2015 Ford Taurus

2015 Ford Taurus

The 2015 Ford Taurus remains an excellent choice for those interested in a comfortable, heavy, somewhat staid sedan. The smaller Fusion has filled the shoes of what the Taurus once was–a lean, almost radical take on sedan design–leaving the Taurus to become a cozier, more conservative vehicle than it has been in the past. For 2015, the Taurus goes mostly unchanged, though a few convenience features find their way as standard on upper-level trims.

• Interior / Exterior »

The current design for the Ford Taurus is now a familiar one for us–and has been since 2010–and it’s become a favorite for law enforcement, too. It’s a long, wide car with big overhangs–all lending to its powerful, substantial look. And, the inside can look a little too dark at times, but it’s an otherwise stylish, refined cabin with plenty of technology to keep it looking modern.



Inside, the comfortable front seats and high-quality finishes and materials make the Taurus feel like a luxury coupe more than a sedan. Driver and passenger each have their own defined space, separated by a very wide console. Fit and finish is excellent, and even the base model has a look that suggests quality and attention to detail that justifies price tags that can soar above $40,000 at the high end.
Unusually for a domestic carmaker, Ford told reporters it had benchmarked the Audi A6 for interior quality, fit, and finish. All-new switchgear, cloth-wrapped pillars, and other touches take the Taurus interior far above the large cheap value-for-money sedan that the nameplate had collapsed into before the current generation. The latest updates keep it current, and while they’re really only nips and tucks to the basic design, the addition of MyFord Touch–like it or not–keeps the 2015 Taurus up to date in infotainment as well.
Most find the Taurus stylish, and a recent refresh to the grille, front fascia, and rear end brought the Taurus closer to current Ford design themes. The refresh makes the Taurus look a bit sportier, aided by taillights outlined with LEDs and some striking new alloy wheel designs. The Taurus SHO hot-rod model replaces the horizontal grille bars with tough black mesh, along with a much more aggressive lower front body molding, including a substantial air dam.

• Performance »

There are three available engines in the 2015 Ford Taurus. At the high end of the spectrum is the 365-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 fitted to the Taurus SHO, complete with turbocharging and direct injection. The engine and transmission controllers work closely together to keep power delivery consistent during upshifts, avoiding old-style turbo lag and surge. The SHO engine delivers a substantial 350 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 rpm all the way up to 5,000 rpm, giving acceleration times to 60 mph from rest as quick as the low-5-second range. That’s actually better than the hot-rod Chrysler 300C with its V-8, though not quite as quick as an SRT.

Ford offers an optional 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine as its gas-mileage champ. This boosts combined EPA ratings from 23 to 26 mpg, and offers performance almost as good as the V-6–and lower weight to boot. The price bump for the four (in SE, SEL, and Limited models) is a reasonable $995.
The default engine is the 288-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6, paired to Ford’s high-volume six-speed automatic transmission–the only choice with any engine, in fact. Variable camshaft timing, added to the engine last year, increased fuel efficiency ratings and made the engine more responsive at a wide range of speeds.
The engine moves the large Taurus sufficiently quickly, and is tuned well, so it’s rarely more than one gear away from the one you need. The throttle is sharply calibrated and first gear is low, though, giving it a particularly powerful feel at low and medium revs. Paddle shifters, included in the SEL and Limited trim levels, are really superfluous in a car that you’re not likely to toss around mountain passes all that often.

The Taurus SHO comes standard with all-wheel drive, and it’s optional on the SEL and Limited models (with the V-6 only). But no AWD Taurus drives like a traditional rear-wheel-drive sport sedan (or like the RWD Chrysler 300C). It’s a large, front-wheel-drive sedan, and the AWD system only sends power to the rear wheels when more grip is needed, measured by wheel slip. With engineering that dates back to Volvo underneath, the Taurus is stoic but competent–and rarely challenged for grip.
The SHO suspension, as you might expect, uses stiffer springs and shocks, new mounts, and thicker anti-roll bars, and it delivers a nicely balanced big sedan that turns in crisply. There’s body lean when hustled hard through corners, but the Taurus grips the road well and the steering offers good feedback and a precise, direct action.

Ford has accomplished this by mounting the rack directly to the subframe, giving a nice load and actual feedback and bite–at least a bit–through the wheel. Even the standard models offer impressive road manners. They ride more firmly than other large, comfortable sedans, but the ride remains smooth even as the body leans noticeably. Recent upgrades to the brakes give them a confident pedal feel and substantial bite when needed.
For 2015, Taurus SE models receive standard Ford SYNC and a reverse camera, while SEL models get standardized backup sensors and push-button start. Taurus Limited models now offer a sliding moonroof, and power-adjustable pedals with a memory setting are standard.
As the flagship model in the Ford lineup for both technology and luxury, the features and options list is long and impressive. From multicontour seats with active motion to a heated steering wheel, there are comfort features both conventional and surprising. Then there’s the technology list, including automatic high beams, rain-sensing wipers, a rear-view camera system, and even Ford’s Park Assist feature–conclusively better than the similar system offered by Lexus.

Behind the wheel, the Taurus comes across as close to a luxury car. The instrument panel wraps around the cockpit, and both the dashboard and the low, wide console clearly define areas for the driver and the front passenger, The console, in fact, is wide enough that it takes up a good deal of interior space. Three adults will fit in the rear, but the low roofline makes headroom and even legroom tighter than you’d expect–courtesy of a 2010 redesign of the earlier generation, which was simply roomier in those dimensions. The materials whisper “upscale” and the surfaces, from soft-touch plastics to chrome and faux wood, fit well and justify the price tag–which can get steep.

The ride and handling improvements make the suspension more progressive and reduce harshness over bumps. The electric power steering remains precise, and provides more direct feedback than systems from many other makers. The smallest engine in the 2015 Taurus is now the 237-horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, added last year, but most buyers are still likely to go for the 290-hp 3.5-liter V-6. In either case, the engine powers the car through Ford’s standard six-speed automatic transmission.

The low-volume, high-performance Taurus SHO is back for 2015 as well: It’s powered by the largest EcoBoost engine, a 365-hp, 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 engine. It comes standard with all-wheel drive–optional on the Taurus SEL and Limited trims with the regular V-6, and not offered at all with the four. The SHO isn’t a car that connects viscerally with the driver, but it’s capable in corners and maintains the Taurus’s calm cabin even when pushed hard.
The standard lineup of Taurus trim levels continues unchanged for 2015. At the bottom of the range is the Taurus SE. The Taurus SEL is the volume model, the Limited is the high-luxe choice, and the Taurus SHO performance sedan occupies its own niche in the lineup. The more fuel-efficient 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine is a $995 option on all but the SHO model.
Photo Gallery: Ford 

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