New 2012 Ford Taurus

Vehicle Overview

The 2012 Taurus is available in SE, SEL and Limited trim levels and is offered with front- or all-wheel drive. The Taurus, which seats up to five people, competes with the Chrysler 300 and Toyota Avalon. It is also offered as the high-performance Taurus SHO, which is powered by a twin-turbo V-6 engine.

New for 2012

All models now have an integrated blind-spot mirror in the side mirrors. Otherwise, there are no significant changes for 2012.

Exterior

The Taurus has sleek sheet metal that bestows a sporty look on Ford's flagship car. The grille and front bumper combination is reminiscent of Ford's European cars.

The sporty look continues around back with the trunk lid and taillights. The trunk lid's forward-swept design recalls old wooden speedboats, but the look doesn't translate particularly well on land. Exterior features include:
•    Standard 17-inch wheels
•    Standard body-colored door handles, front and rear bumpers
•    Standard chrome grille and chrome-tipped exhaust
•    Optional 18- and 19-inch wheels

Interior

The Taurus has room for five on front bucket seats and a three-person rear bench. The Taurus' backseat is big, but it feels like the roof is encroaching more on rear passenger space compared with pre-2010 models. Interior features include:
•    Standard air conditioning
•    Standard power driver's seat
•    Standard tilt/telescoping steering wheel, cruise control and a CD stereo
•    Optional Sony six-CD stereo
•    Optional leather seats
•    Optional power-adjustable pedals
•    Optional moonroof
•    Optional heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats and power rear sunshade

Under the Hood

The 2012 Taurus is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 263 horsepower. Mechanical features include:
•    Standard six-speed automatic transmission
•    Uses regular gas
•    Maximum towing capacity is 1,000 pounds, when properly equipped

Safety

Safety features include:
•    Antilock brakes
•    Side-impact airbags for the front seats
•    Side curtain airbags
•    Electronic stability system
•    Optional rear parking sensor
•    Optional blind spot warning system and collision warning system

Taurus SHO

Ford revived an old trim with the Taurus SHO — it stands for Super High Output — which effectively caps the Taurus lineup from a performance and luxury standpoint. The SHO swaps the Taurus' standard drivetrain for a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 with direct injection. It's one of the first engines in Ford's EcoBoost initiative, which forgoes larger engines for smaller turbocharged ones.

Taurus SHO's EcoBoost makes 365 hp and 350 pounds-feet of torque. It works with a six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifters. All-wheel drive is standard.

Other changes are fairly subtle. Among them are various SHO badges, 19- or 20-inch wheels, dual exhaust pipes and a rear spoiler. The suspension and steering response have been sharpened, too. Beefier brakes, more responsive steering, a shorter final drive ratio, 20-inch summer tires and a higher-threshold Sport mode for the electronic stability system are part of the SHO Performance Package.