t’s fair to say that Ford, like the other auto manufacturers, is more studied and
careful about the vehicles they design and build nowadays. The totally new Ford
Taurus is, therefore, of paramount importance to the company. So just how good
is the new Taurus?
The Taurus is a large full-size 4,000-pound sedan that is quiet, roomy and has a
large trunk.
It is surprisingly good looking for a modestly priced, high volume domestic
sedan.
The interior is similarly well done. This cockpit-like space is stylish,
functional and comfortable. The seating is very good and cabin space is
generous. Gauges and controls are well positioned. The vehicle is very quiet
thanks to triple seals on the doors. Ford gets double
“A” grades for offering cooled seats as an option.
The driving dynamic of the car is also commendable. Proper suspension design and
tuning allow for a controlled yet comfortable ride. Braking is very good and
acceleration is very adequate. The Taurus is powered by a 3.5 liter V-6 that
produces 263 horsepower driven through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Front-
and all-wheel drive are offered. The vehicle has very good day-to-day driving
manners and is an excellent cruising car. The SHO version of the Taurus fields
a twin turbo version of the 3.5 with 365 horsepower and all-wheel drive. Both
models drive wonderfully.
The new Taurus is an extremely safe vehicle. It has four-wheel ABS disc brakes
with brake force distribution, plus stability and traction control. This is a
large sedan and has lots of boron and high strength steel in all the right
places. A full suite of airbags is onboard including the side curtains that
will stay deployed longer for added head protection.
The new Taurus is endowed with 10 class exclusive features according to Ford’s calculations.
BLIS is a Blind Spot Info System, which detects vehicles in your blind spots
over your shoulders and shows a warning light on outside mirrors. Cross Traffic
Alert sees vehicles behind you when you are trying back out of a parking spot
between two giant SUVs. It beeps
if it detects cross traffic coming. Very cool.
Adaptive Cruise Control maintains a minimum distance between you and the vehicle
in front of you and will even apply brakes. Collision Warning with Brake
Support warns you of a vehicle panic stop in front of you and pre-charges
brakes for max deceleration.
MyKey allows the owner to program vehicle speed limits, max radio volumes and
obligatory fastened seatbelts into the
“kids” key. Multi Contour front seats have Active Motion bladders in seats for
occupant comfort.
Secure Code Keyless entry, voice activated Navigation, SYNC with traffic
information, the EcoBoost V-6, the Sony Sound System, and the capless fuel
filler (not sure if this one is a great idea but it is a class exclusive) are
also available.
I think the public will really like the new Taurus and its $25,000 base price.
It will be a terrific asset to Ford Motor Company.
Volkswagen is obviously doing something right. Globally, they are the world’s No. 3 automaker and in the first quarter of 2009, they outsold everyone,
including Toyota, to be the top selling automobile manufacturer in the world!
Recently, VW has added a clean diesel, high fuel economy TDI option to their
large SUV, the Touareg. It is a big, roomy and very capable truck that can be
fitted out in a luxurious fashion. Volkswagen has a successful and long
heritage in diesel engine production. Over 50 percent of VW
’s vehicle sales in Europe are now diesels.
The new Touareg TDI comes with a new 3.0 liter turbo diesel V-6 engine. It is a
modern common rail system that uses high pressure to atomize the fuel. This
produces a very quiet, clean, odorless and smokeless engine.
The new 3.0 TDI engine is an aluminum 90-degree V-6 with 221 horsepower and a
huge 406 ft. lbs. of torque, all of which is available at a low 1,750 rpm
’s. That kind of monster torque effortlessly pulls the substantial Touareg down
the road with no hesitation thanks in part to the 6-speed Tiptronic automatic
transmission. This SUV will accelerate to 60 miles an hour in a respectable 8.5
seconds and still has a 7,700-pound towing capacity.
The EPA fuel economy rating is 17 city and 25 highway, which is considerably
less than what I experienced. During a 100-mile jaunt through the North
Carolina and Virginia hilly countryside, admittedly at low speeds, my average
according to the on-board trip computer was 30.2 mpg. For a luxury 5,000-pound
full-time-all-wheel-drive SUV, that
’s pretty amazing.
One of the reasons that a new diesel was introduced in the Touareg is because of
vehicle emission regulations. This new TDI is a 50-state compliant
“clean diesel,” meeting all government emissions standard for every state in the country.
Apart from the diesel technology, the Touareg has many compelling features. The
interior is spacious and the seating is inviting. The ride is very comfortable
and controlled especially with the available air suspension. Additionally, a
nice navigation system with a 30 GB hard drive is available, plus real wood
interior trim, a Dynadio music system, a rear view camera and dynamic cruise
control.
The price of the TDI is $42,000 and the diesel option is a $3,500 upcharge over
the gas V-6 model. There is, however, a $1,050 federal government tax credit,
not a deduction but a credit, along with dramatically improved fuel economy
that will easily offset the TDI cost. Apart from the financial considerations,
the TDI is a pleasant and enjoyable vehicle to drive.
