Motoring Blog

2010 Ford Taurus has just hit dealerships nationwide. The Taurus has gone through quite a few changes since it was first introduced in the mid-1980s, but it’s the same old dependable sedan that Ford has sold in the millions.

Despite the welcomed debut of the new Taurus, the roominess of the previous model has been cut down to size to afford the car a sportier feel.

Christopher Jensen of The New York Times revealed more about the tighter quarters in his review:

Also gone is the impressive rear legroom. What was once a stretch-out 41 inches now measures 38 inches, so accommodations are far tighter now.

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The Taurus trunk is still huge, at 20 cubic feet, although it has lost about one cubic foot since last year.

The interior surroundings are fancier, with soft-touch panels replacing hard plastic. I found the driver’s seat uncomfortable, however, with a short and over-upholstered seat cushion cutting into my thighs.

Jensen criticizes Ford for what he believes is a compromise on ingenuity. He considers the 2010 model a “do-over” vehicle, meaning that the company has simply tampered with the interior design of the car without actually rethinking the possibilities of making the new Taurus a truly unique American sedan.

The Taurus comes in four flavors: SE, SEL, Limited and the SHO. The first three packages ship with a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine that yields 263 horsepower and a torque rating of 249 pound-feet.

You get more for your buck–$37,995 worth—with the SHO, which has a V6 EcoBoost engine that puts out a whopping 356 horsepower. Considering the power, the fuel mileage isn’t bad at all at 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

You also have the option of an all-wheel drive power train on the Limited and SHO only.

The 2010 Taurus, which has always been one of the safest cars on the road offered for families, lives up to its reputation. You won’t find any shortage of safety features in this car. It may not wow audiences as it did two decades ago, but you won’t find a compromise in quality and dependability with this incarnation.

The base price of the Taurus is $26,000.

Photo © jjwright85

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