@@jtb1990419 "Come on, you guys. Don't fight!" "Oh, for Christ's sake, I didn't do this on purpose!" "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, and forgive my husband. He knows not what he does." "Amen!"
@@LGilman479 the spiritual successor to the Family Truckster. This one actually worked, however, which is saying something for an old Taurus. It even pulled a tree out of the ground!
Haha I was born in ‘96 so I don’t remember the 90’s hardly at all. But ik cars from the early 2000’s had small or normal size grills. Now? Jesus Christ. Especially Toyota and Lexus
There really great cars as long as the transmission holds up..roomy comfortable to ride in and decent mileage..I've seen several guys using them as work vehicles folding down the rear seats and filling them with tools,equipment, ect..
There were plans for both an SHO wagon and a Mercury version of the SHO! It's a shame that neither car actually was built! I would love to have either one right now!
i love retro reviews because I always see a old POS car on the road and wonder what it was like in younger days brand new MINT CONDITION ... thank you john davis and Mhotorweek🗣 🙏🏽😂😂😂😂
Brad C Yes I'm only in my 20s but I remember through history these were very popular and praised for their styling, the futuristic styling let it to a feature in Robocop' film ,, And when I compare this to other cars of the time this was one of the best looking
@@Karmy. They are. I test drove a 1993 Taurus GL Wagon from a used car lot a couple months back and took my then-girlfriend for a ride in it after telling her I'd basically grown up in 2 Taurus Wagons - a rebuilt '87 LX and a '95 GL. While yes, the looks show its age and the leather had some minor cracking, the car had under 170,000 on the clock and was otherwise in excellent condition given that it was 26 years old. It's no faster up to pace than my 2004 Focus Wagon, but still feels smooth and agile for a mid-size station wagon. She was reasonably impressed with the thing despite that it's comparatively ancient to both of our 2004 model-year vehicles. The 1995 Taurus was my favorite in terms of styling in the cabin. And you can tell which car is the 2-door coupe version of the Taurus -- Thunderbird. Looking down the sides of the T-Bird from 91 thru its death in 1997, the fenders and door designs are almost identical - Even the roof lines are very similar given the very different nature of both cars. If the Taurus had the option of that Ford Modular V8, I think we'd have more sleeper wagons on the road today. (I'm pretty biased to the 4.6L thanks to a Thunderbird..)
My power steering pump on my Ranger gave out too....does it need to be replaced for it to pass inspection?Thank you to anyone who can answer my question.
I bought a 92 Taurus wagon in 1996. It was an L model. The transmission took a dump a short time after. Fortunately, I got an extended warranty. One of the oxygen sensors also failed, lowering the gas mileage. I did like the stereo. It got totaled in an accident.
They had plans, but scrapped them once they saw that the 1991 station wagons only sold about 4,000 units - probably because the platform hadn't been updated whatsoever in almost two decades.
basshead no emissions duh some early 73 models prob produced in 72 got lucky to not have all that shit chokin their god dammed engines with all that emissions shit being in it’s infancy
This car truly was the King of wagons back then. Great design. They were well built. But it had a Transmission flaw... the main reason this car isn't as common on the roads today like a 90s Camrys for example. I road in the back of one of these my whole 4th and 5th grade schools years. My cousins mom had a white Taurus wagon with a red interior😂. I remember how it sounded and how smooth it drove. And just like a Crown Vic everything on this car 'clicks' when u open or close it lol.
My Moms wagon was white also with grey leather interior it was the mercury sable version but same thing...we even towed our 1200lb palamino pop up camper with it.. and yea the transmission was definitely flawed when ours started to slip It was still under warranty and the shop put in some weird device that had a red button and they told us to hit the red button whenever the tranny started to act up..idk exactly what it did if anything but we drove it another month or 2 like that then someone actually bought it off of us it sold quickly after putting an ad in the paper like less then 2 weeks..
We replaced that crappy AOD/EAOD tranny in our 87 and 91 Taurus (Tauri) wagons and 95 Sable wagon. It was like a ticking time bomb: 80k mile and BOOM, new tranny. They stuck that awesome EAOD in our 95 Mustang GT also. Made it about 70k miles before blowing.
I remember back in 1992 my Mom was shopping for a sedan to replace our Grand Caravan . We test drove a Taurus, Sable, Accord, Lumina, Corsica , Camry and even an ES300 which was a new model at the time. I wanted the Sable or ES300 and my Dad wanted the Taurus. The Taurus was so hot at the time, the dealers weren't budging on price much especially on the LX trims. Mom picked the Accord LX and it went 230k without any significant problems.
we did practically same thing in 93, my mom ended up getting a 1990 lumina. good price, was a demo model and the 6th one made in production. drove it pretty much problem free till 250k miles in 2003 and transmission went, got it replaced and sold it. did ok for a family of 5, wish we had a taurus wagon instead with the more room.
Man does this bring back some memories. My sister used to hate car rides so we’d stuff her in the rear facing seat of the Taurus and tune the radio fader to the rear speakers to drown out her crying. Kids now will never know what it’s like to face the cars behind you 😂
@@eadadthey were well built, reliable, and quite good in accidents as a friend found out. Just have to be very active in changing ATF every year or two. Takes under an hour at home, not bad job and they last few hundred thousand miles w/ little repairs unlike Chryslers of the day
This is really making me want one now. I grew up when station wagons and minivans were the go-to vehicles for families. My "family car" then was a 03' Taurus station wagon. Now the family car is a 2000 Excursion, my older sibling drives herself now, and I never ride in that either. 🤦
I had a 1988 GL in high school..I inherited it from my parents....it rusted out....loved that car so much I bought a 1995 GL (last year of the 1st generation) with 150 km's on it 7 years ago....mint condition....3.8 litre, Champagne exterior with tan cloth upholstery...plan on teaching my kids to drive in it !!
Michael C. I really wish wagons were popular, the closest revival Toyota had was making the Venza And that went away after a couple of years unfortunately and now Buick is the only one, I wish we could petition auto makers to bring them back I work as a technician and ended up getting a suv, I really wanted a station wagon but I didn't want to Volvo to be my only option
Keye T VW has a few, but they dont even market them. A 4wd station wagon called the Alltrac. But the thing is, most of us dont want all the modern bs new cars come with. A station wagon like this would be great with a v8. And I agree that we absolutely need a new station wagon revival. I wouldnt be caught dead in a crossover.
We had an 86' and 92' wagons, and boy did they spend alot of time in the dealership for repairs along the 2 out of 3 SHO's that were in our small town.
I am still driving my 1994 wagon because I have yet to find a 8 seater that I can drive that gets me 25 MPG, can drive on the freeway and not get blown away due to its low profile. A very underated vehicle.
In case you, sir, needed to buy a new vehicle, maybe a good idea would be to test drive the 2023 Toyota Sienna LE, as I believe it might satisfy all your needs. It costs $38280, payed cash, if I'm not wrong. And I believe it's the least expensive car of this type, as I believe the KIA Carnival can be considered an off-roader.
I had a 90 something 4x4 Ranger with the vulcan 3.0 that only made more noise when you floored it. Never had much trouble with the engine but it was named The Turd Truck for a reason.
These were really nice cars for what they were back in the day and very practical family haulers, but man were they unreliable junk. You were lucky to go the first 100k miles without a major mechanical failure like the transmission, fuel pump, power steering pump, airbag sensor failures. I could go on and on. This retro review reminds me how much a love and miss station wagons. I'm so sick of SUVs everywhere.
@Country Boy I never heard of V6 Camrys having transmission problems in the 90s. V6 Accords starting in the late 90s, yes most definitely. As far as I'm aware, V6 Camrys were extremely good cars and lasted a long time. Way way better than Taurus. '92+ Camry wagon was comparable in size to Taurus wagon and the smaller 3.0L V6 put out 188hp, which was 48hp more than Ford's larger 3.8L V6 at 140hp.
My aunt very briefly owned a Mercury Sable wagon of this generation when I was a kid. She loved it, but her two sons got too tall so she "upgraded" to a Mercury Villager.
I'm a diehard bowtie fan Saw an old Taurus wagon the other day and complimented it! Something about seeing these older cars then vs now and joyed to see em still traveling around today no matter the make!
I have not seen this generation of Taurus in years. Heck, even the 1990 to 1997 Accord are starting to get somewhat rare recently. Yet, I still see a lot of 1992 to 1996 Camrys.
DSTY - I just saw a second gen Taurus yesterday and had to do a double take. They’re all but extinct. Old Accords would probably still be on the road too, but like many old Hondas they’ve succumbed to either timing belt failures or being riced-out, thrashed on and being sent to an early death.
I see one every day. I own a '95 GL with 72k original miles. Manual door locks, windows and seats. 3.0 Vulcan. Doesn't leak or burn oil. Just had original transmission serviced. Shifts perfectly. Just replaced return hose on a/c system. It'll freeze you out of the car. The seats are not ripped, torn or stained. The headliner has dry rot. Splits everywhere, but doesn't sag like the GM's did. Interior plastic gets brittle. A few slats broke on an a/c vent and the plastic cover surrounding the base of the driver's seat split, cracked and fell off, exposing the black metal components. No big deal for a car this old, as long as it's still carrying us around.
not easy, parts super rare, especially interior, pretty much gone from junkyards, they don't even put them out just right to the crusher if they so happen to get one. 86 only came with 3.0, if you had 3.8 i have quite a bit spare parts.
@@chrism3784 I found an 86 LX wagon for sale I might buy. Very good condition interior and exterior, and low miles. I want to add the digital cluster, electronic climate control, and keyless entry onto it so if what you say is true I might have a hard time doing that.
Much rather have a Buick Roadmaster wagon. Now that was the king of station wagons, was even pretty quick and did mean burnouts if you bought one with the LT1 V8, had a tow rating of 7000lbs, way more than any of these wimpy "crossover" SUV's now days.
I almost bought a 96 Roadmaster Estate as my first car. Sadly, it had sold by time I was able to get it, as did the 97 Bonneville SSEi that I looked at next. I ended up with a 94 Buick Park Avenue Ultra, which I miss dearly!
@Gator Johnso oh, yes they were! Mine was all black and had the Gran Touring Suspension package, yet rode like a cloud and had the best seats I've ever had in a car. The supercharged 3.8 V6 was nice as well!
Mama has a champagne Mercury Sable wagon. Had all the options like a digital dash and the 3.8 V6. Learned how to drive in it when I was 12 years old. Many years of good reliable service until one morning when the head gasket blew and wouldn’t stop smoking. I remember riding home the day we bought it all the way in the back row facing the wrong way talking to mom and thinking how cool it was. Just a lap belt, no headrests for whiplash, and some of the thinnest American steel. It’s amazing how we all made it through the 90’s.
What a lot of people don't know is that the automatics they equipped the Taurus with were complete garbage and instead of replacing it, they updated it. The updated versions retained the same short lifespan many generations in.
You guys are fucking dumb. They had a few recalls of the AX4n including he torque converter. Other then that the AX4N is a bulletproof transmission. And we love to see them at are transmission shop but we just don’t.
As good as the Taurus was, the Camry and Accord were definitely the ones to beat. The Taurus lost its crown to Camry in 1997, and it was just a sad, slow death from there.
That was it. The big wigs at Ford got too comfortable thinking consumers were stupid. Same for GM, which was crazy since they had a joint venture with Toyota for years and should have been taking notes the whole time on quality control.
@@bradc7882 I'm sure most people commenting know that. I'd rather be in a Taurus than a Camry myself despite everything. I grew up with American iron in the driveway, and the Big 3 put food on my table (and thousands of others), so I would never support Toyota or any Japanese manufacturers due to that. But nobody can deny the Camry's well-earned reputation by comparison.
As someone who's first car was a 93 Mercury Sable Sedan with the 3.8 V6, this car was a blast. Great speakers, good handling and fun city acceleration. Too bad the AC unit was missing lol
zane sutherland it’s spelled Ford Tauruses, not Taurus’. You cannot pluralize a word with an apostrophe. Just like you would say/spell, “I love these cars,” you would say, “I love these Tauruses.”
I love how when they turned the radio on and Roxanne by The Police came on haha. I've always liked these, my second car was a 94 Sedan haha, that was in 2005 and it didn't age well, had a ton of issues but it still got me to school lol.
The 1st and 2nd generation Sables are my favorite cars on the planet. I've owned several over the years. The ownership experience was souring due to constant transmission failures. The last Sable I owned chewed up 3 transmissions in 10 years. They were Ford remanufactured units installed by Ford dealerships. Each time it was a $3,000 repair bill. Ouch. Still my favorite car in the world but I would not own one again...nor would I ever purchase another Ford product. My current Toyota just hit 20 years old and 220K miles and I've never had a major repair.
The Taurus wagon was pure 90's Americana. I miss them so much. Not particularly reliable, but they were roomy, comfortable, and very safe for the time.
Ozzstar - Smaller wheels and a taller sidewall is a better combination on a family vehicle like this. I hate the modern trend of putting 40-series tires on virtually everything these days. Not only are taller tires cheaper and ride better, but they’re much more resistant to pothole damage.
Specific displacement of 46 hp per liter 😂. The 3.8 was even worse; 36 hp/liter. Modern NA motors average about 75 hp/liter today. The "mighty" SHO made about 73 hp/liter. That 3.8 V6 would make about 285 hp. We've come a long way.
Shattered Dreams If I'm not mistaking the late Taurus sho Faster than the mustang of that year, can't remember which Taurus sho it was but there was a big discussion about it
Hilarious to see that thing go through the slalom. We used to take ours up to the cottage , we got ours used for $800 and it did the 2000km round trip a few times.
I love the "like" of this wagon over the Accord and Camry wagon lol. The 90s are wild I still see Accord and Camry wagons on the road today in great shape and they are really good looking. The Taurus wagons I see are all beat to shit, rusted and fill with crap lol.
Jorge Tamacas not weird at all. You're normal. Station wagons actually served a purpose back then. They could tow a trailer, and haul a whole family around at the same time. Crossovers these days can barely seat 4 people and cant get out of their own way. Once touch screens and tech took over, functionality went right off the cliff, never to be seen again.
You're not alone in your sentiment. I love and miss station wagons. They handle better and are more fuel efficient. Plus I'm nostalgic for that old Americana.
14 inch wheels. I love old car videos. I wonder who was the first person to say "Hey, we can go for 18 inch wheels!" and not use metric! Damn you 2.0 litre metric engines!
Ah 1st grade, didn’t have much to worry about, I started learning about cars about that time and my uncle bought one of these used and it was shortly after summer break started and I was able to take a ride in it, to this day I still think it’s a sharp wagon! His was blue on blue, too bad time did it in and I grew up but I might try to get one someday
WHOA!!!!! I never knew you tested the wagon, too!!!!! AWESOME CALL!!!!! And I echo the poster below me. I REALLY wish there had been an SHO wagon!!!!!!!
I have had the Taurus version of the minivan, Ford Windstar GL with the 3.8L V6, from the mid 90's. I have read somewhere that the Windstar was built on the Taurus platform, and has many likenesses because of it.
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NO
Perfect for taking the family out to Pizza Hut on a Friday night, before swinging by Blockbuster to pick up some movies for the weekend.
Sedan57Chevy yup and a video game rental
Ahh miss those days..
@@oliverdelgado6952 such simpler times, I often miss them too
Just brought back memories! 😁😁
Yes and the microwave popcorn
Driving under semi trucks since 1989
We're all right! Thank God we're all right!
Clark, we're stuck under a truck!
Do you honestly think I don't know that?!
Lmao 😂 I was going to make the same comment but you guys beat me too it LoL
@@jtb1990419 "Come on, you guys. Don't fight!"
"Oh, for Christ's sake, I didn't do this on purpose!"
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, and forgive my husband. He knows not what he does."
"Amen!"
Griswolds owned the only wood-paneled "Squire" version of the Taurus wagon I've ever seen.
@@LGilman479 the spiritual successor to the Family Truckster. This one actually worked, however, which is saying something for an old Taurus. It even pulled a tree out of the ground!
1990’s: What is a grill?
2010’s: GGGRRRRIIIILLLLLLLS, WE NEED MORE GRILLS!!!!!
the giant grilles and crumpled-paper styling we have now won't age as well
It's insane how big these grills have gotten. Lol
Also 2010s: Bumper? What's a bumper? We only have grilles here.
In the 90s, if you were to ask someone what a grill was, they would say, “A BBQ?” Lol!
Haha I was born in ‘96 so I don’t remember the 90’s hardly at all. But ik cars from the early 2000’s had small or normal size grills. Now? Jesus Christ. Especially Toyota and Lexus
I wish Robocop drove this version of Taurus instead, he could carry more weapons in the back.
A SHO version would've been awesome! lol
Pure genius!
I’ll buy that for a dollar!
Not just weapons, but some sort of a sonic RPG that could of blasted through ANY enemy 🤣🤣
This car most likely kept the lights on at Ford through the 80s and early 90s.
That and F-Series.
Probably the Fox Body Mustang, as well.
@@StevenEveral I dont believe that the Fox Body mustang sold that well
@@jozefsmith8298 the Fox body Mustang sold well, on top of that it was built for 14 years. The tooling and facilities were paid for...
What about the PANTHER PLATFORM *groans in brown*
Almost 30 years and still has a very modern design ❤️
There really great cars as long as the transmission holds up..roomy comfortable to ride in and decent mileage..I've seen several guys using them as work vehicles folding down the rear seats and filling them with tools,equipment, ect..
I love Ford Taurus wagon is my favorite
Nothing beats looking straight out the back window at the following traffic from the 3rd row seat. Kids now days will never know...
Really cool. Sadly there was no SHO wagon 😐
Grünkohlaktionär
OMG, that would have been so cool!
It probably would have lasted longer with the SHO motor. I havent seen one of these in decades.
There were plans for both an SHO wagon and a Mercury version of the SHO! It's a shame that neither car actually was built! I would love to have either one right now!
A guy made one with a stick and had it for sale years ago. Sad we didnt buy it. It looked really cool.
Came here to comment the same shit!
Ahhhhh the days of 14 inch wheels and their covers...
My 2010 Prius has 15" wheels with wheel covers. So not a lot has changed
Priuses also suck haha
British Secret Agent 007
Good thing is that today a set of tires could be installed for under $300
It's all the SUV's now. Plenty of people are rolling up in 22 inch wheels, when back then most cars had 13 or 14 inch.
Remember in movies they would oversteer into the corner and the hub cap makes a straight
These were everywhere in the 90’s
Toyota more reliable
My old 14-year-old 2005 Toyota Corolla probably runs better than some brand new Ford cars that are currently sitting in dealerships.
@I know you are right, And I just got owned but: Bitter
Especially on Home Alone 3.
90s Camry wagons were considerably more expensive and pretty fugly looking. The rust on them was reliable too.
i love retro reviews because I always see a old POS car on the road and wonder what it was like in younger days brand new MINT CONDITION ... thank you john davis and Mhotorweek🗣 🙏🏽😂😂😂😂
This is when Taurus looked the best IMHO.. Good refresh on the front end and the rear on the sedan.
Brad C Yes I'm only in my 20s but I remember through history these were very popular and praised for their styling, the futuristic styling let it to a feature in Robocop' film ,, And when I compare this to other cars of the time this was one of the best looking
So true!
It was a POS in younger days too, I had one.
Mike Forest lmaoo😂😂😂
Miss the cars of the 80’s and 90’s.
I love Taurus wagon, is my favorite
Wagons > SUV's
And damn this car looks good in the slalom test. Put current tires on it and I bet it will be pretty quick.
I think these Ford wagons are underrated stylistically
@@Karmy. They are. I test drove a 1993 Taurus GL Wagon from a used car lot a couple months back and took my then-girlfriend for a ride in it after telling her I'd basically grown up in 2 Taurus Wagons - a rebuilt '87 LX and a '95 GL.
While yes, the looks show its age and the leather had some minor cracking, the car had under 170,000 on the clock and was otherwise in excellent condition given that it was 26 years old. It's no faster up to pace than my 2004 Focus Wagon, but still feels smooth and agile for a mid-size station wagon. She was reasonably impressed with the thing despite that it's comparatively ancient to both of our 2004 model-year vehicles.
The 1995 Taurus was my favorite in terms of styling in the cabin. And you can tell which car is the 2-door coupe version of the Taurus -- Thunderbird. Looking down the sides of the T-Bird from 91 thru its death in 1997, the fenders and door designs are almost identical - Even the roof lines are very similar given the very different nature of both cars. If the Taurus had the option of that Ford Modular V8, I think we'd have more sleeper wagons on the road today. (I'm pretty biased to the 4.6L thanks to a Thunderbird..)
Taurus Wagon V8, really a nice idea.
TAURUS! Now there's an American car with the shape and the feel we've never seen before! TAURUS!
You could always hear a Ford in the parking lot with the power steering pump whining already with just 86 miles on the odometer! 3:21
LOL man Fords back in the day had their own noise soundtracks.
It's like they thought, "People should KNOW that this car has power steering..."
Why does the Chrysler starter bring good memories while the Ford pump makes me cringe? Both had the sound they did because they were basically junk!
Never had issues with p/s on my '92 Taurus but my by '01 Sable was LOUD. New pump or not, it always sounded miserable.
My power steering pump on my Ranger gave out too....does it need to be replaced for it to pass inspection?Thank you to anyone who can answer my question.
I bought a 92 Taurus wagon in 1996. It was an L model. The transmission took a dump a short time after. Fortunately, I got an extended warranty. One of the oxygen sensors also failed, lowering the gas mileage. I did like the stereo. It got totaled in an accident.
IT's still a shame that FoMoCo never made a wagon out of the Crown Vic/Marquis of the period.
They had plans, but scrapped them once they saw that the 1991 station wagons only sold about 4,000 units - probably because the platform hadn't been updated whatsoever in almost two decades.
The Explorer came in '91 and killed the wagon with it's success.
@@Icarealot88 : Let's not forget the old original Bronco / Bronco II, as well as the Aerostar minivan.
They had it in the early to mid 80s. They had a market among older folks but the minivan and later Explorer ended up doing it better and cheaper.
@@realazduffman True, but I'm referring specifically to the post-1992 model. That would have been a sharp looking wagon.
Screw turbos and sub 3 sec 0-60 times. I want to go back when 10.8 seconds was “quite acceptable”.
Zach May Imho 10.8 will always be acceptable.
Even in the 60s most US cars were faster.
basshead no emissions duh some early 73 models prob produced in 72 got lucky to not have all that shit chokin their god dammed engines with all that emissions shit being in it’s infancy
Car was complete garbage
@@67tomcat mine didn't
This car truly was the King of wagons back then. Great design. They were well built. But it had a Transmission flaw... the main reason this car isn't as common on the roads today like a 90s Camrys for example.
I road in the back of one of these my whole 4th and 5th grade schools years. My cousins mom had a white Taurus wagon with a red interior😂. I remember how it sounded and how smooth it drove. And just like a Crown Vic everything on this car 'clicks' when u open or close it lol.
My Moms wagon was white also with grey leather interior it was the mercury sable version but same thing...we even towed our 1200lb palamino pop up camper with it.. and yea the transmission was definitely flawed when ours started to slip It was still under warranty and the shop put in some weird device that had a red button and they told us to hit the red button whenever the tranny started to act up..idk exactly what it did if anything but we drove it another month or 2 like that then someone actually bought it off of us it sold quickly after putting an ad in the paper like less then 2 weeks..
We replaced that crappy AOD/EAOD tranny in our 87 and 91 Taurus (Tauri) wagons and 95 Sable wagon. It was like a ticking time bomb: 80k mile and BOOM, new tranny. They stuck that awesome EAOD in our 95 Mustang GT also. Made it about 70k miles before blowing.
did you by chance live near milton florida? i might have your cousins moms car lmao! 94" taurus wagon gl with red interior.
I remember back in 1992 my Mom was shopping for a sedan to replace our Grand Caravan . We test drove a Taurus, Sable, Accord, Lumina, Corsica , Camry and even an ES300 which was a new model at the time. I wanted the Sable or ES300 and my Dad wanted the Taurus. The Taurus was so hot at the time, the dealers weren't budging on price much especially on the LX trims. Mom picked the Accord LX and it went 230k without any significant problems.
*tries to push parents towards half upmarket car* .. wouldnt even spring for an Accord EX hahah ahhh being a kid in the 90s!
we did practically same thing in 93, my mom ended up getting a 1990 lumina. good price, was a demo model and the 6th one made in production. drove it pretty much problem free till 250k miles in 2003 and transmission went, got it replaced and sold it. did ok for a family of 5, wish we had a taurus wagon instead with the more room.
@@chrism3784 Lumina far better choice than any Ford. Honda Accord best choice.
Man does this bring back some memories. My sister used to hate car rides so we’d stuff her in the rear facing seat of the Taurus and tune the radio fader to the rear speakers to drown out her crying. Kids now will never know what it’s like to face the cars behind you 😂
Man, I remember these so much. I grew up with a Taurus wagon
24mpg and it only had 80 miles on it . Fantastic car, marginal transmission.
Horrible car worthless transmission
Got rid of mine way too soon because it kept eating transmissions.
My dad had 5 of these as company cars he had a 87 89 91 two 92 and a 93. The trans went out in every one around twenty thousand miles. Pos
@@eadadthey were well built, reliable, and quite good in accidents as a friend found out. Just have to be very active in changing ATF every year or two. Takes under an hour at home, not bad job and they last few hundred thousand miles w/ little repairs unlike Chryslers of the day
These are my favorite cars in the world
My family’s mode of transportation as I was growing up. So many memories.
Very good looking car IMO. Also, at 3300lbs, it's quite a bit lighter than I thought.
3:18 Wow, this Taurus came with Ford's bad power steering pump whine from the factory. LOL!!!
Somehow my Sable's power steering pump has lasted 200k miles making that noise. Only really sounds bad when making a left turn though
That noise is really annoying.
Ive always wanted one of these taurus wagons. Love the styling. Especially the mercury one. I hope one day i can buy one.
One of the few American cars with real Euro flair and styling - still a very good looking wagon! Would love a brand new one even today in 2020.
This is really making me want one now. I grew up when station wagons and minivans were the go-to vehicles for families. My "family car" then was a 03' Taurus station wagon. Now the family car is a 2000 Excursion, my older sibling drives herself now, and I never ride in that either. 🤦
I love this Ford wagon is my favorite, great, comfortable and great space interior
Next On Motorweek The 1999 Chevrolet Silverado
I was actually just thinking of that
Like A Rock, All Like A Rock.
Hey MotorWeek: Would it be possible to include the original air date in the description of these retro reviews?
Good suggestion
Kinda OBVIOUS isn't it. At least the year it was aired.....
Link Knight - Episode air date, not model year of the vehicle. OBVIOUSLY...
Nobody cares.
Max Ant - Clearly some people do, including you enough to post a comment. 😂
I had a 1988 GL in high school..I inherited it from my parents....it rusted out....loved that car so much I bought a 1995 GL (last year of the 1st generation) with 150 km's on it 7 years ago....mint condition....3.8 litre, Champagne exterior with tan cloth upholstery...plan on teaching my kids to drive in it !!
If you've watched the roads you've probably noticed an increase in the number of station wagons.
2019: *tumbleweed*
Tim Beck lol "tumbleweed" lmaoo😭😭😭
We need another station wagon revival
I'd rather be seen in this old Taurus then be seen in today's SUVs.
Michael C. I really wish wagons were popular, the closest revival Toyota had was making the Venza And that went away after a couple of years unfortunately and now Buick is the only one, I wish we could petition auto makers to bring them back I work as a technician and ended up getting a suv, I really wanted a station wagon but I didn't want to Volvo to be my only option
Keye T VW has a few, but they dont even market them. A 4wd station wagon called the Alltrac. But the thing is, most of us dont want all the modern bs new cars come with. A station wagon like this would be great with a v8. And I agree that we absolutely need a new station wagon revival. I wouldnt be caught dead in a crossover.
We had an 86' and 92' wagons, and boy did they spend alot of time in the dealership for repairs along the 2 out of 3 SHO's that were in our small town.
I love Ford Taurus wagon and every wagons 80s and 90s
I am still driving my 1994 wagon because I have yet to find a 8 seater that I can drive that gets me 25 MPG, can drive on the freeway and not get blown away due to its low profile. A very underated vehicle.
In case you, sir, needed to buy a new vehicle, maybe a good idea would be to test drive the 2023 Toyota Sienna LE, as I believe it might satisfy all your needs. It costs $38280, payed cash, if I'm not wrong. And I believe it's the least expensive car of this type, as I believe the KIA Carnival can be considered an off-roader.
The 3.0.v6 was a very good engine.
The 'vulcan'...I have it in my old 2008 Ranger..
Only if they had come with the Duratec 3.0 V6. Now those had pull!
The 3.0 v6 in my Ford probe burned oil. My imports never did.
Most likely the same as the Vulcan in the early Windstars.
I had a 90 something 4x4 Ranger with the vulcan 3.0 that only made more noise when you floored it. Never had much trouble with the engine but it was named The Turd Truck for a reason.
These were really nice cars for what they were back in the day and very practical family haulers, but man were they unreliable junk. You were lucky to go the first 100k miles without a major mechanical failure like the transmission, fuel pump, power steering pump, airbag sensor failures. I could go on and on. This retro review reminds me how much a love and miss station wagons. I'm so sick of SUVs everywhere.
Sounds about right. My dad had this in the 90s when I was a kid. The tranny blew 3 times. Practical? Yes Reliable? Not even close lol
@Country Boy I doubt the Toyota or Honda had major issues.
@Country Boy I never heard of V6 Camrys having transmission problems in the 90s. V6 Accords starting in the late 90s, yes most definitely. As far as I'm aware, V6 Camrys were extremely good cars and lasted a long time. Way way better than Taurus. '92+ Camry wagon was comparable in size to Taurus wagon and the smaller 3.0L V6 put out 188hp, which was 48hp more than Ford's larger 3.8L V6 at 140hp.
My Taurus wagon went through the transmission. 3 times in 40k miles. Ended up giving it away.😢
how much was the rebuild?@@craigsavage6787
My aunt very briefly owned a Mercury Sable wagon of this generation when I was a kid. She loved it, but her two sons got too tall so she "upgraded" to a Mercury Villager.
My grandparents had a 1993 Taurus station wagon when I was a kid. Loved the ride in that car. So smooth.
Ah, yes... The iconic station wagon of the 90s. Long live the Taurus! 😀
I'm a diehard bowtie fan
Saw an old Taurus wagon the other day and complimented it! Something about seeing these older cars then vs now and joyed to see em still traveling around today no matter the make!
Lol high school memories just flowed like the Taurus floated down the highway. Thank you
I have not seen this generation of Taurus in years. Heck, even the 1990 to 1997 Accord are starting to get somewhat rare recently. Yet, I still see a lot of 1992 to 1996 Camrys.
Probably because the transmissions on this generation of Taurus only lasted 60,000 miles
DSTY - I just saw a second gen Taurus yesterday and had to do a double take. They’re all but extinct.
Old Accords would probably still be on the road too, but like many old Hondas they’ve succumbed to either timing belt failures or being riced-out, thrashed on and being sent to an early death.
Drive DB7 I live in Toronto and the Taurus are very rare here.
The 1997+ Camry is probably the most reliable car made.
Cockroaches never die
Our family had a 1993 GL wagon in ice blue. I always sat in the “way back” facing the rear window. Good times!
Kinda surprised the Taurus was considered more stylish then the accord and the Camry back then.
We owned a 96 Taurus wagon for quite a while, finally scrapped it with 345k kilometres on it.
Well done!
I would love to have a station wagon over an SUV. The Accord, Taurus and Camry wagons looked neat and roomy.
Kevron Harris get a Mercedes E if you need a reliable SW with loads of space
@@benartee9493 I would rather have a Mercedes-Benz E class wagon over the Ford Taurus.
What the whole Ford Taurus Enthusiast club has been waiting forr....
I can’t even say the last time i saw a 90s Taurus wagon
I see one every day. I own a '95 GL with 72k original miles. Manual door locks, windows and seats. 3.0 Vulcan. Doesn't leak or burn oil. Just had original transmission serviced. Shifts perfectly. Just replaced return hose on a/c system. It'll freeze you out of the car. The seats are not ripped, torn or stained. The headliner has dry rot. Splits everywhere, but doesn't sag like the GM's did. Interior plastic gets brittle. A few slats broke on an a/c vent and the plastic cover surrounding the base of the driver's seat split, cracked and fell off, exposing the black metal components. No big deal for a car this old, as long as it's still carrying us around.
@@lincmerc1581 We had a 90 wagon. I drove it as a beater until 2014. vulcan. Never had a tranny problem.
the generation after this one is still super common around here
Gonna need some Roadmaster wagon retro review. Or caprice wagon or Olds cutlass cruiser
Damn...me watching something like that now! Family Vacation (National Lampoon's)....when the Griswolds gets the ugly ass wagon! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I liked this body style and interior of the Taurus. Very functional.
3:38 John: A 3300 lb wagon isn't going to scare any sports cars! LOL
David Aubin little did he know years later the RS6 and E63 would be a thing
@@mjbakedbeans Except those weight a shit ton.
I'd love to LS Swap one, turn it into a sleeper lmfaooo
Love the retro reviews!!!!!!
Owned one for nine years great wagon
I plan on restoring an 86 Taurus LX wagon.
not easy, parts super rare, especially interior, pretty much gone from junkyards, they don't even put them out just right to the crusher if they so happen to get one. 86 only came with 3.0, if you had 3.8 i have quite a bit spare parts.
@@chrism3784 I found an 86 LX wagon for sale I might buy. Very good condition interior and exterior, and low miles. I want to add the digital cluster, electronic climate control, and keyless entry onto it so if what you say is true I might have a hard time doing that.
Alright now I want a review on the 92’ Taurus Sedan
Much rather have a Buick Roadmaster wagon. Now that was the king of station wagons, was even pretty quick and did mean burnouts if you bought one with the LT1 V8, had a tow rating of 7000lbs, way more than any of these wimpy "crossover" SUV's now days.
I almost bought a 96 Roadmaster Estate as my first car. Sadly, it had sold by time I was able to get it, as did the 97 Bonneville SSEi that I looked at next. I ended up with a 94 Buick Park Avenue Ultra, which I miss dearly!
@Gator Johnso oh, yes they were! Mine was all black and had the Gran Touring Suspension package, yet rode like a cloud and had the best seats I've ever had in a car. The supercharged 3.8 V6 was nice as well!
yep, till the fuel line rubs the frame enough and ruptures cause it to go up in a ball of smoke and fire. i do miss my 96.
I love the early 90s honda wagons.
This was my first car. Absolute chick magnet, said no one ever.
Not true, my friend years ago had an 86, and he called it the chick magnet. Because he knew it wasn't one. Lol!!
Did a great job carrying the Griswold family christmas tree!
Three words: attractive Taurus styling.
Mama has a champagne Mercury Sable wagon. Had all the options like a digital dash and the 3.8 V6. Learned how to drive in it when I was 12 years old. Many years of good reliable service until one morning when the head gasket blew and wouldn’t stop smoking. I remember riding home the day we bought it all the way in the back row facing the wrong way talking to mom and thinking how cool it was. Just a lap belt, no headrests for whiplash, and some of the thinnest American steel. It’s amazing how we all made it through the 90’s.
What a lot of people don't know is that the automatics they equipped the Taurus with were complete garbage and instead of replacing it, they updated it. The updated versions retained the same short lifespan many generations in.
you said it, i still own a 95 sable wagon, rebuilt tranny with all the updates, still driving good 166k miles
You guys are fucking dumb. They had a few recalls of the AX4n including he torque converter. Other then that the AX4N is a bulletproof transmission. And we love to see them at are transmission shop but we just don’t.
I loved this car growing up. It was my favorite car, LOL.
Am I the only one that remembers this Taurus wagon from Child's Play?
Or Christmas Vacation
I remember when taurus were everywhere
As good as the Taurus was, the Camry and Accord were definitely the ones to beat. The Taurus lost its crown to Camry in 1997, and it was just a sad, slow death from there.
That was it. The big wigs at Ford got too comfortable thinking consumers were stupid. Same for GM, which was crazy since they had a joint venture with Toyota for years and should have been taking notes the whole time on quality control.
@@YourJudgeLaw okay....
@@YourJudgeLaw By the way, Taurus is no more and Camry is the #1 seller, but you're kewl.
@@bradc7882 I'm sure most people commenting know that. I'd rather be in a Taurus than a Camry myself despite everything. I grew up with American iron in the driveway, and the Big 3 put food on my table (and thousands of others), so I would never support Toyota or any Japanese manufacturers due to that. But nobody can deny the Camry's well-earned reputation by comparison.
My favorite Taurus wagon model! I love the front! 🚘
Still the best mail delivery car I ever owned. Well, except for the notorious POS axod transmission.
@jason9022 what are you, 10 years old?
Beautiful Cars. I owned a 1988 Taurus with the optional 4 speed overdrive auto. My only complaint, the CV joints kept wearing out.😼
I used to love watching this show back in the day.
1:15 Pretty sure that from the C pillars back, the 92 wagon was a carry over from the 86-91.
Yep. In fact, the only change was the front clip and the bumpers. The entire frame is a carryover from '86.
@@VectraQSyep, the sedans got the bigger change in the back.
As someone who's first car was a 93 Mercury Sable Sedan with the 3.8 V6, this car was a blast. Great speakers, good handling and fun city acceleration. Too bad the AC unit was missing lol
Every other car had that 3.0 Mitsubishi sourced engine in the 80s & 90s. This was such a beautiful car until 96 when Ford lost its mind.
I loved Ford Taurus’ ever since kindergarten. My teacher had a late 80s one. Their biggest issue was transmissions going bad
zane sutherland it’s spelled Ford Tauruses, not Taurus’. You cannot pluralize a word with an apostrophe. Just like you would say/spell, “I love these cars,” you would say, “I love these Tauruses.”
Expect the trans to break between 20-40k
66 that may have only been on the 3.8
They’re all broken by now
Wasn’t there a stick shift version of the Taurus?
@@user-xg8yy7yl1d yep! Both the four cylinder and the SHO were available with a 5 speed (SHO 5 speed only until 1993).
Is the 3.0 the same as the Rangers 3.0?
Station wagons > crossovers
Yes they certainly are.
I love how when they turned the radio on and Roxanne by The Police came on haha. I've always liked these, my second car was a 94 Sedan haha, that was in 2005 and it didn't age well, had a ton of issues but it still got me to school lol.
I honestly kinda want one of these...
The 1st and 2nd generation Sables are my favorite cars on the planet. I've owned several over the years. The ownership experience was souring due to constant transmission failures. The last Sable I owned chewed up 3 transmissions in 10 years. They were Ford remanufactured units installed by Ford dealerships. Each time it was a $3,000 repair bill. Ouch. Still my favorite car in the world but I would not own one again...nor would I ever purchase another Ford product. My current Toyota just hit 20 years old and 220K miles and I've never had a major repair.
The only test and review of this vehicle i need is from Clark W Griswold Jr.
M2K4380 the ultimate emergency maneuver and braking test
That was the best car of its class for 1992 with the taxes and family car when I was growing up as a entering my mid-teens that year.
Love the Taurus Wagon, it was an awesome family car :)
Sempre sensacional 😃😃 sensacional amigo
1992 Ford Taurus Wagon, the official car of: “get your stuff kids, we’re going to grandma’s house for the next two weeks”
my grandpa had one of these i remember it was so rusty it looked like a piece of cheese, but ran like a champ.
The Taurus wagon was pure 90's Americana. I miss them so much. Not particularly reliable, but they were roomy, comfortable, and very safe for the time.
These retro vids are great. Makes me think of how crappy and underpowered cars used to be. A whopping 140hp V6 with 14 inch wheels. 🤣😄🤣
Ozzstar - Smaller wheels and a taller sidewall is a better combination on a family vehicle like this. I hate the modern trend of putting 40-series tires on virtually everything these days. Not only are taller tires cheaper and ride better, but they’re much more resistant to pothole damage.
that 0-60 was good for those power numbers,, It's faster than a NEW Subaru Legacy outback wagon with the 4cyl
Specific displacement of 46 hp per liter 😂. The 3.8 was even worse; 36 hp/liter. Modern NA motors average about 75 hp/liter today. The "mighty" SHO made about 73 hp/liter. That 3.8 V6 would make about 285 hp. We've come a long way.
Ian Clancy no doubt
Shattered Dreams If I'm not mistaking the late Taurus sho Faster than the mustang of that year, can't remember which Taurus sho it was but there was a big discussion about it
Hilarious to see that thing go through the slalom. We used to take ours up to the cottage , we got ours used for $800 and it did the 2000km round trip a few times.
Taurus the best carrão maravilhoso
I love the "like" of this wagon over the Accord and Camry wagon lol. The 90s are wild
I still see Accord and Camry wagons on the road today in great shape and they are really good looking.
The Taurus wagons I see are all beat to shit, rusted and fill with crap lol.
Honda wagon is sexy. I'd love to have one.
I have NEVER seen a 90s Toyota or Honda wagon up here in Chicago. Yet I see Taurus/Sable wagons all the time...
It has enough room for my family. I like station wagons, may sound weird, but i like them
Jorge Tamacas not weird at all. You're normal. Station wagons actually served a purpose back then. They could tow a trailer, and haul a whole family around at the same time. Crossovers these days can barely seat 4 people and cant get out of their own way. Once touch screens and tech took over, functionality went right off the cliff, never to be seen again.
You're not alone in your sentiment. I love and miss station wagons. They handle better and are more fuel efficient. Plus I'm nostalgic for that old Americana.
@@Lrules364 You are right. I love them. Actually in the past my father had a '87 Subaru GL Station Wagon, how many memories I have.
14 inch wheels. I love old car videos. I wonder who was the first person to say "Hey, we can go for 18 inch wheels!" and not use metric! Damn you 2.0 litre metric engines!
Ah 1st grade, didn’t have much to worry about, I started learning about cars about that time and my uncle bought one of these used and it was shortly after summer break started and I was able to take a ride in it, to this day I still think it’s a sharp wagon! His was blue on blue, too bad time did it in and I grew up but I might try to get one someday
These early Ford Tauruses are a far cry better than the new ones ever will be
WHOA!!!!! I never knew you tested the wagon, too!!!!! AWESOME CALL!!!!! And I echo the poster below me. I REALLY wish there had been an SHO wagon!!!!!!!
I have had the Taurus version of the minivan, Ford Windstar GL with the 3.8L V6, from the mid 90's.
I have read somewhere that the Windstar was built on the Taurus platform, and has many likenesses because of it.