Ford set to produce last Taurus

Associated Press ^ | By TOM KRISHER, AP Business Writer

[Cobra64]

Are you saying the 300 is built in Mexico?

[Petronski]

In order to make the Vic sufficiently driveable, though, one must put truck shocks in the back and German Bilstein sport shocks in the front (also, Z-rated 45lb./in. tires).

[cpprfld]

Never owned a Taurus, but my 1998 Contour with a V-6 is going strong at 98,000+ miles. Only one problem with it and it was fixed under warranty. Great car.

I had a Contour too, I had nothing but problems with it.

[1Old Pro]

The Five Hundred is a very nice and smooth ride, but it is boring and ugly!

Yep, ugly alright, kinda like the Buick Aztec, and some other horrible designs.

[andy58-in-nh]

Ford needs to build a car that would appeal to the homosexuals that they continually cater to. I'm certain an appropriate name for such a vehicle will soon surface.

"Hummer" is already taken.
How about: BM Cruiser?

[nascarnation]

no but the hemi engines all come from the Saltillo plant

[Alouette]

the Buick Aztec

A car so hideous that everyone who looked at the designs threw up!

GM prettied it up and put it into production as the Pontiac Aztek.

The Five Hundred is not spectacularly ugly, but it is boring for a vehicle in that price range.

[jalisco555]

One clue about an American car's quality is the constant need to change the car's name. Accord and Civic have been around almost forever, while names like Fairlane, Galaxey, Tempo, Mystique, Pinto, Fiesta, Granada, Monarch, Countour, Comet, Falcon, on and on have been changed to confuse the American public.

Yes, the Japanese take a model and constantly tweak it and tweak it, making it better. American car makers abandon models hoping to hit a home run with the next one, instead of working to improve their current models.

[RockinRight]

I don't get just WHY American car manufacturers have so much trouble making decent small and mid-sized cars.

[Non-Sequitur]

I honestly had no idea that they were still making them. I had a 1992 Taurus Wagon and loved it.

[Max in Utah]

I bought a used (Avis) 1992 Taurus and drove it for 140,000 miles until the transmission died. I could never get the brakes to work right-- 200 miles after having the discs turned, the "pulsing" would come back into the brake pedal (warped discs?).

Swore I'd never buy another Ford product.

[biff]

First On Race Day

And a modified and somewhat more civil version of one of yours is"

Friggen Ole Rebuilt Dodge

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Remember when Chevy tried to jump on the Taurus design bandwagon? They built something that looked like a giant watermelon on wheels. Think it might have been a Caprice.

[jalisco555]

The Fusion was designed to replace the Taurus. The Focus is the replacement for the Escord. The Five Hundred is a very nice and smooth ride, but it is boring and ugly!

My parents had a 500 way back when and it was boring and ugly too. Why Ford felt the urge to revive the brand I'll never know. It's not as if anyone had an emotional attachment to it from their childhood.

Now, why Chevy hasn't revived the Belair I'll never know.

[OrioleFan]

Part of the problem with the 02 Taurus I own is there seems to be an uneven distribution of weight (too much up front, and probably way too much when I get in it). Low profile tires look like they are squished up front when the car is empty - no matter how much air they have in them. Ignoring that, I like the way it drives and handles.

[floridareader1]

Chevy's answer to the Taurus was the Lumina, I believe. Another name that will go down in mediocrity.


Honey, I just bought a brand new Lumina!

[DungeonMaster]

"it's the car"

I like that one.

[Alouette]

They built something that looked like a giant watermelon on wheels.

The GM engineers I worked with back in the day called it a "hippopatamus in a tutu"

[cav68]

I am still driving a 1996 model I bought for the wife new, it has 198,658 miles on it as of today. I have had to replace the water pump and serpentine belt and tie rod ends but everything on it works and for the money it has been good transportation for me. I commute to downtown from the suburbs each day round trip of 41 miles and it is great on gas. No I don't work for Ford Motor Company, but this has been a good car.

[jalisco555]

I honestly had no idea that they were still making them. I had a 1992 Taurus Wagon and loved it.

They've been exclusively rental fodder for years now. This was a dumb move, BTW. Anyone renting a Taurus in the last few years had had a bad experience and associates all Ford cars with this experience. An excellent way to repel potential new customers.