Taurus vs. Fusion

[FordBuyer]

Now that the Taurus is fully competitive, I look for Taurus to take some sales away from Fusion. Not looking forward to it as Fusion is nice, important vehicle to Ford, but nonetheless Taurus offers excellent value. Compare the two....with the Taurus for a few thousand more, you get Ford's best V6, more room everywhere, nicer interior, more features, same gas mileage, more safety, better residual value, and it's built in U.S.A. The new Taurus should get its fair share of Taurus owners like myself selling their older Taurus. Fusion I'm sure gets some of those buyers, but I'm sorry the new Taurus trumps the Fusion for me, and I'm sure some others. Looks to me like I4 Fusion should do ok going forward, but the v6 Fusion will have tough comparison up against the new Taurus. Just my opinion, and I will be noticing sales comparisons as new Taurus ramps up. Ditto for Sable/Milan.

 

Currently drive 2002 Taurus SES Sport,

 

Mike

[TomServo92]

I suspect it will steal some V6 sales but the majority of Fusion sales are I4. Most people that buy the I4 are looking for economy. I don't imagine they'll step over to the Taurus in that case.

[FordBuyer]

I suspect it will steal some V6 sales but the majority of Fusion sales are I4. Most people that buy the I4 are looking for economy. I don't imagine they'll step over to the Taurus in that case.

 

That and the Fusion is better looking than Taurus as Taurus/500 is still thought of as "old man's car." The Fusion does not have that problem. It's very youthful looking. The new Taurus looks better, but still will be stuck with that label. So I still stand behind my statement that v6 Fusion will lose sales to Taurus in short term, but as Fusion is improved going forward the sales loss will be minimized or wiped out altogether. Both vehicles have completely different personas, but for now IMO the new Taurus offers more value, especially against v6 Fusion.

[Bob Rosadini]

Now that the Taurus is fully competitive, I look for Taurus to take some sales away from Fusion. Not looking forward to it as Fusion is nice, important vehicle to Ford, but nonetheless Taurus offers excellent value. Compare the two....with the Taurus for a few thousand more, you get Ford's best V6, more room everywhere, nicer interior, more features, same gas mileage, more safety, better residual value, and it's built in U.S.A. The new Taurus should get its fair share of Taurus owners like myself selling their older Taurus. Fusion I'm sure gets some of those buyers, but I'm sorry the new Taurus trumps the Fusion for me, and I'm sure some others. Looks to me like I4 Fusion should do ok going forward, but the v6 Fusion will have tough comparison up against the new Taurus. Just my opinion, and I will be noticing sales comparisons as new Taurus ramps up. Ditto for Sable/Milan.

 

Currently drive 2002 Taurus SES Sport,

 

Mike

Mike- I'm sure you are correct when it comes to the high end- Fusion vs. Taurus. Either way its a Ford sale. Big issue will be the Camry converts- let's keep our finger's crossed.

 

By the way, Taurus was always my company's car for marketing reps. Of late we have been buying Fusions. We will go back to Taurus.

[Hugh]

Another thing is the size. Taurus is a full-size and Fusion is Mid-size. It will appeal to different people. I drive a compact but used to live in the heart of the city with limited parking and road space. I had a neighbour who had a Five Hundred and finding a spot was more difficult then I did.

Overall, I think both cars will do fine and Fusion is up for a 2009 refresh too.

[tim kakouris]

the 500 appeals to a bit older audience. yes, the taurus is a better car in a lot of ways, but it's meant to be. the fusion is sportier, hands down.

[Furious1Auto]

The Taurus interior needs a Fusion treatment, I have driven them both and although the Taurus has more room, more powerful engine, and better saftey rating. The Fusions interior is more astedically pleasing and ergonomically functional!

[nibyak]

I currently own a 2006 Freestyle. The Fusion was on my short list to replace my old Focus. The other car on the list is the new Taurus. A few weeks ago the CVT in Freestyle went on the fritz and the car was in the shop for a few weeks. For the first week the Freestyle was in the shop I had a brand new 07 Fusion for a loaner. I put close to 1300 miles on in the time that I had it so it wasn't just a quick test drive. The Fusion was an I4 SE. The Fusion has since been removed from my list. I'm sure that the V6 car is much better than the I4 but it wasn't a lack of power that turned me off to the Fusion. I believe that the "big car" feel of the Freestyle has spoiled me. The transmission in the I4 Fusion was "in my opinion" a piece of crap. I drive in heavy traffic around Washington DC everyday and just couldn't get it accelerate quickly when I needed to change lanes or merge "quickly" in relatively slow traffic. I'm sure that the Tranny in the V6 is much better. I also had a 2006 Taurus loaner for the rest of the time the car was in the shop and had no complaints about the transmission in it. In the Fusion, when rolling along at 5 to 10 MPH then stomping the gas, the car would make a lot of noise but wouldn't accelerate for 3 or 4 seconds. My only other complaint is that the Fusion doesn't have much headroom. I'm 5'11" so I'm not overly tall, but when I had the seat adjusted high enough, my head was skimming the ceiling. My Focus seems to have more headroom than the Fusion. The interior looked fine but seems a bit cramped to me. Like I said above, the "big car" feel of the Freestyle has spoiled me. My 15-year-old son wanted us to keep the Fusion, but every time my wife got out of it she smacked her head on the doorframe and cursed a lot. So sometime this fall it looks like we'll be getting a new Taurus to park next to the Freestyle.

 

P.S. I'm 47 years old so I don't know if that makes me an old man or not. I do know that at 45,000 miles per year driving, that comfort is way more important than how the car looks.

Edited July 24, 2007 by nibyak

[Furious1Auto]

I suspect it will steal some V6 sales but the majority of Fusion sales are I4. Most people that buy the I4 are looking for economy. I don't imagine they'll step over to the Taurus in that case.

[Meelaan]

Besides the similar V6 MPG ratings, I can't see any rationale for believing that because the FiveHundred is now called "Taurus" that it will steal sales from the Fusion. Calling it a "Taurus" does not make it a Taurus.

 

As has been mentioned, the "new" Taurus is HUGE compared to the Fusion. It's a full-size car on par with a Crown Victoria. Full-size cars take up more room and can be more difficult to park in urban areas. That's why it's a smaller market than mid-size cars.

 

In person, no one will find the new Taurus package similar to the old one. I personally tend to think of it as a steroidal 4-door VW New Beetle with a trunk.

Edited July 24, 2007 by Meelaan

[NickF1011]

Besides the similar MPG ratings, I can't see any rationale for believing that because the FiveHundred is now called "Taurus" that it will steal sales from the Fusion. Calling it a "Taurus" does not make it a Taurus.

 

As has been mentioned, the "new" Taurus is HUGE compared to the Fusion. It's a full-size car on par with a Crown Victoria. Full-size cars take up more room and can be more difficult to park in urban areas. That's why it's a smaller market than mid-size cars.

 

In person, no one will find the new Taurus package similar to the old one. I personally tend to think of it as a steroidal 4-door VW New Beetle with a trunk.

 

Eh, I didn't find the Five Hundred or Taurus to be too menacing when I've been near them. They certainly appear smaller than the Panthers.

[92merc]

Eh, I didn't find the Five Hundred or Taurus to be too menacing when I've been near them. They certainly appear smaller than the Panthers.

I just went from a Grand Marquis to a Montego. Externally, the Montego is a lot smaller. Both in overall width and length. Inside the front area is about the same. Which is good. In the rear, the Montego has even more room than my GM had.

 

So for a regular guy walking by, he won't think the vehicle formerly know as 500 is huge. Not if he's walking by a Marquis first. And if it's by other cars, it still won't be that big.

[Furious1Auto]

I just went from a Grand Marquis to a Montego. Externally, the Montego is a lot smaller. Both in overall width and length. Inside the front area is about the same. Which is good. In the rear, the Montego has even more room than my GM had.

 

So for a regular guy walking by, he won't think the vehicle formerly know as 500 is huge. Not if he's walking by a Marquis first. And if it's by other cars, it still won't be that big.

Thy new Taurus is for the family guy like me. The reason I didn't buy a 500 is because it was not sporty enough. If the 500 had the Taurus front fascia when I bout, I would now be driving one!

[2008fordtaurus]

I couldn't agree more. I have been following the Five Hundred since early 2005. I test drove them and the things that kept me from buying it was the 3.0 motor and I always thought the grille on the FH looked too much like the Focus. I heard in late '05 of the changes coming for the '08 model year so I waited.

I was so impressed with the changes that I ordered a Taurus sight unseen. It week 5 and I hope that it won't be much longer to wait for it.

[92merc]

Thy new Taurus is for the family guy like me. The reason I didn't buy a 500 is because it was not sporty enough. If the 500 had the Taurus front fascia when I bout, I would now be driving one!

 

When you say "sporty", you must mean the looks. I've taken my Montego around a clover leaf corner faster than I'd take my 700lb cruiser motorcycle. I have the 18" wheels and if you just whip the wheel, it will turn. Turns way better than my old Grand Marquis. But I pay for it. Ride is harsher. Not in a bad way. But road joints are more noticeable.

 

Now as far as looks go, I have to agree. I didn't care for the fiver's grille. Which is one reason I bought the Montego. Just a better looking nose. But it's all relative I suppose.

[FordBuyer]

I couldn't agree more. I have been following the Five Hundred since early 2005. I test drove them and the things that kept me from buying it was the 3.0 motor and I always thought the grille on the FH looked too much like the Focus. I heard in late '05 of the changes coming for the '08 model year so I waited.

I was so impressed with the changes that I ordered a Taurus sight unseen. It week 5 and I hope that it won't be much longer to wait for it.

 

Congratulations on a great choice. I'm envious. I think the new Taurus is a good choice for the buyer who wants comfort for himself, his wife, and back seat passengers. It's also great choice for buyer who desires great visibility, command view of road, and safe and secure feeling with good fuel mileage and power as bonus. The 500 was always a handsome car albeit a conservative one. Now the new Taurus has a little edge to it and is no longer a wallflower, but somewhat of an understated looker who is easy on the eyes with a slight sense of adventure.

 

As for the Fusion, it looks smaller than it is and is a great handling vehicle and one you want to drive with some aplomb. The Fusion really is a headturner if outfitted right, and overall does everything well, but nothing great. Backseat passengers are treated ok, but not as good as my 2002 Taurus which has adjustable vents for them and reading lamps. All in all, the Fusion is a serious contender that is getting better every year with more features and appeals to buyer who has different priorities than Taurus buyer.

 

Already I have noticed that many of new Tauruses on road I have seen have older driver with a few younger ones. With Fusion, great majority are younger guys and lots of young women, especially with Milan. I think that's great since Ford captures the younger and older driver with competitive offerings. I'm 59 and the new Taurus or Sable really pulls at my heart strings. I can almost see it as last new vehicle I buy as my vehicles last forever. My 2002 Taurus looks like it just came out of factory.

[2008fordtaurus]

Congratulations on a great choice. I'm envious. I think the new Taurus is a good choice for the buyer who wants comfort for himself, his wife, and back seat passengers. It's also great choice for buyer who desires great visibility, command view of road, and safe and secure feeling with good fuel mileage and power as bonus. The 500 was always a handsome car albeit a conservative one. Now the new Taurus has a little edge to it and is no longer a wallflower, but somewhat of an understated looker who is easy on the eyes with a slight sense of adventure.

 

As for the Fusion, it looks smaller than it is and is a great handling vehicle and one you want to drive with some aplomb. The Fusion really is a headturner if outfitted right, and overall does everything well, but nothing great. Backseat passengers are treated ok, but not as good as my 2002 Taurus which has adjustable vents for them and reading lamps. All in all, the Fusion is a serious contender that is getting better every year with more features and appeals to buyer who has different priorities than Taurus buyer.

 

Already I have noticed that many of new Tauruses on road I have seen have older driver with a few younger ones. With Fusion, great majority are younger guys and lots of young women, especially with Milan. I think that's great since Ford captures the younger and older driver with competitive offerings. I'm 59 and the new Taurus or Sable really pulls at my heart strings. I can almost see it as last new vehicle I buy as my vehicles last forever. My 2002 Taurus looks like it just came out of factory.

You mentioned a few other reasons that I wanted one... back seat passengers... our 9 and 12 year old daughters. The visibility is impressive. I sat behind the wheel of a 300, Magnum and Charger and I couldn't see out them!

I hear the 3.5 is sweet but not too thirsty.

The new Taurus... or should I say my wife's new Taurus (she's been very patient with me since telling her in '05 that I wanted to wait for the '08) and at 45, will be only our second new car so it is a really big deal for us. Our first and only new car was our '94 Taurus GL whose only options were A/C and rear window defroster. This time my wife wants some of the feature she did not have such as power windows and locks.

Since there were no Tauruses to be found in western Washington we ordered it and it should make the both of us happy. It is an AWD Limited with power moonroof, 18" chrome wheels, Limited Convenience Package, Advance Trac ESC and Navigation.

Maps are far cheaper but I strayed from my usual conservative nature and ordered Nav anyway.

I order it without a deposit, rationalizing that I couldn't put $$ down on a car that I've never driven. Before it arrives, we will rent one (yes, Hertz has 'em!) to try before buying one.

I aleady post on several Taurus forums and am clearing the garage for it!!!

[regfootball]

i got my 500 right when the fusion came out.

 

the fusion was a nice drive, but really is lacking so much compared to the taurus / 500.

 

the 500 / taurus is a right size car.

 

my family can take trips with the taurus, it is large enough to have room for everyone and luggage.

 

all other sedans are too small to be useful.

 

anyne who thinks the taurus / 500 is too big, nah. you're wrong. its just right.

 

i recently drove an 08 taurus. nice car.

Edited July 25, 2007 by regfootball

[Furious1Auto]

You mentioned a few other reasons that I wanted one... back seat passengers... our 9 and 12 year old daughters. The visibility is impressive. I sat behind the wheel of a 300, Magnum and Charger and I couldn't see out them!

I hear the 3.5 is sweet but not too thirsty.

The new Taurus... or should I say my wife's new Taurus (she's been very patient with me since telling her in '05 that I wanted to wait for the '08) and at 45, will be only our second new car so it is a really big deal for us. Our first and only new car was our '94 Taurus GL whose only options were A/C and rear window defroster. This time my wife wants some of the feature she did not have such as power windows and locks.

Since there were no Tauruses to be found in western Washington we ordered it and it should make the both of us happy. It is an AWD Limited with power moonroof, 18" chrome wheels, Limited Convenience Package, Advance Trac ESC and Navigation.

Maps are far cheaper but I strayed from my usual conservative nature and ordered Nav anyway.

I order it without a deposit, rationalizing that I couldn't put $$ down on a car that I've never driven. Before it arrives, we will rent one (yes, Hertz has 'em!) to try before buying one.

I aleady post on several Taurus forums and am clearing the garage for it!!!

The 3.5 in my wifes Edge make it a fast vehicle at 23.5 MPG average. Shave off 1,000 pounds and you'll probably get 26 MPG and better 0-60's!

[2008fordtaurus]

i got my 500 right when the fusion came out.

 

the fusion was a nice drive, but really is lacking so much compared to the taurus / 500.

 

the 500 / taurus is a right size car.

 

my family can take trips with the taurus, it is large enough to have room for everyone and luggage.

 

all other sedans are too small to be useful.

 

anyne who thinks the taurus / 500 is too big, nah. you're wrong. its just right.

 

i recently drove an 08 taurus. nice car.

That another thing. Once you see all the room inside, nothing else compares.

[Furious1Auto]

That another thing. Once you see all the room inside, nothing else compares.

That's not taking away from the Fusion though because a 6' man can easily fit in the back seat of one. Before I bought mine I sat in the back seat and had 4" between my knees and the back of the front seat! Yes, the Taurus does have much more room though!

Edited July 25, 2007 by Furious1Auto

[Meelaan]

i got my 500 right when the fusion came out.

 

the fusion was a nice drive, but really is lacking so much compared to the taurus / 500.

 

the 500 / taurus is a right size car.

 

my family can take trips with the taurus, it is large enough to have room for everyone and luggage.

 

all other sedans are too small to be useful.

 

anyne who thinks the taurus / 500 is too big, nah. you're wrong. its just right.

 

i recently drove an 08 taurus. nice car.

 

How tall/heavy are you? Fusion/Milan have quite a large interior on par with the last Taurus/Sable. I can't say I agree with your analysis that all other sedans are too small to be useful. That's kind of a ridiculous conclusion unless you have the build of Shaquille O'Neal.

Edited July 25, 2007 by Meelaan

[2008fordtaurus]

That's not taking away from the Fusion though because a 6' man can easily fit in the back seat of one. Before I bought mine I sat in the back seat and had 4" btween my knees and the back of the front seat! Yes, the Taurus does have much more room though!

Absolutely not taking away anything... the Fusion is a great car.

Perhap I didn't get all of my thought out. For our families needs and price range, nothing came close for us.

The Fusion is sportier but didn't have the room we desired. I like the "dual" exhaust too.

[Misteredog]

The 3.5 in my wifes Edge make it a fast vehicle at 23.5 MPG average. Shave off 1,000 pounds and you'll probably get 26 MPG and better 0-60's!

 

Unfortunately shaving 1000 lbs. off the Edge and retaining its current level of safety, comfort, amenities, and capabilities would likely result in car that costs about $100 more for every pound saved

[Furious1Auto]

Unfortunately shaving 1000 lbs. off the Edge and retaining its current level of safety, comfort, amenities, and capabilities would likely result in car that costs about $100 more for every pound saved

No, I was saying that the 3.5 will perform better with better fuel economy in the Taurus than in the Edge with the same motor, because of the weight difference. I'd like to add that my wifes edge is fast. I just want a supercharged SHO package! A supercharged SHO Edge or TaurusX would be awesome too! SHO needs to be big and bold molded into the rear fascia just like the 89' SHO!!!!!!

Edited July 26, 2007 by Furious1Auto