Ford Taurus: Making the family sedan stylish

By Steven D. Gatt, Automotive Editor

The most radical change in automotive design trend since the original Taurus, the 1996 Taurus sets new standards in design for the industry to follow.

Every aspect of the new Taurus was carefully thought out with utmost attention to detail and the consumer in mind. Most notably is the interior with its' center pod design for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and radio controls.

Like the rest of the car, the center pod is an oval design; everything on this car seems to originate from an oval. From the oval opening in the grill, to the oval turn indicators and even the rear back glass all coming from the original Ford blue oval right up front.

Ford has dramatically improved fit and finish; one of the many ways they are improving quality. Another is Ford's single side body stamping process. This entails everything except the front fender and doors on each side of the car. The A-B-C pillars and the rear quarter panel are all one piece; reducing tolerances and improving noise, vibration and harshness transmitted to the passenger compartment.

Ford spent $6 billion on the all-new design, so it should come as no surprise that it is a leap in all ways for the Taurus and Ford.

Most people either love or hate the exterior design: I love it. Just as the original Taurus was a shock to the industry, so too is this design. Remember the old Taurus became accepted by the public quickly and sold in huge numbers. Once again in 1995, the Taurus was the number one selling car in the United States.

Improvements were made with engine power and delivery. The engine is the same size yet produces more horsepower and better fuel economy. This power is delivered super smoothly through a new transmission which rivals the smoothness of the Toyota Camry. On the downside the car is heavier and actually could use more power.

Even with the dramatically raked sloping rear end the Taurus' trunk is huge. A new feature this year is the 60/40 rear fold-down pass-through seats. Also, a built-in child safety seat is just the tip of the safety feature list. That list includes the usual gamut of dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, side impact protection and 5mph front and rear bumpers. Safety feature improvements were made in the area of 'safety cell' construction and a center rear-seat shoulder-belt.

In the GL model (LX is reviewed here), there is a convertible console. Owners I spoke with said they would actually pay more for this, but it is actually standard in the base model. The convertible console works in a variety of positions. First the up position allows for three across bench seating in front. Second with only the top folded down it works as a normal armrest. Third and finally with the top half down and the bottom rotated open it works as an armrest, dual cupholder, cassette tape holder and cellular phone receptacle.

I am not a particular fan of the Toreador Red exterior color the test Taurus came in or the saddle cloth interior. Dark blue or green Tauruses look very elegant. Other negatives include the interior door trim, it is solid hard plastic, and the armrests which Ford did not pad enough. Another odd thing is the lack of door pockets.

If you are in the market for a family sedan, the Taurus deserves to be considered versus other 1996 products such as the Lumina and the Intrepid. The standard equipment list is long with many features you would find optional on luxury cars. Whether you love or hate the exterior design, it seems to appeal to a large segment of the population from General X, to yuppies to senior citizens. That's broad appeal!

Fuel mileage is estimated by the EPA at 20 city 29 highway mpg. Base price for the Taurus LX is $20,980; with options and discounts, total price as tested was $23,520. A tad pricey, but then again, you get to be in the coolest looking sedan in America.