Is This The Best Sedan In America?
Ford's 2010 Taurus Might Be Just That
by Rex Roy AOL Autos
Posted: Aug, 26 2009
In a time before four-door pickups, SUVs, minivans, and crossovers, families drove sedans. History's most famous out of production sedan names include Nova, Dart, LTD, Cutlass, Fury, Fairlane, Volare, and Valiant. A name that has just returned to the forefront of the automotive world is Taurus.
With a roomy interior, a powerful V-6 engine, 28 mpg on the highway, and a standard price tag starting around $26,000, this sedan will put a new shine on the sedan category. The new Taurus is so good that it may even attract current truck, SUV, and drivers in a way no other current sedan can.
From your reaction to stories that AOL Autos has already published about the 2010 Ford Taurus, we know that American drivers are interested in this all-new sedan. Read on for an in-depth look at this popular car, its features and competitors. And we won't neglect driving impressions.

Meet The New No-Bull TaurusThe original Ford Taurus stampeded onto American streets as a 1986 model. The effect was seismic. The original was so good, it not only became the best-selling car in America, Hollywood took notice and used it as the basis for Robo Cop's patrol car (Now there's an endorsement!).
As the Taurus changed over the years, its horns were never as sharp. In its final years it went lame, becoming a pariah of rental car and municipal fleets. Finally, in 2007 the old bull was put out to pasture.
Under the leadership of Ford CEO Alan Mulally, the Taurus name returned, branded over top of the Five Hundred in 2008. The market reacted with a yawn because the freshening of the Five Hundred was far from being a full eight-second ride in the rodeo ring. Buyers knew the 2008 Taurus was little more than an ol'switcheroo.
But Mulally was on to something. He knew that Ford could open its gates again and let loose a winner. The 2010 Ford Taurus proves he was right.
Sizing Up The BullThe 2010 Taurus is the new standard for full-size sedans, just as the 1986 Taurus set the standard for mid-size cars in its era. The 2010 edition is smaller than the traditional rear-wheel-drive Crown Victoria, and about the same size as the 2009 Taurus, Toyota Avalon, Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler 300, and Audi A8. Interior roominess is generally comparable between these vehicles, but the 2010 Taurus offers a cavernous trunk with over 20-cubic feet of easy-to-fill room.
While it is technically accurate to say that the 2010 Taurus is derived from the 2009 edition, it is inaccurate to characterize the transformation as a casual refresh or minor update. The only major components that are carried over include the front suspension, parts of the body structure, and the efficient 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission (18 mpg city, 28 mpg highway). Most other mechanical components are new, including the design of the rear suspension that was lifted and retuned from the 2009 Lincoln MKS luxury sedan. (If you're going to share components between vehicles within a company, this is a good way to do it.)
The styling of this mainstream sedan is powerful. The giant VW Passat looks of the previous Taurus/Five Hundred model is gone, ditched in favor of a squared-off design that clearly says, "I'm an American, not a German wannabe." The roof is lower and the lines are pleasingly angular.
Inside, the five-passenger Taurus is clearly driver-focused. Up front, there are defined areas for the driver and front passenger. The instrument cluster presents information to the driver in three, deeply recessed gauges. Day or night, the readouts are easy to see. The way the dash slope away from the occupants gives the interior a feeling of openness. If you can't get comfortable using the power seat, adjustable pedals, and the tilt/telescopic steering column, you must be a very oddly shaped person, indeed.
In the rear seating area, the Taurus is wide enough to sit three across. With the front seats in their rear-most position (for a driver well over six-feet), room is tight for those in the rear, but with the front seat adjusted for a 6-foot driver, an average adult male riding in back enjoys plenty of space in front of his knees. The rear seat backs fold down to open up a truly huge cargo area, expanding the already large capacity of the trunk.
A large touch screen occupies the top of the center console on models with the optional navigation system. The touch screen is easy to use, even for Luddites. This brings up the point that Ford is using the 2010 Taurus to bring high-technology to the masses. Safety features like stability control, ABS, traction control, and six airbags are standard. So is the SOS post-crash alert system. After an impact that causes airbags to deploy, the SOS system unlocks all doors, turns on the hazard flashers, and sounds the horn.
Beyond these expected features, the Taurus also provides SecuriCode; a keyless entry system with a key pad on the driver-side B-pillar, and MyKey; a feature that lets parents program a specific key fob with restricted vehicle function, such as maximum speed and maximum radio volume. While this list is solid, it's the options on the 2010 Taurus that are unusual for a mainstream American sedan.