Like people, automobiles can have multiple personalities. But few have ranged as far and wide as the Ford Taurus.
When it was introduced in 1985, it was an immediate sensation -- a mid-size American car with rounded styling that resembled the luxury Audi from Germany. Before long, it became the best-selling car in the country.
In 1989, Ford delivered the high-performance SHO version, which stood for "special high output" but which enthusiasts said meant "show with go." Suddenly the Taurus was being compared to German sports sedans like the BMW 5-Series.
The SHO lasted a decade and then the Taurus started losing its way. Ford focused on more profitable trucks and neglected the Taurus, which soon became relegated to rental-car and other fleet duty. It lasted until 2006 and then disappeared.
Meanwhile, Ford introduced a new large car, the 500, and its crossover utility vehicle counterpart, the Freestyle. Both had potential -- especially the Freestyle -- but they never caught on with the buying public. To give them a boost, Ford brought back the old name and they became the Taurus and Taurus X. Though the vehicles were much improved, the new name didn't help much.
Now, as they say, you can relegate all that has gone before to the scrap heap of history.
Welcome to the 2010 Ford Taurus, a game-changer on the order of the original. It's no longer a mid-size so it won't necessarily have to battle bumper-to-bumper with the favorites in that class, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
It competes in the large car category, though it's nowhere near as big as its predecessor. It's about the same length but gives up nearly seven inches in width. That translates into a passenger compartment that is tighter by about six cubic feet, and it's noticeable.
Where the 2009 Taurus had airy, limousine-like stretching space inside, the new model feels tight and cozy, especially in the front seat where the driver and passenger have the feeling of being inserted into a fighter-plane cockpit. Out back, the outboard riders fare well, but you can forget the middle position.
That, of course, is the appeal of the 2010 Taurus. In the all-important venue of curb appeal from the outside and sports-sedan feel on the inside, the new Taurus eclipses its dowdy predecessor.
There's not much difference in the power train, except for the resurrection of the SHO. The new Taurus continues with the 263-horsepower V6 engine coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission and a choice of front-drive or all-wheel drive.
But the transmission comes with a manual-shift mode and paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which imparts that all-important sports-sedan performance feel.
However, even the new car has multiple personalities. You can get into an entirely satisfactory base model, the SE, for as little as $25,995. That gives you all the fundamental goodies, including the V6 engine, six-speed automatic transmission without paddle shifters, full safety equipment, air conditioning, remote locking, cruise control, sliding sun visors, power everything and a decent audio system.
Should you want to venture into classy luxury-car territory you can step way up to the tested all-wheel drive Taurus LTD. It featured such avant-garde equipment as adaptive cruise control, which automatically maintains a distance from the car in front; a blind-spot warning system useful for people who don't know how to adjust their outside mirrors; rain-sensing windshield wipers; heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats; a power rear sunshade; voice-activated navigation system; a high-end audio system with satellite radio and real-time traffic information, and clever multi-contour seats that also provide back and bottom massages while you're driving.
All of that, of course, doesn't much affect the performance. But it does give the all-wheel-drive LTD a heavy, luxury-car personality, where the less-expensive SE and SEL models with front drive have a more nimble handling feel.
The difference in price is considerable, as might be expected. The tested LTD had a starting price of $33,845 and, with the aforementioned options, checked in at $41,025. That puts it up near the classy Lincoln MKS, which shares its platform with the Taurus.
For the ultimate in performance, of course, you'll want to order the Taurus SHO, which comes standard with all-wheel drive and a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine that pumps out a stalwart 365 horsepower with 350 pounds-feet of torque, or low-rpm force.
This is an enthusiast's car that brings joy to loyal fans from the earlier SHO era who have been lobbying mightily for the return of the SHO, even to sponsoring a web site called "bringbackthesho.com."
"Taurus is the halo for Ford, and the SHO is the halo for Taurus," said Frank Davis, the product development director.
The SHO has a starting price of $37,995. With options like the adaptive cruise control, navigation, a special paint job and high-performance tires on 20-inch aluminum wheels, it comes to $45,470. That gives you a taut, sharp-handling all-wheel-drive sports sedan that can rip off a zero-to-60 acceleration time of about five seconds, according to Ford's test figures.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. For more columns, go to scrippsnews.com)
DriveWays with TAURUS-SPECS
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