Almost two decades ago, the Ford Taurus was the best-selling car in America. Since that time, rivals from Honda and Toyota have usurped Ford’s dominance on the family sedan sales charts, but for 2010 the Taurus is redesigned to provide more style, more comfort, more room, and more performance than ever before. Unlike that best seller of 20 years ago, the new Taurus is a full-size car with ample space for five adults, and while Honda’s popular Accord is technically rated a full-sizer by the EPA, check out the size of that boot – 14.1 cubic feet in the Accord vs. 20.1 cubic feet in the Taurus. Plus, Ford offers a performance-oriented, twin-turbocharged, all-wheel drive version of the Taurus called the SHO, which stands for Super High Output. This review, however, does not include detail on the SHO, which we plan to review separately later in the year.

Highlights of the 2010 Ford Taurus include:
• Completely redesigned inside and out
• SE, SEL, and Limited models
• Standard self-sealing Easy-Fuel capless fuel filler system
• New Intelligent Access system (keyless unlocking and push-button ignition)
• New MyKey parental programming feature
• Available all-wheel-drive system
• Available Ford SYNC with 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report
• Available navigation with 3D landmarks and Sirius Traffic Link
• Available Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert
• Available Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning
• Available Multi-contour front seats with massage and bottom cushion Active Motion
• Available Sony premium audio with 10 GB hard drive that holds 2,400 uploaded songs

Model Lineup

The 2010 Ford Taurus is available in SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels. Standard equipment on the SE model includes power windows with automatic up/down feature for the driver’s side, power door locks with remote keyless entry and a SecuriCode keyless entry pad embedded into the door frame, and power side mirrors. Inside, there’s a trip computer, air conditioning with a particulate air filter, rear seat heating ducts, a six-speaker audio system with CD player and an auxiliary audio input jack, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, and cruise control. The Taurus SE is equipped with standard cloth seats, a six-way power driver’s seat, and a 60/40 split folding rear seat, as well as an Easy-Fuel capless fuel filler nozzle, automatic headlights with wiper activation feature, exterior perimeter lighting, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Ford offers only a handful of factory options for the Taurus SE.

The Taurus SEL builds on Taurus SE equipment with dual-zone automatic climate control, a compass, an outside temperature indicator, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, Sirius XM satellite radio with a free 6-month subscription, folding heated exterior mirrors with security lamps, parking lights, an anti-theft alarm, and 18-inch wheels. Selecting the SEL trim level is also the path to greater comfort in the form of power adjustable pedals, leather seating, a 6-way power front passenger’s seat, heated front seats, and Ford’s multi-contour, Active Motion massaging front seats. Other options on the Taurus SEL include push-button keyless ignition, SYNC communications and entertainment technology, a Sony premium audio system, a power sunroof, a reverse sensing system, all-wheel drive, and 19-inch alloy wheels.

The Taurus Limited is the top-of-the-line model. It includes ambient interior lighting, woodgrain interior trim, memory settings for the driver’s seat, a microphone embedded into the rearview mirror, a global open feature for the windows, wood-and-leather trimmed steering wheel, a storage cargo net, a universal garage door opener, a six-disc CD changer, SYNC communications and entertainment technology, leather 10-way adjustable power front seats for the driver and passenger, chrome-cap exterior mirrors, a reverse sensing system, and 19-inch chrome wheels. Limited models are available with many of the same options offered on the SEL, as well as exclusives such as memory pedals, a power rear sunshade, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high-beam headlights, voice-activated navigation with Sirius Travel Link technology, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a Blind Spot Information System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Collision Warning with Brake Support. Fully loaded, a Taurus Limited AWD costs more than $41,000.

Under the Hood

The 2010 Ford Taurus is equipped with a 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine, driving the front or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. Taurus SEL and Limited have the SelectShift version of this transmission, which offers the driver the ability to manually shift through the gears. According to the EPA, the Taurus is rated to return 18 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway in SE trim. SEL and Limited models with the SelectShift automatic transmission get 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. With all-wheel drive, the Taurus is rated to deliver 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway. All Taurus models use regular unleaded fuel.

Our review vehicle, a Ford Taurus Limited with front-wheel drive, averaged 20.8 mpg in mixed driving with a highway emphasis. Combined with the Taurus’s standard 19-gallon fuel tank, this actual fuel economy figure results in an approximate 395-mile range between fill-ups of regular unleaded.

Safety Features

Standard safety equipment on every 2010 Ford Taurus includes dual front airbags, side impact airbags for front seat occupants, and side curtain airbags with rollover sensors and extended inflation for both rows of seats. Ford’s AdvanceTrac stability and traction control system is also standard, and the braking system is a four-wheel-disc antilock setup with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.

Every Taurus also comes equipped with MyKey technology. MyKey allows the car’s owner to program vehicle settings for young drivers, such as maximum vehicle speed, maximum audio system volume level, and low-fuel notification. MyKey also prevents safety features from being turned off or otherwise disabled, such as the seatbelt reminder, the stability control system, and other standard and optional safety features. The Taurus also comes standard with SOS Post-Crash Alert, which activates the flashers and sounds the horn when the airbags deploy.

Taking SOS Post-Crash Alert to the next level, the Taurus SEL and Limited are available with SYNC communications technology, which includes a 911 Assist system which automatically contacts emergency personnel when the airbags deploy, sending help to the car’s location immediately.

Exclusive to the Taurus Limited are two other important safety options. The Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) helps let the driver know when vehicles are located in, or are approaching, the blind spots around the car. Cross-traffic alert is an enhancement of BLIS, and notifies the driver when cross-traffic is approaching the Taurus while backing out of parking spaces. The Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Assist feature automatically maintains safe distances between the Taurus and cars ahead when the cruise control system is engaged, can warn the driver when the Taurus’s close rate indicates a possible collision with a car ahead, and, if the driver doesn’t react, automatically pre-charged the braking system to provide maximum stopping capability when the driver finally does hit the brake pedal.

Other safety options, depending on trim level, include automatic high-beam headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and a reverse sensing system.

The Competition

JDPower.com says the 2010 Ford Taurus competes against other full-size sedans such as the Buick Lucerne, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Hyundai Azera, and Toyota Avalon.

Compare full-size sedans

Note: This review was published on October 21, 2009. It may not reflect data that has become available for this vehicle since that date.