Completely redesigned in 2010 and refreshed last year, the 2014 Ford Taurus rolls out with barely a change. That's not a bad thing, considering the Taurus has done well in the full-size sedan market by offering a luxury ride and features as well as a more sporty option with the SHO trim.
After a disappointing run in the 2000s, Ford gave the Taurus a full makeover in 2010 with the square-lined styling that it still carries in 2014, a wider range of engine options, the reintroduction of the SHO trim and upgraded features and materials that helped Taurus become a family car with a luxury feel.
That new look got touched up in 2013 with changes to the grille, front fascia, wheels, front and rear lighting, rear fenders and the deck lid. The interior was upgraded with the Sync and MyFord systems (powered by Microsoft), as well as more acoustic insulation and higher-grade materials. Ford also improved the power and efficiency of the standard V6 and added an available turbocharged 4-cylinder that gets 26 mpg combined.
Considering all those recent reconfigurations, it might have felt like overkill if Ford had made more changes to the 2014 Taurus, so the blue oval basically left well enough alone. The noted exception is the available Lane Keeping System for the Limited and SHO trims, which generates steering-wheel vibrations that mimic rumble strips if it senses an unintentional lane departure.
The Taurus offers the smooth ride you'd expect from a large sedan, and it handles well enough thanks to technology like Ford's Torque Vectoring and Curve Control that help the Taurus through turns. Some big sedan buyers will shun the Taurus, because it doesn't offer a V8 option, but the standard 3.5-liter V6 does produce 288 horsepower and 254 lb-ft of torque while getting 19 mpg city/29 highway with front-wheel drive (FWD) and 18/26 with all-wheel drive (AWD). The 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 option, available only with FWD, generates 240 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque and gets 22/32. The SHO's 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with direct fuel injection churns out 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, comes standard with AWD and gets 17/25.
Notable standard features for the base SE trim include single-zone air conditioning, power windows and locks, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, 6-way power driver's and passenger seats, 60/40-split fold-down rear seats, three 12-volt power points, MyKey (controls speed and audio volume for young drivers), MyFord information and entertainment system, 6-speaker stereo with CD and an auxiliary input jack, dual chrome-tipped exhaust, power folding mirrors, keyless entry, Safety Canopy System (side-curtain airbags, rollover sensor and roll-fold technology), tire pressure monitoring system and a passive antitheft system.
The SEL trim's standard additions include dual-zone automatic climate control, remote start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and Sync (a voice-activated communications and entertainment system). The noteworthy standard additions for the Limited trim are push-button start, a 10-way power driver's seat with memory, 10-way power passenger seat, heated and cooled front seats, universal garage door opener, rear-view camera, 8-inch color LCD screen for the MyFord Touch with Sync system, heated exterior mirrors with security approach lamps and a reverse-sensing system.
The standard SHO trim upgrades include power-adjustable aluminum pedals with memory, leather-trimmed bucket front seats, ambient lighting, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, solar-tinted glass, electrochromic driver's exterior mirror and a rear spoiler.
Some of the notable Taurus options are adaptive cruise control with collision warning, Blind Spot Information System, Cross-Traffic Alert, the new Lane Keeping System, automatic high beams, heated steering wheel, rain-sensing windshield wipers, seats with massage functions, heated rear seats and a 12-speaker Sony sound system with HD radio.
While some of the more advanced safety features, like the lane-departure warning system, are only optional, the Taurus does have plenty of standard safety features on all trims—LED brakelights, automatic halogen headlights with washer, tire pressure monitor, antilock brakes, canopy system side curtain airbags and frontal and seat-mounted side airbags for the driver and passenger. Standard security features include illuminated entry, panic alarm and SecuriLock with ignition disable.
