BRING BACK THE SHO!!!! Beautiful, Perfect, Powerful, Fun Car to own. What the HELL happend to the Taurus SHO? Seriously, the new taurus is boring and sucks big time. Its about damn time they make a new SHO and put it in production. If theres one thing I love about the Older Taurus the most, its the round dash with all the fan and radio controls. Pure beauty to me. I think it would be even more Awesome to me see a digital dash board right inside.

IF ANYONE WANTS THE SHO BACK, SPEAK YOUR MIND AND TELL THE FORD COMPANY! WE WILL FIGHT TO BRING IT BACK!

SHO! SHO! SHO! SHO! SHO! Ford please bring back the SHO!!!!!

Why was the Crown Vic shutdown? I thought a lot of money was being made off of that because of police and the taxi industry. Am I wrong?

You should be making this more police qualified and make it the new cop cars. Right now in Texas(i don’t know about other places) The dodge Chargers are taking over and becoming the cop cars…..as well as Taxi cabs.
You guys need a replacement for the crown vic i recommend a suped up version of the taurus.

Your loyal fan
-Austin

Come on Ford you brounght the Taurus back, but now it’s time to finish the job! Bring back the SHO model!

The March 30,2008 St Pete Times Business Section money.tampabay.com page 1 article”Rescues rougher in tough cars” Better-built vehicles complicate efforts to extracy victims.

Two people in a 2007 Ford Fusion survived a head on crash with a full sized pickup. The Ford Fusion’s reinnforced steel construction saved the lives of the 18 year old driver and his 16 year old passenger.

The new Ford Taurus was my first Ford purchase ever. My wife, having driven a 2000 Ford Explorer 140,000 miles a vehicle which has had 3 trips other than oil changes at the dealership simply won’t die caused me to think about our next car purchase. I was a die hard Oldsmobile owner. One of GM’s finest let die so easily and still more on the road than just about any other vehicle ever built at 10 years average per car. My new 08 Taurus simply amazed me iin so many ways. I wanted but never acheieved the Aurora I dreamed of having in my younger years. My heart wept the day they closed that plant and eventually the entire company 2 years later. The Taurus is my Aurora 12000 dollars less with all the power, ride, performance, and a much better safety rating. People see the name plate and flinch, then they sit inside her roomy cabin, feel the power as I apply medium throttle, and then are blown away as my favorite classical CD envokes one of the finest bass responses I’ve ever felt in an automobile anywhere. The power surrounds doesn’t blow away. Everything about the automobile is superior. Folks compare it to the 500 and its predecesors Taurus’s. Way wrong direction. This is a totally new vehicle that many people have pushed HARD to produce as a winner and FORD you’ve done it. Now you just need to hire the right marketing department. We need to stop appologizing for paling in comparison to the imports. We now build better, stronger, and bigger cars offering better mileage and insurance ratings than any other vehicle in the market place. At 4 dollars a gallon for gas I’m quite pleased at my FWD Limited version’s 28 MPG which I’m getting every bit of since I’m driving freeway to and from work. The front seats sit high, and in this car I don’t have to worry about my head touching the ceiling as I did in my Pontiac. The Pontiac was never the Oldsmobile. i missed that. It was a hard 3 years in a car that I never really enjoyed and could not get comfortable in. The Taurus is more car than I could have ever dreamed of owning at this price range. You wouldn’t catch me dead in a Toyota….much too loyal to my nation and our way of life to ever let that happen. Now I know I’m driving superior product and enjoy making my payment knowing full well that I have a car that both my wife and I adore and one that has features like Microsoft Sync which allows hands free for nearly every feature except steering, and a positive cockpit which tells ever occupant that its not there wasting space but everything is where it belongs, easy to see, manipulate and reflects to nobody that its junky in anyway like so many vehicles today are especially the imports. I have my Taurus Stratofortress. Way to go Ford. Now hire a marketing department that can show this baby off for EVERYTHING she is and lets bring the American dollar back home where it belongs.

THE TAURUS IS THE ALL AROUND BEST BUY/BEST ENGINEERED IN ITS CLASS. ONE COULD GO TO EXTREMES TO COMPARE VALUE, BUT YOU MIGHT AS WELL SAVE YOURSELF SOME TIME. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PRODUCT “MADE IN AMERICA” AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED. FORD DOES AMERICA JUSTICE…ALWAYS HAS AND CONTINUES TO DO SO.
FORD HAS BEEN PRODUCING AUTOS FOR OVER 100 YEARS…WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY….BUT KEEP UP THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK!!!

Ford is getting worse every year. The Taurus is just a more horse- powerd, better grill 300. It will still be a slow seller just like the 300. Bring back the SHO version it’ll be better. Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are triple times better as Ford and Ford knows it I bet. If you want more horsepower and good styling with a full sized car frame buy a Avalon or Maxima. Its just moe for your money. Ford I’m so worried for you when the import makes buy you up. Impove so that will not happen. Get some tipes from Foreign car makes!

Just one question. Have you driven a Ford lately?

The Taurus is an exceptional automobile for the money when you consider the standard safety equipment , the comfortable (and quiet) ride, the interior room and performance. Car buyers looking for a safe, luxurious and stylish 4 door sedan at this price point will be hardpressed to find a better value.

Bring back the SHO please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love the Taurus, want a DIESEL. Why can’t we get the high milage cars Ford sells in Europe?

just got back retrieving lunch,after looking at the being knocked 2008 taurus ,i noticed 1oo percent of the cars along the way,looked like junk ,compared to the taurus.i m sure there are many many 2008 taurus drivers that are,completely content of thier cars.what do you think ford employees think of the junk the complainers sell.

i find the 2008 ford taurus attractive,it appears to be a safe handsome car ,with ford quality to go with it.maybe after it is replaced,by another remake,the reliability ratings for the 2008 might be better than some of the fancier designs,ford rocks.

Bring back the SHO!!!!!!!!!!

All i can say is ford….Bring Back the SHO and let the sleeper back out…make it a screamer just like the early 90’s

When I heard that they were bringing back the Taurus by revamping the 500 platform, I must admit, my interest was piqued. But when I saw that it looked almost identical to the 500 (some might say it’s completely different, but it’s the same concept indeed), I was more than disappointed. I was shocked. The 500 was a complete failure. What did they expect to happen when they released a car that people knew was based on it, and really didn’t look much different. More failure. Horrible planning, and a worthlessly unattractive car. Redesign it for the future, and they will come.

The only smart thing for Ford to do at this point is to bring back the SHO. I was the proud owner an SHO for many years and the only way I would ever buy a Ford again is if there was a resurrection of the SHO with a manual transmission and a 415 HP Twinforce V8 engine. I hope the big brass at FoMoCo is reading this.

The new Taurus, is actually the 500 and its not selling. So I think that this model will not sell, and Ford will again loose its creditability with the Taurus. I believe in 98, when ford came out with the bubblely shape, that i remember the government were the only one’s buying that style.

I bought an ‘08 Taurus FWD a few months back and I absolutely love it. I come from a family loyal to GM products and even they are surprised how nice this car is. Everyone that has been in my car can’t believe the roominess and quiet ride. My job requires that I take medical equipment across town to different locations and the trunk with fold down seats makes this feel like a large SUV inside. My mileage has been pretty good since I drive mostly highways. The price was right ($24K) and my experience has been trouble free. Since I’m 5′ tall the adjustable pedals are a must. If something were to happen to my car, I would definitely replace it with another new Taurus. Thanks.

Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwn. This one only awakens the inner soul of the narcaleptic.

as has been stated before , this is a tied style

Boring car. Not much better than the 500. Ford should have never discontinued the Taurus, just redesigned it. Once again Ford misses the boat…. The only thing positive about this car is its safety rating.

The 2008 Taurus is by far superior to the five hundred in terms of confort, power, space, safety. Not to mention that the engine increased hp becomes a key point in highways and mergers. Visibility is a plus and the ride is quite, much better tha accords, toyotas and nissans which I also test dirve. The suspension is quite impresive. I think the problem is more marketing than the car itseft.

Develop and offer an SHO version of the Taurus. make t a true sports sedan. Xeon lights, rain sensing wipers should be standard.

I’m trying to help you guys I have a gift, (I know what people want) This is a solid vehicle with a great ride so why not give it a great design. You need to capture the hearts have the average person. People today are so bent on looks they would comprise that over some performance. You need to change the design of the font and ends, it so bland I did’t even notice at the car show. Also get rid of that small rear side window. Maybe think of this a Mercedes with 70%straight lines

only have one thing to say bring back the sho

It’s time for the SHO to return!!!

Just because the name changes, the former 500 owners can relax. The name is changed, but the car evolved from the former 500. The changes all make the car better. More power, quieter, even less vibration, and even nicer ride. Even the few details in the interior make the car look a little more substantial (the cocoa dash and light interior doors/seats/roof) and the use of chrome trim on knobs, and better looking fake wood that looks more real. This is an evolutionary mid-cycle refresh that was more substantial than most. Usually you see just the cosemtic changes, as in the exterior and interior details, but the upgrades in engine, transmission, ride and overall quality feel are bigger than the normal midcycle refresh. Perhaps changing the name brings some attention to the substantial changes. But, it is still an evolved 500, so relax.

The car drives and rides more impressively than the 500, and it is on par with offerings from Toyota and Buick in the ride/quietness/vibration free arena of big car cruising. It is on par with the Bick LuCurne v8 in terms of power and acceleration, and in AWD, it weighs about the same as the V8 LuCurne, but that adds to safety. Even in Limited AWD, it provides some things, like AWD the Toyota and Buick do not, most of the amentities, and a much lower price. I have put 11,500 miles on mine since August, and traded in a German Luxo mobile (VW Phaeton) for it. I miss my Phaeton because it was unique, but the Taurus is a nice vehicle and Ford hurts it by not advertising. I almost bought an Avalon, and just found the Taurus by driving by. After test driving them back to back to back several times, I thought I would be crazy spending a lot more for the Avalon limited. The Buick LuCerne seems a little clostraphobic for its size, visibility is not good, and the overall interior appearance and materials don’t go together well as they seem a little too old fashioned or cheap - especially the dash board gauges, the thin center console, and the hollow sounding plastic that stretches across the dash.

I think Ford is going a little more European in their design, which is more understated and less posh, differentiating it from the posh Buick and Toyota. It seems the Avalon and the Lexus are better Buicks and Cadillacs than GM can make!

I always had high hopes for the new 500 (now Taurus) but the design is just so clunkly, and not in a good way. The slight modifications for the Taurus simply didn’t do the trick for me. It now looks like an over-sized Topaz.

Carl

great job keep doing it easer for us.

I did my homework and decided to buy a “Fusion.” However, my smart salesperson asked me to test drive a “500″ and I was sold. The overall vision of the road and beautiful ride sold me. Not to mention the trunk room. Then you take it off the market, and I feel like I was sold a hasbeen already. Now I am just an owner of an old “Taurus”. What were you thinking?

Ford made the right move to bring back the Taurus. Listen people, this design is ONLY TEMPORARY, so stop ripping on Ford so much for this design. The Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Mercury Montego were slow sellers, so it was the right move to bring back the Taurus and Sable names. Plus, Ford does not have a ton of money to spend on marketing for the 500, Freestyle, and Montego names. While I’m not much of a fan of the “Taurus X” name, the car looks better in general. I’ve heard rumors that the Taurus is going to be totally redesigned in 2010, with a possible Taurus SHO being resurected, and the best part, a possible TwinForce V8 that cranks out 415 hp!!!! BOLD MOVE FORD!!!

The only reason they changed the name is because Tauras as a brand had better recognition. What Ford did not say is that the 500, which was a great car was a marketing failure. Ford marketing laid and egg and did a horrible job getting the public to know the 500, its name and it’s values. So the easy way out was to change the name to a name to many of us brings up images of rental cars and not quality cars of value and image. I hope with the new Interceptor, Ford has a new marketing team and lets us all know what the car is and stands for. What Ad agency is Chrysler using? Or the Nissan Ad Agency? Perhaps Ford needs to give them a call.

 The Ford taurus could use some Xenon Headlights and some 20’s and it’ll be straight.

 I am extremly happy that Ford brought back the taurus. I laughed reading alot of these comments, alot of people are compalining about Ford getting rid of the 500. But I can remember that when Ford got rid of the Taurus, everybody was complaining and saying how stupid they were.

Well anyways I am glad Ford brought back the Taurus, its a big part of there history. Ford was ready to go bankrupt, the Ford Taurus is what saved the company. I also think that its funny that people say the Taurus was out long enough and should be retired. Would you say the same thing about the Mustang or the F-150? I think not, when people go car shopping, they recognize names of cars that have been out for a while.

The Ford Taurus has a pretty good reputation. I have talked to alot of people who owned a Taurus, majority of them liked the Taurus. I just bought a 1998 Ford Taurus, I love it. IT handles good, has great pick up, great features, and gets good gas mileage.

Plus it would have costed Ford so much MONEY to get the name recognition for the 500 compared to the Taurus. In case noone noticed, Ford really doesnt have that extra money to spend. Plus it would be such a waste of money. Why spend all that money on trying to promote the 500, when you can use the Taurus and not spend anything, its common Sense!

I cant wait to get one of these new Taurus’s in a couple of years when my current one dies. WAY TO GO FORD MOTOR COMPANY!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree. If Taurus was such a lost cause Old and tired, then how come as soon as the 2006 “car Rental” Tauruses hit the Used Cars Market they dissapear overnight. I know. I was trying to get 1 they sell as fast as they come in. How about thinking about using the Interceptor Platform in the 2010 year. That could be as unique as 1986 Taurus

 OK Ford, now that you have finally come up with what may a winner for a change, how about giving us a few body styles to choose from. A Taurus or Fusion coupe would be nice and how about a few choices in interior colors. Gray and Black is very boring and looks just like all the imports. Time to get creative. Lets see some Reds, Blues, Greens and what ever you can do to give these cars to spark them up. Lets also see a few more V8’s in the line up and RWD is long overdue. Not a giant V8, but a nice smooth running high mileage power plant. Ya, I know, buy a Mustang if you want RWD and a V8. I have two Mustangs now and I want a family car with RWD, a nice little V8, and a price tag that doesn’t take food off the table. Ford has done this in the past and you can do it again. Just pay attention to the consumer.

My husband and I fought for weeks over the purchase of the Ford 500 (until I test drove it-then I was sold.) The front grill wasn’t edgy and it ruined the overall design. It looked like a grandma car. Long story short, I have been leasing my 500 for 2 years. I love the ride, extra goodies and safety features. The gas mileage is really good too (average about 25mpg) I get asked about it everywhere I go and I always say that not only am I satisfied with the car, Im actually impressed-people always respond with “Really? It doesn’t look that great?” Couple of tips for Ford: Overall, your designs need to be edgy and sexier. This applies to vehicle names also. Renaming this the “Taurus” is a terrible idea. More marketing of the 500 would have made this launch better-because once your car is out there it really sells itself with quality and value. I understand that in the past, slow and steady has won the race for Ford, but to compete-you really need to combine your R&D commitment to being green with more immediate gains in style. With the example of the 500 to the Taurus: Ford didn’t market enough. And as a 30 year old mother of 2 (with a business career-so I need a car that doesn’t scream “mom and kids on board”) the name Taurus has such awful connotations that I’m tempted to rip off the nameplate when I get my new lease. I love this car, but the name doesn’t make the owner feel hot at all!

I had two Tauruses (a 97 & 99), and currently have an ‘02 Sable with only 117,000 miles on it. I was seriously hoping to leave Fords and switch to Buick or Toyota before the 2008 redesign of the (renamed) Taurus. While I was not happy with my Tauruses and can only tolerate my Sable for a few more years (or until it reaches 200,000 miles), I’ll add the rebadged Five Hundred to the list of possible replacement cars when the time comes. IF Ford adds COOLED FRONT SEATS as an option to the Limited or (Sable Premier), I might actually be able to stomach the idea of paying more than $30,000 for a FORD TAURUS! Also, while I have never driven nor would likely buy a SHO, I think Ford should build it only if it is truly a SHO that enthuisiasts would appreciate. Plus is there any chance that Ford would make a Mercury that does not have a Ford twin?

 Bring back the SHO MTX!!! I’ll be in the market in about 2 years, and I want one to match my 1995. Turbo charge this one too. I spent waaay too much time and money getting a turbo to work with my ‘95. And don’t worry about it beating your flagship Mustang…..There’s already enough 4 cyl tuners that can do that.

I think the 500 was a great car with a great name. I’d like to know what marketing “genius” at Ford decided it was a good idea to kill it and rename it the Taurus—a name known throughout North America to represent a beat rental mule. Nice move fellas. Instead of sticking with your original plan you’ve killed your new brand and associated it with technology from 1986.

 all of the products on this website are well done.i liked the 1996 taurus also and its interior.the 2007 mustang looks stronger than the concept,id just as soonhave a 07 mustang convertible rather than the concept.ford does an outstanding job in a highly competitive complex industry.if ford was to go under so would alot of other manufacturers.how bout a 2010 turbo focus wagon,and lots of performance upgrades in a official ford focus performance guide/catalog

Ford has a hit on their hands! Families can finally trade in their SUV for a vehicle that has room for their teen age boys, but gets better gas mileage than their Explorer, or Tahoe. The Five Hundred is an outstanding car that has been improved on for 2008, however, Five Hundred should’ve remained the name. Taurus was retired a couple of years ago for a reason. It had a great run, but got very tired at the end. The only time you heard the name Taurus was when you were singing your name at the bottom of your Hertz contract. Five Hundred is a classy name for a classy car. Ford says ‘Taurus’ is a more recognizable name than ‘Five Hundred’, and that only 4 out of 10 people knew what a Five Hundred was. Maybe the reason is that Ford didn’t promote it! I can’t remember a single commercial for the Five Hundred, or the Freestyle. Don’t get me started on the name ‘Taurus X’. I think Ford would generate more sales of this fantastic car if they would’ve kept the name ‘Five Hundred’, and shown us a commercial every now and then. Maybe between Fusion ads. As a very loyal Ford customer, and a shareholder, I am impressed by this car as well as many other Ford products, but disappointed by the name.  

 Please bring back the Taurus SHO with a manual transmission. I am looking at the new Cadillac Cts with a manual, but because of the safety advantage of the Taurus, it is the car I would prefer.

Whats with the ugly mud flaps?

I rented a 500 FWD, and to say it was under powered and handled poorly is an understatement. Aside from the power increase, is the handling of the Taurus AWD a signficant improvement? I think Ford is on the right track with the styling, AWD, 6 speed transmissions, and navigation (GPS),but they don’t seem as involving to drive as some of the competition (VW Passat and Saturn Aura).

 I had the privilege of driving the 08 Taurus today and I will say I was very impressed. I thought the styling was great, the way it handled was surprising, Yea, I know it’s just a Ford 500 with the Taurus nameplate slapped on it, but forget about the name, the new Taurus is a nice ride check it out for youself, schedule a test drive at your nearest Ford dealer.

just wanted to say the new taurus looks great, and should be a hit. of course, ford or any other company, cant please everyone, i laugh when people say they want all these features on a car. sure, then u cry when the price goes up! after all u arent driving a cadillac, its a taurus. i have a 2005, and i love mine to death. not expensive, but to me better than a caddy anyway. love it. the new taurus sho? well, it has to be worth fords time to make it. what good is making a product, if not enough people buy it? i love those people” ill buy one” yeah, but will everyone else buy one? well, love the new taurus…[EDITOR'S NOTE: inappropriate/unrelated comment deleted by Editor]…

I am the proud owner of a Five Hundred . SEL . I could sing its praises from the roof tops, and cant wait to purchase the new version. But why oh why did they have to change the name. I owned a Taurus wagon and dreaded every day . Admit it was a stupid move and change it back to the FIVE HUNDRED ASAP.

Ford (Alan Mually)
,please do keep count of all the requests for the SHO…your fans are calling. So keep it AWD and drop the 4 litre twin-force duratec in it too and watch the competition’s blood get cold. BMW fears it’s return.

 I like the design but one impotant safety feature that is missing for me is the remote locking fuel door, like most imported do have this, I leave here in New York City vandals is everywere giving thenn easy acces on my gas tank is a no no…$26,000 to $32,000 with out this feature, to some it my count this little thing in buying this vehicle. thanks

Why did they replace the Ford Five Hundred with the Taurus?
I’m sorry but the Five Hundred was so much classier I was going to buy one
I do not want a Taurus. I am very disappointed as a customer & stockholder.

 I think this car will be a hit i love the sho i have a 95 and if they made another one i would for sure buy it. so please bring the sho back!

Yeah finally ford is putting some cars that could compete in a luxury catogory; well of course the have nice cars but with this the grille brings out this car and the stlye is reallt redefined. I am glad to see this AMERICAN COMPANY shine again.

 The design of this car is good but does not make me go wow like the new Mercury Sable. I do like the new large chrome grille. The car seems neat but just is too ordinary. The interior also looks nice but I hope wood won’t be the only trim in the more expensive models as I do not like wood interior trim. Even though the Five Hundred name was pretty bad the Taurus name I think was kind of killed when you let the old die out. While the old Taurus is not at all a bad car it has kind of has a reputation of being a cheap excellent value car (in a good way) do to the fact that Ford emptied unwanted Tauruses in fleets and letting the design go to long with nothing to refreshen or redesign.

  BRING BACK THE SHO SHO SHO SHO .
I have a 95 SHO and i would love to have one and there is 10000 of people whanting you to bring back the SHO I t will be a bigg money maker for ford so please BRING BACK THE SHO PLEASE FOR ME AND 10000 MORE LIKE ME .
THANK YOU
CHRISTOPHER PERRY

 It’s nice, elegant disign. It’s much better than the FIVEHUNDRED

 Does this mean we might get a new SHO? That would make this good news even better.

Oh and Kevin….. the did bring out the Mondeo here. For 5 years. the 1995-2000 Contour. Its a shame that it didn’t sell enough for them to keep it. Bit I agree that if they bring the 07 and up Mondeo it would sell…. A lot. Cuz I myself own a 99 Contour SE Sport with the 2.5 Duratec V6 and let me tell ya…its a sleeper. Even with a automatic transmission I can take a Honda Civic with Vtec like they are nothing. And believe me that most people will not believe you unless the see it. But the Contour is very powerful. And if you want to go with even more power get a Contour SVT. Stock can beat most suped cars easily. And I think I saw one guy got around 500hp and 500tq after suping it up. Man I love the Contour.

 I for one am glad they decided to give the Taurus back to us. It has been a great car and has lasted the longest amongst others. But I for one am very sad they stopped doing SVT. I love the way SVT can take a normal car and make it eat …[NOTE: inappropriate/unrelated comment deleted by Editor]… like it was candy. Like the Contour SVT. It was a regular Contour with a bit better designed engine. No turbo or super charger and yet it took the Audi A4TT and Infiniti G25 to school.

I myself love Fords. I love the new Fusion and wouldn’t mind haveing a 07 V6 SEL AWD. But I am still pissed as hell that they stopped producing the Contour, yet continue production of it in Europe and Mexico. Its called the Mondeo. It was in Casino Royale, the first car Bond drives in is a 07 Mondeo ST220 Hatchback. Also for those interested check out http://www.fpv.com.au. If you get mad the Europeans get nice fords, look at what the Australians get. Cars that have as much power as a Porche Turbo, but have 4 doors.

Anyways. Ford this is a message to you from a very loyal customer who will live on Fords and die on Fords. Bring us the same thing that the others have!!!!!!!!! We deserve the very best that you can offer. I say reintroduce the Mondeo and give us a F6 Typhoon. If you were to do that, I know you would regain your strength you once had. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me. I drool over the Mondeo ST220 and the F6 Typhoon wishing I could have one and most of my friends are amazed of the quality, style and power when I show it to them.

I belive that this would be one step to showing the Japanese auto makers that you mean buisness. That way they would know that you still have what you had 50 years ago. The power to make the worlds best cars.

 I am truly glad that Ford didn’t get rid of the Taurus nameplate. When the 500 appeared, it was a clumsy design with an underpowered and unacceptable CVT transmission. I’ve driven previous Taurus’ models in the past and have found them satisfactory(if not rental-car quality and weird styling) even though that old Vulcan 3.0L V6 was underpowered and showing its old age. I’m glad the new 3.5L Duratec 35 is coming with the new Taurus because now it has the real power to compete with Honda and Toyota in V6 offerings. SYNC is a cool new feature that I’m sure lots of buyers will appreciate. I love the interior features & design. The front-end is mixed emotions but overall I think this package is gonna work very well with the consumers. Even the Taurus X is definately a HUGE improvement over the lackluster Freestyle. I’m 34 & I’m actually considering a look at this Taurus when it arrives soon. I can’t wait to actually drive it and see for myself. I’ve always been a Ford person and I believe they have the best products available on the market. The Duratec engines are probably the best engines that Ford has manufactured(next to the V8’s). Thumbs up to Ford from me!

I write this comment with mixed feelings.

First, I am glad that you decided to resurrect the Taurus nameplate. Never really understood why you got rid of it, but that is water unter the bridge. I’m not really sure whether enough people ever made the connection of the Five-Hundred with the Galaxie 500 or not. That name didn’t have the resonance that other classic Ford nameplates do, like Taurus, Mustang, Fairlaine, Falcon(why you haven’t re-used Falcon on anything in the last 40 years is beyond me).

I am glad that Ford has decided to improve the model before sending it out as a Taurus, especially the increase in power - long overdue, in my opinion.

But, I must say, I am disappointed that the Taurus nameplate is going to be slapped on a vehicle that seems the very antithesis of what the Taurus was all about when it was first introduced to the world in the mid-80’s. When it first came out, the Taurus was unlike any American vehicle we had ever seen before. Its styling told everyone that the Taurus was a complete re-think of what an American sedan could be.

Today, even with the restyling the Five-Hundred has been given before taking on the Taurus name, it is a vehicle that easy to miss, and easy to forget. I hate to say it, but the car’s styling is a little :wince: frumpy. It clearly does not stand out from the crowd, like the original Taurus did in its time. The interior is ho-hum at best. And the wood trim is almost nausea-inducing. It’s like slapping lipstick on a pig. When I first test drove the car while it was touring the country with the Freestyle before its formal introduction, I thought, “Competent car, but I’ll never buy one as long as the car is styled like this.”

I’m not here to bad rap Ford. In fact, I hope you take the comments that I and others have left to heart. I’ve driven Fords my whole life, and hope to be able to continue doing so. I want Ford to succeed, I really do. But it just seems that Ford is trying too hard not to lose, instead of trying to win. As a result, we are getting product, with few exceptions, that is a whole lot of nothing special.

I can remember a time very much like this one in Ford’s history, in the early 80’s. At the time, Ford was churning out cars like the LTD(not to be confused with the Crown Vic, which was named LTD for many years prior), and the Granada(I get eerie chill down my spine when I think about THAT one). The troubled company decided that they needed to stop playing it safe and start to build the best Fords that they knew how. And with that commitment came…the Ford Taurus.

Others have mentioned this but it bears repeating-You have great product in the pipeline in other markets, like the new Mondeo and the S-Max. For crying out loud, why don’t you use them here? GM has been able to turn around Saturn by using rebadged Opels. And the hot new Pontiac G8 is from GM’s Australian division. You have great minds and dedicated designers all over the globe. What a shame it would be if you didn’t use them to your greatest advantage.

 Please!!! a very nice body design with the ugly afterthought of …how do we get a grille and headlights on this thing?