By Charles Donaldson
The business of real estate requires agents to spend a great deal of time in their cars dropping off for-sale signs and carrying clients from house to house. These job requirements mean we need a vehicle with lots of comfortable “real estate” of its own offering fuel efficiency and style. The all-new 2010 Ford Taurus is perfect for the job.
Ford has been on the roll, and besides being the only Big 3 American car company not to get bailed out by the government, it has also seen an increase in market share due to the high quality and fresh new products they are placing in showrooms. The Ford Taurus was the number one selling car in America for many years and the 2010 offering has the tools and style to get it back on top. It’s a full-size sedan and the all-new Taurus is more attractive and capable than previous versions.
The model lineup of the 2010 Ford Taurus is the SE ($25,995), SEL ($28,195), Limited ($32,595) and SHO ($38,595). All are available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The SHO is equipped with Ford’s new EcoBoost V6 twin turbocharged 365 horsepower engine that delivers the power of an 8-cylinder and the economy of a 6-cylinder engine. I found it to have the smoothest acceleration of any vehicle in its class and even more expensive vehicles. The base 3.5-liter V6 motor found in the other trim levels packs 263 horses that easily propels you onto the freeway.
As real estate brokers and agents, would you agree that the top five requirements you have in a company vehicle are: 1. Interior comfort, 2. Flexibility and Storage, 3. Fuel mileage, 4. Ride and Handling, and 5. Image/Styling?
For 2010, Ford completely restyled the Taurus creating a dynamic, edgy, and upscale shape. From the front, the fenders are more pronounced, the center of the hood is slightly raised like a hood scoop, the headlamps are thinner and wrap around, and the grille and fascia are new and very stylish. The roofline has been lowered and the side profile carries chiseled lines. At the rear, the new trunk lid slices the two rear tail lights into four pieces and connects them to the Ford logo with a chrome bar that spreads across from end to end. The license plate is relocated below the bumper cleaning up the trunk look.
Overall, the new sheet metal delivers a powerful stance and upscale silhouette. The fit and finish is what you would expect in a European vehicle. I test drove the SHO model that sports a rear spoiler which really drove home the athletic tone of the car.
The design culture that flows on the outside of the 2010 Taurus is carried through to the sculptured interior. Being a full-size car, there is plenty of space for both front and rear passengers as well as cargo. With seating for five, the seats are thick and comfortable and sit high for good visibility. Ours came with a feature that heated and cooled both the front and rear seats. The cabin is illuminated in day by a large power sunroof. The dash flowed across with clean lines, sliver touches, and large vents. A beefy center console housed a large screen that was the command center for radio, SYNC, navigation, rear camera view, climate control and phone setup. A plus; it has three cup holders, place for your phone and a storage/armrest compartment with mp3/iPod connections. The key fob allows for push-button starting.
The 2010 Ford Taurus is well equipped with safety features including six airbags, automatic high beams, rain-sensing wipers, rear backup camera (SHO), blind spot monitoring system, power rear window shade, anti-lock brakes, and traction and stability control. An SOS post-crash alert system is new and standard on the Taurus. It activates after an impact that forces deployment of the airbags and automatically unlocks all doors, turns on the hazard flashers and sounds the horn. Ford also offers a collision warning system, adaptive cruise control and a Cross Traffic Alert system.
Room for improvement:· You can unlock the drivers-side door via a key pad on the door, but I would like to see key-fob related touch buttons on each door.
Cool Features:· Large Touch Screen with Bluetooth
· Push Button Start
· Soft Blue LED Ambient Interior Lighting
· SYNC Voice-Activated System
In Summary – The 2010 Taurus follows Ford’s marketing plan of loading its new products with standard upscale and technical features. For example, Ford’s new MyKey feature allows parents to program a specific key fob with restricted vehicle functions for maximum speed and radio volume. Matched with its new upscale yet performance-born styling and EcoBoost engine opportunities, the all-new 2010 Ford Taurus is a new game changer and perfect car for real estate agents. Did I mention that the trunk has more than 20 cubic feet of storage area; that is almost twice the size of the Acura RL!
Specifications
2010 Ford Taurus SHO
Base price: $38,595 as driven: $42,060 (with destination charges)
Engine: 3.5-Liter EcoBoost V6
Horsepower: 365 @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 350 pound-feet @ 3500 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed Automatic with Overdrive
Drive: All-Wheel-Drive
Seating: 5-passenger
Turning circle: 39.7 feet
Cargo space: 20.1 cubic feet
Curb weight: 4224 pounds
Fuel capacity: 19 gallons
EPA mileage: 28 highway, 18 city
Wheel Base: 112.9 inches
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles
Also consider: Acura RL, Buick Lucerne, Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler 300, Hyundai Genesis, Toyota Avalon.
Future changes: All-New in 2010
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