Sports Car Forum - MotorWorld.net - Return of the overly powerful family sedan: Ford Taurus SHO with 365hp Ecoboost V6

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Return of the overly powerful family sedan: Ford Taurus SHO with 365hp Ecoboost V6

I dread to think of the cost of routine maintenance on such a setup a year out of warranty.

The idea of technology from $70,000 cars in $30,000 cars is always "cool" - until the reality of maintaining such drivetrains is driven home (pun intended).

With the economyin the crapper, the sheer volume of sales taht used to drive the cost of the big 3 spares down will no longer apply.

You ever seen the look on the face of a 15 year old BMW owner when the repair bill of their $4000 car is the same as the bill on their cousins new $80,000 Bimmer? ;)

38k for a Taurus??....I think it's enough to driver potential buyer elsewhere.

Quote:

When rumours began circulating that Ford was bringing back the Taurus SHO name enthusiasts of the blue oval got pretty excited. Later the car was spied with the SHO badge on its dashboard, further heightening the anticipation. Now the wait is over as Ford finally releases details of the 2010 Taurus SHO performance saloon.
The new car's engine is a 3.5-litre Ford EcoBoost twin turbo V6 that makes 365hp (268kW) and 350 ft.-lbs. of torque. The torque is available from a broad band of between 1,500rpm to 5,500rpm. It comes fitted with a SelectShift 6-speed automatic gearbox that can be shifted via paddles behind the steering wheel for drivers wanting a bit more involvement and enthusiasm from their Taurus SHO.
A 4WD system ensures good grip at all times through the 19-inch Goodyear tyres. Optional 20-inchers from Michelin can be bought. Exterior features include a decklid mounted spoiler, twin chrome exhaust tips and a three-bar Ford signature grille. The car is also available in a range of colours.
The interior has a lot more drama. The MyKey system allows for speed restrictions as specified by the driver, an earlier low-fuel warning and audio system volume limits. The Ford SYNC system connects to MP3 players, iPods, memory sticks and PDAs. Optional extras include front seats that have a massage function, a rear view camera for incident-free reversing and adaptive cruise control. Other safety features include Blind Spot Information System with Traffic Alert which warns the driver of a vehicle that enters a defined blind spot zone or "sense" oncoming traffic as it reverses out of a parking space.
Production of the 2010 Taurus SHO will be at Ford's Chicago plant with sales commencing this summer. A base price of US$37,995, including destination has been set.

This will attract a lot of former BMW 550 buyers IMHO. As to RC's point, the repair costs won't be akin to 80k BMW costs for maintainence, and repairs. Remember, the GTDI is a new modular engine; not a limited production event.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nthfinity (Post 863444)

I have a $100 PayPal that says the maintenance costs for this new motor will far exceed the "value" maintenance we have come to associate with domestics until now ;)

Seen the maintanance costs of a Volvo or VW or Audi recently?

Thats a nice car,it looks great IMO.

turbo AWD camry look a like? Definitely could look worse. BMW 550 buyers will not even think twice about this car.... think of the typical BMW owner.

How odd, not bad looking if somewhat generic but, strange market segment (if there is one for it), for a taurus despite the SHO monicker. And is that a slushbox auto? and is that a Ford awd powertrain or borrowed from elsewhere?
I'm not well aware of US new car prices, what is this competing with? acura/infiniti?

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC45 (Post 863445)

Ford reduced the cost of certain OEM parts by as much as 40%. They also have the lowest warranty receipts and claims for 2008 of any manufacturer.

dutch, why wouldn't a BMW shopper look at the next Gen Taurus? Over the last few years, much of Ford's efforts have been aimed at reminding people that Ford make the best cars in the world. The data supports this as well. Buying a BMW has become nothing more than buying a poorly put together and expensive car.

I'm currently unsure where the AWD was developed; likely in-house with PAG. The most advanced AWD system that will be available for 2010 cars actually belongs to GM... not Audi, not Mitsu, not Subaru.

Finally, the great thing about GTDI is that it is VERY aftermarket friendly... ulnike the Bimmers :)

It is too heavy; however, there is a "Track-pack" option; with more aggressive rubber, and a tighter gear ratio of 3.17 instead of 2.77; as well as bigger brakes. 2011 should be registered at 415 hp, which will move the 4000-ish lb. car a bit better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nthfinity (Post 863452)

Buying a BMW has become nothing more than buying a poorly put together and expensive car.

Exactly. They are buying the badge, not the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nthfinity (Post 863452)

Ford reduced the cost of certain OEM parts by as much as 40%. They also have the lowest warranty receipts and claims for 2008 of any manufacturer.

That was last year... this year profits will have to come from some where :)

^The bailout! More seriously, though, too-powerful family cars have always held a reputation for requiring a fair bit of regular maintenance. Ford has a good reputation for quality though, better than GM cars, although not 100% sure about US-made products.

On the whole, it doesn't look like a bad unit. A bit on the pricey side, but some nice features in and out to warrant it.

Unlike the SHO's of the past this thing actually has a bit of an aggressive look. Good idea

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC45 (Post 863467)

That was last year... this year profits will have to come from some where :)

Warranty work only dishes out profits to repair shops; most/ all are not owned by Ford. Ford finally realized that you cannot rob Paul to pay Paul.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC45 (Post 863442)

So your saying that because a car is "cheap" then the maitanance is going to be be bad, and the car is going to be unrelaible?

Under that idea, that would make the $100,000 ZR-1 super unreliable, right? Because it employs technology from $500,000 supercars.

Why not just give it a chance? Bench racing/driving/maintaining/whatever is so far away from reality.