco look and design (in a smaller package). I always liked the looks of the 2-door Bronco. But Ford has not revealed any official details on it yet (the internet images are simply guesses)...except to say it will been a mid-sized frame. But, technically, it could be either 2 or 4 doors, BOF or unibody/crossover.

mondo540

I own one of these poor misunderstood beasts...'13 SHO, that I got in '14 w/ 10K on the clock for under $30k....look, no question this thing has limitations because of it's ancient architecture ( too heavy, too big for such a small interior, FWD biased AWD, etc.) but Ford did a lot with what they had when it was refreshed in '13. This car has been a stop gap for me until I really decide what I'm doing $$ wise and car wise but let me tell you, I feel like I got a lot of car for the money back in'14.

SHO has a perf. pkg, w/ beefier brakes, suspension upgrades, bigger radiator, an oil cooler, diff cooler, shorter gearing and it all makes a big difference in the car. So, TT v6 w/ 365hp and 350 tq, AWD, sunroof, power rear sunshade, heated/cooled/massaging seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, adjustable brake/gas pedals, HIDs, remote start, remote keypad entry, huge trunk....lot of nice options/car for the money. It's a big cruiser w/ power, sorta the Challenger of the sedan mkt. And for about $1000 for a tune and a few other things, it;'s a 450 HP cruiser. Surprises people.

LexBob2

Nice recap. What color is yours? How is the gas mileage if you don't push it?

mondo540

Ruby red....it was used, low miles and had everything I wanted so didn't really have a choice on the color but I really like it, esp in the sun.

The computer tells me around 19 mpg over the last few thousand miles but I drive with my foot in it more than I should ...I don't really track mileage with gas prices so low but early on I think I got around 24 for a few tanks babying it. No long highway trips so not sure about freeway mileage. Hard for me to stay out of the turbos, which really kills the gas mileage.

FrankReynoldsCPA

A Ford design team member did an AMA on Reddit a little while ago. The new Bronco will reportedly be a 4-door only vehicle. It'll share a body-on-frame platform with the Ranger(this part has been officially confirmed) rather than being a refreshed Everest(which is a BoF SUV sold outside of North America).

My money is on it having a 2.7 EcoBoost.

Back on the Taurus topic, I really hope Ford gives this car some more attention. A newer interior with better use of space is definitely needed.

Aron9000

Yeah, the current Taurus feels very cramped and clausterphobic, with the way the windows are done, the extra wide center console. Its fairly roomy, but it doesn't feel roomy IMO. It kind of has the same problem as the original 1st gen Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, windows too small, but somehow those cars manage to feel a lot bigger inside. The 2nd gen 300/Charger are a lot roomier on the interior, but with a smaller trunk, they feel a lot less clausterphobic, and they are what I'd buy if I wanted a big American car.

One thing I don't think people give the current gen Taurus a lot of credit on is trunk room. Its freaking HUGE, probably the biggest trunk on the market for a 4 door sedan. Its about as big as my old 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood, that thing you could stuff Tony, Pussey, and Bobby in the trunk lol. And with the Automatic Level Control, you could load the car up with a bunch of fat guys in the trunk, yet those air shocks would inflate, car doesn't sag in the rear, so you'll never tip off the cops.

chromedome

I'm probably the only one who's seen a seventh gen Taurus... In China, of all places. I thought I was looking at a Mondeo on steroids until I saw the Taurus badge on the back. The car looks almost exactly like the Mondeo/Fusion but with a more squared front and a longer boot. It looks a heck of a lot better than the current Taurus.

Apparently it was designed by Ford Australia and manufactured by the Ford licensee Changan Auto. Maybe they're selling it as a competitor to the Buick LaCrosse and Lexus ES. Engine choices include a 1.5 turbo, a 2.0 turbo and that stonking 2.7 V6 EcoBoost.