Serves its purpose and beyond

Model: SES

Exterior: Silver

Interior: Gray

Miles: 102,000

Purchased: 1/24/05

INTRODUCTION

I currently drive a 2001 Ford Taurus SES. I purchased the car 1/24/05 with 57,000 miles and now already have over 102,000 miles. It has been a wonderful car for me. I feel it is a good time to review.

EXTERIOR

One thing that attracted me to this car was its looks. The Taurus is a very sharp car with a subtle sporty appearance. With its standard 16" rims and sleek, simple body, it is an attractive vehicle. The Silver Frost paint, however, has been less than stellar on the front bumper, there are small spots of the clearcoat coming off. I also have some paint fade on my left fender and rear bumper. Other than that, the car still shines when washed and waxed. No rust is on the car, either.

The car also has a black argent strip on the bottom of the sides so tar and other road debris doesn't contact the paint, this is an excellent feature.

The included remote fob will open the trunk (handy for when hands are full), lock and unlock the doors, and sound an alarm.

INTERIOR

The gray interior of this car has held up well. I have some occasional rattling, but the finish of the dashboard and door panels are intact. I have some stain on the surfaces, but nothing that can't be cleaned. The door handles come in a chrome finish, whereas 2003-05 model Taurus have black finish. The radio and air conditioning controls are in one together panel. Controls are easy to use and easy to reach - only drawback is an aftermarket dash kit for aftermarket stereos run at least $60 or more. Even at that, the factory four-speaker system (6x8) is pretty decent sounding.

The power window controls are lit, and even have a power accessory delay for about 15 minutes when the car is shut off. I love this feature. The driver window has AUTO down. The power door locks self-engage at 5MPH. Also, the doors won't lock when shut off if the key is in the ignition. This prevents lockouts. Cruise control buttons are on the steering wheel and are not lit on the Taurus, but easy to find and use, nonetheless.

The air conditioning vents blow out plenty of air, although the driver side vent could blow out more. The side air vents built into the top dashboard do a great job of defrosting the door windows. The air conditioning also works as great as new, despite my cars mileage.

The power mirrors on this car are a little small, but otherwise give me view of traffic just fine. For sun shade, there are TWO sunvisors per side! One that can be dropped down and one that can be tilted to the side for protection at all angles!

The seats are very comfortable for long trips and I have the middle seat option with the flip-up console. The flip-up console is great for storage and cupholders are expansive for any size, but jumbo cups. With my power seat adjusted, armrest down, and stereo blasting, I am set for any road trip.

SPACE

The trunk is huge. It holds anything and everything, including bodies (just kidding). The backseat and front seat space is overwhelming, and I have hauled seven people before, with no discomfort. There is also plenty of space under the armrest and center console area. I have papers and everything stored there. The backs of the front seats feature pockets that are great for big road atlas books or other items. I find it hard to find a vehicle with more space than the Taurus.

PERFORMANCE

I have the standard Vulcan 3.0 engine. It is rated for 155 HP and 185 lb/ft torque. On paper it seems underpowered, but on the road, this car flies. It doesn't snap your neck or throw you in the seat like the 200HP 3.0 Duratec, but it does its job of keeping speed. It also jumps ahead off the line with ease. For the motor's efficiency, I get 20-22 in town and up to 30 on the highway. I drive 1,000 miles a week and I fill up three times a week, with gas left over by the end of the week. I can do close to 500 miles on a solid highway trip in one tank.

The transmission in my car is the AX4S, which is specific to the Vulcan engine on 2000/2001 models. One word can describe this transmission: basic. It is not a performance transmission, but does cruise along nicely and shifts when its supposed to. I have flushed it out twice since purchase and it runs silky smooth - no slips.

Furthermore, the motor and transmission are both quiet and the 3.0 is one of Ford's best motors, rated at least for 300,000 miles (I had an Aerostar with the 3.0 and it had 250,000 miles before I stopped driving it). I use 89 octane fuel to keep pinging down.

RIDE/HANDLING

With high-quality tires and brakes, this car is very smooth. Cornering is better than expected for a family car. I can take curves faster than my previous Toyota Camry or Toyota Corolla I had. This is, of course, with H-rated performance tires. The turning radius, however, is not narrow. I often have to back up and finish the turnaround. If I had to recommend a tire for this car for a balance of handling, ride, and smoothness, I would go for the Bridgestone Turanza LS-T or Michelin Hydroedge. I will likely buy the former for this car when these slightly rougher riding H-rated tires wear out.

As far as the brakes are concerned, I have never replaced the pads, but I have replaced the rotors. The rotors are rather thin and cheap ones will fade quickly. I recommend slotted/vented rotors for the ultimate in curve performance and stopping power along with carbon metallic pads. I will do this when my brakes wear out. For now, the stopping distance could be shorter, but they slow me down without skidding and my brakes yet to make any noise.

The suspension on this car is VERY sturdy. I have taken huge speed bumps (accidentally) at 30MPH, ran over short curbs, hit potholes, jumped bridges, sped through dippy gravel driveways and this suspension just will not give up. It also never bottoms out (UNLIKE MY CAMRY). It still makes no noise, other than the pumping sound of the struts. I also performed the knee on bumper test, and the car bounces up once and stops.

SAFETY

The Taurus has FIVE-STAR ***** crash test scores. It is very solid and safe. The car always has been since its 1986 debut. Bumpers are solid and hold up to low speed impacts with little or no damage. Excellent for families who want the most in safety.

RELIABILITY

The best way to describe this car's reliability is awesome. This car has never broke down and the engine/transmission are still strong and top notch. Here is what I have done to the car since purchase:

1. Oil changes every 3,000 miles with Kendall Synthetic Blend GT-1 Oil (Firestone).
2. Lower ball joint and rotors at 64,000 miles.
3. Transmission Flush #1 at 68,000 miles.
4. Fuel Filter at 70,000 miles.
5. New tires (Champiro GT 128 H-rated) at 70,000 miles.
6. New battery at 85,000 miles (original died).
7. Alignments when needed (have Firestone lifetime alignment).
8. New spark plugs, wires, and PCV valve at 90,000 miles.
9. Coolant flush at 90,000 miles.
10. Transmission Flush #2 at 98,000 miles.
11. Fuel Filter replacement #2 at 100,000 miles.

I will likely replace tires and brakes at 120,000 miles, then at 130,000 miles I will get the next transmission flush, coolant flush, new fuel filter, replace the serpentine belts, and do a fresh tune-up.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this car has more than served it purpose. It has handled everything I've thrown at it. It goes in rain, snow, and dry very well. I work in pizza delivery as well as travel 400 miles every Wednesday along I-77 at 70-80MPH. Only issues are a check engine light and fuel cap light that randomly come on/off and my passenger side seat belt won't come all the way out (haven't yet fixed).

**** UPDATE **** 5-21-06

At 107,000 miles, I have replaced the tires with the Bridgestone Turanza LS-T, and they are wonderful! 80,000 mile warranty, awesome traction, smoothing ride and handling - just what I expected!

At 107,000 miles, I also went ahead and replaced the pads and rotors with higher quality material (not slotted).

Car now has almost 115,000 miles and still runs excellent. The check engine light (and fuel cap light) has never come back on since I switched to BP/Amoco 89 fuel in March. Quality fuel is important for this car. Once every week or two weeks, I will fill up with a tank of BP/Amoco 93 fuel.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE GENERATION 4 TAURUS/SABLE.
** Be sure to perform all preventative maintenance!