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Sharp, Edgy Ford Taurus Drives Into Brave New World
Oct 22 2009 by Sara Lacey
Did you ever read “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley? In it, Huxley presents a world of assembly-line-manufactured humans. The smartest, most physically fit people are Alphas, followed by Betas and more. The deity to which these people give thanks is Ford. Yes, Ford. The uncharacteristically rainy weather at a 2010 Ford Taurus event I recently attended in Denver had me thinking of this futuristic tale, which takes place in foggy, wet London.
As I headed to the event, I wondered if the new Taurus would live up to the hype and expectations placed on it. The American auto industry had been under scrutiny, and Ford, which has managed the recession better than its Big Three counterparts, is no exception.
Then I saw three 2010 Ford Tauruses; they looked sharp and edgy — even in the rain. Ford claims that some fancy German cars are among the Taurus’ competition. Uh-oh, a Beta wanting to be an Alpha? Not in Huxley’s world, but what about ours? In truth, the Taurus’ competitors include the Buick Lucerne, Chrysler 300 and Toyota Avalon, which aren’t exactly slouches.
The Taurus has features like MyKey, a programmable key so your teen on drivers can’t turn up the stereo too loud or go too fast, and its communication and entertainment system — Sync — that’s certainly futuristic and Alpha-inspired. Ford has equipped the interior with a super quiet cabin and amenities like contrast-stitched leather seats and ambient lighting.
Ford spared nothing with the Taurus’ performance and fuel efficiency. Alpha engineers at Ford have provided on the high-performance Taurus SHO with the EcoBoost engine, a turbocharged 3.5-liter six-cylinder. This gives the Taurus SHO as much power as a V-8 but with better fuel efficiency and fewer emissions.
I took the Taurus SEL for a quick spin around town. It lived up to the hype; I’m hopeful that a longer test in the Taurus will validate its Alpha-aspiring status.
User Comments
Zerf,
Whoops! Thanks for the heads-up. It’s fixed now.
I think you mean the Chrysler 300.