2010 Ford Taurus: We're Going on a Road Trip

I can barely tell it from an MKS from this angle.

From that angle the A-pillar forward looks good but that rear...that baby got back. Those hips could bear enough offspring to make the Duggars proud.

YEAH. I was just thinking it looks sooo much like the MKS (which has become not a bad thing in my mind). This car has grown so much on me. It looks pretty good (except aft of the C pillar).

You need directional help on a coast to coast interstate trip? Does the mirror have a compass? Just keep the "W" in the compass and stay on the I-10.

Maybe bringing a Garmin along as a backup is a good idea.

ktinsd,

"Just keep the "W" in the compass and stay on the I-10."

Perhaps going in a straight line for extended stretches just isn't Erin's thing. Perhaps she just isn't in that much of a hurry. If I had the choice of being stuck in a cubicle or out on the open road, I don't think I'd choose the straightest route either.

Man that is a nice -looking car. Don't know what all of you are talking about with respect the rear. I think the whole design flows quite well. Looks a helluva lot nicer and sportier than your grandpas Taurus.

I just completed a 2300 Mile Motorcycle Pilgrimage from CT to Deal’s Gap (Tail of the Dragon) in TN, by way of Asheville – what a beautiful area!

If I could make a suggestion for routing (assuming you haven’t left yet), it would be the following:

Take Route 40 West and Connect with Route 19 West, take that through the scenic mountain town of Maggie Valley. This town contains ‘Wheels Through Time’, which is one of the most respected museums for motorcycles and various classic automobiles – all in running condition (including the 1903 Hendersons!). Check out their web page for special openings.

Continue on Route 19 and connect with the Blue Ridge Parkway for ~13 miles. This is the southern end of the parkway and has some of the best scenic lookouts, as well as the highest concentration of tunnels (take a note next time you take the GT-R out for a roadtrip!).

After the Blue Ridge, make a left onto 441 South and connect with Route 23, which leads right into Asheville. Route 23 also offers many options to connect with 85, should you find yourself behind schedule and needing to hit the superslab.

On another note, I’ve had the best REAL barbeque at two places (so far). One is Winky’s in Charlottesville, VA and the other is Jinx’s Pit’s Top in Asheville. Should you decide to try Jinx’s, ensure you call ahead since he holds irregular hours.

Correct that second to last paragraph to read:

"After the Blue Ridge, make a left onto 441 South and connect with Route 23, which leads right into ATLANTA."

Orangutan:
"Those hips could bear enough offspring to make the Duggars proud."

Seriously funny. Thanks for the laugh.

...Classic.

I need to see this car in person, because in pics it looks like it needs lowering springs badly.

It reminds me of cat that is scared on all fours.

I think the clearance is just fine. The high beltline makes it look a little off. Still bugs me.

Orangutan:
"Those hips could bear enough offspring to make the Duggars proud."

Seriously funny. Thanks for the laugh.

...Classic.

You beat me to it, Powell +1 LOL!!

:p

IL has to add this to thier Long-Term Fleet.

Okay, maybe I'm missing something. I saw an MKS in a grocery store parking lot, and when I say the car was big, it was BIG!! The car was massive, and I'm talking bigger than a Lincoln Towncar, just not as long! And now this Taurus?? It's WIDER than a Chrysler 300, and everyone knows just how HUGE that car is! What's going on here, huh? Seriously! The big three have finally seen reality about SUV's, and it really looked like they were going to see sense on their cars as well, but that doesn't seem the case with Ford. Why in the world would Ford build a vehicle so big when gas prices are so high?? Considering how people are running in literal droves to purchasing the Prius, Insight, Fit and Civic, which you clearly see more of on the road by leaps and bounds than the MKS, Avalon, 300, etc., how much sense does this make?? This car is 60.7 INCHES TALL, PEOPLE!! Over 5 feet tall for a 4 door sedan?? And seriously, 76.2 inches wide?? Trying and hoping to get Americans to leap blindly back into the "bigger is safer" market scheming shows just how literal Ford holds to the belief that American people will follow where ever they're led by the nose. Not this one.

"Ford build a vehicle so big when gas prices are so high??"

For the same reason all other manufacturers do. People buy them. For people looking to move away from SUVs, this is a great alternative with much better mileage.

wlm:

You might want to review sales figures. Hybrid sales are down more than overall sales this year. Toyota is selling about half as many Prius' as they were last year this time. Ford offers the Focus, Fusion I4 and Fusion hybrid as well as Escape hybrid. Why do you assume that EVERYONE ranks fuel economy #1 when buying a car? This car is more efficient than any V6 powered crossover so I would say its a step in the right direction.

BTW, larger cars are safer due to the laws of physics. Ford didn't make that up and some people are always going to opt for a vehicle with some size for that reason alone.

why don't you take an inexpensive $100 4 inch GPS with you, just in case...

So Scott (or Dan) what kind of Taurus is going to be in the IL fleet? An SEL so the crew can whine about the lack of power or the SHO so the crew can whine about how expensive it is for a Ford?

Who needs a GPS. Asheville is on I-40, and that goes more than 2350 miles, before arriving in Barstow, California.

An hour later on South I-15, you reach the I-10, which takes you right to the heart of Santa Monica.

The Sync system obviously could fill in any gaps.

Covering more than 800 miles per day, one suspects there will not be a lot of side trips.

Everyone keeps talking about how big this car is. Newsflash- the Fivehundred/Taurus has been this big since 2005- get over it. This is not a midsize Camry/Accord/Fusion/Malibu competitor. The 300/avalon/impala are just as big- just not at tall, lol.

yeah the Taurus is a whopping 2" longer than the Impala. hardly earthshattering in my book. Its only 6" longer than the Gensesis.

fuhteng:

If its base Taurus they can complain about lack of power and lack of Honda steering feel for 12 months. If its SHO they can spend 12 months thinking about what BMW they could buy for the same money as an overpriced Ford.

What color was this car again? I didn't quite catch it.

@1487: Spot on...