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2001
Ford Taurus

Starts at:
$18,550
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Available trims

See the differences side-by-side to compare trims.
  • 4dr Sdn LX
    Starts at
    $18,550
    20 City / 27 Hwy
    MPG
    6
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn SE
    Starts at
    $19,325
    20 City / 27 Hwy
    MPG
    6
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn SES
    Starts at
    $20,340
    20 City / 27 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Wgn SE
    Starts at
    $20,480
    18 City / 26 Hwy
    MPG
    8
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn SEL
    Starts at
    $21,825
    18 City / 27 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs

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2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus 2001 Ford Taurus

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Expert 2001 Ford Taurus review

our expert's take
Our expert's take
By
Full article
our expert's take

Pity the folks who don’t understand how much cars and people are alike. You have to get to know them [cars and people] before making a commitment. Otherwise, the relationship can be short and unhappy.

Some cars, and people, come on strong. They look like a million bucks. But spend some time with them, and you know they’re not for you. Lots of style, maybe not so much substance. The whole package doesn’t back up the looks or performance that first attracted you.

Then there are the cars, like people, you tend to overlook. Until you realize they’ve been around you for years, getting the job done, even though they hardly shout at you or stand out from the streams of vehicles passing by on the highway.

But spend some time with one of them and you come away impressed. There’s real substance behind that “normal” exterior.

This is about one of the latter: The 2001 Ford Taurus Wagon. Even though the 2002s are coming out, the changes will be of the tweaking and improving category. The redesign took place a year ago.

Mrs. G., never a fan of wagons and SUVs, gives this one her highest rating: “It’s a nice car … for a wagon.”

And she’s right. It’s a nice car – er, wagon. You don’t ooh and ahh over it, but it goes about its business, does what a wagon is supposed to do and, hidden behind that facade is a double five-star safety rating for both driver and passenger.

Family histories can get confusing, so let’s just deal with the last three generations of Taurus (and its sibling, the Mercury Sable). The first generation was the squarish design that made Taurus a best-seller in the early 1990s. The second generation was the oval design that didn’t win Ford many friends – earning only grudging acceptance by the time it was due to be phased out.

This is a third generation. It keeps some of the oval designs (door openings, windows, and grille) but squares off the whole car. It works. There’s plenty of room inside and the tailgate lifts for wide access to the rear storage area.

But there’s one leftover drawback from the oval design: Anyone bigger than a small child tends to whack their head when getting into the rear seat.

Among the four folks bonking their heads in a weekend of ferrying people and shopping was my daughter, hardly a giant at 5 feet, 4 inches.

This model of the Taurus was the SES, meaning it was a tad more expensive and had accoutrements such as leather seats, six-disc CD changer (with the unit mounted behind the wheel well in the rear cargo area), ABS, and traction control.

The 200-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 was up to the task of people moving. The Taurus wagons always have had a different rear suspension from the sedan models. This one’s short- and long-arm rear setup, in this corner’s opinion, continues a tradition in which the wagons handle better than the sedans.

Safety-wise, the Taurus is a big winner. That five-star front-seat driver and passenger safe ty rating is prized by Ford engineers, marketers, and customers alike. The dual-stage front air bags deploy with less force [although just as quickly] in lesser fontal collisions. Ford’s safety system also includes a crash-severity sensor, driver’s seat position sensor and front seat belt usage sensors. Those factors add up to those stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing. Our wagon also had side impact air bags (a $390 option).

Driving on the highway, in the land of 18-wheelers and SUVs, we felt safe.

Measurements for headroom and hiproom always confuse me. But we put four good-sized people in the car, let the driver (me) have the seat all the way back, and everyone professed to be comfortable for a long trip. On a furniture-shopping excursion to Central Massachusetts last Saturday, the Taurus did just fine, even though we didn’t try to carry home any big pieces (the adjustable roof rak isnt designed for sofas and tables).

Inside, ther were sufficient storage cubbies and cupholders. The audio and climate controls were standard Ford, with good-sized buttons, and were pretty much intuitive.

When you test drive a car, the law of averages says it generally arrives in a color you wouldn’t choose. But this Taurus had Ford’s new-for-2001 Spruce Green clear coat metallic. It’s a color that always seems to look nice, dirty or not. The Taurus and Sable design with the slight horizontal bulges at doorhandle height picks up a bit of road reflection. I’ve always thought it adds a nice two-tone appearance to the vehicles.

It’s the midsize cars like the Taurus, Camry, Accord, Impala, Intrepid, and Legacy that most people buy.

Taurus is a big member of that group. It’s worth that second look because there’s a lot more there than you see at first glance.

2001 Ford Taurus Wagon

Base price: $20,285

Price as tested: $25,145

Horsepower: 200

Torque: 200 lb.-ft.

Wheelbase: 108.5 inches

Overall length: 197.7 inches

Width: 73 inches

Height: 57.8 inches

Curb weight: 3,516 lbs.

Seating: 5 passengers

Fuel economy: 23.6 miles per gallon

SOURCE: Ford Motor Co.; fuel economy from Globe testing.

2001 Ford Taurus review: Our expert's take
By

Pity the folks who don’t understand how much cars and people are alike. You have to get to know them [cars and people] before making a commitment. Otherwise, the relationship can be short and unhappy.

Some cars, and people, come on strong. They look like a million bucks. But spend some time with them, and you know they’re not for you. Lots of style, maybe not so much substance. The whole package doesn’t back up the looks or performance that first attracted you.

Then there are the cars, like people, you tend to overlook. Until you realize they’ve been around you for years, getting the job done, even though they hardly shout at you or stand out from the streams of vehicles passing by on the highway.

But spend some time with one of them and you come away impressed. There’s real substance behind that “normal” exterior.

This is about one of the latter: The 2001 Ford Taurus Wagon. Even though the 2002s are coming out, the changes will be of the tweaking and improving category. The redesign took place a year ago.

Mrs. G., never a fan of wagons and SUVs, gives this one her highest rating: “It’s a nice car … for a wagon.”

And she’s right. It’s a nice car – er, wagon. You don’t ooh and ahh over it, but it goes about its business, does what a wagon is supposed to do and, hidden behind that facade is a double five-star safety rating for both driver and passenger.

Family histories can get confusing, so let’s just deal with the last three generations of Taurus (and its sibling, the Mercury Sable). The first generation was the squarish design that made Taurus a best-seller in the early 1990s. The second generation was the oval design that didn’t win Ford many friends – earning only grudging acceptance by the time it was due to be phased out.

This is a third generation. It keeps some of the oval designs (door openings, windows, and grille) but squares off the whole car. It works. There’s plenty of room inside and the tailgate lifts for wide access to the rear storage area.

But there’s one leftover drawback from the oval design: Anyone bigger than a small child tends to whack their head when getting into the rear seat.

Among the four folks bonking their heads in a weekend of ferrying people and shopping was my daughter, hardly a giant at 5 feet, 4 inches.

This model of the Taurus was the SES, meaning it was a tad more expensive and had accoutrements such as leather seats, six-disc CD changer (with the unit mounted behind the wheel well in the rear cargo area), ABS, and traction control.

The 200-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 was up to the task of people moving. The Taurus wagons always have had a different rear suspension from the sedan models. This one’s short- and long-arm rear setup, in this corner’s opinion, continues a tradition in which the wagons handle better than the sedans.

Safety-wise, the Taurus is a big winner. That five-star front-seat driver and passenger safe ty rating is prized by Ford engineers, marketers, and customers alike. The dual-stage front air bags deploy with less force [although just as quickly] in lesser fontal collisions. Ford’s safety system also includes a crash-severity sensor, driver’s seat position sensor and front seat belt usage sensors. Those factors add up to those stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing. Our wagon also had side impact air bags (a $390 option).

Driving on the highway, in the land of 18-wheelers and SUVs, we felt safe.

Measurements for headroom and hiproom always confuse me. But we put four good-sized people in the car, let the driver (me) have the seat all the way back, and everyone professed to be comfortable for a long trip. On a furniture-shopping excursion to Central Massachusetts last Saturday, the Taurus did just fine, even though we didn’t try to carry home any big pieces (the adjustable roof rak isnt designed for sofas and tables).

Inside, ther were sufficient storage cubbies and cupholders. The audio and climate controls were standard Ford, with good-sized buttons, and were pretty much intuitive.

When you test drive a car, the law of averages says it generally arrives in a color you wouldn’t choose. But this Taurus had Ford’s new-for-2001 Spruce Green clear coat metallic. It’s a color that always seems to look nice, dirty or not. The Taurus and Sable design with the slight horizontal bulges at doorhandle height picks up a bit of road reflection. I’ve always thought it adds a nice two-tone appearance to the vehicles.

It’s the midsize cars like the Taurus, Camry, Accord, Impala, Intrepid, and Legacy that most people buy.

Taurus is a big member of that group. It’s worth that second look because there’s a lot more there than you see at first glance.

2001 Ford Taurus Wagon

Base price: $20,285

Price as tested: $25,145

Horsepower: 200

Torque: 200 lb.-ft.

Wheelbase: 108.5 inches

Overall length: 197.7 inches

Width: 73 inches

Height: 57.8 inches

Curb weight: 3,516 lbs.

Seating: 5 passengers

Fuel economy: 23.6 miles per gallon

SOURCE: Ford Motor Co.; fuel economy from Globe testing.

Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles
Corrosion
5 years
Powertrain
3 years / 36,000 miles
Roadside Assistance
3 years / 36,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
Fords and many non-Ford vehicles up to 10 years old with less than 150,000 miles
Basic
90-Day / 4,000-Mile (whichever comes first) Comprehensive Limited Warranty
Dealer certification
139-point inspection

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  • 2002
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Consumer reviews

4.1 / 5
Based on 63 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.3
Interior 3.9
Performance 3.9
Value 4.2
Exterior 3.9
Reliability 4.0

Most recent

  • Mine 2001 Taurus has 307000 miles on it.

    Mine 2001 Taurus has 307000 miles on it. Still runs like a charm except no air and no reverse lol. But I'm still driving it daily.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Wagons are cool

    Love my old Taurus SEL wagon.It’s comfortable,quite,roomy and handles very well.The low rear bumper height makes it easy for my dog to jump in the back.It has humongous cargo space behind the rear seats.The twin cam engine is silky smooth and the wagon gets better than expected fuel economy.I baby it because it’s old which helps the fuel consumption.A/c works well and the power drivers seat even has a adjustable lumbar support.I will be sad when I have to retire it.There is nothing on the market from domestic manufacturers like it. I’ll buy a European wagon next I guess no suv for me!!!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 4.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • She’ll be missed

    I loved this car. She was a little too big to handle for my comfort but this car was extremely reliable and when I unfortunately totaled it, it kept me and my boyfriend perfectly safe in a head on collision. Walked away with just seatbelt bruises! If you properly maintain this car it will no doubt last you until +200k miles. Now that I’m back in the car market I’m starting to realize nothing compares to the 2001 ford. I might just buy another. RIP beautiful!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    3 people out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Most reliable car I've owned

    I've had my 2001 SEL Ford Taurus for 22 years. It's still going. Most reliable car I've had. Gave it to my son, so I'm unsure of the exact mileage, but I know it's over 200,000.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 5.0
    6 people out of 6 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Great car. Strong engine.

    Great car. Strong engine. Reliable and dependable. Comfortable seats, interior design is luxurious. Has a wide stance and good handling capability. Wide tires handle the road good.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    6 people out of 6 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • An amazing first car.

    This car was given to me when I got my license at 16 and I was bummed that it wasn’t a cool looking sports car, but my standards quickly began to change. The car is very well made and it’s extremely to get parts for it. When I sold it, it had over 200,000 miles on it and I never had any issues with the engine, and it still drove and rode amazingly. The 6 cylinder engine feels very sluggish for what it is, however, it’s very reliable and makes enough power.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 4.0
    5 people out of 5 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Best 100 dollars I ever spent ...great car

    It's a great little car I'm a CHEVY guy but I got this off a friend for 100 and did a couple things and its been a great xar
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Broke down every couple weeks

    I did not like this car at all. It drove slow, it was harder to maneuver. And just wasn’t worth it in my opinion. . .
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 2.0
    Exterior 1.0
    Reliability 2.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • very dependable vehicle

    Any vehicle that police drive is a good vehicle. They generally last over 200,000 miles. Very inexpensive to repair or maintain. People who have had bad experiences with tauruses must have bad mechanics using cheap parts.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 5.0
    5 people out of 5 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Fix or Repair Daily (Ford)

    The 2001 Taurus was one of Ford's worst products. At 124,xxx miles, mine is waiting to die of fluid leaks in every system, assuming the trans doesn't fail again like it did after 82,000 miles (common issue). Other issues include a rust clogged heater core (common issue), a repeatedly bad brake light switch (why mount the switch on the FRONT of the pedal arm, let alone use such poor quality switches that even the redesigned switches fail?), broken shift cable (common), air conditioning compressor seizure at 124,000 miles, and windshield washer hoses which broke off due to low-quality plastic tubing (hint: get mower fuel line tubing that won't fail under the hood instead of Ford or Help/Dorman parts), a coolant recovery tank replaced...and all on a 1 previous owner car! Oh yes, an OBD system that throws random codes when it decides to after not throwing codes for weeks, AND Ford wiring the engine control computer memory power to the underhood Air Conditioner fuse (so the computer had to relearn everything after the a/c compressor seized). Oh yeah...the all-day $$$$ repair for the paper gasket Ford used behind the water pump that fails and leaks coolant will never be fixed (a bottle of K-Seal worked fortunately). I'll junk it when it dies, so there's one less curse on humanity. I've owned older or higher mileage used cars with fewer problems (GM (Pontiac/Oldsmobile/Chevy, Honda, and Nissan 1970's-1990's models), and had I known 2000-2001 Taurus' were so bad, I'd have bought something else.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 2.0
    4 people out of 4 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Terrible

    I don't reccomend any kind of Taurus. The ones in my family had serious engine issues and I've heard of people having the same issues.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 2.0
    Performance 2.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 2.0
    Reliability 3.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Reliable car. Driven by a grandmother so it's in s

    This car was purchased for our grandmother who uses lived with us. It was The main focus was for it to run in top shape.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No

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FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 2001 Ford Taurus?

The 2001 Ford Taurus is available in 4 trim levels:

  • LX (1 style)
  • SE (2 styles)
  • SEL (1 style)
  • SES (1 style)

What is the MPG of the 2001 Ford Taurus?

The 2001 Ford Taurus offers up to 20 MPG in city driving and 27 MPG on the highway. These figures are based on EPA mileage ratings and are for comparison purposes only. The actual mileage will vary depending on vehicle options, trim level, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and other factors.

What are some similar vehicles and competitors of the 2001 Ford Taurus?

The 2001 Ford Taurus compares to and/or competes against the following vehicles:

Is the 2001 Ford Taurus reliable?

The 2001 Ford Taurus has an average reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 2001 Ford Taurus owners.

Is the 2001 Ford Taurus a good Sedan?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 2001 Ford Taurus. 81.0% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

4.1 / 5
Based on 63 reviews
  • Comfort: 4.3
  • Interior: 3.9
  • Performance: 3.9
  • Value: 4.2
  • Exterior: 3.9
  • Reliability: 4.0

Ford Taurus history

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