2010 Ford Taurus, 17/25. Really?
Thursday, August 27th, 2009Ford dealers are rolling the first 2010 Taurus and Taurus SHO models on to their showroom floors and the company is hoping for a success equal to that of the epic 1986 Taurus. Put the two side-by-side, however, and you’d be hard pressed to say the vehicles are related, much less bear the same name. Of course, a lot can change in 24 years and remember, the Taurus was resurrected from the dead.
Consumers who pop for the high-performance SHO will be getting a 365 hp twin-turbo EcoBoost V6. Estimated fuel economy is 17 mpg city and 25 highway.
Okay, let’s come to a screeching halt here. 17/25 Ford? Really? How many different ways can we say, “That doesn’t cut it in 2010?” We won’t even put the hybrids in the mix, but the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta gets 30/41, the Toyota Yaris pulls 29/36. Heck, the Mini Cooper does 28/37.
It’s difficult to figure out Ford thinks a car with “fuel economy” that scant is going to prove to be a corporate salvation. Sorry, but that’s the kind of thinking that landed American carmakers in hot water in the first place. The Taurus is one sharp looking ride, but on the critical issue of fuel consumption, it’s thumbs down in this writer’s opinion.