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| Ford Taurus SHO |
Ford has clearly aimed the 2013 Taurus SHO at the elephant watchers. I’m not very certain who that focus on demographic encompasses, however based mostly on my observations of SHOs on the road, its apparently restricted to middle-aged men while not sideburns. They’re the those that need a lumbering beast of a full-size sedan that’s been whipped into a comparatively nimble corner-carver — a contradiction in turns, if you’ll enable the pun.
After per week driving a completely loaded SHO (pronounced how Carol Channing would describe what one will with a needle and thread), i used to be completely impressed that such a automobile had been designed, and utterly unconvinced that anyone ought to really purchase it.
After per week driving a completely loaded SHO, i used to be completely impressed that such a automobile had been designed, and utterly unconvinced that anyone ought to really purchase it.
First, though, the basics: The fourth-generation SHO debuted solely in 2010, therefore the majority of the 2013 model updates are cosmetic. Most prominently, there’s a black, trapezoidal grill that echoes the 2013 Fusion‘s snout. The new, optional 20-inch blackout wheels look absolutely badass till you understand they’re primarily stylized hibiscus flowers. The sheetmetal is unchanged, and still as beveled and chamfered as an Art Deco chifforobe. Its slab sides have such a large amount of creases that I panicked anytime I saw the rear quarter panel, assuming the automobile had been grazed in an exceedingly car parking zone. The Taurus’ nonexistent sightlines and uselessly overzealous parking assist alarms mean you’ll most likely add some bevels of your own if you are trying to suit it in an exceedingly tight area.
Step within and you’ll notice appointments like that of a completely loaded Edge. Leather, soft-touch plastics, and some SHO-exclusive aluminum accents — you recognize the drill. the sole issue that’s missing are buttons. From the utterly flat Sony stereo to the sluggish MyFord bit screen, everything is controlled by the graze of a fingertip. Unless you wish to believe voice commands or take your eyes off the road, be ready to use dead reckoning to seek out climate and audio controls. The rear seats are spacious, however the rear door openings are thus little that it’s not possible to create a dignified exit.
You don’t get a Taurus SHO for luxury or appearance, though. On the contrary: It’s a sleeper, a family sedan with a bachelor’s brain. That’s where the 2013 model disappoints, not living up to the legend established by its Yamaha V8-powered forebears or maybe the full-size Panther platform Fords of yore. Yes, the SHO is spectacular, however solely as a technical achievement.
First off, Ford’s engineers somehow created the automobile each huge and fast. This Taurus is four inches taller than the 2011 Crown Victoria, and its wheelbase is merely 2 inches shorter than that late, lamented barge. A two-ton SHO with an adult passenger tips the scales over a Grand Marquis. nevertheless due to its three.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and six-speed SelectShift automatic, simply hit the gas and also the automobile seemingly sheds weight faster than a housecat on a vegan diet. It’s a marvelously sleek and powerful engine, and also the sound of these twin Garrett turbochargers spooling up is as lovely because the growl of any V8.
It’s quiet and composed, evolved beyond the reptilian behavior of the previous full-size Fords. It’s conjointly no fun: too composed for hooning, however still too giant to be agile.
Then, there’s the total complement of handling technology. From Curve management, that gently applies the brakes when drivers understeer, to an enhanced stability management setup that brakes inner wheels on turns, it’s got additional minders than a North Korean tour cluster. Even the recent SHO’s miserable brakes are addressed — though stopping still needs a significant foot. The SHO-exclusive sport suspension will a decent job keeping the enormous automobile stable, however it can’t defy physics. On highway offramps, it feels additional sort of a sporty crossover than a sedan.
It’s virtually as competent as a automobile weighing many pounds less, however that doesn’t essentially create the massive SHO any longer fun. For comparison’s sake, I drove one among the last 2011 Crown Vics that rolled out of St. Thomas, Ontario, a automobile thus primitive that it alright might are been designed throughout the Reagan administration — and by the Soviets, no less. It wallowed, it shook, it lurched and it couldn’t get out of its own manner. however it absolutely was a number of the foremost fun I’ve ever had behind the wheel. Throw that column shifter into gear and suddenly you’re Mannix, sliding the tail out on turns, adrenaline matching the roar of the V8.
Compare that to the SHO. The big, powerful Taurus is many times faster than the Crown Vic, with quicker shifts and vastly improved handling. It’s quiet and composed, evolved beyond the reptilian behavior of the previous full-size Fords. It’s conjointly no fun: too composed for hooning, however still too giant to be agile.
If my subjective argument doesn’t convince you, perhaps a few of numbers will. First, there’s the whopping $44,945 MSRP. There are lots of stellar sedans in that worth vary that are additional enjoyable and refined. (If you want to accompany one that’s conjointly all-wheel drive equipped, the Volvo S60 T6 and Infiniti G37x return to mind.) The second vital range is that the eighteen.1 mpg average I got once four hundred miles of combined town and highway driving, that created the “EcoBoost” label on the rear decklid appear as if an infuriating little bit of greenwashing.
The Ford Taurus SHO is certainly improved for 2013. It’s a giant automobile that moves sort of a slightly smaller one, and it will thus due to a very spectacular powerplant. however it’s a operating vacation, a well-trained dog that won’t play fetch. It’s a feat of engineering that comes at the expense of driver enjoyment.
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