Ford No More?

I rented a 2005 Ford Taurus during a trip to Las Vegas in August 2005, and drove it on the highway about 200 miles each way. This is the second Ford product I have rented in recent years, not by choice mind you, but because that is what the rental company (Hertz) offered. The first Ford was a Focus back around 2000, and it was a huge disappointment to me. I couldn't wait to turn it back in. This Ford Taurus only faired slightly better.

Let me do a comparison of this car to an automotive standard: my 1990 Toyota Camry with 203,000 miles. The Camry is 15 years older than the Ford Taurus, but I still think this is a fair comparison.

Ride comfort The Ford is a rather soft riding machine, and on the highway it is comfortable although somewhat boring. The seats, with lumbar support, felt good initially but then started to be annoying after about half an hour on the road. I think the Taurus' seats are broad, to accept the "growing" American public. I did not like Ford's choice of seat fabric which felt cheap to me. The Camry has velor seats with slightly rolled sides that are very comfortable, and infinite seat adjustment including a 4 position lumbar support. After 203k miles, the Camry's seats are remarkably firm and comfortable. Adjustment on the Ford was automatic and on the Camry manual.

QuietnessThe Ford was relatively quiet, although I could definitely hear road noise from the tires. The Camry has a quieter interior, probably due to better quality sound proofing, even though some door insulation is damaged.

HandlingThe Ford rides well enough when going straight on the highway or changing lanes. Cornering is typical: heavy, soft typical-American. The Camry is much more maneuverable and is somewhat smaller than the Ford. Parking, therefore, is easier in the Camry, as is cornering and overall handling. The Camry gives a firm feel when going around corners or highway ramps at relatively high speed, and it is quicker, both in handling and in takeoff on the highway. I felt that both cars gave adequate acceleration, though.

Fit and finishThe Ford has relatively good fit and finish, although I despise the interior design with it's gigantic dash board that takes up a good portion of the front cabin. Why does Ford insist on expanding its dash so broadly, I don't have a clue. The Camry has suffered from many years and miles on the road, but still has a quiet, noise free interior. I am sure Toyota made improvements to later models, but the Camry still looks neat, clean and modern. All the dials are appropriately placed within logic. Why would Ford place the emergency flasher button on top of the steering column where it is not easy to find or reach in the event of an emergency? The Camry's, on the other hand, is right where the right hand would normally reach, without thinking. Ford has the usual glare of the dashboard in the windshield, something well designed Japanese autos somehow manage to avoid.

In conclusion, I give the edge to the Camry for comfort, quality design, quietness and handling over its 15 year newer Ford Taurus.

After I drove the Ford Taurus for a few days, I immediately went to Avis and received a 2005 Chevrolet Impala, which I thought was a much better car. What a treat the Impala was in comparison to the Taurus. I liked the Chevy interior very much. It was crisp and clean. The car had spunk, quickness, and felt tight. Nice gas mileage, too. I'm not crazy about the exterior, especially the afterthought rear, but other than that, I give this car pluses. My first thoughts were that Chevy had disassembled a Camry and then built a Chevy around it. It was that good.

The Ford drove quietly enough, but was not great on power. At highway speeds it did well enough to keep up with the rest. It is soft riding, soft handling and basically a comfortable car, with lots of room. But, the seat material was something like rough felt and the battleship gray dash bothered me with its huge width of plastic. The car interior just felt cheap, whereas I am certain better materials and design would not cost more. The gas gauge started to drop within the first few miles, putting a panic on my face with gas prices hovering around $2.65 a gallon.

Ford seems to be lost when it comes to car design and engineering. Their Jaguar division continues to produce gems, but the basic Ford seems like an afterthought. I guess they don't care to sell cars anymore, preferring to emphasize the more costly trucks and SUV's.

The last Ford I owned was in 1958 and back then they built a decent car. The 1957 was a beauty, and the 1956 Crown Vic a classic.

I have not much to say positive about this car. It was ordinary, although I do like the exterior rear view. You can do much better opting for a Camry or Honda, or even the Chevy Impala, and have a car you enjoy driving.