bobbyd

Time for info sharing. Charger is Rear wheel drive and offers the following models...SE,SXT,RT,SXT PLUS,RT PLS, RT ROAD AND TRACK,RT MAX,SRT8,SRT SUPER BEE. Lets count...that totals 9 model choices. Taurus Front wheel drive offers..SE, SEL\, Limited and SHO...total 4 models. Charger total sales average ONLY 500-900 units per month more than Taurus...and they include heavy police orders too. The Impala sells more than Taurus but is averaged at $10,000 less per vehicle MSRP. I hope this helps you!

I also own a 2013 Black Taurus Limited and its sleeping in the garage for the winter. I had the Limited 19 inch wheels 'perma chromed' which is a PVD process that gives the wheel a deep chrome finish but will not crack or chip or ever rust like chrome does. Its a new process that is only offered as after-market. Its not a plating like you see on the dodge Chargers. (Plating chips off easily) . I can tell you it makes a big visual difference ...people really turn their necks when they see my car. Go to US Wheels.com and look at how the PVD process works.

thanks for buying a Ford. Remember, the Taurus was not designed for those extreme miles per gallon....however, I still averaged over 27 MPG at 70+ MPH on my iowa trip. I can get close to 30 MPG if I tried.....its more than that....I like the looks of the car. MPG does not affect most potential Taurus buyers! That Hybrid Taurus you are buying is not that much cheaper than the Taurus...right?

Remember, the Taurus is not competing in those segments. Read my lips...Avalon and Buick Lacross. Actually, the Taurus outsells every one of the Buick lines. The Charger and Impala also add police units in their totals. The Charger was not much more in sales than the Taurus this month...and they sell Chargers to the police now that the Crown Vic is gone. Lets compare apples to apples!

A mile or so difference does not matter when you want to drive a great highway car that does not look Asian! No V-6! C'mon! I like power and the Fusion can't hold a candle to the Taurus! Beep beep...move that little engine over.....and hold on so the air doesn't blow you off the road when I come roaring by! (Nothing personal...but the Fusion needs a V-6).

No comparison in price ! The difference is that the Taurus costs about $13,000-$15000 more than the Dart...and still more buyers chose the Taurus! The Fusion is much less expensive than the Taurus, so you expect higher sales. The Taurus leads in its segment against direct rivals like the Avalon and LaCross. The Fusion is shorter, lighter, less cargo capacity, smaller front and rear track, and without a V-6 powerplant. Its the main reason I chose the Taurus. To me, I see family sedan when I look at Fusion. The Taurus was not designed for that segment.

Looking at the new Fusion compared to the Taurus....I like the Fusion front grill...but its like looking at a Hyundai Sonata from the sideview. The taillights are asian inspired....! The Taurus comes with a new V-6 powerplant that launches the 2 tons of Ford Quality from 0-60 MPH in 6.9 seconds and a standing quarter mile in 15 seconds. By the way, the Taurus carries an extra 350 lbs more than the Fusion...an asset when taking those long drives...not to forget a larger fuel tank. The Fusion does not even offer a V-6 engine. The Fusion has much less cargo space compared to the Taurus..almost 4 cubic feet. The Taurus tracks over 3 inches wider and most importantly...the Taurus cannot be compared to any other make. I always laugh when I see the Buick Lacross...its so Asian inspired and a direct copy of the old Lexus design! Don't get me wrong about the Fusion...its a nice car...but I prefer my 2013 Taurus Limited with 19 inch wheels and a mild 'raked' look. You old school guys remember the "raked" look of the 60's when cool cars had a higher rear end than the front. You don't see that in the Fusion..its looks like its carrying a full load of passengers being designed with a low profile. I just love that Taurus profile...especially when you follow one from behind...it has that 'macho wide track stance' that the competitors can't match!

That new Dodge Dart's body style is very similar to the old style Focus (2 Door Focus). If you look at a side view from the B-pillar back...or even from the rear view (aside from the annoying LED light bar)...its the old Focus. Its been for sale since last June and still no surge in sales. Car and Driver's road test of the Dart versus the Focus...not even close....Focus rules. The Focus is amazingly faster than both the Dart and Cruze. The Cruz is a baby Malibu.

Speaking of the Ford Taurus...did you notice the Taurus actually outsold the new Dodge Dart in December. As I recall, the Dart was suppose to compete with the Focus and Cruz. Each of those cars outsells the Dart by over 3 times! Looks like the infamous Chrysler Fiat team has 2 losers....Fiat 500 and Dart! The new Taurus, which competes with the Buick Lacross and Toyota Avalon.....has pulled away in sales! I just love my new Taurus and I don't have to worry about recalls because it was built and engineered by American know how...not the European goons who ruined the launch of the Escape and Fusion!

Thanks guys...push button is the way!

I recently watched a commercial for the 2013 MKZ and they have no shifter. Is it push button like the old Plymouths...?

OK...after all the helpful tips I finally decided to move the stored Car up a foot to avoid the flat spotting tires. I left the battery tender on and uncovered the car...put the key into the ignition and turned one click forward, carefully avoiding turning the engine over. The shifter would NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK! OK..OK..I figured out the problem. I FORGOT TO CLOSE THE DRIVER'S DOOR. THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT UNTIL THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. Anyway, I know most experts understand that..I just wanted the rest of us to learn that lesson. Its now moved and I won't have to push it back for another 5 weeks or so. Happy New Year!

Thanks for the info about turning the ignition on to shift into neutral with the battery tender on and charging. It would save me the hassle of disconnecting the terminals. If I can leave the shifter in neutral and pull out the ignition key, I think I'll also be able to move the car tires a foot or so to avoid flatspotting every 4-5 weeks! FYI..I called Michelin's Tech support and they told me it takes about 2 months for the tires to show symptoms of flatspotting. They cautioned me NOT to overinflate the tires beyond recommended maximum of 40 PSI. I'm sure glad I won't have to start the engine up and simply keep the tires moved every month or so. Merry Christmas and lets hope Ford Motor Company stays strong in the New Year!

I like the suggestion of placing the shifter into Neutral and leaving it there , thus avoiding the removal of the cover every 5 weeks to move the tires. One last Question...can I leave the battery tender on when I turn the ignition one click to shift into Neutral...or do I need to disconnect it first to avoid any electrical damage?

Wow, what an awesome commercial. The music background, nobody talking since there is no need to...just the simple facts. I hope they put this ad on the networks.

Great to hear from the responses that I'm doing things properly. However, I just discovered another idea regarding the tires. It was suggested to me that since I will NOT be driving the car and also will NOT start the engine up while in winter storage I should simply move the car foward about a foot or so every 4-5 weeks WITHOUT starting the engine. It would resolve the flat spot issue with the tires. The following 4-5 weeks I simply push it back again while in the garage. Seems sensible. Question....in order to shift the car into N to move it.....do I turn the ignition key foward or reverse in order to shift into Neutral? Do I need to disconnect the battery tender charging the car while I do this? I worry about electrical damage....? Any suggestions?

I have stored my 2013 Taurus LTD in my attached garage this Winter since Nov 1st. However, I drove the car ONCE around the block 30 days ago. I am looking for some expert advice regarding the DO's and DON'Ts of storage. Here are the details...I filled the tank and placed heavy plastic on the garage floor (vapor barrier) under the car. I have a premium car cover on it. I have the battery on a tender keeping the battery charged. I parked the tires on carpet strips. Now the debate....some say leave the car stored until April 1st when it comes out of storage. They say starting the car up will only cause condensation in the engine and exhaust unless its driven for an extended period of time...which it won't be, in my case. I worry about the tires being FLAT SPOTTED if left parked for the next 4 months. Others say its OK as long as they are inflated and not stored for over a year. That's my main worry! True or false? The Motorweek show advised AGAINST jacking the car off the ground for storage, since it extends the suspension, shocks etc for an extended time and actually could cause suspension problems...since the car was not designed for that. I also cannot roll the car back to rotate the tires without starting the car up..thus creating the condensation issue. Argh! Bottomline: Either leave it parked for the winter....or start it up and drive around the block? I need some advice!

Update..regarding the daytime running lights you inquired about. I just called the Chrysler parts department and they charge $1100 to replace the standard C-shaped LED headlights on the 300 series , since the daytime lights and headlights are all one unit. That price is for each LIGHT. WOW!

I also own a 2013 Ford Taurus Limited. Great car! I don't believe you can order daytime lights...but really don't see a need for them. I think the fad started years ago when GM used them on all their Canadian cars. To me, its all show. Similar to the LED tailights that all the new cars are using. By the way, have you driven behind a new Dodge Charger at night on the highway.....those full length tailights are a huge optical nuisance...practically blinding. Ugh!

will do...thanks! Car is covered and in storage for the winter!

I will make sure about using Parking brake first. Since you are a knowledgeable Ford guy, maybe you can help me with my issue on my 2013 Ford Taurus Limited. I am trying to figure out how I can manually overide the Auto Temperature control. Since I have the automatic temp control, there are times I want to turn it off, but have not been able to find any button to do so. When I have a passenger in the car and the system allows me to SET the temp for each side, the fan starts blowing to adjust and my passenger is getting hit by the blowing air. I called the dealer and Ford help....they have no answer other than...its automatic.

How did they name it? Also...what does PAWL mean? MOST IMPORTANTLY, we parked the Taurus in the heavily inclined driveway lastnight and followed your directions to first set the parking brake before shifting into reverse......WOW, no clunk ...no bang...no errors. It was incredible. Of course we have to remember to remove the parking brake after shifting, but it was amazing...especially after all these years of dealing with avoiding parking on any inclines. Thank you, very much!

I never thought of using parking brake. Thanks for the quick response!

Our 2001 Taurus is a great car. However, we really have difficulty shifting out of PARK when the car is sitting on an incline. It takes much effort to shift out of PARK to REVERSE or NUETRAL and also makes a "clunk noise". Its NEVER a problem on level surface. The transmission is fine. We are wondering where the problem is and how to fix it. The car has 59,000 miles and runs great. I thinks its in the linkage but wonder what it will cost to fix.

Thanks guys, I'll cancel the cleaning and use the $$$$ to buy my grandkids something nice. By the way, he also wanted to change the power steering fluid! enough said!