OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - The Blue Oval
In honor of Jim Hackett, today let's stay brand specific. What's your favorite Ford of all time? For the purposes of this thread we'll include Lincolns, Mercuries, certain Mazdas, Volvos, Jags and Astons. Ever own one? Never own one but have one that you admire from afar? Have a favorite vintage? We can do threads for other favorite companies in the future, but here's to Hackett and the Blue Oval
I have a 2010 Taurus SHO. I love it. Great dad "sports" car. Good room inside and vast trunk space. 7 years along and I think the interior styling is still nicer than new cars and the exterior holds up just fine for a big sedan. The steering and feel are responsive and hte 365HP duel turbo Ecotech engine is nice. Its not a drag racer but when I want to enter the highway at 80mph, or get around someone, that is no issue ... great cruising power. I'm at 115K and will drive it until the wheels fall off.
Fast. Reasonably economical for what it is, I like the looks, and it has a trunk that you could stack 6 bodies in. And even today its a very safe car.
The only complaint I have is that with the transition to the newer body style they wrecked the greenhouse. But that seems pretty standard in all new cars now.
It's surprising how frequently and enthusiastically the Taurus SHO comes up in these weekly threads given how few of them Ford sells. Taurus and its platformmates (Flex, MKT) only stick around because they paid for their tooling a long time ago and the other platformmate (Explorer) sells really well.
Sedans in general and full size sedans in particular are unloved in the market. Sales are way down and shifting to SUVs. But if you like driving a big sedan... this is the one. Maybe there is a better car for twice the price (think BMW 7 series, or the big Audi) but nothing close at $45K
I've had SUV's for years, and minivans as a kid. But for a small to moderately sized family (2 kids) I love the sedan. When we take trips, all the luggage goes into the cavernous trunk; away from the passengers and out of my line of sight. Center of gravity is lower, and it handles better. Mileage is better. The kids and adults have tons of room. I know the market is going to crossovers but I'm going to be going the other way as much as possible.
The room you get behind the 2nd row or 3rd row in a crossover isn't that great. Even a minivan.
Sure, they may have higher ratings, but you're limited to the seat top if you want to see out of the back of your vehicle.
I'd love to have a SHO. I'd have loved an AWD Hemi charger when they sold those.
Not sure what I'll do in the future.
Taurus is gone. IIRC Continental is built on the Fusion platform. Is the Flex far behind?
Taurus isn't gone.......yet. I'm in a position to see into the future, obviously can't say what I know.....but anyone who can read writing on the wall can draw their own conclusion based on last month's police car reveal. But yes, Conti (unlike the MKS) is built on a CD4 platform (not the same as Fusion, though - different version.)
with the 20 cu ft trunk is likely gone. :-(
Eddie Bauer package. Good size, lots of cargo, leather, sound, sunroof, etc. Problem is, this and another Ford I had suffered inexcusable mechanical and hardware issues. I loved that vehicle, but so many issues including tie rods, ball joints, and even the oil in the rear axle leaked into the rear brakes. Was instructed I needed half a dozen quarts to replace the oil. The oil was proprietary, only Ford sells it---$26 per quart. Just an example of my frustration. Now, nothing but Hondas for me.
My uncles worked for GM and I grew up in East Lansing somewhat near an Oldsmobile plant. My dad bought a Ford Escort one time, but all the rest of our cars were GM until we discovered the joy of Toyota.
Anyway, my GM uncle told two Ford jokes.
#1. What does FORD stand for? Fix Or Repair Daily.
#2. You know how the Taurus has the SHO model, and other brands have LX and LXE models. Well the big secret coming out of Ford headquarters was the new CLI model they were making for the Taurus. Just picture that on the back of your car, "C - L - I TAURUS."
My uncle was a funny guy.
Ford -- F ound O n R oad D ead
My favorite Ford is... Martha. At 90, she quickly shook up the front office of the Lions. Let's hope she keeps a stern eye on them until they finally get some traction.
and most lincoln's in general.
It's been a wonderful friend giving us over 130k miles so far and giving our college students a trustworthy ride the last handful of years. Long may you run.
apart far sooner than you suggest, and it was maintained well.
I've only owned one Ford(Merc Topaz) from the 80's I believe.
It was a simple car that served me very well. Cheap, easy on gas and just kept running.
These days its usually Honda and Toyota's made in the USA or Canada(No Mexico). I only care about American labor and jobs.