Connor P

Reviewed a 2003 Ford SE Wagon on Jun 21, 2009

Performance: I was expecting more from the 3 litter V6. It only has 155 HP and 185LB of torque. it dose sound really good though. It gets around 23MPG usually but i live in a vary hilly place. Its even gone up to 28 on the highway before. It is desen't on the way to 60 with a time of around 9 sec, but after that it slows way down. The wagon is electrically limited to a top speed of 111MPH (because of the tiers) but if you remove the limiter your looking at speeds of up to around 128. There are alot of horror story's about Taurus transmissions but the 2003 model year had a great rating. The steering is VARY light and had almost no feel to it. The brakes are vary stiff but has excellent ABS. it holds the road well for being a 2 ton monster that is more than 16 feet long, and unlike most fords this has interdependent rear suspension. Build Quality: The only things that have gone wrong with this particular Taurus is that the starter went bad and the "water tight seal" on the driver side door had to be replaced a few times. No major mechanical problems have happend so far with this car....Knock on wood. Appearance: Interior: this is the middle of the range SE Wagon. the interior is kind of bland and the dash is a mess of different color panels. The cloth seats are vary comfortable for long trips but the 3rd row trunk seats are only good for short trips. Exterior: I really like the styling for the 2000-2003 models. It is a vary good looking car from the outside, as long as you don't get it in black or red. with roof racks as stranded it is vary good for road trips. Cost of Ownership: Parts are usually cheep for the Taurus and they are fairly easy to fix. I have gotten up to 28 MPG with the Taurus, but usually get around 21. Fun Factor: With a great sounding engine and independent suspension it is a fun car to drive. be careful for wheel spin when its wet though. Connor Pence