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Sedans Mainstream Large Sedans Comparison
6844 messages, Last post on Mar 23, 2009 at 12:32 PM
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Replying to: fool1717 (Jun 26, 2008 8:28 am) By the way, I dislike sunroofs too. I don't want to pay for them, they eat up headroom I need, and they introduce another chance for problems. That said, the Azera Limited (sunroof standard) has so much headroom that I find I can still sit in it comfortably. In all other regards, the car seems to fit your requirements precisely -- except for your insistence on paying over $30,000. 
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Replying to: louiswei (Jun 26, 2008 8:58 am) Genesis Review
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Replying to: allmet33 (Jun 26, 2008 1:12 pm) I would probably take the Genesis over all those three. |
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Hi all. My folks purchased their new Ford Taurus SEL today. It is equipped with leather, the convenience package (Auto Headlamps, Power Driver's Seat, Dual Climate Control, 6CD/MP3), SYNC, and Sirius Radio. MSRP - $26,615. See it here. First, the pricing. Was given an initial offer of $22,000 Out the Door, and after passing it on to my folks, they were happy with that. No negotiating necessary. The breakdown on pricing looks like this: 2008 Ford Taurus SEL, Silver Birch over Stone, 21 miles on the vehicle. MSRP : $26,615 Dealer Price : $24,844 Customer Cash : - $2,000 Manufacturer to Dealer Cash : -$2,000 Doc Fee - $199 TTL - $957 APR - 4.54% (Fantastic Credit) Final Price - $22,000 OTD As far as how the car drives, today was my first chance to drive it. A few short thoughts (as it was a short drive, after all)... Powertrain: More than enough power. I felt like I just "wafted" to 50 mph. Shifts are incredibly smooth; smoother than the 2008 LE-V6 Camry I drove recently; probably the smoothest transmission I've ever experienced, actually. I "got on it" from a light, and it didn't make a fuss, it just "went." Quietly. Engine noise is very muted; most of what you do hear is the exhaust note, which is quiet, and has a nice husky sound to it. Very smooth-sounding; as smooth as our 3.5L Honda we had. Throttle tip-in is gentle; appropriate for a car this size. Interestingly, when accelerating on an on-ramp onto I-59 (70mph limit) I didn't "nail" the throttle, but instead accelerated like I normally would. The car stayed below 3,000 RPM, but had my dad (who at the time was sitting behind me) saying "easy there, cowboy - we want to buy it, you don't have to force us too by driving fast and wrecking. My mother actually told him "he's not gunning it; it is just a quick car!" Handling/Ride: Steering is much too light for my tastes, but for a large highway car it should be just fine. I'm used to sportier Honda tuning. It felt accurate, linear, and quite easy to drive. It handled bumpy I-59 with only muted "thumps" from the suspension. No real floatiness, although the nose does pitch-up more than I'm used to upon hard acceleration (probably because it accelerates harder than my 4-cyl Accord!). Something that stood out to me was its tight turning radius. Surprising, really, in a car this size. I didn't do any "cornering" but in my test drive I felt more secure than in the Camry I drove not long ago, and rode as well. Braking: A pleasant surprise. I was expecting the mushy pedal I experienced in the Toyota; wrong. While not as grabby as my 2006 Honda Accord, the brakes were firm enough, with feel that was well-modulated. I felt instantly comfortable driving this car in traffic, unlike the Toyota, or even my Honda (my Accord has very touchy brakes, and take some getting used to). Features/Interior: Sync is a pleasure. The dealer even set up my folks' cell-phones, and showed them how to use it, having each of them execute commands from the driver's seat until they fully understood how it worked. Interior room is obviously unmatched by many others. The rear seat of the SEL model does not have adjustable rear headrests, so neck support is lacking for me in the back (I'm 6'5"). My mom was just fine (5'5") however. The rear bench sits well-off the ground at chair height, as do the front buckets. Those front buckets have little lateral support, but make for easy ingress and egress, and should suit this car just fine. The lack of a telescoping wheel was no big deal (sure, it should have it at this price, but it's placement was great). Materials such as the wood-grain aren't going to make anyone think this is a Lexus, but there was enough soft-touch plastic and well-damped buttons to make this car feel more expensive than it's $22,000 price; especially given the features. The leather is soft and perforated; interior color: stone. Stereo sound quality from the more basic 6CD system (not the Audiophile one) is better than adequate; at least as good as that in my Honda if not better. I'll have more chances to drive this car as time goes on, but wanted to share my experience with it today. I already thought this car had a lot going for it on paper, but as a Honda guy I thought it might feel like an 80% effort. I was wrong. It is an 80% price for 100% good car. Give it a look. Thanks, TheGraduate |
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Is there an oil life monitor in the new Taurus? My folks just bought their car, but won't pick it up until Monday, and are curious about the oil change intervals. Our Hondas have a monitor that counts engine RPM and monitors engine conditions to determine when oil changes should be done. Does the Taurus have anything like this? If not, what are the recommended intervals? Also, is there a timing belt, or timing chain? Thanks!
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 28, 2008 7:32 pm) |
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 28, 2008 7:32 pm)
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Replying to: auld_dawg (Jun 29, 2008 7:00 pm) We take delivery of the Taurus tomorrow morning.
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 29, 2008 7:45 pm) For the record, the person who I expected not to get into Sync that much, my mother, absolutely LOVES it. She thinks making calls while her phone is still in the back seat in her purse is the best thing since power steering.
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jul 01, 2008 11:07 am) now that is low - almost V8 territory, and enough to make one wonder if 'lugging' the engine to that degree won't effect highway drivability in an OHC engine that peaks it torque at engine speeds more than triple that. The Avalon is fully 10% higher in its engine speeds in top gear and I would suggest that even it would spend a lot of time downshifting to hold speed if it wasn't for the CVVT that effectively widens the engine's torque curve. Would be interested in a report on the car's behavior with the cruise set at 70 on moderately hilly terrain?
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