[Richard Kimball]

The original Taurus, while not my cup of tea, was a big seller. I haven't seen the new one or the one being designed, but how the heck do they now unload the ones sitting on dealer lots? I just checked the Ford web site, and they are touting the current Taurus and talking about what a great car it is.

These were two high-level executives, so it wasn't a loose canon thing. This is guaranteed to hack off dealers, and it makes their advertising look very disingenuous. Ford dealers are hurting right now. I recently dropped by a few, and it was like walking into a house where someone was dying. After dealers take delivery of these cars, they have to sell them. If Ford trashes their own cars, these dealers may end up having to take several thousand dollar losses per vehicle just to move them. Bottom line, at $6.64 a share, I'd still have to see Ford do SOMETHING right before buying. PS. The new Mustang is still cool.

[EricT.]

The original Taurus is how a friend of mine, a 19 year old mechanic that sheered sheep for extra money, bought a house. He told me that 80% of the vehicles he worked on were Taurus’s. I also noticed that he never owned a Ford.

[Spktyr]

The original Taurus was actually a half-decent car and it was cheap - became the best selling car in America for a while. The second generation wasn't bad, but it was pretty much just a reskin of the original car. The car became less and less competitive and as for the quality, it went way down hill towards the end of that generation. The third generation (which is what we 30-somethings remember driving ourselves, and loathing) was made from 96-99 and with a facelift from 00-07. That was the one that spiked the Taurus name forever; poor reliability, poor value for money, poor *everything*.

This is what they're currently telling us is a Taurus. Check out the razorblade face!

[Spktyr]

Also, check out the fake porthole/vent on the fender! Yes, that’s STOCK.

[Mr Rogers]

My 4 year old Ford Explorer has a cracked body panel below the rear window and needs to have the rear differential worked on after 60,000 miles.

The dealer said both are common problems, but they don’t affect safety so there is no recall.

I’ll consider buying a Ford again in, say, 2030.

If they are still in business.

At that time, odds are good my 2008 Toyota Corolla will still be running...