The sixth generation Ford Taurus is a full-size sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford for model years 2010-2019 with a mild facelift for model year 2013. Remember the TV show “Extreme Makeover?” On it, people opted for plastic surgery and new diet and exercise regimens and ended up looking so different they were almost alien. The 2010 Ford Taurus has undergone an equal amount of transformation, minus the freakish effects.
During my test drive, I parked next to an older Taurus and the difference was shocking. The 2010 model was twice as tall as and so much more stylish than the older version. Once upon a time, the Taurus was the typical bland sedan with four doors, a roomy interior, sluggish performance and pricing to match. Today’s Taurus is a performance machine built to turn heads and stimulate enthusiasm.
This full-size sedan is powerful and fun to drive - even more so when I used the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. However, it maneuvers like a big, heavy car.
While sharing the chassis underpinnings of the previous generation Taurus and the Five Hundred, the exterior and interior of the sixth generation received a complete redesign, replacing New Edge design language with Ford's Kinetic Design design language. The high-performance Ford Taurus SHO made its return, becoming the first turbocharged Taurus. The sixth generation became the first version of the Taurus developed without a Mercury Sable counterpart, as Mercury began to pare down its model line.
Though never branded as an official successor to the Mercury Grand Marquis, the sixth-generation Taurus superseded it as Ford matched it against the full-size competitors of its predecessors. Ford's Lincoln brand marketed the MKS as a variant of the Taurus, succeeding both the Continental and the Town Car. As Ford moved its model line away from car-based vehicles to utility-type vehicles and other light trucks at the end of the 2010s, Ford discontinued the Taurus in North America after the 2019 model year, as well its Fiesta, Focus, and Fusion models.
Read also: 2010 Taurus Brake Light Bulb Guide
Ford assembled the Taurus, Taurus SHO, and the Police Interceptor Sedan alongside the Ford Explorer and Lincoln MKS at its Chicago Assembly facility (Chicago, Illinois).
In late 2006, Ford Motor Company named former Boeing CEO Alan Mulally to replace William Clay Ford Jr. as its own chief executive. In strong favor of the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable nameplates, Mullaly hurriedly renamed the facelifted MY 2008 Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego as the fifth-generation Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable - after the models had been presented at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. One test video suggested the paint coat of the Taurus was more resistant to gravel chips than a Lexus LS460 while another highlighted the blind-spot detection sensor system unavailable on an Infiniti M45x.
In a major contrast from previous generations of the Ford Taurus, once the highest-selling nameplate in the United States, Ford deliberately aimed for lower sales. Instead of the 1990s peak volumes of nearly 400,000 vehicles a year, sales were projected closer to 50,000 to 75,000. As a full-size car, the Taurus competed closer to the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima than the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima (competitors of the Ford Fusion).
Production of the 2009 Taurus's counterparts, the Ford Taurus X and the Mercury Sable, ended production in spring 2009 at Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant. The sixth-generation Taurus' production started on June 15, 2009, for model year 2010. Unlike previous Taurus generations, the sixth-generation Taurus nolonger had a Sable counterpart, as Ford would sunset the Mercury brand by the end of 2010.
Exterior Design
Despite its size, the Taurus is sporty. The front end looks intimidating because of its angular headlights and large chrome grille. Sporty creases on the Taurus’ sides add to its sporty look. Many cars have stylized front and rear ends, but they seem to forget about the sides.
Read also: Zodiac Sign in 2010
The sixth-generation Ford Taurus used the Volvo-derived Ford D3 platform architecture, sharing the 112.9-inch wheelbase of the Lincoln MKS and the Five Hundred. As with all other D3 sedans, the Ford Taurus used four-wheel independent suspension, featuring MacPherson struts and rearward-facing lower L-arms with a stabilizer bar in the front and a multilink coilover shock setup with stamped steel lower control arms and cast upper control arms in the rear - and four-wheel antilock disc brakes.
The Taurus has a 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine. It gets an EPA-estimated 18/27 mpg city/highway. My boys had no problems opening and closing the sedan’s doors and climbing in and out of the sedan. The trunk is gigantic, but my father pointed out that its opening could’ve been bigger, especially considering the cargo area’s size.
Interior Features
My family really liked the looks of the 2010 Taurus, both inside and out. However, its center stack and instruments overwhelmed me at first. I grew to appreciate the shiny trim pieces. Near the gearshift and center console, clutter in the two front cupholders can be hidden behind doors.
Instead of a bench seat in the front row, the new Taurus has bucket seats, which were the most comfortable seats I’ve ever experienced. I felt comfortable driving the Taurus thanks to its optional heated seats and ingenious massage system, which is meant to aid circulation during long trips.
The Charcoal Black leather throughout the interior was a bit dark but sexy in its own right. Not really the technology buffs, my hubby and I had to pull out the owner’s manual to get my phone to connect with Ford’s Sync multimedia system; thankfully, it only took a few minutes to set it up. The kids loved calling Dad from the car, which we did every single time we got in it; it was a long week for my hubby.
Read also: Enigmatic Allure: Black Cats
The Taurus’ second row is spacious and has a fold-down armrest with two cupholders within easy reach. The sixth-generation Ford Taurus introduced Ford Sync, push-button start, and heated front and rear seats. Multi-Contour Seats, a first in Ford vehicles when introduced in 2010, featured air cushions that pad the driver and passenger's back (three for lumbar support, four for lateral support and four for the seat pad).
Interior Features:
- Alarm
- Auxiliary Pwr Outlet
- Back-Up Camera (Optional)
- Cruise Control
- Vehicle Anti-Theft System
- Auto-Off Headlights
- Keyless Start (Optional)
- Rear Parking Aid (Optional)
- Front Reading Lamps
- Rear Reading Lamps
- Rear Seat Heat Ducts
- Remote Engine Start (Optional)
- Adjustable Steering Wheel
- Steering Wheel Controls
- Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel
- Navigation from Telematics (Optional)
- Trip Computer
- Intermittent Wipers
- Keyless Entry
- Power Door Locks
- Electrochromic rearview mirror
- Heated Mirrors
- Power Mirrors
- Driver Vanity Mirror
- Driver Illuminated Vanity Mirror
- Passenger Vanity Mirror
- Passenger Illuminated Visor Mirror
- Power Steering
- Passenger Capacity 5
- Passenger Volume (cu. ft.) 102.2
- Front Headroom (in.) 39.0
- Front Legroom (in.) 41.9
- Front Shoulder Room (in.) 57.9
- Front Hip Room (in.) 56.3
- Second Headroom (in.) 37.8
- Second Legroom (in.) 38.1
- Second Shoulder Room (in.) 56.9
- Second Hip Room (in.) 55.8
- Trunk Volume (cu.
Safety Features
I’ve never seen a Latch system like the one in the Taurus; it’s certainly not designed with a family in mind. The location of the lower Latch anchors is really awkward. Instead of sitting in the traditional positions in the outboard seats, they’ve been moved inward toward the backseat’s armrest.
This position causes a booster seat to sit on top of the seat belt receptor. The Latch anchors’ position would work for a convertible child-safety seat and a rear-facing infant-safety seat. While I’m not wild about the Taurus’ Latch system, I do appreciate that it’s been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
In addition to the standard stability control, the Taurus has standard antilock brakes with brake assist, traction control and six airbags, including side curtain airbags for both rows. Safety innovations included BLIS, Adaptive cruise control, Forward Collision Warning with Brake Support, and Lane keeping assist.
Powertrain and Performance
Although previewed by the V8-powered Ford Interceptor and is a full-size sedan like the Ford Crown Victoria, the sixth-generation Ford Taurus was not available with a V8 engine. At its 2010 launch, the standard engine was the 263 hp 3.5L V6 retained from the previous Taurus, which was upgraded to 288 hp in 2013. The Taurus SHO was powered by a 365 hp twin-turbocharged version of this engine (EcoBoost V6) shared with the Lincoln MKS and MKT.
In 2013, a 3.7L 305 hp non-turbocharged V6 became the available for the Police Interceptor Sedan and was unavailable on the standard Taurus. In 2014, a 2.0L turbocharged 240 hp 4-cylinder (EcoBoost 2.0) became optional on the SEL and Limited models, becoming the first 4-cylinder Taurus since 1991 (also the smallest engine ever fitted in a Taurus).
Performance Metrics:
- 0-60 mph: 8.6 seconds
- 0-60 mph: 7.5 seconds
- 0-60 mph: 7.8 seconds
- 0-60 mph (SHO): 5.7 seconds
- 0-60 mph: 7.6 seconds
How Reliable is Ford Taurus SHO | A complete Review and Buying Guide | 2015 Taurus SHO
2013 Facelift
In 2013, the Ford Taurus saw a mid-cycle refresh, adopting features of the global Kinetic Design language featured on redesigns of the Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, and Ford Kuga. While the roofline and side panels remained, the Taurus was given a new front fascia with a trapezoidal upper grille (emphasized on the SHO and Police Interceptor) and restyled headlamps.
Design features included rear LED taillamps along with dual exhaust (true dual exhaust on the SHO/EcoBoost V6; split exhaust outlets on all other versions). The interior included a revised steering wheel, instrument cluster, center stack, and shifter. A new interactive instrument cluster, the MyFord Touch system (which includes a new head unit with 8-inch touch screen), and heated steering wheel were optional.
Other features new to the 2013 Taurus included a new Sony sound system featuring HD Radio and iTunes Tagging, Multicontour seats with Active Motion (massage), push-button start, auto high beams, and a rear view camera. Structural improvements provided improved driver protection small-overlap frontal crashes. In 2017, MyFordTouch was replaced by the new Sync 3 system. 2016 models could be upgraded to Sync 3 via software update.
For model year 2013, the Taurus received a mild facelift with revised hood, front and rear fascias, three-bar grille and black mesh grille for the SHO models, revised trunklid and quarter panels to accommodate rear LED taillights, revised rear spoiler, torque vectoring control, and a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine joining the 3.5-liter V-6 and the SHO’s EcoBoost V-6. A-pillar, and wheel wells received acoustic improvements. Interior revisions included cloth-wrapped A-, B- and C-pillars, flock-lined glovebox and console storage and revised switchgear.
Taurus SHO Performance Package
The SHO Performance Package includes upgraded brake pads, recalibrated electronic power-assisted steering for improved responsiveness, a "Sport Mode" setting for the Electronic Stability Control, ability to turn off the AdvanceTrac stability control system, 27mm front anti-roll bar instead of the standard 29mm front anti-roll bar for more neutral turn-in, vented front brake dust shields from the Police Interceptor, cooling package from the Police Interceptor (engine oil, transmission oil, and power transfer unit), a shorter 3.16 to 1 final drive ratio for faster acceleration, and summer-compound 20" Goodyear Eagle F1 performance tires with premium painted wheels.
Ford Police Interceptor Sedan
When the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI) ended production in late 2011, Ford developed two new models to replace it, as part of their Ford Police Interceptor range. For the 2013 model year, Ford introduced the Taurus-based Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (FPIS) and Explorer-based Ford Police Interceptor Utility (FPIU). Unlike the outgoing CVPI, the sedan was unavailable with a V8 engine or rear-wheel drive.
Initially, the FPIS was offered with a standard 3.5 L naturally aspirated V6 with front- or all-wheel drive that made 288 hp (215 kW) and 254 lb⋅ft (344 N⋅m) of torque, as well an optional 3.5 L EcoBoost V6 with all-wheel drive borrowed from the SHO, producing 365 hp (272 kW). However, the naturally aspirated 3.5 L remained available as a cost-saving option. The new 3.7 L V6 was not available on the civilian Ford Taurus. Its 3.72 L (227 in3) aluminum block V6 engine weighed 40 lb (18 kg) less than the previous version. It produced 305 hp (227 kW) and 279 lb⋅ft (378 N⋅m) of torque.
All available engines came standard with a six-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive was an available cost-saving option for the naturally aspirated 3.5 L V6 version. The naturally aspirated 3.5L and 3.7L V6 engines came standard with Ford's Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) system.
Ford stated that the FPIS would match the safety record of the outgoing CVPI. The FPIS was available with a host of safety technologies not available on the CVPI, such as Blind Spot Information System, a rear-view camera, Ford SYNC, a reverse sensing system, automatic headlights, electronic stability control, and side-curtain airbags.
The entire FPIS line was equipped with a long list of standard features tailored to law-enforcement and severe-duty use, such as 75 mph (121 km/h) rear-impact protection; a police calibrated ECM for high performance driving and long idling; a heavy-duty cooling system that included an enlarged radiator, an engine oil cooler, transmission cooler, power transfer unit (PTU) cooler, and police-calibrated radiator fan settings; a 220-ampere alternator; heavy-duty 13-inch (330 mm) brake rotors with special ventilation and 18-inch (460 mm) five-spoke steel wheels; a police-tuned suspension with upsized sway bars and premium wheel hubs; steel deflector plates along the underbody; reinforced frame points; reinforced front door hinges with large tethers, and a specially tuned electronic stability control system set up for emergency-style driving.
The interior offered heavy-duty front and rear cloth seats or rear vinyl seats, stab-proof front seat-backs, vinyl or carpeted flooring, a column shifter as opposed to a floor shifter, washable rear door panels, programmable steering wheel buttons, the ability to disable the rear door handles and switches from the factory, specialized areas to mount emergency equipment, and a certified-calibration speedometer (140 mph [230 km/h] for the standard 3.5 L, 160 mph [260 km/h] for the EcoBoost and 3.7 L versions).
For the duration of the FPIS's production, Ford partnered with emergency vehicle equipment manufacturer Whelen Engineering Company to offer preinstalled emergency equipment. Each purchasing police agency could choose from a variety of options when ordering the vehicle. Options included premade wire harnesses, lighting packages, and siren controllers.
Like the outgoing CVPI, Ford offered hubcaps, additional colors, and the option to delete the model badge in order to give the vehicle a more civilian-like appearance for unmarked use. Ford offered a Taurus-based "Special Service Sedan" with some of the same features as the Police Interceptor Sedan; however, it used a 2.0 L EcoBoost four-cylinder and was designed only for detective and administrative uses.
The Special Service Sedan was equipped with heavy-duty suspension, braking, and cooling components like its Interceptor counterpart. It came standard with active grille shutters, and was available only with front wheel drive.
As Ford considered in 2015 whether to continue producing the Taurus in the United States, one reason to do so was the FPIS, though the Police Interceptor Utility was more popular and sales of the police sedan were down. In March 2019, the Taurus-based FPIS was discontinued along with the rest of the Taurus line. It was succeeded by the second generation Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility.
Potential Issues
Water pumps on 2008-2019 Taurus and 2013-2019 Police Interceptor models equipped with the 3.5L Ford Cyclone V6, 3.5L EcoBoost V6, and 3.7L V6 have a tendency to fail, potentially ruining the engine. The water pumps on these engines are internally mounted and driven by the timing chain.
On failure, antifreeze may be dumped directly into the crankcase; mixing with engine oil and potentially damaging the head gaskets and connecting rod bearings. These failures may occur without warning, requiring extensive repairs, as the engine may need to be disassembled or removed from the vehicle to access the water pump. In some cases, the engine may need to be replaced.