Orlando Sentinel's view

For some, Ford’s new Taurus is going to take some getting used to.

With its wildly rounded styling, the new Taurus won’t be confused with any other car on the road.

During the week I tested a dark green Taurus LX, I heard more friends and co-workers comment about the car’s appearance than any vehicle I’ve driven recently.

About half said they liked and even loved it. The other half hated it strongly.

What does this mean?

At the very least, people notice the new Taurus – no small feat in today’s world of look-alike cars.

But I can tell you that, apart from the controversial styling, every other aspect of the new Taurus scores high by every standard of measurement I use to evaluate new vehicles.

The new Taurus is exceptionally smooth and quiet.

It rides and handles like a sporty luxury car.

It is screwed together tightly.

And it is loaded with smartly designed, user-friendly features.

Regardless of how you feel about the styling, the new Taurus is worthy of serious consideration if you are in the market for an up-

scale, mid-size family sedan.

One thing’s for sure: Drive a new Taurus, and you won’t blend anonymously into the crowd.

PERFORMANCE

For now, two Taurus models are available, each with a different 3.0-liter, V-6 engine.

The base model is the Taurus GL, which comes with an improved version of the V-6 Ford has used in the Taurus for years. The GL’s V-6, a 12-valve engine rated at 145 horsepower, is designed to run for 100,000 miles before its first scheduled tuneup.

This week’s test car, a Taurus LX, also came with a 3.0-liter V-6. However, the LX engine is a larger version of the Duratec 24-valve double overhead cam engine used in the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique. The LX’s sophisticated engine – also designed to go 100,000 miles before its first tuneup – makes 200 horsepower.

Both models come with a computer-controlled four-speed automatic. A stick-shiftno longer is available in the Taurus. Next spring Ford plans to introduce a new version of the high-performance Taurus SHO. The new SHO will have a V-8 engine.

Our test car came with just 150 miles on the odometer. When I first drove the car, it felt stiff, and its performance was wooden.

Yet as I piled on the miles, the Taurus gradually began to loosen up. By the time it reached 500 miles I felt as if the car had been broken in.

If you test a new Taurus with few miles on the odometer, don’t be put off by its sluggish performance. Sometimes cars require quite a few miles before all the parts begin working smoothly.

Ford engineers clearly looked to Lexus when they were thinking of ways to improve America’s best selling car. The LX’s high-tech engine is close to noiseless at idle. It makes just a whisper of noise as you accelerate. Performance is not the best in class, but still commendable.

Motor Trend magazine clocked a ’96 Taurus LX at 8.7 seconds in a 0-to -60 mph run, just a second slower than the ’95 Taurus SHO.

The automatic transmission offers seamless shifts unless you floor the accelerator. Only then can you sense the transition from one gear to another.

HANDLING

The new Taurus offers a quieter and more stable ride than the Dodge Intrepid and the Chevrolet Lumina, the two highest-volume domestic sedans that compete with Taurus.

Taurus’ underpinnings include four-wheel independent suspension, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and power-assisted anti-lock front disc/rear drum brakes.

The suspension system is very quiet. Even as you drive over large bumps and dips, you hear nothing from underneath. Taurus remains easy to handle over bad roads.

Taurus has a light, agile feel during cornering. The power-assisted steering feels just right. It takes a slight effort to turn the wheel, but the system has a solid, meaty feel.

High marks also must be given to the brake system. The carst ps quickly and easily. The anti-lock system is simply superb. It doesn’t make much noise , and it doesn’t engage too soon.

For years, the Taurus and Honda Accord have been running bumper to bumper in a close sales race. But now I don’t see the Honda Accord as being competition for the new Taurus. The Ford is a far superior car.

FIT AND FINISH

The Taurus’ oval design theme is not just confined to the car’s external styling. There’s an oval in the center of the dash called the integrated control panel.

Although nifty-looking, it’s not easy to use – at least right away.

The panel houses several rows of oval push buttons for the radio and air conditioner. The problem is that there are too many of these look-alike buttons.

When I first started driving the car, I couldn’t easily find the buttons to change the radio stations. Several times I had to pull over search the panel for the proper buttons.

However, the rest of the interior is right on the money. Our fully loaded test car came with a set of leather covered bucket seats that would not be out of place in a BMW.

Our test car came with a floor mounted shifter in a nicely styled console, power windows, alarm, cruise control, radio-controlled door locks, automatic headlights and power mirrors. Also, the driver and the passenger can set different temperatures for the air conditioner.

I found that there is ample room for groceries and golf bags in the trunk. There is also more than enough rear seat and head room.

Here’s where the Taurus could stand some work: the windshield wipers obscure the view of the hood and slightly interfere with the driver’s view of the road. I think the new Taurus would convey a completely different feeling if the driver had a clearer view over the hood.

Despite higher sticker prices, sales are off to a strong start. And Ford may have another huge winner on its hands.

Truett’s tip: The new Taurus offers a sporty luxury-car ride and pleasing performance in a high-quality package. However, its avant-garde looks have a tendency to attract or repel potential buyers.