2013 Ford Taurus Review

The Ford Taurus has made a lot of changes over the years. It's one of those cars though that almost everyone you know has owned at some point when they picked it up used as a youngster. It wasn't too dorky looking and ran well enough for the most part. You didn't feel like a total loser driving one around at least. If I remember correctly, the older 80s-90s Taurus' had either a problem with their brakes, or it was some sort of problem with the transmission. All I know is that between that, or one of my older Luminas I had issues with the transmission and every person I talked to said the same thing. "Oh yeah...all those cars have a problem with the transmission at around 100K miles", or something along those lines. Young guys having to get a transmission fixed wasn't exactly a banner day I can tell you that. It isn't a cheap thing to get done. Ends up sitting in the back yard as a bed for pet. Move forward to 2013 and the Taurus is completely different. It looks much sleeker, and has been completely redesigned. In fact it is much different even than the 2012 model. Although the basic architecture underneath hasn't changed, a moderate restyle of the hood and front fascia gives a refreshed appearance, also improved with projector-beam headlights. Unseen behind the grille, an active shutter system uses aerodynamics to help improve highway fuel economy. LED taillights distinguish the rear. Torque Vectoring Control uses electronic sensors and the stability control system to improve cornering behavior under acceleration. All versions of the 2013 Taurus use electrically-assisted power steering, which simplifies, reduces weight, and further helps improve fuel economy. The standard engine in the SE, SEL, and Limited models is a 3.5-liter V6, but this one has a host of upgrades to improve both power output, now 288 horsepower, and fuel economy, with 29 mpg allegedly possible on the highway. Want better economy with little loss of power? Ford's new 2.0-liter "EcoBoost" four-cylinder uses turbocharging and direct fuel injection to make a maximum of 240 horsepower when needed, with over 30 mpg possible on the highway. With more torque than the V6 -- 270 lb-ft vs. 254 -- performance is unlikely to suffer much. Both engines are matched with a six-speed automatic transmission to optimize acceleration and economy. Want more power? That would be the SHO, with 365 EcoBoosted horsepower and some new features of its own. But that's a different story for a different time. full review