After a long hiatus from Production, in 2008 Ford's turnaround expert CEO, Alan Mulally, decided to bring back the Ford Taurus. Rather than create something scratch however, they simply re badged the slow selling Ford 500. Sales remained lackluster and a second 500 based Taurus was made. For 2010, Ford is now trying a 3rd variant to recapture market share, and for something wearing the Taurus badge it looks pretty damn good.
For me, the Taurus name conjures images of getting driven to soccer practice and sitting in plush back seats coated in Cheerios and cheese curl dust. Surprisingly at the time however, the car was recognized as Ford's great hope, and a legitimate head to head competitor with BMW's 5 series. For most Taurus buyers however, what it really represented was an American made option to buy instead of the Accord, Camry or Volvo 240. A car that showed America could build something reliable, comfortable and easy on the wallet.
Now the new Taurus... Less a BMW competitor than a chrome covered Luxo-barge the 2010 Taurus is about as subtle as a rapper's Escalade. Tech options reserved usually for Mercedes, Audi and Lexus are on tape, as are AWD and Ford's new 365HP dual turbocharged EcoBoost engine. For Christ's sake the thing now comes with paddle shifters, once a hallmark feature found only on Masers and Ferrari's.
It is all a bit unsettling to me, but I am glad to see Ford trying something out of the box thinking and applying it to something people might but.
My true hope though is that Volvo will launch a counter attack and make a tarted up version of the so-boxy-it's-cool 240 wagon.
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