| The 2006 model year will end the heralded Taurus | | | | needed something similar in size with the Taurus |
| name and for this writer it is a bittersweet time | | | | and at that time Saturn had a lease deal that |
| as Ford retires what once the best selling car in all | | | | could not be beat. In addition, I still wasn't |
| of America. | | | | impressed with the Taurus which I felt had been |
| When Ford introduced the Taurus along with its | | | | out-engineered by other cars in its class. So, I |
| cousin the Mercury Sable in the mid 1980s the car | | | | took home the Saturn and donated my Taurus to |
| represented a radical departure from the standard | | | | the Kidney Foundation. |
| American car of the day. Fairly large, front wheel | | | | The 2005 model year represented the final year |
| drive, and very aerodynamic, the Taurus quickly | | | | that Ford would offer the Taurus through dealers; |
| rose to the pinnacle of the American car sales | | | | for 2006 the Taurus is only available as a fleet |
| charts and was the best selling car for several | | | | car and it is unchanged from the previous year's |
| years in a row. A much delayed "reskinning" did | | | | model. The slow selling Sable was mercifully put to |
| not occur until 1996, some ten years after the | | | | rest one year earlier. |
| Taurus and Sable were first released. The new | | | | For Ford, concentrating on trucks and SUVs |
| style, perceived by some to be ugly, quickly cost | | | | meant neglecting much of their car line up, |
| Ford sales as newer and more modern Toyota | | | | including the Taurus. Bigger and stronger SUVs, |
| Camrys and Honda Accords out gained the line. | | | | including the Expedition and Excursion, were |
| Slight changes in style incorporated with the 2000 | | | | introduced as America's tastes continued to shift |
| model year took some of the edge off, but by | | | | from passenger cars to SUVs. In addition, the |
| then the Taurus was considered to be too old | | | | ever popular F Series pick up trucks went through |
| and outmatched by the competition. | | | | regular style and engineering changes every four |
| I purchased an all new 1994 Taurus and kept the | | | | years or so as did the Explorer, Ford's midsized |
| car for seven years, racking up 117,000 miles | | | | SUV. |
| before deciding it was time to trade in the car for | | | | Higher gas prices and changing tastes are once |
| something newer. I found the ride to be | | | | again impacting Fords' line up. The beefy Excursion |
| comfortable, the interior room to be expansive, | | | | is gone and new cars including the Five Hundred |
| and I enjoyed the overall style of the car. I was | | | | and Fusion are now part of the line up. These two |
| also one of the first people to purchase a Taurus | | | | new models represent a fresh change for Ford |
| in the then new Hunter Green color, an attractive | | | | and a promise that the attention once given to |
| deep green that was admired by many. | | | | the Taurus would be given to the new models. |
| When 2001 rolled around, I elected to lease a | | | | For that, I am glad. |
| Saturn L series instead of going with the Taurus. I | | | | |