The wife's car, 2003 Ford Taurus

[Doohickie]

In 03 when she was going to college (a 100 mile daily round trip), my wife got a 2003 Taurus. She bought it new and it already has 78000 miles.

I'll start out with the new SigPic I designed for the Taurus forum:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/SigPic.jpg

And now for some random views:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture050-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture049-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture048-1.jpg

Notice the Elantra lurking in the garage; even though I had just washed it the day before, it gave me a jealous look when I washed the Taurus just before these pics :angryfire

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture052-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture051-1.jpg

The car is entirely stock; the only "improvement" I've made is when the stock Continentals wore out (at 72000 miles), I put on some Falken Ziex P215/60R16s:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture047-1.jpg

Based on the experience on the Taurus, I'm seriously considering the Falkens for my Elantra when the time comes.

And finally, the powerplant- A very dusty 3.0 liter Vulcan V6:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture056.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture055-1.jpg

[SuperGLS]

Leather?

[Keyan]

My mother has one of these, same color same year.

Honestly I hate the car.

It handles like a boat when you turn the steering wheel ever so slightly,
It has NO pickup when you put your foot down. (Dare I say it's an even match to my hyundai?)
It looks like crap, and it's driver seat is a couch. No bolsters at all. I drive with a seatbelt and I still feel like I am driving from the passenger seat when I take turns.

Sorry, but to each their own.

the ONLY thing I like about it is the trip computer thing.

[slow 2K2GT]

im in the same boat Keyan, I hate those things. My buddy has one and we took it on a long drive and again I hated it.

[Doohickie]

My mother has one of these, same color same year.

Honestly I hate the car.

It handles like a boat when you turn the steering wheel ever so slightly,
It has NO pickup when you put your foot down. (Dare I say it's an even match to my hyundai?)
It looks like crap, and it's driver seat is a couch. No bolsters at all. I drive with a seatbelt and I still feel like I am driving from the passenger seat when I take turns.

Sorry, but to each their own.

the ONLY thing I like about it is the trip computer thing.
I don't have a trip computer.

For a big car, though, I think the steering is fine; if anything, the Elantra has a much floatier steering feel which happens to be the thing I dislike most about the car. And putting Falken Ziex tires on made a huge improvement in handling; feels glued to the road.

You're right about the pickup- I'm pretty sure my stock Elantra AT would take it. Then again, we get nearly 30 mpg on long trips with a fully loaded Taurus, so I'm okay with that.

I actually like the styling of the car. For a family sedan, I think it's kinda sexy. To be honest I'm not sure why everyone hates it (other than there are so many Tauruses out there that they are viewed as commonplace).

The driver's seat is kind of "couchy" but at least this one has the center console. No leather in this one, though. I actually don't like leather for seating. I was thinking about it for the Elantra, but I took a GT out on one of our 100 degree Texas days and my back was soaked with sweat.

[Munky]

Black Suede > Leather

My mom has one of these Tauruses..they're nothing fancy but they're good for the money.

[slow 2K2GT]

Ford is always good for the money, bang for the buck is what its all about right.

[murda-c]

we have one, the top of the line 03 model...got it for 19-20 grand otd i think, it has every option except the sound system, and i already upgraded that for my dad.

i don't like how it doesn't decelerate when you lift your foot off the gas, but other than that it does what it was built to do very well.

[joph09]

Rich neighborhood doohickie, I like

[mtlelantra]

yeah, nice house! me likey the stone!

[ghrpdx]

I've always liked the exterior design of this generation of Taurus but the interior seemed so claustrophobic.

[robs02elantra]

nice house, but I feel bad for the neighbors in the pink place!!

[Doohickie]

Actually, my neighborhood is sliding from upper middle class to lower middle class. As soon as my son graduate high school in 09, we're looking to move. The pink house? Doesn't look so bad in person, it's more of a red. They're Indian (as in "from India"). Great neighbors in that I never hear them. Ever. (Except the time when their daughter got married and they partied non-stop for a week with a tent in the back yard and everything.)

And I know what Gearcat means about it feeling claustrophic in the Taurus, but on the other hand our sons, 6'-3" and 6'-5", fit easily in the car. And that's with me in the front at 6'-2". It's kind of deceivingly roomy. Then again, it's the biggest car I've ever owned; I'm just not a big car guy.

[ghrpdx]

I think it was the greenhouse area that made it feel claustrophobic ... seemed like the windows were small and limited your outward vision. I had a '99 ZX2 that was very similar. Plenty of leg and head room but the window area was so limited. The ONLY reason I traded in that car was because I would hit my head on the roof of the car as I was getting in at least daily. I had to get rid of it before I cracked my head open!

[Doohickie]

Gave the engine a sponge bath:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/Picture063.jpg

[Estopatitiana]

ive had these 3 or 4 times with rental companies and think they are pretty decent, yeah pickup is ok, but its comfy and quiet. of cours i drive them like rally cars, they are good family cars

[strawb3rrygash3]

Nothing personal. I dont like ford very much. everyone my parents ever owned crapped the bucket.

[Doohickie]

Yeah, see, there's the problem. I'm not particularly keen on Fords either, but the last three I've owned- the Taurus, the Escort and the (Kia-built) Aspire have been extremely reliable and trouble free. My wife prefers them and will probably own Fords for the rest of her life.

When I bought the Elantra, the Focus was the competing car, but it just didn't have the level of refinement offered by the Elantra. So I defected.

[Doohickie]

I just made the last payment on the 5-year loan and the Taurus is finally OURS! It only took 97,850 miles to pay off the loan! :D

w00t!

[Qyn]

Lol good job! My friend used to have one of these, used to call it the Clitaurus. Or El Toro. God we hated that car...

[2001GLS]

My sister has a 2000 model, same 3.0L Vulcan V6. It has 98,000 miles on it now. She has beaten the hell out of it since 2002 when she got it. Very durable car. Has lots of body damage and just recently the rear axle became bent when she backed it into a wooden fence post. Cost to fix: $500. Not sure if she's going to repair the axle or junk it at this point but it's been a solid car.

[Doohickie]

We hope to keep the Taurus for a lot longer, but we will probably get something new for the wife and pass the Taurus down to my son.

[2001GLS]

My sister got a bodyshop to replace the broken axle component with a used part from a junked Taurus for $200. She then took the car and traded it in for a 2008 VW Rabbit 3dr yesterday.