2005 model owners beware - key will get locked in ignition - this is not a recall and is not covered under basic warranty unless under 60,000 - and that's a maybe.

We bought a 1990, silver bullet, in 1993 as a 2nd car. Very reliable, this car would not die. Our daughter wound up taking it to college and driving it to/from her job as an Irish Dance instructor, 45 miles away, 2x per week. Somehow, and this was really not funny, on a visit to her college, probably Parents' Week-end, one of her friends let it slip that they had dubbed my old family Taurus, the shaggin' wagon. See, now, that's really just not funny . . .

An instant best buy in the class. Acceleration-3/5. Its no sports car, but the DOHC V-6 can go from 0-60 in around 8 seconds, not bad for a 3500 pound wagon. Fuel Economy-4/5. It gets about 19mpg on the city streets, 21mpg on the highway. Uses regular gas. Ride Quality- 3/5. Soaks up bumps pretty well. Small holes cannot be felt, although larger potholes can be stiff at times. Controls-5/5. Very easy to find, reach, and is very well organized. Radio and Climate Control buttons on a oval-shaped main panel. Room/Comfort (Front)-5/5. Front buckets well shaped and very comfortable. Plenty of leg room for me, and I am 61'. Head room fine, also. Console is great; it can either be opened or closed to allow a third seat in the middle. When open, it has room for a cell phone, 3 cupholders, coin holders, and another usefull cubby. Room/Comfort (Rear)-5/5. Room for 2 fat adults on middle bench seat. 3 kids are fine on it, although 3 adults will be squished. Seat perfectly designed. Largest room in the middle row for the class. No cupholders in the rear, a big drawback, although there is a fold out ashtray. Rear-facing third row seat usefull for 2 kids or one adult. It folds flat into the cargo area; a good design. Cargo Room-5/5. Plenty of room for whatever you need. No room when 3rd row is up. When its not needed, things can be put underneath the seat without ruining any storage room. With 2nd row folden down, there is as much cargo room as in a $40,000 Ford Expedition. Value within class-5/5. Plenty of cargo room, comfortable seating, strong V6, and a no cost 3rd row seat are the Taurus Wagon's main points. No other midsize sedan offers a wagon like this, except for the 04 Malibu. Its in a class by itself. Overall-5/5. Extra Credit for being underated. People today have stopped buying wagons in turn for SUV's. The wagon is a more practical vehicle than any SUV for the cost of each. Just to get the cargo room of this vehicle in a SUV, you are looking at a good $12,000 more. 2004 will be the last year for all Taurus's, which i believe is a huge mistake by Ford. The sedan Taurus will be replaced by the Ford 500, while the wagon will be replaced by the Freestyle, a mix of wagon and SUV.

A wagon? Not today

97 Taurus wagon with 3.0. Adequate power, good gas milage (20/24), and a good hauler. Currently 55,000 miles, replaced fuel pump at 38,000($300) and windshield washer moter($125) at 52,000. Comfortable ride but wish the back door was higher and squarer.

Premature air compressor and engine mount failures Transmission problems beginning at 100K

I drive a taurus wagon and the only problem I have had is a blown head gasket at 80,000 miles and that is because I own the 3.8