Ford Taurus (1986 - 1991) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

the look of the car is not bad it is not rounded as the newer Tauruses and is a really heavy duty car. the backseats are very roomy with lots of head and leg room and very comfortable. The front bench seats are very nice with nice power seats and a nice stereo. The cars power is very nice with its 3.8L v6 car that gets better gas mileage than the other car I drove (a chevy astro van).Jul 09, 2013

Bought this car at an auction for $305. With a little work such as a tune-up, fixing the coolant leak, and a oil change and filter along with topping off the transmission fluid the car runs great. I also repaired/replaced the hub bearings for a smoother ride and rid the wheel noise while driving. The car had a little over 23k miles when purchased and has 23,358 miles as of 5-3-2011.May 04, 2011

Bought a used Taurus wagon cheap after my Toyota died. Lots of interior room, great highway cruiser, good placement of controls. I could lift the rear window and fit two garbage cans in it. Great "park it anywhere and not worry about it" car. AXOD transmission failed (as many, many of them did), spent big $ to get it fixed, but stuff kept breaking. Liked the car but ultimately couldn't trust it. Donated it to charity. Feb 20, 2010

SHO, 'nuf said! OOPS, I guess i need to pad it, lol. for a car that has given me a loyal 360K plus, 950kms to a tank (600 miles), $800 insurance a year--lol, reliability like no other--at 250K, i gave the car to my brother to use to go to school, he put 80K in 5 years just changing oil and fillin up gas...THAT'S IT!!! PerFORDmance (lol): AWESOME in everything--a 7 in handling...a little heavy a car, Build Quality: toyota camry, GOUGE ur eyes out! Appearance: a little family-ish, but THAT'S an advantage against cops...lol, Cost of ownership: gas, oil, timing belt/water pump, brakes, and 1 clutch...continually challenged my Civic as to which 1 was cheaper to own! Fun Factor: 1 word...EXHILARATING!!! 1 of the 1000's I've had the chance of driving (and I've driven many...been with cars all my life, 1 of the 2 BEST cars I've owned!!! out of a total 17Feb 11, 2009

Keep in mind, this was an SHO. Considered one of the first true American sport sedans. The 1989 was not encumbered by ABS, Airbags, and the like, so it was capable (according to Hot Rod) 0-60 in as little as 6.0 seconds. Not bad for a 3.0 normally aspirated V6. Engine specs were a Ford/Yamaha designed, Yamaha built, 3.0 litre 24-valve V6 that put out 220HP and 200lb./ft. or torque. It was a peaky engine, with most of its power coming on after the secondary intake valves opened at 3800 rpm. Still, with a rev limited 7600 rpm redline, you could reach freeway speeds in 2nd gear. Low end torque was boosted by the unequal length intakes. At low rpms, only one intake was open. It was fed through a long, thin manifold pipe the originated over the opposite cylinder bank. At 3800 rpm, a butterfly valve would open on the second intake, fed by a fat, short manifold pipe, originating over its own cylinder bank. The effect was fast moving air with some back pressure at low rpms, large volumes at high rpms. This had all of the bells and whistles that Ford offered in a car, at the time; automatic air, JBL audio with subwoofer, 6 way adjustable leather front seats, etc. There were a few quirks, being a first year model. The original clutch was too small, so the dealer replaced it with a one inch wider unit. The Goodyear Eagle GT plus 4 tires only lasted about 20,000 miles. But it was a blast to drive. It also had a tendency to break the front motor mount, if you drove it too hard. A/C compressors did not last long. An underdrive pulley is recommended if you want it to live. My best estimate was that I could get between 6.5 and 7.0 0-60's. I did not want to launch it at 3000 rpm, or I could have broken into the low 6's. The original Taurus was a decent handling car for a pedestrian sedan. The SHO took advantage of a solid base and added front and rear anti-roll bars, progressive rate springs, lowered the car one inch, four wheel disc brakes, and used silicon or solid bushings. The result was a car that had nice neutral handling. Push it to the edge and the tail would gently slide out. A little throttle and it would straighten out. It never got out of hand. Torque steer was apparent, but minimized by equal length half shafts. Despite the performance, the SHO regularly delivered 25 mpg in mixed freeway commuting. Avoiding rush hour could probably improve that. Plus, the SHO was the first American car certified as a low emission vehicle. As a result, it did not require many of the power robbing emission controls other engines were saddled with. It had been a fun car to drive, and it was always nice to launch past BMW's and other sport sedans in this "wolf in sheep's clothing". But, alas, after nearly 20 years, the old SHO is tired. The A/C compressor is once again dead, the front oil seal is leaking on the catalytic converter, the O2 sensors are shot, and yes, I broke the front motor mount. Plus, I think the fuel pump is about to seize up. It is now resting comfortably in the driveway, having given way to a commuter econo-box, while I sit and ponder its fate. Perhaps the old wolf will rise again, don its sheep costume, and go up against the youngsters. Maybe this time with a 315HP upgrade.Sep 17, 2008

Its good on gas, fast, good looking, and a dream to drive! It's very solid build quality even with the crazy torque!The 5-speed manual is smooth shifting even if it does have longish throws. The brake and gas petal are very responsive, the steering is also solid and quick. The car is extremly well balanced and with its thicker meatier tires can take corners amazingly and acts kind of like a RWD sports car! The engine is the most amazing part though and makes you want to do naughty things all day in the drivers seat while listing to the incredible exhust note and the amazing power from the 3.0 Liter 24 Valve DOHC Super High Output 220 HP V6 screaming to its 7000 rpm redline!!! Incredible!!! The car is very well equiped too, especially for a 17 year old car!! It has many features that some newer cars still don't even have yet!!May 16, 2008

I love my car because: I can fit 6 people, ski gear to include two snowboards (160's) and two or more sets of skis ( also 160's) and cooler and winter clothes for five. Five inside the car to go snowboarding. When I have the kids we can fit six people around town. I have looked and looked but nothing compares to the size. I also get around 25 MPG around town and up to 30 MPG on the road trips. It's old and has some mechanical needs now and again. But overall the cost to maintain is les than a new subcompact. Apr 27, 2008