2019 Ford Taurus Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Ford hasn’t been shy about the fact that the company is dropping its sedan products in an SUV-heavy world. So, the Taurus is living on...

Ford hasn’t been shy about the fact that the company is dropping its sedan products in an SUV-heavy world. So, the Taurus is living on borrowed time. The current generation debuted 10 years ago, and the only real update for 2019 is a new color called Agate Black. Since the design is so much older, savvy new car buyers may be able to get a solid deal on these last 2019 models.

Most Taurus models get a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 288 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque driving through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Front-drive comes standard and all-wheel drive (AWD) is an available option. The high-performance Taurus SHO comes with a 3.5-liter V6, along with two turbochargers. It's good for 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. The engine drives all four wheels. Standard Taurus models get 18 mpg city, 26 highway, and 21 combined with FWD and 17, 24, and 19 with AWD. The SHO manages 16, 24, and 19. The Taurus is a big, heavy car and it feels like a big, heavy car. But the SHO model does liven things up with firmer suspension, better brakes, sharper steering tuning, and stickier summer tires.

The Ford Taurus doesn’t feel big on the inside, but it's adequate --except for rear-seat headroom, which is limited thanks to the sloping roof. The base SE model gets cloth upholstery, six-way power front seats, a 4.2-inch audio display screen with Bluetooth compatibility, and three 12-volt powerpoints. The SEL model adds automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. At the top, the SHO model adds heated and leather cooled seats.

The Taurus’s design goes back quite a few years, but Ford has put in the effort to update it with active safety features. The options list includes adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warnings, active lane control, active park assist, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, and a lane-keeping system. In crash tests, the Taurus got an Acceptable rating in the driver’s side small overlap test and a Poor rating for its headlights with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

While the 2019 Ford Taurus is a full-size sedan that is long past its prime, it remains a handsome, well-equipped, and comfortable car with quite a bit of performance on tap in SHO form. Since Ford will end production of the Taurus in 2019, solid deals are likely available, making the Taurus a fair bit of car for the money.