Meet the new Ford Taurus

Hopefully they won’t use the transmissions from the old Taurus, nothing but trouble.

I’m not sure that the name change will help or hurt one way or another. I’m cautiously optimistic about the availability of a new, more powerful, engine making the new Taurus/old Five Hundred more pleasant to drive and more competitive with other cars in the marketplace.

The 500 was an ill conceived vehicle from the start. Hanging “Taurus” around it’s neck is like throwing a drowning person a bag of sand to stay afloat.
It’s just amazing that the same company that makes the “Mustang” keeps developing these ugly cars? Do they not listen to their focus groups?

D

Why doesn’t Ford just rename every vehicle they sell “F-150″.

Hope it works but I doubt it! I just hope they don’t imitate Chrysler and go with the ultra low roof and/or high beltline! Might be fine for kids but for us older folks it’s terrible to get in and out of…unless you plan on being buried in it!

I have a ‘05 500. I like it. It’s is a comfortable car to drive on long trips, gas mileage is decent. The seats are have good support. Granted it is not the most stylish thing on the road, but this car works well for me.

I think that Ford is running out of ideas and time. There’s really no room for experimentation. Ford appears to be grasping at straws. I’d be almost afraid to buy a car with the Ford label in case Ford isn’t around any more.

They should call it the Ford “Volvo” since it shares the platform. It’s really a great platform – big, safe, smooth. I think it could have taken the role of the old Volvo 240 – that of a reasonably priced Volvo. Taurus’ brand name has been damaged badly by rental fleet status. No one wants a Taurus in their driveway anymore. There will be business school case studies on this marketing blunder.

Yawn

I am clearly in the minority, but I have really loved the design of the 500 from the start. I am no fan of American cars, but this is a fantastic design. I think it is exceptionally clean and muscular. I must agree with Mike, though, “Taurus” is not a good nameplate.

Ford is grasping at straws.
General Motors is turning around with new ideas,ex.long warranty, new looks.
Ford is not coming up with new or Original ideas. Make a car that people look at and get “WOW” I Want ONE

ummm.. no people aren’t buying the cars because their quality has stunk historically ;especially the taurus

What is sad is Ford should never have left the Taurus gasping so long on life-support in the first place. Too little way too late.

My friend Theresa has a Taurus and it is stinky. I don’t like the Taurus but my old roommate Sally likes the 500. I miss her!

I like American cars. They are fun even though their quality is not as good as foreign cars and they break down a lot. It makes life more interesting. Also, on a side note, the interior of a Ford smells particularly bad when you spill a milkshake in it!

The name ‘Taurus’ was a joke before its life finally ended. Couldn’t the marketing group at Ford come up with something new rather than resurrect a dead joke.

The 500 would have done fine if they had finished the design before they put it on the market. Why would you put an old dog of an engine in your new flagship?

I currently own two Audi’s, a Honda element and a Land Rover, so the fact that they are changing the name of the Ford 500 back to the Taurus has little impact on me. Despite the fact that I would never consider buying a Ford product for myself, I have been on test drive in the 500 just to get a feel for what the car was like. As a car enthusiast I like to test drive different cars frequently to see how they measure up to my fleet of above-par automobiles. I strongly believe that it is a move in the wrong direction for Ford to regress back to the name “Taurus.” The 500 was about change, a better car for a better future. By going back to the “Taurus” Ford is basically saying we stink!

You can call it Taurus or Five Hundred or anything you like. It still looks like an old VW Passat and it has no redeeming features. Ford has lost the plot completely and sorely needs some new designers and a fresh approach to meeting the needs of drivers in North America.

Hello Ford,
Look at the altima, camry, accord, are you getting any hints yet. Americans want cars that look good and operate well for the long haul. I can’t believe our engineers are inferior to Japanese engineers, they just need a good kick in the ass.

“LIPSTICK ON A PIG”

Let’s hope when they say ‘restyled and improved 2008 Ford Five Hundred’ they really mean it. I think the name change will help. The old name Ford Five Hundred never struck a cord with me. Forgettable name, forgettable car – let’s hope they don’t make the same mistake with the new Taurus.
I wonder if companies will lease the new Taurus in the numbers they did before.

I just viewed the new Ford Mondeo(sp) in a foreign car magazine last night. Wow! If Ford can build a beautiful car like that for Europe why not in there own back yard. If they would bring that car here there troubles would be over. The car would be a hit.

Galaxy 500 would have been a better choice. I had an 90 Taurus, and I had problems with that car that I never had on a car before or since. I had an 06 Taurus for a rental car in Florida last year, and it was not very good. Ford is making a big mistake reusing that name- Let it die!

I HAD A FORD TAURUS SHO AND IT WAS A GREAT PERFORMING CAR

The Taurus name should be retired for the time being – maybe bring it back 10 years out with totally new design. The name reminds one of an early 90’s econbox – which the 500 isn’t.

Changing the name won’t help sell a car. The car helps sell a car. The Taurus name might bring in a few lookers who owned the Taurus before and liked it but that is about it. I have a close friend who bought the 500 and he enjoys it but agrees it is under powered. If they really wanted to hang a name on it to make people look twice, call it a Pinto! And Mike C, as far as I know the Taurus has never been an econobox. It is a mid sized car by today’s standards. Would have been an economy car by 1960s standards (in league with Comet and Falcon, not Pinto and Bobcat).

I have alwies been a Ford fan,of their trucks, But I owned two Tauruses and had probles with both. Ford should take a look at every thang they do right in their trucks and apply it to their cars.The consumers would be much more impressed.

The name has not been the 500’s problem. The slow, buzzy, loud engine, lackluster looks, and inferior fit and finish are what make customers look elsewhere. I have driven the 500; it actually has a lot to offer, just not as much as the competition. Changing the name does not solve the problem.
Ford tries to be all things to all people and ends up being nothing to anybody.

As I read the comments concerning the proposed name change for the Ford 500, commenters said that they had owned Taurus’ and that they had problems with the vehicle. That makes one (me) wonder who is manufacturing automobiles with no problems. If its mechancal and it has an engine and runs on wheels, that machine is going to have failures, American, or Foreign Manufactured, Period! That said the Ford 500 is a solid, comfortable, and reliable American Family Sedan. As to the name change look what happened to Nissan when that Corporation dropped Datsun, it tanked. Another example, Black and Decker’s line of Pro Tools never sold well until it changed the line to the well known Dewalt Name, and changed their color to yellow instead of black. Were the tools any better? Same Tools, different name. I’ve had an original Pro B&D drill for twenty years and it performs as good as the day I bought it. My point is image and name identification is paramount to success in selling products. Sticking with the Taurus Badge for the Ford 500 makes good marketing sense.

Jim Sink –

Ford tried selling the Mondeo here years ago — remember the Contour? It wound up being just a shade too small for American buyers. Shame, because it was a very decent car.

This car probably should have been called Taurus to begin with. Shouldn’t hurt anyway.

Focus should have remained Escort.

I will cringe when they rename Fusion…The New Tempo.

With the baby boomer population aging, they should just keep making the Mercury Grand Marquis and hope that enough of us live long enough to buy one.

My boyfriend Adam could use a big, safe car like this for when he gets in all his wrecks. I think the 500 is a hott car. I would totally hook up with a guy in one! I don’t think it is boring at all!

After checking out the interior photos of the new Ford Taurus I’m SOLD! I can still remember the first time I saw the Ford 500 on the road, it immediately caught my eye with its sharp lines and futuristic design. I could not wait to take the car on a test drive and get a real feel for the car. When it comes down to it, whether the car is named the Taurus or the 500, it does not really matter to me…either way I totally love it!!! I will be the first in line to purchase the new Taurus.

Actually leaving the name as 500 would have more appeal than re-using the name Tarus. The 500 is considered a notch or two above the Tarus.

I own a 95 Taurus SHO w/5-speed. With 180,000 miles on it, it runs perfectly. It is absolutely reliable and very comfortable on trips.

Ford needs to build a RWD model similar to the SHO!!!

So a car that has sold more cars in history, has a stupid name?
I dont think anyone here knows what they’re talking about.
Ford is going back to a name that is recognize with affordability, style, and power.
I agree with the decsision of Ford exects, and think they will continue to sell more Taurus’s than 500’s.
Especially with a design resembling the Fusion!

I also have a 93′ SHO with 150,000 on it. It runs great, and I can smoke a lot of cars out there!

I own an ‘05 500 and I love it. The interior roominess, cavernous trunk space and fuel economy sold me. It also helps it was not named Taurus. If so, I would not have even walked over to it in the showroom! When renting cars, I specifically ask for anything BUT a Taurus. The Taurus name is DEAD.

I have a 2002 Taurus with 150,000 miles and I love it. I have owned two and did have some troubles with the electronic ignition and fuel pump on the 1989 wagon. I was its second owner and the lady that I purchased it from replaced it with another Taurus wagon. I gave my 1989 Taurus to a friend, who is still driving it today racking up over 265,000 miles on its original engine and transmission.
No, it is not a sporty car, it not super attractive, it does not have the power and control of a European sport sedan, but it serves its intended purpose. The Taurus name has been synonymous with a reasonably priced family car that is safe, economic and comfortable. Recently a friend and I drove from Texas to California in my Taurus SES, a 4650 mile trip, with out a hitch. With its huge trunk and roomy back seat loaded to the hilt with camping gear, my Taurus with its 3.0L pov Vulcan V6 got 32-34 mpg through mountain roads. This car has given me much less trouble than my Toyota 4runner, that has much fewer miles. I have replaced a backup light and the water pump. Not bad for a car I have owned for the last five years. I hope the new 500 based model is as good as this one has been. I think people who have enjoyed their old Taurus as much as I have will purchase the 2008. Not everyone can afford an overpriced Audi, Mercedes or BMW, much less the cost of their repairs.

I have and love my 1995 Taurus GL. Her name is Se7en. She has never stranded me on the open rode…ever! She will break down if at all at home. Really! I have upgraded Se7en with a dual chrome MagnaFlow exhaust system, KYB Gas Struts and all new mounting gear, Baer DecelaRotor disc brakes, new calipers and Hawk Brake pads, Helo Spec 16×7.5 chrome wheels and Goodyear 16″ Assurance Triple Tread 225-55R16 wide tires, high performance plugs, wires and filters. She can take a corner like you wouldn’t believe, and at 85 mph (top of speedometer) is as steady as a rock. I have taken T-Birds from a stand still with my 3.0L v6. Next is a complete detailing for the exterior. How many miles…less than 87,000. My point is, a car is what you make it. Taurus, 500, new Taurus doesn’t really much matter. You want a better car, get under the skin. Detroit can only mass produce, you can fine tune. If we stopped focusing on what a car looks like, the smell of the leather, the pretty carpet, the moon roof , the iPod connection and more about how it performs, like our European friends, we’d all have better cars.

Ford is proving that it’s desperate…what a joke. They’ll be bankrupt before much longer.

Ford is really, really stupid. The Five Hundred wasn’t a dud because of the name, it was a dud because it’s a giant FWD boring sedan. If Ford was smart, they’d bring the Mondeo here from the UK and badge it as a Taurus. That might actually cut into Camry and Accord sales quite significantly.

You can tell Taurus owners from non Taurus owners on here. The people who actually owned a taurus have good things to say. The children that spill shakes in them or the Camry owners have a lot of derogatory things to say. As a mechanic for a special needs school transport company, I have personal experiences with several Tauruses. Most with close to or more than 200 thousand miles on them. Fleet maintained and driven daily on school routes. The fact of the matter is Taurus is a great car. Ford hit a grand slam with it. If you foreign make buyers think the styling of the 500/Taurus is more bland than the new Camry or the ever generic Accord you may want to rethink your thinking. People with no experience with Ford’s products shouldn’t be throwing rocks. Do we Ford people laugh at Honda because they sell “Trucks” now? Yes we do. But you don’t see Ford owners on a site bashing the fact that Honda is calling small crossover vehicles with uni-body construction and a V6 a TRUCK. Success breeds success. I think Ford deserves a look from anyone who is on the market for a car. We all know there is no other choice for a truck.

The three Ford Taurus I had always had engine or major transmission problems and ford has never worked these problems out. They should let the Taurus die, it is a piece of sh**.

Its not the name taurus is a good name its the company as a whole. Ford just seems confused. GM used to be the joke about quality and bad cars, now ford purposely put itself as the new GM of crap. When will Toyota just come over and buy worn out Ford and on death row GM just kill them and get it over with!

I just got off the phone with the
Ford Service Rep. I had a 2005 Ford 500 Sport in the shop which they had to reprogram PCM PER TSB 06-20-07 (reprogram the computer from what I understand) for starting problems. Not so amazing except that our 2006 Ford 500 Sport was also in the same day for reprogramming of the computer after a $2800.00 transmission valve was replaced last week. I was told that the transmission loosing power randomly now as it did before the valve was replaced was due to trouble in reprogramming the computer after the valve replacement. Apparently the computer had been telling the transmission to drop out in response to the valve failing. We would pull over shut the car off and restart it between bring it into Ford. Now that’s what I call a Better Idea do they still use that phrase or am I dating myself.

Owned two, 1987, and 1989 Taurus. Put 220,00 on the first, and 236,000 on the 89, w/o much repair costs. Bought the 89 from my brother who hated it, but I drove the wheels off the thing. He could not believe the service I got out of it. At the end of the line I drove both to the junk yard. Both engines were still running like a top, just other parts going out e.g. A/C etc.
I own a 2005 Volvo now, but looked at the 500. People don’t know it but there is a lot of Volvo in the 500/new Taurus. Ford just has to do more work on the style, and continue to join with Volvo engineers on other feature of the car.

Mr. Williams is my kind of guy! Another Taurus lover. I have a 2002 and his name is “Mr. T” and I love that car as much as I did my “97 Taurus. Neither one has ever let me down, and both have been a joy to drive. If the restyled 500 handles as well and looks less like a rolling box, then I might give it a try, but calling it a Taurus does not make it a Taurus.

I have two Audi’s right now and my 2001 has had to have 3 oxegen sensors replaced, a transmision, a catalitic converter, the air sac that adjusts the height of the car so I am thinking about other cars. The new Taurus seems to have everything I want. I like all wheel drive, size and safety. This car appears to have it.

Am presently driving an 89 Taurus with over 350000 miles back and forth to work every day.
Only ever needed routine maintanence. No one really needs more that that from a car no matter what they think.
Any worries of styling are just buying Madison Ave. BS hook line and sinker!
And as far as power you can only go so fast and be legal anyway, ( don’t get me started on the arrogant little S__s that think spped limits don’t mean them).

I’ve had Taurus cars since 1991 in the form of wagons, sedans, and SHO’s. I don’t think there is a more reliable car on the road. Rebranding the 500 as a Taurus gets my hopes up, as there is the chance that the SHO tag could also be revived. Git-r-done Ford!

Have a ‘99 Taurus and love the styling, power, and reliability. I don’t particularly like the 500 and calling it a Taurus does not make it one. But it doesn’t matter as I expect quite a few more years till I’ll be back in the market for a new car.

My 2002 Taurus gets 30mpg while hauling 4 comfortable adults+luggage @ 75mph on the interstate. Its used cost was half that of a Camry a couple of years ago thanks to the suckers that bought into Toyota’s advertizing program. Everything in current showrooms can owe it’s design to the radical original Ford Taurus.
The best buy on a dealer’s car lot is a used Taurus (or “500″).

The Germans and the japanese came out with the white tail lights about ten years ago and just now Ford decides to put them on their vehicles. These executives just don’t get it! They are so caught up in themselves and their big salaries and high lifestyle that they have completely lost touch with thier markets. Bye Bye blue oval….nice knowin ya!

why don’t ford make some sexy cars like the mustang or the f150. we want something that will turn heads, get great gas milage and run like a cobra!

i leased a 2008 taurus and love it.

Good safety ratings
Ginormous trunk/interior
Great powerful engine
Great options
AWD
Great price

what’s not to like for a 2 year lease?!

I OWN a 2006 Five Hundred, it is a great car. Fords constant blunder is they always ONLY seem interested in selling their Trucks and the Mustang. If they had properly marketed the 500 and told people about it and got people to DRIVE ONE the name change would not have been necessary. Since the name change the sales of the 500 were better than the ” Taurus”. Trying to fool the public is not a good thing!
the 500 gets great gas mileage, is a great freeway cruiser. is big comfortable and has the highest safety ratings of any car! Go test drive one and see how nice it is for yourself and stop listening to the nay-sayers!

Make up your OWN mind about the car!

I like the fresher look of the “new” Taurus better than the 500. Driving impressions have been good also: Smooth, quiet, comfy, and finally has enough oomph to get out of its own way. Ford should have waited until they had the entire package right before launching it.

For the next generation, it is critical that Ford hits a home-run. They need bolder styling, not a copy of a 10-year-old VW design; technical innovations that pique interest and get people excited; better warranty coverage than the competition. Quality is not the issue, I have had Fords for the past 10 years without any major problems.

What Ford needs to do is fire their entire marketing department and start fresh. Turning around customer perception toward the positive is tough. They have good products, but they need a fresher image and better marketing.

Ive been an Auto Tech since 1978. Always a GM/Toyota guy but I also like anything that simply works well. Tarus second generation cars are truely reliable and all except for the 1999 model year run have all but fixed the transmission problems the first generation model suffered from. Right now any 2000 and newer Tarus is the best used car deal out there today as these cars just dont break down! They only suffer from being labled as Made In America. This means theyre inexpensive. America Bashing has become a favorite pass time and even with the array of high quality U.S. built autos available it may be a while for the U.S. automakers to shed the negitive reputation they built for themselvs in the 1980’s.