2010 Ford Taurus - Quality Review

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The 2010 Ford Taurus is a full-size car with copious passenger room, while SHO versions get tighter-fitting, suede-trimmed versions. Based on reviewer comments, it's a great car for tall drivers and wide enough to seat three across in the rear.

Edmunds says, “Inside the cabin, the front seats sit 1.6 inches lower, retaining a healthy 39 inches of headroom. The backseat couldn't be dropped so much, so there's a 1-inch loss of rear headroom. The remaining 37.8 inches is still enough for our 6-foot-2 tester, but the exaggerated stadium-style seating (raised significantly above the level of the front seats) leaves you looking right at the windshield header.”

Front seat comfort draws mixed reviews. ConsumerGuide favorably comments, “The front bucket seats are all-day comfortable. The available multi-contour seats feature power lumbar and air bladders that automatically inflate and deflate to provide something of a massage function. A wide up and down and front and back range of travel ensures most will find an accommodating driving position.” The USA Today reviewer, however, isn’t nearly as impressed: “Partway home, the seat cushion began to feel rump-wrecking stiff. The optional massaging-seat feature didn't help, and neither did the array of inflatable support bladders. It's crazy. You could adjust the seat every way from Sunday and not find that just-so position.”

The ConsumerGuide reviewer is less complimentary about the back seating of the Taurus, asserting, “Neither headroom nor legroom is as expansive as in the previous-generation Taurus. Depending on where the front seat is positioned, legroom is either adequate or ample. The slope of Taurus' roofline cuts into headroom more than it should.”

In terms of functionality, Car and Driver says, “The SHO has easy-to-use controls, Ford’s voice-command Sync system, and an excellent navigation system (a $1995 option).” Automobile Magazine considers the Taurus “a thoroughly modern sedan with a broad range of capabilities. There's ample elbowroom for four, plus a fifth in a pinch, and more than enough cupholders to go around. The cabin is nicely appointed with leather, suede, and deco-metal trim.”

USA Today says “interiors are classy” in the 2010 Taurus. “Truly the premium ambience Ford wants as it repositions Taurus upscale,” they add. ConsumerGuide asserts that the “Taurus' cabin doesn't quite match the ambiance of most luxury nameplates, but it holds its own. Non-SHO models have some uninspiring plastic trim, especially in the center console area. To Ford's credit, most of the rest of the interior has pleasing textured and padded soft-touch surfaces.” Motor Trend remarks that the new Taurus has “subtle luxury, offering Great Recession consumers a lot of elegant kit for the money.”

Edmunds mentions that part of the weight gain of the 2010 Taurus comes from additional equipment, “but Ford engineers also added more acoustic insulation to reduce noise and vibration. Indeed the 2010 Ford Taurus rolls down the road with a serenity we've not experienced previously in a big Ford sedan.” Car and Driver offers comparable praise regarding noise levels of the SHO: “Few noises of any kind permeate the SHO’s double-pane front glass and acoustically treated windshield glass. If it weren’t for the constantly changing scenery, you’d almost never know the SHO was in motion. Trust us, there isn’t enough ambient noise to hide even the daintiest flatulence.”

The Taurus’ trunk is enormous, thanks to the high profile of the rear fenders and the tall decklid. At more than 20 cubic feet, it’s almost twice the size of the Acura RL trunk. ConsumerGuide says, “The trunk is wide and deep, with an opening large enough to accommodate fairly substantial cargo," and interior storage is “adequate” with “decently sized door pockets, center console, and glovebox.”