Thank you for doing this ! Old guy here in Ontario Canada. My wife of 42 years and I raised 3 children to adults and now have 5 grandchildren. We have had a long history of Fords ( MG's and a Corolla in the pre children days ) we loved them all. We had a 1988 Taurus wagon just like yours except in medium grey. What a work horse for a growing family. Like yours it to was bare bones ....we like it that way much less fiddly stuff to break and need $$$ to fix. Money was tight in those days and no nonsence cars that preformed as required 365 days a year.....start every time in sub zero Ontario winters kept us going. Ours was used.....a previous fleet rental car that helps explain the options. Very strong running....very comfortable car. Today we are driving an F150 pickup and a Focus......I do all the repairs on both to keep them going. Oil changes are the secret to long auto life it's that simple !
My dad used to swear by fords when I was a kid growing up in the 80s & 90s. He loved how he could work on them himself and the simplicity and the fact parts were so cheap. So as a child I was transported everywhere in a Ford😂
@Nichen Fauster The unique perspective. The details they perceive/like are different, as well as the aura of the vehicle. I especially love watching French reviewers give their opinions on American cars.
sorry to be so offtopic but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an instagram account?? I stupidly forgot my login password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
Nice to see someone across the pond appreciating one of these. I have a 1992 GL wagon here in the States. Mine is very similar to this one -- the only differences are the seats, the dashboard, and the front past the windshield. The design was (and still is) excellent, and was largely carried over largely unchanged into 1995. Mine has the third row seat. The well in the floor was for a full-sized spare tire and I don't believe you could get the third seat with it, and the spare to the left was replaced with a storage bin. You could also get a picnic tray that folded out of the top of that lid in the back. Unfortunately, I do not have that. While the Vulcan is slow and underpowered by modern standards, it does what it needs to do. It absolutely screams when you floor it. I don't mind the position of the parking brake pedal, but the real problem is that stupid rubber block on the arm above the pedal. That whole rubber pad ends up melting and getting into the carpet. I believe air conditioning was an option, but you'd be a blockhead not to order it. The base radio was AM/FM only, however there was a base AM only radio for 1986. There aren't even any pictures that I can find of that. In general, most Tauruses past 1992 are decently optioned. Mine has the preferred GL equipment package, which includes everything from air conditioning, power locks, power windows, power drivers seat, etc. I do have a couple cupholders underneath the radio, but modern cups don't fit well, if at all. The console is much better, but lots of people stuck with the bench seat even though the console/buckets was a no-cost option. The Taurus used to be everywhere, but even now the third generation (1996-1999) cars are disappearing. I'm lucky if I see three as old as mine in a given year, and I live in a city of 500,000. In my humble opinion, this is the single greatest average car ever made. For what it is, it has no business being this smooth or comfortable. And yet it is. Sorry this comment is so long, but I thought I'd share some of my thoughts. After all, I do drive one of these myself.
Hello! I shed a tear at your comment. I live in Russia and I really like American classic cars. I would like to buy a full size one, but it is very expensive for me (I am a student). In my city, sold a white Ford Taurus 1989 in a red velor interior. I will be very lucky if I can buy this car when I get back to town. This is an ideal car for traveling with friends, I do not see any analogues for it in terms of comfort (among mid-size cars).
Ahhh, the 1986 Ford Taurus L wagon! The very first car I ever financed on my own (at age 18). Mine was 3ish years old and was a vile color - non-metallic tan or beige. But I loved it! They were truly well styled. I loved the rear styling most. I apparently had a better optioned version than the one shown in your vid as mine had power everything and even a *GASP* cassette player! As most young people do, I owned it for about 6 months (wrecked it once after a month or 2 of buying it... hit a Chevy Chevette in the rear at a lowish speed... the Chevette sat perfectly between both fenders of the Taurus, just over the bumper, crushing hood, grill, radiator. It was an underride situation! In case you are worried, the Chevette ironically suffered no notable damage. LOL!). I traded it even up for a - wait for it - black (with RED interior) 1987 Ford Taurus GL sedan! Lordy, I was (am?) a strange kid. Thanks for the post and the memories!
By the way, I owned a total of SIX Taurus (Tauri?)(1986, 87, 93, 96, 97 SHO V8, 99) and one Mercury Sable (1997). Only two were new, but they were all truly great cars. Very few problems. I have since graduated (?) to practically every other make of car but presently own a Mercedes E350 4Matic (W212 gen) and a Volkswagen Passat 3.6L 4Motion (B6 gen). I WILL own a new Audi All-Road (A6), used Mercedes E-Class wagon (w212 or later gen), or a "last ones made" Volvo V90 Inscription. ***LONG LIVE THE LONG ROOF!***
The first station wagon that you wouldn’t feel embarrassed being seen in. At least not compared to the 1978 Chevy wagon my family kept hidden in the backyard.
I have owned 3 wagons. A 1990 Ford Taurus GL, a 1990 Mercury Sable LX (sister car) and currently drive a 1995 Ford Taurus GL with 86000 original miles. One of the things that I believe appealed to buyers was the stance of the car. It was a wagon, but the bottom angle from the rear wheels to the bumper had an upward tilt, making the wagon look lighter and more nimble versus a large Ford LTD Country Squire wagon. The other appeal of the car was the 4 speed OD transmission. Once up to speed you take your foot of of the accelerator and coast. My 1995 gets 26mpg on the highway, better than most new SUV's. Great video!
After growing up with american cars my whole life I love all the chimes, the column shifters and the smell of the plastic interiors. I currently drive a 1999 Dodge Caravan and I love it.
First of all, what a review! It's the length of a full half hour television show episode. Everything was covered. Our family had this car. 1990 Taurus L with the same engine. Bought in 1995 with 75k miles, we kept it until 2015 when an out of control car totaled it while it was parked (105k miles). We overhauled it in 2010 so we planned to keep it around for a while (even though I already had my own car at the time). The steering pump had to be replaced every 4 years or so. The transmission was never repaired. This car was great in the snow because of the front heavy weight distribution and it being front wheel drive. However, NOTHING beat this car on road trips. The amount of stuff that fit into the back was amazing. It was also a soft ride, and the seats were super comfy. The engine wasn't *that bad*, but the last time I took her on a trip, we had 4 adult males in the car and the back was loaded to the max, and with the AC blasting, merging and getting up to speed wasn't that pleasant. In 1996 when the optional duratec came out with 200hp it was a huge improvement. This was a great car and it did its job very well.
To anyone who didn't go to or live in North America in the late '80s and '90s. It cannot be understated how popular these cars were. They were absolutely everywhere, they won award after award, and then almost overnight, they all disappeared. Finding one is almost impossible nowadays. After owning one myself (granted, it was a 2002 BUT with the old Vulcan engine) the only complaints I have are a poor factory sound system, and a transmission that failed prematurely. I absolutely loved it, especially with the front bench seat and column shifter. For a full size sedan, it was also very economical.
It's nice to see you appreciate the Engine sound. Too many English motoring reviewers ignore charms like this and focus on finding fault. It's refreshing you enjoy the car for what it is and love it's quirks.
@@Phiyedough yes, most certainly, but they didn't excel at it. One early compact (Chrysler I think) from the early 80s used a Peugeot sourced four cylinder.
@@Phiyedough Yeah they made lots. But you got punished for buying one, they were often underpowered and not fun to drive. Around this early you had the Iron Duke and that awful engine they put in the Tempo/Topaz. V6 was worth the upgrade. And yes, they put Peugeot 4 cylinder engines in the Omni/Horizon (our version of the Talbot Horizon.)
rimmersbryggeri yes there’s a lot of Granada there too which was another of the 80’ “aero” cars. I suppose each era has common design themes such as the current trend for enormous grilles.
@@andreasphotiou1886 This one though looks alot like the later 80's early 90's passat that also had no grille now that I think of it. I think it's becasue alot of that cars were ital which was the hot new design house at the time so the in house designers king of were inspired by that folded paper look.
My Parents had a 1990 Taurus Estate in LA. I remember driving it to Santa Barbara, it was a quiet and comfortable family car. There was, however, an issue with the gearboxes of that model year and Ford did a recall to have the issue attended to.
I just sold my 2005 Taurus wagon just like this one. I owned it from 2007 and it only had 9000 Kms on it. It had 340,000 when it was sold with a full safety check, no rust and the engine and transmission ran exactly the same as when I bought the car. This car has never burned a drop of oil although I changed the pan gasket at about 200,000 kms as it had started to leak. All the regular maintenance was done by me such as oil changes, brakes, ball joints etc. The car never let me down ever. Problems other than maintenance: air conditioner compressor at 210,000 kms, gas tank leak at 60,000 kms which was a Ford problem where the circular weld around the filler neck was about a 1/4 inch too short which caused a leak when filled right up, broken rear spring although I carried some big loads to the cotaage towing a 20 ft boat, rust around the gas tank door caused by the foam sprayed into the inner fender retaining moisture. Loved the car. Pissed at Ford that they let it die on the vine but they do it all the time. The get it right and then ruin it by "improving" it.
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Thank you for an interesting look back on the Ford Taurus. As I recall they were quite popular in the US but not so much in the base "L" trim. Typically they were GL and LX trims and were very nice comfortable and reliable vehicles. Great car for traveling the interstate highways in effortless comfort and delivered reasonably good gas mileage. Certainly a landmark vehicle for Ford that stunned the competition with brisk sales. It sent GM and Chrysler back to the drawing boards to craft updated designs. But the Taurus had little domestic competition for the first three years which also helped make it a great success.
These were pretty good cars. Growing up, my family had a couple of these. I had one as a cheap beater when I was young. The transmission was the real weak point of the car - where most got junked when it broke. They're an incredibly rare sight even in Florida today.
Their is no NHTSA requirement for the mirrors to be different size, the Mercedes W201 and W124 have different size passenger mirrors also. The "objects may be closer than they appear" label is required for convex mirrors for legal liability reasons. The 85 mph speedo was only required from 1980-1982 but some manufacturers kept using it in their cars for some reason.
My parents had three Taurus , two of those L Models ; an 86 Wagon and a 91 Sedan. I remember the weirdness of the crank windows when everything else was power. They were both excellent cars, the 86 didn't have a Ford engine like the 91 but rather a Yamaha engine; they were all 3.0s. My father passed a couple of years ago and I now have his immaculate fully loaded top of the range SES 2003 , complete with 6 CD changer , cassette , dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors , power everything , floor shift with bucket seats , spoiler and mag wheels. For some reason after my mother passed he decided to go from the bottom car to the top one , his is more like a Mercury Sable.
Joshua Mcpeek You facts are wrong. The last car with it was the 2013 Chevrolet Impala. It was dropped due to low sales. Only 10% of buyers got the option. Trucks and Chevrolet SUVs offer bench seats still. If it weren’t for low sales than sedans would still have it.
@@42luke93 just because i got a small part of history wrong doesn't mean I know anything about cars. it means i don't know the history of front bench seats. What matters is your ability to maintain and safely drive cars. Ive got a 1993 Chrysler fifth avenue, and a 2000 mercury grand marquis ls, Ive kept both of them on road for years without knowing the history of the front bench seats both of them have.
As somebody who lived in America in the ‘80s (and still does) I can vouch that this Taurus was everywhere! It was the right car at the right time - so good, even the Mark II Taurus that replaced it couldn’t come close in terms of sales or capturing the public’s interest in the car. The original Taurus was not the first aerodynamic jelly-shaped car in the US but it was the first in the all-important midsize family car market. Competitors were already front wheel drive by 1986 (Chrysler’s K-cars and GM’s A-cars, as well as the Japanese competition mentioned in the video) but Ford had played it conservative in this segment. Sure, the rounded Thunderbird (albeit an older rear-wheel drive design) and smaller Tempo (think of a conservative Sierra with fwd) ushered in the rounded age and told Ford that aero cars could sell over here but it was a serious risk in the more conservative midsize family car segment. As pointed out, Ford need not have worried. The Taurus was such an improvement over the previous generation Fox-platform LTD II that it truly was a revelation to middle America. Buyers loved the smooth design, almost Audi 100 (5000 in US) shape and relative quality of the cohesive design. It was truly a winner! The SHO version with a high-power V6 was unlike anything in the road at the time. It wouldn’t be quick compared to modern cars but in 1990, this was a screamer! Think Lotus Carlton, only more competitively priced, and you get the idea! The wagon/estate was not as big a seller as the traditional 4-door if nothing else because Americans were firmly fixated on minivans during this period. Ford had their own Aerostar van but the all-conquering Chrysler Corp minivans ruled the people-hauling end of the family market. Still, they did sell in respectable numbers and I still see the occasional Taurus wagon from this era on the road! The Atlanta factory where this Taurus was made was shuttered a decade ago. Ford still sells Tauruses (Taurii?) but they are in their final year with no replacement, and most seem to be sold to fleet buyer such as police and fire departments. Private buyers are no longer interested, unfortunately. You’ve made it this far...let me say watching this video was a pleasure. Thank you for making it and uploading.
Speaking as a possibly "Anglophile Euro-centric" American, I'd say it was the Audi 5000 (which was the 100 over there) that gave us our first glimpse of the kind of styling the Taurus brought to Ford showrooms.
Except that in the USA the 5000 had sealed beam headlights until 1986. Ford copied the look of the 100's headlights, when nobody in the US knew what they looked like.
25:51 Why does it ding all the time? That's the reminder that the door is open AND the key is in the ignition. A reminder to take your keys so you don't lock yourself out of the car.
FINALLY!! Someone who UNDERSTANDS the TRUE significance of the first generation Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable. I was 15 years old living in Pennsylvania when this car debuted in late 1985. To say that I was awestruck is an understatement. The Taurus / Sable was so breathtakingly advanced that it felt like alien technology. Seriously. I looked at these cars and saw HOPE. They were truly from the future and the future was full of beauty and incredible technology. Fully heated "Insta-clear" front windshield, electronic climate control, digital dash, light sensor controlled headlights, and so much more. Just incredible attention to detail throughout the entire build of the car. In my 51 years there's never been another car that has impacted me more. dynamicscompared to other American wallowing mush box sedan suspensions. I owned the LS models and they were optioned out like high-end BMW's. The car felt SO much more expensive than it's sub $15K price tag conveyed. Later generations gave way to extreme cost cutting and middle-America driving dynamics. The Taurus / Sable became a shadow of it's first generation glory. Cheap, cheap monotone plastic interiors, over-boosted power steering, and soft handling. I owned a second generation Sable briefly and was deeply disappointed. Thanks for your enthusiasm for a car that created a paradigm shift in the American auto industry!
Thanks for doing this. Nice to see the old Taurus getting some attention. I worked for HP Canada - HP North America (US and Canada) were the largest purchaser of the Taurus - company cars for sales and service -that were replaced every November! Managers got the LX, sales GL sedan, service GL wagon. I remember handing in my 1985 LTD wagon for a futuristic Taurus wagon in dark taupe metallic. Over the years with HP I have owned 20 Taurus wagons and one sedan. Then we switched to Escapes and Fusions. Yes I only had them for a year but covered around 40,000km in each one. They were very reliable, comfortable and handy when visiting the hardware store for all sorts of big projects!
It's interesting how many design details you point out that we're remarkable when the model came to the market - we take so much for granted today. I'm not so impressed by the door handles, though. I'm glad to add a tiny fraction of a per cent to air drag for a set of sturdy door handles that rescue personnel can use to pull open the door with force when I'm sitting in a mangled car unconsciously after a bad accident. No door handle design should prevent you from applying force when needed...
@@joshuamcpeek4708 They may be solid but I'd prefer a bar handle which even a fireman wearing thick protective gloves can pull and which don't lose traction if the car is covered in greasy dirt.
@@notroll1279 my car also has deep recessions beneath each handle allowing the same firm grip. door handles that stick out from the car have disadvantages too they are often ripped off in wrecks also if the wreck was bad enough disable you to the point of not being able to open the door yourself the door frame is probably bent. For this reason fire fighters usually don't fiddle with handles they cut the door hinges off and lift the door away, this allows them to more easily and safely lay you out on a stretcher
@@joshuamcpeek4708 It's more than the strength; I always found handles that had to be pulled with the fingertips annoying. It's just less of an effort to open a door by wrapping your fingers around the handle and it helps a lot on icy days. That said, it is possible to flush mount a grip-able handle, but for some reason, most flush-mounted handles were the fingertip type.
Family owned a 1995 example, I have never driven something so confident in the snow. We referred to it as the "tank" Before AWD was ubiquitous, on a snowy Canadian morning you usually only saw these and SUV's on the road.
Now that really brings back memories! It's nice to see one still around. Such a great looking car. The latch that opens the cargo floor came with instructions printed on it, because the design changed. The original latch didn't have to be lifted up to close that compartment and didn't have anything printed on it. Ford recalled the original latch for free replacement seemingly because children could become trapped in there. I was quite surprised to see no rear seat there. I had no idea that was an option.
Regarding the shift pattern, the overdrive lockout did not affect acceleration, rather it was to make it easier to control one's speed with the transmission when descending hills, which can be quite steeper here in these US.
As an American, it amuses the hell out of me to hear you talk about the Taurus wagon as big. Now, I had 2 1992 Taurus's, one a wagon and the other a SHO. Loved them both. That is considered a midsize car here.
Its not huge by todays standards - Audi Q7 is bigger than my first flat - but back in the 80s this was as big as the largest European cars, you guys are spoilt for space although I have heard of people starting to complain cars were hard to park when full size really meant it!
@@furiousdriving my current fun car is a 1977 Thunderbird. It is 17.5 feet long, and the LTD that year was just over 20 feet (I had one years ago). Both quite enormous. It cracks me up that my T-bird was DOWNSIZED to be that big for 1977. And the government classified it as a "sports car" lol
We had Taurus wagons for years and loved them. So upset I can't get anything like them now new. They were workhorses for sure and so handy. I could fit a piece of plywood, a twin mattress, haul just about anything, a pack of kids, etc. And they ran so great.
Oh thank you, Matt! Such joy! The forgotten hero! I was a teenage car nut when these came out and followed their progress in Car and Driver magazine. A shockingly futuristic good looking car at the time and still handsome today. The wagon looks even better that the sedan, especially in darker colors. The faux wire wheel trims were optional. Standard Taurus covers were smooth silver plastic discs that would have looked at home on a European Ford. I think the transmissions had a high failure rate, but that Vulcan V6 is as hard to kill as a cockroach. As ubiquitous as these cars used to be, all of them are gone now. I haven’t even seen a first gen Taurus in a junk yard in years much less on the road. Ford mucked it all up with the ovoid 1996 Taurus. Though, they did sell thousands of them and some are still around.....The mojo was gone though, never to return. If you haven’t already, check out Tofer’s car Tales story on the Taurus. The original tv commercial jingle is especially catchy! “Taaauuruusss! for us!” Thanks again. What a pleasant surprise.
New subscriber here! I just came across this video today. My parents used to have an ‘87 Taurus Wagon. It was the powder blue metallic color that came on these along with powder blue seats and royal blue carpeting… oh yeah. My folks bought it used from a detective who had it for about 2 years before buying another one. He was in love with them but wanted one with more accessories I think. We had a base model, although it didn’t have cruise control, and I don’t recall it having power mirrors either; those crank windows never let us down! I have many fond memories of that car, with road trips to Cape Cod, MA (I grew up in Northern Connecticut) the design of the AIR-CON switches were always interesting to me and, for a while, was all I could see if I was lucky enough to ride center in the front row bench! I remember my dad’s huge hands being able to still hold onto the steering wheel while simultaneously pulling the column shift out of park and down to drive. Sadly there’s not many of these left, they were an affordable family car and were thus driven hard into the ground; would love to have one again! I want to thank you for reviewing this car as so many visual & auditory memories came flooding back to me as I watched it, the sound of the door latch as the door opened and closed, the gear lever moving up and down, the somehow “breezy” brake pedal (sounds like air flowing when it’s pressed) and the turn signals/signal stalk sounds. Thanks for reinvigorating my childhood memories!
So ahead of its time! If you were to ask a person who didn't know much about cars when this car was made, they'd probably answer "1998". And this car still looks reasonably modern today!
We had a 94 Taurus Wagon. Looked pretty similar to this one on the outside. Ours was equipped with the rear windshield wiper and sprayer nozzle. This spray nozzle was actually located in the center of the high mount center brake light resulting in that brake light needing to have two light bulbs one on either side of the nozzle. I used to think that was a dumb idea now that I drive a car I find that actually quite clever since most mini bulbs use for such lights are typically sold in pairs at least in America. The rear washer nozzle actually had a separate Reservoir which was a small hole what was revealed when you opened the hatch instead of sharing reservoir with the front washer nozzles. Eventually they did turn off honey more contemporary wheel covers Center very similar to what in finding a lot of today's cars that have steel wheels.
Starting in kindergarten the 80s/90s Ford Taurus became my favorite car! My teacher had an ‘87 or so sedan, and then later got the next gen, maybe a 92 or so. I never ended up getting one, as the automatic transmissions were known to fail, but I have sat in them and they are very comfortable. I did buy my first car in 8th grade, a low mileage 1 owner ‘87 Ford Tempo sedan, baby blue exterior, navy blue interior, which really brought more aerodynamics before the Taurus came out (first Tempo model to come out was 1984)
So strane to see a Taurus here in the UK. I had one in the states and it was an amazing car to own, honest, dependable and practical. You are right this car shook the industry in 86, many compared it to the Audi 100. BTW never seen those hubcaps, those are not factory so not sure why they are on it. Odd to see one on UK roads, it makes me miss LHD cars, the proper way to drive!:-)
I’ve always kind of liked the first generation Taurus. The styling has actually aged quite well. You can’t deny how much the Taurus changed the automotive world. It’s too bad that the quality of them was poor. Even in America it’s so rare to come across first and second gen Tauruses anymore.
I have a 1987 Taurus LX with 56 k original miles on it. Im the second owner and it has the rare center console with the floor shifter. Ive had 5 Tauruses of verious years. Never had an issue with the Transmissions as long as yoy change the trans fluid and filter. Great cars and it has more space then most new cars.
My aunt had the fluid and flter changed on the transmission every 30,000 or so miles on her 92 Sable LS wagon and it still has it's factory transmission on it.
The first new car that my parents bought after I was born was a 1987 Taurus L wagon. Beige on beige. Actually very similar to that car, except it didn't have the wire hubcaps. I was too young to think about it then, but that car was fantastically futuristic and such a far departure from any other American car at the time. FWD was still not super common in the mid 80s, especially on American cars and really especially on midsize cars or wagons. Most 80s car design was done with a straight edge, 90 degree corners, no curves. 80s interiors were just a collection of random bits from the parts bin, nothing really fit the car. GM continued with that kind of styling well into the 90s. Even the engine was weird with port fuel injection. GM and Chrysler were messing with fuel injection, but mostly still throttle body except on high end stuff. The Japanese were still using carburetors. This was a revolutionary car. Of course, at the time for me, I was too young to think about any of that. I just liked that it was big a comfortable. We took at least 2 trips to Disneyland in my parents old Taurus. I'm not sure I'd ever buy one, but I have a strong sense of nostalgia for them. Then again, I also remember that my parents Taurus blew a head gasket, the AC stopped working, and it started having an issue where it wouldn't idle when warm, all before it got replaced in 1994, so all before it was 7 years old. So I guess it was a typical Ford in that regard.
We had that clock in our 85.5 eEscort. We had a 91 Sable too, which was plenty roomy and took my family of 5 on a trip across the Midwest before my Dad totaled it. Navy blue with blue interior. It looked and was waay better than either GM or Chrysler options at the time and it was 7 years into its design at that point.
A really great period in Ford's design history. The Taurus, Sierra, Granada. (Not always to everyone's taste) but very innovative for all that. Many thanks Matt, great video.
I had one in 96. Not really a cool car for a 16 year old but it was cheap and I needed a car, so I guess I just bought the first thing I found. It was white with dark red interior. Great video!
My mother purchased a brand new burgundy colored Taurus LX wagon back in 86 as a 87 model. Car was the top of the line but was plagued with chronic electrical issues. After only owning the car about nine months and after Ford had to replace II transmission my mother traded it in 4 A Camry which she drove trouble-free 4/8 years before passing it down to me. Although the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable twin cousin where vastly Superior in quality when compared to it's domestic rivals they never held up against the typical Japanese car. 1992 brought a much-improved Taurus / Sable model but even they we're plagued with chronic transmission and engine issues. The reason that one is still on the road is because of the fact that it has no options on it. Higher trim models head far more unreliable Electronics including a completely electronic gauge cluster, digital climate control, a larger V6 that was prone to blowing head gaskets, an electrically defrosting front windshield, power windows and locks, and worst of all a much more complicated four speed automatic transmission that like the one in my mother's car was almost assured to fail before the first 100K miles. More basic L trim levels were primarily designed for Fleet uses like rental car and state vehicles.
I remember drawing a picture of a Ford Taurus wagon in copper with black trim in art class back in high school. I put the car in a back drop of a beach. I want to draw another picture of a Taurus wagon, a pimped out BLACKOUT ONE, this time with underneath it lit up in deep cobalt blue.😎
A few years ago I wanted to bring one over to the UK to make a Robocop replica, - sadly it cost a lot more to ship over than to purchase and when I saw the power output for the size of engine and the mpg I couldn't bring myself to do it. Part of the magic of this one is that it's a wagon . And it's spec and colour. I liked the design hint in the headlamps to the mustang fox body 😊
These were popular in Norway in the 80's and early 90's were they were sold new, albeit with some modifications to pass regulations. For example the side markers were covered with black plastic, the side mirrors were replaced with collapsable non-aerodynamic mirrors, and the front turn signals was retrofitted to the front bumper, while the original turn signals were used for the high beams. However due to the large displacement of the engine and the Norwegian tax system, they cost about the same as the similar-sized Ford Scorpio (Granada in the UK), which was way better equipped, although with a smaller engine. I believe they stopped selling them about the mid of the second generation. Most of them where dark red station wagons.
Nice survivor. That car is actually quite heavily optioned, including the V6 Vulcan engine, with overdrive automatic, air conditioning, cruise control, power mirrors, tinted glass, split front bench seat, tilt steering wheel, digital clock, stereo AM/FM radio cassette player (an AM only radio was standard), rear window heater, and metallic paint, all of which were options on the L model. The 85mph speedo law was repealed in 1982, and only affects 1979-82 model year cars. No idea why this car still has one. There was no law mandating the lights in the door panels. They were just a feature. The fake wire wheel covers are not Taurus items. I doubt it was a little old lady car. They didn't buy wagons. More likely it was a fleet car, bought for a sales rep or something, or a military person as you suggest.
I saw this wagon in Home alone 3 (1997) I was 3yo and I still remember it! This is so cool you've been able to review one ! I'm not a big fan of the rear but always loved the front. Interior wise, panel gap is horrible though. Its look is more of the late 90's than late 80's so I'd say it aged very well !
This, the Focus, Sierra and Mondeo are not only the most revolutionary & influential Ford’s Of the 20th century but in 20th century automotive history as a whole.
It's interesting how many of the interior parts are shared across different American Ford products. I can see that the door striker bolt, turn signal stalk, and window crank are the exact same ones used in my 1992 Ford F150 pickup. The interior as a whole is very similar in look and materials. As a former service member stationed in England (1992 - 1994), it was very common for service members, especially enlisted ones, to buy base spec cars and either have them shipped over, or you could also buy them on the base. Since our salaries were on the lower end of the pay scale.
Also, I am not sure whether the 85 mph speedos were a rule or rather just an agreement. Interestingly, my 1984 Honda CRX (American spec) has a very optimistic 120mph speedometer. . . while I have seen early 80s Corvettes with the 85mph speedo. Personally, I think it is more ridiculous to put a 140 mph speedo in an economy car (as is the case with my 2012 Fiat 500)
Lovely design and must have been built sturdy to drive this good 32 years later. It really looks cavernous. Vulcan V6. Engines should absolutely have names. The spoked hub caps are certainly like nothing else. Well done Ford. The LTD before it was good looking in its own way but this moved the game on.
Owned two of the last gen models and they were both great cars, Good idea to search out a clean one now, Great video as a Ford guy I remember when they came out and we were all impressed by them , you were correct about GM, they couldnt understand why people bought them in droves. also the height of the Reagan era.and a baby boom, so once again like the Mustang the stars aligned well for Ford, also like the Mustang the style was timeless and hard to keep current.
Interesting story from America! My dad was in the Air Force and we were stationed at Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota, and my mom and dad, in 1985, traded their 1978 Ford Maverick and 1977 Ford Mustang II Ghia for the all-new Taurus! We had a black MT5 with gray cloth interior that was spec’d our pretty nicely with 6-speaker AM/FM/Cassette, 5-speed manual gearbox, it had cruise control, AC, Power Equipment Group, Light Group and of course the sport instrument group with a tachometer. We were of the first to ever have the new Taurus, and amongst every car in our neighborhood, it was almost foreign or even alien looking with how aerodynamically advanced it was. I still remember my dad teaching me to drive stick in that MT5.
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
I'm under the impression the cargo cover is so low down to allow the third row seats to fold up without removing the cargo cover. My volvo has a cargo cover much higher up but the third row seats can't be put up with it installed.
I think someone has already mentioned that this car (and its sedan version) was sold under the Mercury brand of Ford as well. Mercury was a slightly more upscale brand of everyday Fords. This particular model was the Sable. It was equally as popular, though was slightly better equipped, and had a weird white plastic light between the headlamps.
Good to see the owner has kept the orange sidemarker lights and not retrofitted them with white bulbs. The orange to me is part of the charm of imported American cars like this. Also - keep fit windows BUT cruise control! Sounds ideal, having had cars with cruise I now won't have one without if I can help it, but would happily give up things like elec windows if I had to. Cruise is a boon on any journey where you spend a long time at one speed, ie the motorway.
Love cruise control but in the U.K. it’s a waste of time having it, because as soon as you get up too speed, you either to break because of a traffic jam ,or because someone undercuts you and pulls in front, causing you too break and cancel the cruise control. Unless you have adaptive cruise control that breaks and accelerates with the car in front. My Passat has adaptive cruise control and it’s a lovely thing too have.
The Taurus was a much more significant car than most people realise. A lot of the engineering and development work that went into the Taurus got shrunk down and re-developed into a new European Ford. That car? The mark 1 Mondeo...
Excellent and informative piece - I used to read Car and Driver back in the 80s when these were launched. Would be interesting to look at the smaller but same era Ford/Mercury Topaz and Tempo too.
In the United States the 55 mph speed limit was widely ignored since the day it was imposed. It wasn't unusual for cars cruising on the interstates to be seen with the needle on the speedometer pointing straight down.
The Taurus/Sable were replacements for the Fox body LTD/Marquis, not the body on frame full-size LTD Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis. The Fox body was a unibody chassis.
I grew up in the 90's with cars like these and you know what was funny, if my friends moms didn't have an Astro van or Aerostar they had a Taurus or both even. Even more hilariously I remember many people having transmission issues with these early on and it killed many a Taurus right up until the 05 model year
The background of normal life! The autobox seems to be the only weak point on these. In the UK the Sierra then Mondeo were the equivalent and almost every family had one, but you just dont see them any more
Also the top speed was 114 mph, back then all speedometers in America were regulated to have a maximum of 85mph and were marked in red for the national speed limit of 55.
Great review! I love those Taurusses & Sables of that era. I drive the 2nd gen of its 'sister' model here in the Netherlands. '95 Mercury Sable. Great car!
I think you are quoting the power and performance figures for the SHO version with the Yamaha engine - I believe the 3.0 Vulcan engine was about 140 bhp
When I first moved to the US in 1990 I had one of these as a hire car - almost the exact same spec (maybe a GL). Then I had the misfortune later on to have a hand-me-down L saloon (sedan) version with the horrible 2.5l 4 banger/auto as a company vehicle for short while, until thankfully the transmission decided to grenade itself......
If you think the 1988 Ford Taurus Wagon is big, you would have fainted if you traveled to the U.S. in 1975. American cars were HUGE. The average car in the U.S. at that time had a 350 cubic inch/ 5.7 litre V-8.
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Thank you for doing this ! Old guy here in Ontario Canada. My wife of 42 years and I raised 3 children to adults and now have 5 grandchildren. We have had a long history of Fords ( MG's and a Corolla in the pre children days ) we loved them all.
We had a 1988 Taurus wagon just like yours except in medium grey. What a work horse for a growing family. Like yours it to was bare bones ....we like it that way much less fiddly stuff to break and need $$$ to fix.
Money was tight in those days and no nonsence cars that preformed as required 365 days a year.....start every time in sub zero Ontario winters kept us going.
Ours was used.....a previous fleet rental car that helps explain the options. Very strong running....very comfortable car.
Today we are driving an F150 pickup and a Focus......I do all the repairs on both to keep them going. Oil changes are the secret to long auto life it's that simple !
My dad used to swear by fords when I was a kid growing up in the 80s & 90s. He loved how he could work on them himself and the simplicity and the fact parts were so cheap. So as a child I was transported everywhere in a Ford😂
my parents had a 1994 Mercury Sable wagon.... with the rear seats facing the rear window in vinyl
Its not much different than an early 2000s car. No wonder people in the 80s thought is was futuristic
That’s what I was thinking! Even the engine bay looks similar to cars in the 2000s I learned to drive on.
I LOVE how the Brits try to understand our cars and culture. 😅
@Nichen Fauster I think that was meant as a compliment.😉 I was waiting for him to trash every inch of this thing.
You’re Right! The reason I Love this channel!
@Nichen Fauster The unique perspective. The details they perceive/like are different, as well as the aura of the vehicle. I especially love watching French reviewers give their opinions on American cars.
sorry to be so offtopic but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an instagram account??
I stupidly forgot my login password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
@Vicente Weston instablaster :)
Nice to see someone across the pond appreciating one of these. I have a 1992 GL wagon here in the States. Mine is very similar to this one -- the only differences are the seats, the dashboard, and the front past the windshield. The design was (and still is) excellent, and was largely carried over largely unchanged into 1995.
Mine has the third row seat. The well in the floor was for a full-sized spare tire and I don't believe you could get the third seat with it, and the spare to the left was replaced with a storage bin. You could also get a picnic tray that folded out of the top of that lid in the back. Unfortunately, I do not have that.
While the Vulcan is slow and underpowered by modern standards, it does what it needs to do. It absolutely screams when you floor it.
I don't mind the position of the parking brake pedal, but the real problem is that stupid rubber block on the arm above the pedal. That whole rubber pad ends up melting and getting into the carpet.
I believe air conditioning was an option, but you'd be a blockhead not to order it. The base radio was AM/FM only, however there was a base AM only radio for 1986. There aren't even any pictures that I can find of that. In general, most Tauruses past 1992 are decently optioned. Mine has the preferred GL equipment package, which includes everything from air conditioning, power locks, power windows, power drivers seat, etc. I do have a couple cupholders underneath the radio, but modern cups don't fit well, if at all. The console is much better, but lots of people stuck with the bench seat even though the console/buckets was a no-cost option.
The Taurus used to be everywhere, but even now the third generation (1996-1999) cars are disappearing. I'm lucky if I see three as old as mine in a given year, and I live in a city of 500,000.
In my humble opinion, this is the single greatest average car ever made. For what it is, it has no business being this smooth or comfortable. And yet it is.
Sorry this comment is so long, but I thought I'd share some of my thoughts. After all, I do drive one of these myself.
Hello! I shed a tear at your comment. I live in Russia and I really like American classic cars. I would like to buy a full size one, but it is very expensive for me (I am a student). In my city, sold a white Ford Taurus 1989 in a red velor interior. I will be very lucky if I can buy this car when I get back to town. This is an ideal car for traveling with friends, I do not see any analogues for it in terms of comfort (among mid-size cars).
I had a '94 Mercury Sable wagon (Taurus twin) and loved it. Ford really did nail the styling of the station wagons.
It looks so good, Id like either of them today
I had an '87 white Sable, loved it! That "Insta-Clear" heated windshield was awesome, but it "killed" batteries in a short time!
Ahhh, the 1986 Ford Taurus L wagon! The very first car I ever financed on my own (at age 18). Mine was 3ish years old and was a vile color - non-metallic tan or beige. But I loved it! They were truly well styled. I loved the rear styling most. I apparently had a better optioned version than the one shown in your vid as mine had power everything and even a *GASP* cassette player! As most young people do, I owned it for about 6 months (wrecked it once after a month or 2 of buying it... hit a Chevy Chevette in the rear at a lowish speed... the Chevette sat perfectly between both fenders of the Taurus, just over the bumper, crushing hood, grill, radiator. It was an underride situation! In case you are worried, the Chevette ironically suffered no notable damage. LOL!). I traded it even up for a - wait for it - black (with RED interior) 1987 Ford Taurus GL sedan! Lordy, I was (am?) a strange kid. Thanks for the post and the memories!
By the way, I owned a total of SIX Taurus (Tauri?)(1986, 87, 93, 96, 97 SHO V8, 99) and one Mercury Sable (1997). Only two were new, but they were all truly great cars. Very few problems. I have since graduated (?) to practically every other make of car but presently own a Mercedes E350 4Matic (W212 gen) and a Volkswagen Passat 3.6L 4Motion (B6 gen). I WILL own a new Audi All-Road (A6), used Mercedes E-Class wagon (w212 or later gen), or a "last ones made" Volvo V90 Inscription. ***LONG LIVE THE LONG ROOF!***
The vintage estate car had so much to offer. SUV"s? Forget them!
@ymxctrails Yes, BUT you "feel" safer in an SUV/CUV.....UNTILL you come to a corner!
The first station wagon that you wouldn’t feel embarrassed being seen in. At least not compared to the 1978 Chevy wagon my family kept hidden in the backyard.
I have owned 3 wagons. A 1990 Ford Taurus GL, a 1990 Mercury Sable LX (sister car) and currently drive a 1995 Ford Taurus GL with 86000 original miles. One of the things that I believe appealed to buyers was the stance of the car. It was a wagon, but the bottom angle from the rear wheels to the bumper had an upward tilt, making the wagon look lighter and more nimble versus a large Ford LTD Country Squire wagon. The other appeal of the car was the 4 speed OD transmission. Once up to speed you take your foot of of the accelerator and coast. My 1995 gets 26mpg on the highway, better than most new SUV's. Great video!
After growing up with american cars my whole life I love all the chimes, the column shifters and the smell of the plastic interiors. I currently drive a 1999 Dodge Caravan and I love it.
The Vulcan only has 140hp back then... 220 hp was the SHO figure.
yeah - I found that out out after I recorded it
That'd be the Mad Vulcan Powah!
I had a 1991 SHO - docile enough until you dipped into the intake runners, and then it flew. Heaviest clutch I ever owned though.
Yes, and all the 0-60 times etc. are for the SHO, not this one.
It had 140 in the beginning and in the later years of it's life it had 155
First of all, what a review! It's the length of a full half hour television show episode. Everything was covered. Our family had this car. 1990 Taurus L with the same engine. Bought in 1995 with 75k miles, we kept it until 2015 when an out of control car totaled it while it was parked (105k miles). We overhauled it in 2010 so we planned to keep it around for a while (even though I already had my own car at the time). The steering pump had to be replaced every 4 years or so. The transmission was never repaired. This car was great in the snow because of the front heavy weight distribution and it being front wheel drive. However, NOTHING beat this car on road trips. The amount of stuff that fit into the back was amazing. It was also a soft ride, and the seats were super comfy. The engine wasn't *that bad*, but the last time I took her on a trip, we had 4 adult males in the car and the back was loaded to the max, and with the AC blasting, merging and getting up to speed wasn't that pleasant. In 1996 when the optional duratec came out with 200hp it was a huge improvement. This was a great car and it did its job very well.
To anyone who didn't go to or live in North America in the late '80s and '90s. It cannot be understated how popular these cars were. They were absolutely everywhere, they won award after award, and then almost overnight, they all disappeared. Finding one is almost impossible nowadays. After owning one myself (granted, it was a 2002 BUT with the old Vulcan engine) the only complaints I have are a poor factory sound system, and a transmission that failed prematurely. I absolutely loved it, especially with the front bench seat and column shifter. For a full size sedan, it was also very economical.
It's nice to see you appreciate the Engine sound. Too many English motoring reviewers ignore charms like this and focus on finding fault.
It's refreshing you enjoy the car for what it is and love it's quirks.
In Europe the most common engine type is the 4 cylinder but watching this made me wonder if there were any 4 cylinder cars made in USA?
@@Phiyedough yes, most certainly, but they didn't excel at it. One early compact (Chrysler I think) from the early 80s used a Peugeot sourced four cylinder.
@@Phiyedough Yeah they made lots. But you got punished for buying one, they were often underpowered and not fun to drive. Around this early you had the Iron Duke and that awful engine they put in the Tempo/Topaz. V6 was worth the upgrade. And yes, they put Peugeot 4 cylinder engines in the Omni/Horizon (our version of the Talbot Horizon.)
They definitely had a good look at the Audi 100 designer’s homework
It's basically a mk1 scorpio MK3 Granada really only a little bigger.
rimmersbryggeri yes there’s a lot of Granada there too which was another of the 80’ “aero” cars. I suppose each era has common design themes such as the current trend for enormous grilles.
@@andreasphotiou1886 This one though looks alot like the later 80's early 90's passat that also had no grille now that I think of it. I think it's becasue alot of that cars were ital which was the hot new design house at the time so the in house designers king of were inspired by that folded paper look.
The Audi 100 Avant definitely
If I’m not mistaken, an Audi designer was hired to help design this car. I could be wrong but that’s what I remember hearing.
My Parents had a 1990 Taurus Estate in LA. I remember driving it to Santa Barbara, it was a quiet and comfortable family car. There was, however, an issue with the gearboxes of that model year and Ford did a recall to have the issue attended to.
I just sold my 2005 Taurus wagon just like this one. I owned it from 2007 and it only had 9000 Kms on it. It had 340,000 when it was sold with a full safety check, no rust and the engine and transmission ran exactly the same as when I bought the car. This car has never burned a drop of oil although I changed the pan gasket at about 200,000 kms as it had started to leak. All the regular maintenance was done by me such as oil changes, brakes, ball joints etc. The car never let me down ever. Problems other than maintenance: air conditioner compressor at 210,000 kms, gas tank leak at 60,000 kms which was a Ford problem where the circular weld around the filler neck was about a 1/4 inch too short which caused a leak when filled right up, broken rear spring although I carried some big loads to the cotaage towing a 20 ft boat, rust around the gas tank door caused by the foam sprayed into the inner fender retaining moisture. Loved the car. Pissed at Ford that they let it die on the vine but they do it all the time. The get it right and then ruin it by "improving" it.
Thank you for an interesting look back on the Ford Taurus. As I recall they were quite popular in the US but not so much in the base "L" trim. Typically they were GL and LX trims and were very nice comfortable and reliable vehicles. Great car for traveling the interstate highways in effortless comfort and delivered reasonably good gas mileage. Certainly a landmark vehicle for Ford that stunned the competition with brisk sales. It sent GM and Chrysler back to the drawing boards to craft updated designs. But the Taurus had little domestic competition for the first three years which also helped make it a great success.
These were pretty good cars. Growing up, my family had a couple of these. I had one as a cheap beater when I was young. The transmission was the real weak point of the car - where most got junked when it broke. They're an incredibly rare sight even in Florida today.
We would replace the trans and run it for years and years after. Was worth replacing.
Their is no NHTSA requirement for the mirrors to be different size, the Mercedes W201 and W124 have different size passenger mirrors also. The "objects may be closer than they appear" label is required for convex mirrors for legal liability reasons. The 85 mph speedo was only required from 1980-1982 but some manufacturers kept using it in their cars for some reason.
My parents had three Taurus , two of those L Models ; an 86 Wagon and a 91 Sedan. I remember the weirdness of the crank windows when everything else was power. They were both excellent cars, the 86 didn't have a Ford engine like the 91 but rather a Yamaha engine; they were all 3.0s. My father passed a couple of years ago and I now have his immaculate fully loaded top of the range SES 2003 , complete with 6 CD changer , cassette , dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors , power everything , floor shift with bucket seats , spoiler and mag wheels. For some reason after my mother passed he decided to go from the bottom car to the top one , his is more like a Mercury Sable.
I wish cars had column shifters and front split bench seating still.
Front Bench seats were outlawed by the very end of 2010. the last car to have an optional front bench seat was a 2010 chevy malibu.
Joshua Mcpeek
You facts are wrong. The last car with it was the 2013 Chevrolet Impala. It was dropped due to low sales. Only 10% of buyers got the option. Trucks and Chevrolet SUVs offer bench seats still. If it weren’t for low sales than sedans would still have it.
@@42luke93 just because i got a small part of history wrong doesn't mean I know anything about cars. it means i don't know the history of front bench seats. What matters is your ability to maintain and safely drive cars. Ive got a 1993 Chrysler fifth avenue, and a 2000 mercury grand marquis ls, Ive kept both of them on road for years without knowing the history of the front bench seats both of them have.
Joshua Mcpeek
Yeah that was a bit cruel. Sorry I didn’t realize how I sounded.
Joshua Mcpeek
It’s just the subject I dwell upon too much that makes me that way.
As somebody who lived in America in the ‘80s (and still does) I can vouch that this Taurus was everywhere! It was the right car at the right time - so good, even the Mark II Taurus that replaced it couldn’t come close in terms of sales or capturing the public’s interest in the car. The original Taurus was not the first aerodynamic jelly-shaped car in the US but it was the first in the all-important midsize family car market. Competitors were already front wheel drive by 1986 (Chrysler’s K-cars and GM’s A-cars, as well as the Japanese competition mentioned in the video) but Ford had played it conservative in this segment. Sure, the rounded Thunderbird (albeit an older rear-wheel drive design) and smaller Tempo (think of a conservative Sierra with fwd) ushered in the rounded age and told Ford that aero cars could sell over here but it was a serious risk in the more conservative midsize family car segment.
As pointed out, Ford need not have worried. The Taurus was such an improvement over the previous generation Fox-platform LTD II that it truly was a revelation to middle America. Buyers loved the smooth design, almost Audi 100 (5000 in US) shape and relative quality of the cohesive design. It was truly a winner!
The SHO version with a high-power V6 was unlike anything in the road at the time. It wouldn’t be quick compared to modern cars but in 1990, this was a screamer! Think Lotus Carlton, only more competitively priced, and you get the idea!
The wagon/estate was not as big a seller as the traditional 4-door if nothing else because Americans were firmly fixated on minivans during this period. Ford had their own Aerostar van but the all-conquering Chrysler Corp minivans ruled the people-hauling end of the family market. Still, they did sell in respectable numbers and I still see the occasional Taurus wagon from this era on the road!
The Atlanta factory where this Taurus was made was shuttered a decade ago. Ford still sells Tauruses (Taurii?) but they are in their final year with no replacement, and most seem to be sold to fleet buyer such as police and fire departments. Private buyers are no longer interested, unfortunately.
You’ve made it this far...let me say watching this video was a pleasure. Thank you for making it and uploading.
Speaking as a possibly "Anglophile Euro-centric" American, I'd say it was the Audi 5000 (which was the 100 over there) that gave us our first glimpse of the kind of styling the Taurus brought to Ford showrooms.
Except that in the USA the 5000 had sealed beam headlights until 1986. Ford copied the look of the 100's headlights, when nobody in the US knew what they looked like.
Dad had an 86 gold mid trim wagon...the ride/handling balance was unlike any other american car at the time...smooth swift and quiet!
25:51 Why does it ding all the time? That's the reminder that the door is open AND the key is in the ignition. A reminder to take your keys so you don't lock yourself out of the car.
Also if you leave the headlights on.
It's an american thing.
I still drive an '88 Taurus wagon. Comfortable as can be, and unbelievably reliable
Is it a L GL or LX? I've been looking for a Gen 1 Taurus wagon for a long time. Specifically an 86 LX in red.
FINALLY!! Someone who UNDERSTANDS the TRUE significance of the first generation Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable. I was 15 years old living in Pennsylvania when this car debuted in late 1985. To say that I was awestruck is an understatement. The Taurus / Sable was so breathtakingly advanced that it felt like alien technology. Seriously.
I looked at these cars and saw HOPE. They were truly from the future and the future was full of beauty and incredible technology. Fully heated "Insta-clear" front windshield, electronic climate control, digital dash, light sensor controlled headlights, and so much more. Just incredible attention to detail throughout the entire build of the car. In my 51 years there's never been another car that has impacted me more. dynamicscompared to other American wallowing mush box sedan suspensions. I owned the LS models and they were optioned out like high-end BMW's. The car felt SO much more expensive than it's sub $15K price tag conveyed.
Later generations gave way to extreme cost cutting and middle-America driving dynamics. The Taurus / Sable became a shadow of it's first generation glory. Cheap, cheap monotone plastic interiors, over-boosted power steering, and soft handling. I owned a second generation Sable briefly and was deeply disappointed.
Thanks for your enthusiasm for a car that created a paradigm shift in the American auto industry!
Thanks for doing this. Nice to see the old Taurus getting some attention. I worked for HP Canada - HP North America (US and Canada) were the largest purchaser of the Taurus - company cars for sales and service -that were replaced every November! Managers got the LX, sales GL sedan, service GL wagon. I remember handing in my 1985 LTD wagon for a futuristic Taurus wagon in dark taupe metallic. Over the years with HP I have owned 20 Taurus wagons and one sedan. Then we switched to Escapes and Fusions. Yes I only had them for a year but covered around 40,000km in each one. They were very reliable, comfortable and handy when visiting the hardware store for all sorts of big projects!
It's interesting how many design details you point out that we're remarkable when the model came to the market - we take so much for granted today.
I'm not so impressed by the door handles, though. I'm glad to add a tiny fraction of a per cent to air drag for a set of sturdy door handles that rescue personnel can use to pull open the door with force when I'm sitting in a mangled car unconsciously after a bad accident.
No door handle design should prevent you from applying force when needed...
You can have flush fit firm handles, my chrysler has flush fit steel chrome plated door handles.
@@joshuamcpeek4708 They may be solid but I'd prefer a bar handle which even a fireman wearing thick protective gloves can pull and which don't lose traction if the car is covered in greasy dirt.
@@notroll1279 my car also has deep recessions beneath each handle allowing the same firm grip. door handles that stick out from the car have disadvantages too they are often ripped off in wrecks also if the wreck was bad enough disable you to the point of not being able to open the door yourself the door frame is probably bent. For this reason fire fighters usually don't fiddle with handles they cut the door hinges off and lift the door away, this allows them to more easily and safely lay you out on a stretcher
@@joshuamcpeek4708 It's more than the strength; I always found handles that had to be pulled with the fingertips annoying. It's just less of an effort to open a door by wrapping your fingers around the handle and it helps a lot on icy days. That said, it is possible to flush mount a grip-able handle, but for some reason, most flush-mounted handles were the fingertip type.
This was a LOVELY car in its day. It was so forward thinking, especially for the US, and for Ford. It was so ground-braking.
My first car was a 2005 Ford Taurus SE with the Vulcan. Really slow car but for a teenager that car could take a beating. Miss it
Family owned a 1995 example, I have never driven something so confident in the snow. We referred to it as the "tank"
Before AWD was ubiquitous, on a snowy Canadian morning you usually only saw these and SUV's on the road.
Now that really brings back memories! It's nice to see one still around. Such a great looking car.
The latch that opens the cargo floor came with instructions printed on it, because the design changed. The original latch didn't have to be lifted up to close that compartment and didn't have anything printed on it. Ford recalled the original latch for free replacement seemingly because children could become trapped in there. I was quite surprised to see no rear seat there. I had no idea that was an option.
uxwbill I own a 1991 and a 1992 Taurus Wagon. These are my favorite cars in the world
Say what you will about the Taurus, Ford bet the house on the Taurus and hit a grand slam, and it saved Ford as we know it.
Regarding the shift pattern, the overdrive lockout did not affect acceleration, rather it was to make it easier to control one's speed with the transmission when descending hills, which can be quite steeper here in these US.
The Vulcan V6 only has 140 HP and 170 lb-ft
The 220 HP motor is the Yamaha sourced DOHC 3-litre V6 found in the Taurus SHO.
As an American, it amuses the hell out of me to hear you talk about the Taurus wagon as big. Now, I had 2 1992 Taurus's, one a wagon and the other a SHO. Loved them both. That is considered a midsize car here.
Its not huge by todays standards - Audi Q7 is bigger than my first flat - but back in the 80s this was as big as the largest European cars, you guys are spoilt for space although I have heard of people starting to complain cars were hard to park when full size really meant it!
@@furiousdriving my current fun car is a 1977 Thunderbird. It is 17.5 feet long, and the LTD that year was just over 20 feet (I had one years ago). Both quite enormous. It cracks me up that my T-bird was DOWNSIZED to be that big for 1977. And the government classified it as a "sports car" lol
We had Taurus wagons for years and loved them. So upset I can't get anything like them now new. They were workhorses for sure and so handy. I could fit a piece of plywood, a twin mattress, haul just about anything, a pack of kids, etc. And they ran so great.
You can get a Mercedes E class all terrain but they are expensive.
As crazy as this sounds, I wouldn't mind having one of these.
not crazy at all, Id love one
I love my '95 gl wagon. Same Taurus beige as the featured one in the video. Base trim. Manual windows, seats and door locks. And, they all work. Lol
Oh thank you, Matt! Such joy! The forgotten hero! I was a teenage car nut when these came out and followed their progress in Car and Driver magazine. A shockingly futuristic good looking car at the time and still handsome today. The wagon looks even better that the sedan, especially in darker colors. The faux wire wheel trims were optional. Standard Taurus covers were smooth silver plastic discs that would have looked at home on a European Ford. I think the transmissions had a high failure rate, but that Vulcan V6 is as hard to kill as a cockroach. As ubiquitous as these cars used to be, all of them are gone now. I haven’t even seen a first gen Taurus in a junk yard in years much less on the road. Ford mucked it all up with the ovoid 1996 Taurus. Though, they did sell thousands of them and some are still around.....The mojo was gone though, never to return.
If you haven’t already, check out Tofer’s car Tales story on the Taurus. The original tv commercial jingle is especially catchy! “Taaauuruusss! for us!”
Thanks again. What a pleasant surprise.
I love the way the tail glass wraps into the D posts on the wagon, its a lovely clean design, bit not a car we are particularly aware of in the UK
I don’t think those hubcaps are the stock ones. The Taurus all had aero-style hubcaps for this model line.
Flat plastic wheel covers were standard. The wheel covers on this car were optionally available.
These were available on certain trim levels. Not very popular.
look similar to cadillac hubcaps... or buick and oldsmobile.
It’s Funny how we never really appreciate Fords until they become older lol. The Taurus SHO, Contour SVT & The Escort GT are my favorites
New subscriber here! I just came across this video today. My parents used to have an ‘87 Taurus Wagon. It was the powder blue metallic color that came on these along with powder blue seats and royal blue carpeting… oh yeah. My folks bought it used from a detective who had it for about 2 years before buying another one. He was in love with them but wanted one with more accessories I think. We had a base model, although it didn’t have cruise control, and I don’t recall it having power mirrors either; those crank windows never let us down!
I have many fond memories of that car, with road trips to Cape Cod, MA (I grew up in Northern Connecticut) the design of the AIR-CON switches were always interesting to me and, for a while, was all I could see if I was lucky enough to ride center in the front row bench! I remember my dad’s huge hands being able to still hold onto the steering wheel while simultaneously pulling the column shift out of park and down to drive. Sadly there’s not many of these left, they were an affordable family car and were thus driven hard into the ground; would love to have one again!
I want to thank you for reviewing this car as so many visual & auditory memories came flooding back to me as I watched it, the sound of the door latch as the door opened and closed, the gear lever moving up and down, the somehow “breezy” brake pedal (sounds like air flowing when it’s pressed) and the turn signals/signal stalk sounds. Thanks for reinvigorating my childhood memories!
So ahead of its time! If you were to ask a person who didn't know much about cars when this car was made, they'd probably answer "1998". And this car still looks reasonably modern today!
We had a 94 Taurus Wagon. Looked pretty similar to this one on the outside. Ours was equipped with the rear windshield wiper and sprayer nozzle. This spray nozzle was actually located in the center of the high mount center brake light resulting in that brake light needing to have two light bulbs one on either side of the nozzle. I used to think that was a dumb idea now that I drive a car I find that actually quite clever since most mini bulbs use for such lights are typically sold in pairs at least in America. The rear washer nozzle actually had a separate Reservoir which was a small hole what was revealed when you opened the hatch instead of sharing reservoir with the front washer nozzles. Eventually they did turn off honey more contemporary wheel covers Center very similar to what in finding a lot of today's cars that have steel wheels.
Starting in kindergarten the 80s/90s Ford Taurus became my favorite car! My teacher had an ‘87 or so sedan, and then later got the next gen, maybe a 92 or so. I never ended up getting one, as the automatic transmissions were known to fail, but I have sat in them and they are very comfortable. I did buy my first car in 8th grade, a low mileage 1 owner ‘87 Ford Tempo sedan, baby blue exterior, navy blue interior, which really brought more aerodynamics before the Taurus came out (first Tempo model to come out was 1984)
You were 18 in the 8th grade? These cars were favorites of mechanics as well, since many needed repairs, pretty often. Tempo? LOL
I've got a ford Taurus sedan which I've turned into an original RoboCop car :) I shipped it from California . Brilliant cars
So strane to see a Taurus here in the UK. I had one in the states and it was an amazing car to own, honest, dependable and practical. You are right this car shook the industry in 86, many compared it to the Audi 100. BTW never seen those hubcaps, those are not factory so not sure why they are on it. Odd to see one on UK roads, it makes me miss LHD cars, the proper way to drive!:-)
I’ve always kind of liked the first generation Taurus. The styling has actually aged quite well. You can’t deny how much the Taurus changed the automotive world. It’s too bad that the quality of them was poor. Even in America it’s so rare to come across first and second gen Tauruses anymore.
Ford used focus groups to name the Edsel in the mid 1950’s. Then ignored their recommendations
Owned a 88 Taurus L sedan with the V6. Good 🚗. Currently own a 99 Mercury Sable.
I have a 1987 Taurus LX with 56 k original miles on it. Im the second owner and it has the rare center console with the floor shifter. Ive had 5 Tauruses of verious years. Never had an issue with the Transmissions as long as yoy change the trans fluid and filter. Great cars and it has more space then most new cars.
My aunt had the fluid and flter changed on the transmission every 30,000 or so miles on her 92 Sable LS wagon and it still has it's factory transmission on it.
The first new car that my parents bought after I was born was a 1987 Taurus L wagon. Beige on beige. Actually very similar to that car, except it didn't have the wire hubcaps. I was too young to think about it then, but that car was fantastically futuristic and such a far departure from any other American car at the time. FWD was still not super common in the mid 80s, especially on American cars and really especially on midsize cars or wagons. Most 80s car design was done with a straight edge, 90 degree corners, no curves. 80s interiors were just a collection of random bits from the parts bin, nothing really fit the car. GM continued with that kind of styling well into the 90s. Even the engine was weird with port fuel injection. GM and Chrysler were messing with fuel injection, but mostly still throttle body except on high end stuff. The Japanese were still using carburetors. This was a revolutionary car. Of course, at the time for me, I was too young to think about any of that. I just liked that it was big a comfortable. We took at least 2 trips to Disneyland in my parents old Taurus. I'm not sure I'd ever buy one, but I have a strong sense of nostalgia for them.
Then again, I also remember that my parents Taurus blew a head gasket, the AC stopped working, and it started having an issue where it wouldn't idle when warm, all before it got replaced in 1994, so all before it was 7 years old. So I guess it was a typical Ford in that regard.
We had that clock in our 85.5 eEscort. We had a 91 Sable too, which was plenty roomy and took my family of 5 on a trip across the Midwest before my Dad totaled it. Navy blue with blue interior. It looked and was waay better than either GM or Chrysler options at the time and it was 7 years into its design at that point.
There's a strong hint of what would become the 'World car' - the Mondeo - about this.
Matt W I’d go more with the Sierra/Granada which were “world cars” before the Mondeo and had the same aero design as this car.
Especially the roof and rear windows.but can also see granny and Sierra in it to
From what I remember of my mom's Taurus, the upper level models actually had a dual retractable cup holder that fit into the DIN slot.
A really great period in Ford's design history. The Taurus, Sierra, Granada. (Not always to everyone's taste) but very innovative for all that. Many thanks Matt, great video.
Citroen DS...Pallas... Audi 100CD ..were trailblazers for Aerodynamics in mass production cars✅
I had one in 96. Not really a cool car for a 16 year old but it was cheap and I needed a car, so I guess I just bought the first thing I found. It was white with dark red interior. Great video!
My mother purchased a brand new burgundy colored Taurus LX wagon back in 86 as a 87 model. Car was the top of the line but was plagued with chronic electrical issues. After only owning the car about nine months and after Ford had to replace II transmission my mother traded it in 4 A Camry which she drove trouble-free 4/8 years before passing it down to me. Although the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable twin cousin where vastly Superior in quality when compared to it's domestic rivals they never held up against the typical Japanese car. 1992 brought a much-improved Taurus / Sable model but even they we're plagued with chronic transmission and engine issues. The reason that one is still on the road is because of the fact that it has no options on it. Higher trim models head far more unreliable Electronics including a completely electronic gauge cluster, digital climate control, a larger V6 that was prone to blowing head gaskets, an electrically defrosting front windshield, power windows and locks, and worst of all a much more complicated four speed automatic transmission that like the one in my mother's car was almost assured to fail before the first 100K miles. More basic L trim levels were primarily designed for Fleet uses like rental car and state vehicles.
I remember drawing a picture of a Ford Taurus wagon in copper with black trim in art class back in high school.
I put the car in a back drop of a beach. I want to draw another picture of a Taurus wagon, a pimped out BLACKOUT ONE, this time with underneath it lit up in deep cobalt blue.😎
Column shifts were in Volvo 142/144/164(but rare, as also is a front bench in these cars), Simca 1301/1501, Wolseley 16/60 to name a few
My childhood vehicle. We had this baby for damn near 20 years
A few years ago I wanted to bring one over to the UK to make a Robocop replica, - sadly it cost a lot more to ship over than to purchase and when I saw the power output for the size of engine and the mpg I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Part of the magic of this one is that it's a wagon . And it's spec and colour. I liked the design hint in the headlamps to the mustang fox body 😊
I found the same trying to bring over a Crown Vic
Robocop had one, athough it was a sedan. Makes it awesome in my view.
Especially in that "primer" color!
These were popular in Norway in the 80's and early 90's were they were sold new, albeit with some modifications to pass regulations. For example the side markers were covered with black plastic, the side mirrors were replaced with collapsable non-aerodynamic mirrors, and the front turn signals was retrofitted to the front bumper, while the original turn signals were used for the high beams.
However due to the large displacement of the engine and the Norwegian tax system, they cost about the same as the similar-sized Ford Scorpio (Granada in the UK), which was way better equipped, although with a smaller engine. I believe they stopped selling them about the mid of the second generation. Most of them where dark red station wagons.
I had a Matchbox model of these in white around 1990. Even as an eight year old i thought it was quite a futuristic shape.
I love most American Fords, but struggle to love most the Europe models, I did love the Granada and Scorpio though.
Nice survivor. That car is actually quite heavily optioned, including the V6 Vulcan engine, with overdrive automatic, air conditioning, cruise control, power mirrors, tinted glass, split front bench seat, tilt steering wheel, digital clock, stereo AM/FM radio cassette player (an AM only radio was standard), rear window heater, and metallic paint, all of which were options on the L model. The 85mph speedo law was repealed in 1982, and only affects 1979-82 model year cars. No idea why this car still has one. There was no law mandating the lights in the door panels. They were just a feature. The fake wire wheel covers are not Taurus items. I doubt it was a little old lady car. They didn't buy wagons. More likely it was a fleet car, bought for a sales rep or something, or a military person as you suggest.
I saw this wagon in Home alone 3 (1997) I was 3yo and I still remember it! This is so cool you've been able to review one ! I'm not a big fan of the rear but always loved the front. Interior wise, panel gap is horrible though. Its look is more of the late 90's than late 80's so I'd say it aged very well !
Christmas Vacation -- Griswolds had one.
Yes but with the wood trim.
@@steveespinola7652 These never had the traditional Country Squire fake wood on the outside.
In Dennis the menace his mom drove a burgundy second grn station wagon
This, the Focus, Sierra and Mondeo are not only the most revolutionary & influential Ford’s Of the 20th century but in 20th century automotive history as a whole.
It's interesting how many of the interior parts are shared across different American Ford products. I can see that the door striker bolt, turn signal stalk, and window crank are the exact same ones used in my 1992 Ford F150 pickup. The interior as a whole is very similar in look and materials. As a former service member stationed in England (1992 - 1994), it was very common for service members, especially enlisted ones, to buy base spec cars and either have them shipped over, or you could also buy them on the base. Since our salaries were on the lower end of the pay scale.
Also, I am not sure whether the 85 mph speedos were a rule or rather just an agreement. Interestingly, my 1984 Honda CRX (American spec) has a very optimistic 120mph speedometer. . . while I have seen early 80s Corvettes with the 85mph speedo. Personally, I think it is more ridiculous to put a 140 mph speedo in an economy car (as is the case with my 2012 Fiat 500)
The steering wheel and electric mirror adjustment knob, were also used the the Australian Ford Falcon of the same era.
I had the Vulcan 3 Litre V6 in my '93 Mercury Topaz. Excellent engine. Very durable and quite smooth and quiet.
In the UK, their equivalent is the Ford Sierra.
Although the Ford Scorpio does bare a similar look to the Taurus first gens.
Lovely design and must have been built sturdy to drive this good 32 years later. It really looks cavernous. Vulcan V6. Engines should absolutely have names. The spoked hub caps are certainly like nothing else. Well done Ford. The LTD before it was good looking in its own way but this moved the game on.
Owned two of the last gen models and they were both great cars, Good idea to search out a clean one now, Great video as a Ford guy I remember when they came out and we were all impressed by them , you were correct about GM, they couldnt understand why people bought them in droves. also the height of the Reagan era.and a baby boom, so once again like the Mustang the stars aligned well for Ford, also like the Mustang the style was timeless and hard to keep current.
Interesting story from America! My dad was in the Air Force and we were stationed at Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota, and my mom and dad, in 1985, traded their 1978 Ford Maverick and 1977 Ford Mustang II Ghia for the all-new Taurus! We had a black MT5 with gray cloth interior that was spec’d our pretty nicely with 6-speaker AM/FM/Cassette, 5-speed manual gearbox, it had cruise control, AC, Power Equipment Group, Light Group and of course the sport instrument group with a tachometer. We were of the first to ever have the new Taurus, and amongst every car in our neighborhood, it was almost foreign or even alien looking with how aerodynamically advanced it was. I still remember my dad teaching me to drive stick in that MT5.
wow, thats cool but I did think you were going so say they were stationed in England and brought their Taurus and this was their car!
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
Oh! Nope. We actually were never stationed overseas, sadly. And my parents would NEVER own a wagon! Now me, on the other hand, I love Estate/Station Wagons!!
I'm under the impression the cargo cover is so low down to allow the third row seats to fold up without removing the cargo cover. My volvo has a cargo cover much higher up but the third row seats can't be put up with it installed.
"El Mejor auto hecho en América"✨
How we take those design features for granted on modern cars . Great review ! 👍
My 2013 Vxl Astra 2.0CDTI SRI Sports Tourer had loads of buttons, you get used of them. It had manual windows in the back.
I had this car in 1996 when I was a Teenager, but mine was white with maroon seats. Anyhow, I was glad to sell it and get something a bit cooler.
I think someone has already mentioned that this car (and its sedan version) was sold under the Mercury brand of Ford as well. Mercury was a slightly more upscale brand of everyday Fords. This particular model was the Sable. It was equally as popular, though was slightly better equipped, and had a weird white plastic light between the headlamps.
Call it weird if you like, But I thought it cool as well as elegant back in the day.
Good to see the owner has kept the orange sidemarker lights and not retrofitted them with white bulbs. The orange to me is part of the charm of imported American cars like this.
Also - keep fit windows BUT cruise control! Sounds ideal, having had cars with cruise I now won't have one without if I can help it, but would happily give up things like elec windows if I had to. Cruise is a boon on any journey where you spend a long time at one speed, ie the motorway.
Love cruise control but in the U.K. it’s a waste of time having it, because as soon as you get up too speed, you either to break because of a traffic jam ,or because someone undercuts you and pulls in front, causing you too break and cancel the cruise control. Unless you have adaptive cruise control that breaks and accelerates with the car in front. My Passat has adaptive cruise control and it’s a lovely thing too have.
This looks like the Ford Sierra, and late 1980s Australian Ford Falcon.
I agree Nick the EA/EB wagons look very similar...
I think the Taurus was meant to be the American equivalent to the Sierra.
There was an optional digital dash on some of these tauruses.
My sister had one of these wagons. Nice car, shame about the rust.
The Taurus was a much more significant car than most people realise. A lot of the engineering and development work that went into the Taurus got shrunk down and re-developed into a new European Ford. That car? The mark 1 Mondeo...
Excellent and informative piece - I used to read Car and Driver back in the 80s when these were launched. Would be interesting to look at the smaller but same era Ford/Mercury Topaz and Tempo too.
Id love to but they are incredibly hard to find here...US trip coming up?
@@furiousdriving Tempo/Topaz are extremely rare here in the US 🇺🇸.
some planning needed before leaving then!
In the United States the 55 mph speed limit was widely ignored since the day it was imposed.
It wasn't unusual for cars cruising on the interstates to be seen with the needle on the speedometer pointing straight down.
Tea? Tea shelf? The car was built in America, where coffee rules and tea is something you toss overboard, when you're feeling a little rebellious.
haha, coffee bar then!
The Taurus/Sable were replacements for the Fox body LTD/Marquis, not the body on frame full-size LTD Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis. The Fox body was a unibody chassis.
I grew up in the 90's with cars like these and you know what was funny, if my friends moms didn't have an Astro van or Aerostar they had a Taurus or both even. Even more hilariously I remember many people having transmission issues with these early on and it killed many a Taurus right up until the 05 model year
The background of normal life! The autobox seems to be the only weak point on these. In the UK the Sierra then Mondeo were the equivalent and almost every family had one, but you just dont see them any more
The Vulcan 3.0 got you to 60 mph in the wagon in about 10.5 seconds when it was new.
Also the top speed was 114 mph, back then all speedometers in America were regulated to have a maximum of 85mph and were marked in red for the national speed limit of 55.
Great review! I love those Taurusses & Sables of that era. I drive the 2nd gen of its 'sister' model here in the Netherlands. '95 Mercury Sable. Great car!
Great looking cars in my opinion. I think one featured in Uncle Buck, but it could've been the sister cars, the Mercury Sable.
I think you are quoting the power and performance figures for the SHO version with the Yamaha engine - I believe the 3.0 Vulcan engine was about 140 bhp
It was also Motor Trend magazine's car of the year when it debuted in 86.
When I first moved to the US in 1990 I had one of these as a hire car - almost the exact same spec (maybe a GL). Then I had the misfortune later on to have a hand-me-down L saloon (sedan) version with the horrible 2.5l 4 banger/auto as a company vehicle for short while, until thankfully the transmission decided to grenade itself......
If you think the 1988 Ford Taurus Wagon is big, you would have fainted if you traveled to the U.S. in 1975. American cars were HUGE. The average car in the U.S. at that time had a 350 cubic inch/ 5.7 litre V-8.
Ive driven and been in quite a few of those beasts, and they are ridiculous!