Taurus SHO?
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Midwest
Taurus SHO?
I am thinking of buying a Taurus SHO that is somewhat local. Before I drive the distance to drive/buy it I have a couple questions. Are these cars reliable? any thing specific to look for? the car has 146,000 miles. does this taurus have the same tranny as the normal taurus that was known to have problems? I do like the idea of having a car with four doors to haul the kids in that has something for the right foot!!
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 678
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From: Central, MA
What year?
Ford Taurus SHO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The earlier versions had a V6 and the later used a V8.
I would try the Taurus and SHO Boards. There could be some serious SHO enthusiasts here, but these websites often hold experts on the subject.
http://fordtaurusforum.com/index.php?act=idx
Ford Taurus SHO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The earlier versions had a V6 and the later used a V8.
I would try the Taurus and SHO Boards. There could be some serious SHO enthusiasts here, but these websites often hold experts on the subject.
http://fordtaurusforum.com/index.php?act=idx
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,246
Likes: 2
From: Hawkeye Country
cjben, what year is the SHO you're considering? The 96 and up models had 3.4 V8s if I'm not mistaken, that engine isnt really known for its dependablity. The ole 3.0s and 3.2 V6s will run a long time if you take decent care of them. My buddy had 180,000 miles on his before it finally gave out. But they were hard miles, he beat the ever living crap outta that car and it just kept going. They're a pain in the butt to work on but they're fun zippy little cars. Kinda funny to see the look on a dudes face when you're running his camaro down with a Taurus
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Operating expense.
Buy one for a hobby, a unique Ford with a Yamaha engine, something to love & cherish and tinker with. Something that "always be something", you know, like the alternator, the clutch, parts the Ford parts guys will tell you don't exist...
Don't buy one as a dd to haul your kids in. Want a snappy 4 door sedan? Buy a Nissan Maxima. Go ahead, flame on. They're fast, comfy, stick to the road, were edged out only slightly by the SHO in a Car & Driver comparison test, and you can get parts, IF you need them....
JMO, ymmv.
High
Operating expense.
Buy one for a hobby, a unique Ford with a Yamaha engine, something to love & cherish and tinker with. Something that "always be something", you know, like the alternator, the clutch, parts the Ford parts guys will tell you don't exist...
Don't buy one as a dd to haul your kids in. Want a snappy 4 door sedan? Buy a Nissan Maxima. Go ahead, flame on. They're fast, comfy, stick to the road, were edged out only slightly by the SHO in a Car & Driver comparison test, and you can get parts, IF you need them....
JMO, ymmv.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
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I would flame on, but I'm tired of beating up on the japanese cars for a while ha ha. I know ford is working on a fusion GT with over 300 hp. It will be available on the redesigned fusion, not sure if it will be availble in the 2010 model or shortly after. That should be a 4 door with some flare. I don't know the details, but it will have the 3.5 V-6, have over 300 hp and have awd. The new fusion will have a wide range from a 52 mpg hybrid to over 300 hp GT.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Midwest
the car is a 94 with the 3.2 v6. I had heard parts are expensive and the car can be a pain to work on,I think I will hold off for now. sounds like it would be more of a fun car than one i would want to rely on for my dd. I don't have my kids a bunch,but the car would be my daily driver to work and other places,as my 10 mpg truck just doesn't cut it on a daily basis!!
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,787
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From: Northern Illinois
my dd is a 93 mtx with 140000 it gets me where i need to go and is fun to drive. if the car is an atx tranny problems can happen more often than a mtx. you will break axles if you do burnouts so dont try. 24-27 mpg mixed i really like my $2000 car. 15.3 @92.24 my first and only night at the dragstrip.
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Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
ATX: Escort, Tempo, 2.5L (4 cyl) Taurus.
AXOD: V6 1986/94 Taurus/Sable / 1988 and later V6 Continental Sedan.
The AXOD was a troublesome terd of a transmission.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,537
Likes: 27
From: Long Beach, Ms.
I currently own two Taurus a '05 and a '07. Regular 3.0L engines and they are great DDs. Parts are plentiful and reasonable. These are the 4th generation of the model line. The '07 this past fall returned 26mpg on a 1,800 mile trip. A lot of which was burnning E10. Previously we owned a '89 and a '96.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,495
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From: Not as far west as I want
We had a 98 Sable for 3 years. Not a bad car. Yes it required repairs from time to time. Running E10 with a 3.0 I would average 26MPG on the highway. The best I was able to get with mileage was 28 MPG.
It hauled me to most of my chemo treatments and home from hospital several times. I have a friend that has two SHO projects. A 93 with the engine out of it. And a 91 that has seen better days.
It hauled me to most of my chemo treatments and home from hospital several times. I have a friend that has two SHO projects. A 93 with the engine out of it. And a 91 that has seen better days.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 23,849
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From: McKenzie River
We had a 98 Sable for 3 years. Not a bad car. Yes it required repairs from time to time. Running E10 with a 3.0 I would average 26MPG on the highway. The best I was able to get with mileage was 28 MPG.
It hauled me to most of my chemo treatments and home from hospital several times. I have a friend that has two SHO projects. A 93 with the engine out of it. And a 91 that has seen better days.
It hauled me to most of my chemo treatments and home from hospital several times. I have a friend that has two SHO projects. A 93 with the engine out of it. And a 91 that has seen better days.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 784
From: Simi Valley, CA
I could write a book on all the problems the 1986/94 Taurus & Sable had, but...
The last time I typed what I know from personal parts counter experience of all the problems these cars had, some cluck gave me bad rep points because he disagreed with my assessmemt of the crappy brakes the 1986/94 Taurus & Sable's had.
The 1995 and later cars were much improved, but people did not like the styling of these cars which were oval in every sense of the word.
Ford went overboard with the oval theme, did away with some of it in 1999. But by then, more Taurus and Sables were being sold to rental car fleets than to the general public.
When the Taurus stopped being the number one car selling in the US, it was first replaced by the Honda Accord, and later by the Toyota Camry.
Very very few Honda Accords back then were sold to rental car fleets (less than 2%), which tells you how much the sales of the 1995 and later Taurus' dropped off.
The last time I typed what I know from personal parts counter experience of all the problems these cars had, some cluck gave me bad rep points because he disagreed with my assessmemt of the crappy brakes the 1986/94 Taurus & Sable's had.
The 1995 and later cars were much improved, but people did not like the styling of these cars which were oval in every sense of the word.
Ford went overboard with the oval theme, did away with some of it in 1999. But by then, more Taurus and Sables were being sold to rental car fleets than to the general public.
When the Taurus stopped being the number one car selling in the US, it was first replaced by the Honda Accord, and later by the Toyota Camry.
Very very few Honda Accords back then were sold to rental car fleets (less than 2%), which tells you how much the sales of the 1995 and later Taurus' dropped off.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,495
Likes: 7
From: Not as far west as I want
Why is it, that a Taurus with a 3.0 does not get as good MPG as a T bird with a 3.8? My wifes 96 3.8 T bird gets 24 city/ 30 hiway , Not the first time I ve heard this, is the Taurus too heavy for the 3.0?.............BTW, SHO taurus are great fun, but expect a lot more PITA problems than a standard Taurus. Friend had a 97 SHO, had no drivetrain problems, but major electrical/wiring problems, Said he thinks that trainees did the wiring harness!
I never any electrial problems with my 98. Steering rack needed to be replaced. Then Cam sensor and crank sensor both needed to be replaced.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 678
Likes: 0
From: Central, MA
Super
High
Operating expense.
Buy one for a hobby, a unique Ford with a Yamaha engine, something to love & cherish and tinker with. Something that "always be something", you know, like the alternator, the clutch, parts the Ford parts guys will tell you don't exist...
Don't buy one as a dd to haul your kids in. Want a snappy 4 door sedan? Buy a Nissan Maxima. Go ahead, flame on. They're fast, comfy, stick to the road, were edged out only slightly by the SHO in a Car & Driver comparison test, and you can get parts, IF you need them....
JMO, ymmv.
High
Operating expense.
Buy one for a hobby, a unique Ford with a Yamaha engine, something to love & cherish and tinker with. Something that "always be something", you know, like the alternator, the clutch, parts the Ford parts guys will tell you don't exist...
Don't buy one as a dd to haul your kids in. Want a snappy 4 door sedan? Buy a Nissan Maxima. Go ahead, flame on. They're fast, comfy, stick to the road, were edged out only slightly by the SHO in a Car & Driver comparison test, and you can get parts, IF you need them....
JMO, ymmv.
An exotic no longer built car like the SHO's might not be a practical daily driver. That Yamaha marine engine might be durable, but handful to work on.
How about an nice SVT Contour with a 5-speed?
The Maxima's are cool, but don't carry a lowend price! You can get them with a manual transmission too! A former coworker had like a 2006. It was pretty snappy. It might have like 230hp.
Keep us posted!