When I was first asked to review the 2010 Ford Taurus, I will admit I had some preconceived notions. Images of the Taurus of old in my mind, I was very pleasantly surprised with the new 2010 model, which boasts a very attractive exterior and a surprisingly luxurious interior. The leather package was absolutely beautiful, there was loads of rear seat room and the trunk was huge…big enough to fit four hockey bags!
Model Tested: 2010 Ford Taurus
Key Competitors: Chevrolet Malibu, Hyundai Azera, 2010 Toyota Camry
Price: MSRP starting at $29,999 (this model: $40,179), which is really the only drawback of this vehicle – this ain’t your Granny’s Taurus.
Urban Mom’s Rating:
Urban Mom Tester’s Topline: This car was definitely a very pleasant surprise. Combining a sleek and athletic exterior with a very comfortable and luxurious interior and loads of cargo space, this is a great car for any mom on the go. It’s plenty big enough for any family outing (or carpooling to practice) but it also serves as a perfect commuting car for working parents who don’t necessarily want to drive a bus minivan to work every day.
Urban Kid Tester’s Topline: Although this vehicle didn’t have some of the bells and whistles that really impress the kids (read DVD players), they did enjoy testing this car. There was ample rear seat room for growing boys (ample room for adults, even) and the little ones still in booster seats had no difficulty buckling in. A major bonus for the kids was the huge cargo capacity in the trunk: more than enough room for all their sporting equipment. We fit four hockey bags in this trunk, people!
Exterior Features and Style: Again, I was very pleasantly surprised with this vehicle’s luxury and styling. I was very impressed by the sleek, athletic exterior of the 2010 Taurus and felt very comfortable driving it.
Interior Comfort and Style: This car’s interior definitely won me over. The leather was absolutely luxurious and the dashboard and controls were intuitive and simple to use. Often it takes some time to orient yourself with a car’s controls and dash, but in the Taurus I just felt like everything was where it should be. Every time I reached for a control it was right there, just where I expected it to be.
Drive: Smooth and easy to drive, the 2010 Taurus has a very comfortable ride. This was a great car to drive, and the passengers all reported a comfortable and pleasant ride. Even in the back seat, adult passengers have plenty of legroom and felt the drive was smooth.
Bells and Whistles: Unlike some of the larger cars we’ve tested, the 2010 Taurus didn’t have an in-car entertainment system, fridge or seating for an entire hockey team. But this car’s surprising luxury, massive cargo capacity and straightforward driving made it a winner in our books. It’s also winner of the ‘Best New Family Car over $30,000’ category from Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s (AJAC) Car of the Year TestFest.
Fortunately for the Blue Oval team, they may have an ace-in-the-hole. As we learned driving the 2010 Ford Taurus through Tennessee and North Carolina’s Smoky Mountain roads, this new bull shows promise and takes the marque upscale like never before. But be under no illusions this is a risky move. The Taurus name has never been extended upmarket like this before (let alone in such a waterlogged economy), and it isn’t immediately clear who the model’s competitors are a detail that could prove problematic when trying to target customers.
http://www.reviewedfords.com/2010-ford-taurus.html
I still remember the Taurus my best friend’s parents use to drive in the 80’s. The new Taurus looks great! I currently have a mini-van and would like to switch to a sedan. The Taurus seems like a good choice, it appears to have good space and trunk space.
Wow! Is this really a Taurus? They’ve definitely come a long way.