Ford Sells A Better Taurus For 2010

The 2010 Ford Taurus’ job is simple: To find more buyers than its immediate predecessors. Ford’s full-size family sedan that debuted in 2005 as the Five Hundred and changed its name to Taurus for 2008 was a very competent and practical vehicle, even a bit upscale. But the styling was a little boring, and derivative of older Passats making the design look dated. The 2010 Taurus changes all of that by putting revised mechanicals in a more unique and sexier body.

The biggest difference with previous models is a lower, more square roofline, maintaining an elegant but more aggressive look. Ditching the slab sides of the previous models, the lower body is more sculpted and incorporates a character line that runs the length of the car, making for a long and lean look. Overall, the new car could be a distant cousin to the 2007 Ford Interceptor concept car, with a similar stance and a very similar rear end. Engines carry over from the previous gen, a 3.5 liter V6 that makes 263hp/249ft-lb of torque, but hook up to all new six-speed transmissions that are more fuel efficient and make shifting a bit more involving. A more driver oriented version with more power and better handling is supposed to debut at the Chicago auto show next month.

The interior is light years ahead of what family sedans of just a few years ago looked like. It incorporates a twin-brow dash like the Mustang’s, contrasting materials nicely laid out into a console that sits high and extends back into the rear console. The words upscale and cockpit come to mind, definitely a nice place to be. Good looks are complemented on the technology front too, with Ford offering adaptive cruise control with collision warning and brake support, keyless entry, blind spot alerts, push button start, seat massage, and the very popular SYNC system.

The new Taurus seems like a solid, stylish package that should serve Ford well, they really need it to. If you’re interested sales should begin this summer with pricing that starts at $25,995. If you’re interested in a significantly better price, keep in mind 2006 models are currently going for 60% of the original MSRP. Come back to our private party only classifieds in three years and pick up a better equipped model for less than $10,000.