Ford Taurus SE - My First Sedan!

I just bought a Ford Taurus SE this week and I couldn't be happier! First, let me tell you what features my car has. It is white with a grey cloth interior. The car has a 3.0 liter, 6 cylinder, automatic transmission. It has power windows, power locks, power driver's seat, cassette player, tilt steering, aluminum wheels, keyless entry, movable pedals, and cruise control. Whew! I think that's everything. I guess now you're wondering what makes this car so different and better than all the other cars, right?

FORD
First and most important to me, it's a Ford. Ok, I know there are some people out there who absolutely will not drive a Ford just like I won't drive foreign cars. This is the fourth Ford vehicle I have owned and I swear by them! My previous Fords were an F-150 Lariat, Mustang, and most recently an Explorer Sport. I have never had any problems other than the minor wear and tear repairs you would have with any vehicle. Ford has always stood behind their products as was shown with the Firestone tire recall. I had the recall tires and Ford promptly reimbursed me when I purchased Goodyear tires to replace the Firestones.

PASSENGER AND STORAGE SPACE
I chose the Taurus because I wanted a vehicle with lots of room. I also wanted a vehicle with four doors so that people didn't have to crawl in and out of the back seat like was the case with my 2 door Explorer Sport. The Taurus can comfortably seat 5 adults and for short trips will seat 6 adults or 5 adults and a child. The front seat is a split 60/40 seat. The middle will comfortably fit a child or it can be folded down to reveal an armrest and a cup and change holder. As for cargo space, the Taurus also has lots of this! I have never seen a trunk so big on a medium sized sedan. My mother has a Buick Park Avenue and the trunk on my Taurus is as large if not larger. The opening to the trunk is also large. I learned with my Mustang that this makes a big difference when you are trying to place suitcases in the trunk and they won't fit through the opening.

SAFETY
As with most new cars these days, the Taurus has dual airbags and shoulder seatbelts in the front and back seats. Another interesting feature I noticed was that there are metal rings in the fold of the back seat where a child's carseat can be secured to the seat. There is a small emblem of a carseat where the rings are located. This would make the carseat more secure in a wreck.

FEATURES
As I mentioned above, the Taurus SE has all power windows and locks, a power driver's seat, cruise control, and movable pedals. This last feature was new to me. There is a button located on the side of the driver's seat which moves the gas and brake pedal closer to or farther away from the driver's seat. This is a great feature for us short people! Now you don't have to be sitting on top of the steering wheel, which is not recommended with airbags, to be able to reach the pedals. My Taurus came with a cassette player instead of a CD player. This is the only disappointment I have. I prefer to have both, but if I only have one, I would rather have a CD player. The car also has a rear window defroster which is nice on those cold, frosty mornings!

INTERIOR
The seats are a soft grey cloth. My friend mentioned they are a really more soft and plush seat than what was in my Explorer. I find that the driver's seat has great back support and it can be adjusted to sit up straight or tilted far back enough to go to sleep in! The back seats are just as comfortable and there is plenty of leg room.

GAS MILEAGE
Ford says the Taurus will get between 18 and 27 miles per gallon. The gas tank holds 15 gallons and on my first tank I was able to get approximately 25 miles per gallon. Everyone says it will get better gas mileage as it gets "broken in."

MY THOUGHTS
Am I happy with my new Ford Taurus SE? You bet!!
Would I buy another one? Definitely!! I think this is a great car for a family or an individual. When I was younger I would never have considered driving a four door car! Guess I'm getting older, huh? The Taurus has an extremely smooth ride and handles corners with ease. It can practically turn on a dime. I travel through the mountains a lot when going to Tennessee to visit my family and the front wheel drive handles the curves great! I believe the Taurus is a much better driving and riding car than the Explorer I had before. It gives the right amount of luxury balanced with the right amount of practicality.