The influence of the '92 Taurus and Sable on "family sedans" is still seen today. I always thought these cars were anonymous appliances, but I liked the lighted grill on the Sable.
Ah yes America 🇺🇸 Back when they cared to put the front bench seat and column shifter in a new style car. That’s why I love 90’s cars. Too bad they strayed from that.
My father had a 1995 Taurus. It was a piece of crap. The head gasket went up at 50,000 and transmission went up at 37,000. GM builds much better vehicles then and now.
@@andrewcolsen Disagree. My 2000 Chevy Suburban had a rod knock that was common on those early 5.3 engines, at 40,000 miles when cold. A couple of other guys had the same rod knock. Under warranty GM refused to replace the engine or fix it. These were 40,000 $ cars - 👎
I had a '92 Taurus SHO just like the one pictured at 1:43. It was sneaky fast, and I got a number of roadside chats with Law enforcement. It also ate up tires, with replacements needed every 20k miles. Very fast for its time.
Thank you for sharing this video. It is interesting looking back at Taurus and Sable. They were true innovators back in the day. I always preferred the Mercury Sable.
I’ve had 9 S.H.O. sedans with 4 being the later automatic model and they’re like two completely different cars. The auto isn’t slow, it just feels like a quick sedan, the manual feels like a beast all the way up to the 7300 rpm fuel shutoff. Always love this series of the Taurus and it’s styling.
I really liked the ‘95 Taurus SE. …it had a spoiler, clear headlamp covers, and nice shiny alloy wheels like on the LX. Ford then proceeded to ruin the Taurus for the ‘96 model year.
A LOT of vehicles got their looks killed in the 90s, with everything getting the "round edge" treatment. From Camaros, Mustangs, Taurus, Cavaliers, etc. etc.
@@samholdsworth3957 my Dad had a loaded 96 in silver it wasn't the SHO but the one under it the GL and it was pretty darn nice and fast for what it was! Had sporty bucket seats with center shifter sporty wheels and was sharp looking car. Ppl didn't like it because it looked too new compared to everything else at the time much same conception to its original counterpart the 85s at that time! Anyways I now have a 2010 Ford Fusion Sport first gen which was also my Dads car I keep it stored winters as its the baby SHO (rare breed) Fusion also very fast car but this one is top of the line trim
@@jeffjackson9679 The best Mustang body style was the 99 New Edge in my opinion. Also, the 95 cavalier was definitely much better looking than the car it replaced, at least in my eyes.
These were the pinnacle of modern American family sedans. And arguably one of the most important cars Ford ever made. The 92-95 Taurus/Sable were the first mainstream family cars that took on the Japanese competition who had a the high ground in the market and won. The Taurus outsold the Accord and Camry for a couple years. Then the 1996 redesign came out and everything went to hell in a handbasket pretty quickly.
@@MercOne Cars in general are now a dead/dyeing breed for US auto manufacturers, but that's is more due to consumer demand in the US more than anything. Everyone wants a truck or a crossover, whereas that is not the case in Europe and Asia. Pretty soon the US consumer will have to buy a foreign brand if they want a sedan or a coupe.
@@jeffjackson9679 Yeah that and because US manufacturers pissed away their reputations by selling so much junk for the last 40 plus years. Asians and Europeans still can sell cars, and lots of them.
@@MercOne I think it's more that European and esp. Asian consumers rarely own trucks or SUVs, so it makes sense that the manufacturers from those countries produce what their consumers demand. And honestly, the quality of American cars were at their low point in the late 70s/into the 80s, so if quality was causing the shift for what people drive in the US it would have happened way back then, not the present times IMO. This is further shown, with talks of GM and Ford turning the Camaro/Mustang into freaking crossover/SUVs within a few years (which sickens me).
@@jeffjackson9679 No you missed the point, when the market gets tough the weakest die off first. That being American branded cars. The Japanese and Europeans built better cars for years so the remaining sedan/car buyers are going there, not Ford, GM or Chrysler. I'm talking about in the U.S. These buyers buy everything, not just one type of vehicle. The US brands quality reputation has already cost them, as they're a fraction of their former sizes now. It already happened and it's been happening for years, millions of buyers walked away then have been since then. Except for trucks and full size SUVs. There is already a Mustang crossover.
My mom had a 1995 Taurus GL with the 3.8 liter engine. It was dark red with a gray cloth interior. It was a very nice car. It had a very quiet and smooth ride. Had that car for over 10 years.
...I've owned 2 wagons from this Ford mid-size family; a '91 GS Wagon and a '99 Sable LX... ...I did have to replace the Taurus's transmission at only 65k...but the imprivements allowed me a totally trouble free experience on the Sable...not one single issue mechanically in over 140,000+ miles...amazing!! ...I had to chuckle when John commented that the wagons had received Motorweek's top domestic wagons pick for 6 years; and that they represented an " excellent choice for those who wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan"... ...nailed it, John...
True. The next generation after this looked like an insect was placed under a magnifying glass. They kinda redeemed themselves after that, but it was late.
Funny how I still see early 90's Camry and Accords still on the road today, 30 years later. And they are a common sight if you are in the right neighborhood/county. A Ford Taurus, oldest one of those you will still see is one of the early 00's revised oval cars. This gen, the original 80's model, the ugly 96-00 oval cars, dinosaurs, extinct from the roads in middle TN.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a Taurus of any generation. I still see some late 80s or newer camrys but I don’t see older accords as much. I loved the 80s accord w the pop up headlights.
The 3.8 V6 was notorious for head gasket failure. And transmissions were a weak point as well. I had a 94 Taurus GL wagon...I liked the packaging of the car but had to rebuild the transmission....a dream project of mine was to drop an SHO drivetrain into the wagon's body....
My uncle had a station wagon Ford Taurus from this era and the transmission went out on highway a few hundred kilometers from their home. Had to get the car towed and it costed him a fortune.
My family, then I owned a 93 Lx wagon with the 3.8 worst transmission ever made. Had a new transmission in it, what felt like weekly. I traded it in with 70k miles for a corolla.. Never regretted it. Wish however you could get a wagon today.
3:34 John: Gauges are still large and easy to read, but fall short of informing the driver of vital engine functions such as oil pressure and volts! LOL
I owned an '89 and '93 SHO. Both black on gray leather 5-speeds. Really miss the '93. The revision that the second gen cars got was significant. Everything about the '93 was better than the '89. Well, the '89 felt more raw. Just wasn't near as nice of a car.
I own a 2016 SHO, always wanted to drive one of the first gen you mention. Mine is fast, but the handling is lacking. Even my old 4 banger 2011 Malibu handled corners better. Car is closer to a souped up Maurauder or 90s Impala SS (basically a big boat with a strong engine) than the original SHOs IMO. Still, a fun car though.
@@jeffjackson9679 Agreed! I had a 2013 Lincoln MKS 3.5EB which is a mechanical clone of the new SHO. Same car with a nicer interior and better stereo. Definitely more of a Touring car than a performance sedan. That said, I loved my MKS. With just a good tune it ran mid 12's and was extremely comfortable.
@@Skittleman2341 Wish I could remember his video. I think it had to do with the Camry V6 and he kept referring to the Ford V6 competitor engine as the “sho”.
I own a 2016 SHO but I don't get too worked up over the verbiage. I usually just call it a SHO vs. telling people it's a S.H.O. It just rolls off the tongue easier and most people seem to recognize it as that vs. me getting nerdy over how it is supposed to be pronounced.
I had a 1995 Sable and loved it. It was one of the most reliable cars I’ve ever owned. Sad to see Ford can’t even sell sedans anymore when these used to be in every other driveway. I owned 3 Mercurys and hated to see them go.
@@hakeemsd70m The 3.8 was excellent. THey can go hundreds of thousands. Both cars up through 02 are insanely reliable and still cheap. Great dailys beater cars for little $.
In reality, the Taurus wasn't even close to the quality of an Accord or Camry. If you drove both cars back to back, the difference in quality isn't even close. People bought the Taurus for its lower price and because it was an "American car."
@@johnjones393 true. The squeaks and rattles that were present in even the top forms would make a Honda Accord laugh. Good for American cars but no competition on a world stage.
I'm guessing you mean the Lumina, since it was pretty dismal, but you could also mean the Accord, since it's the only Japanese one of the trio. I'm hoping I was right the first time. The Taurus definitely gave the Accord a run for its money back in the day.
I really liked the updated and upgraded cars when these were introduced. I was 20 when this happened, so, no chance of me buying one at that time. I had a Honda Civic Si at the time. My dad bought two Sables, a 1987 and 1988 while I was in high school and they were so much better as highway absorbers compared to our Suburban and 1970's behemoths. We'd get to our destinations feeling great because the seats were high, firm and the back seat actually was bigger than the big Oldsmobiles we had prior.
Nobody ever maintained them properly. They never changed the fluid or filters in them like they were supposed to then they got upset when they broke down.
@@jaxandmore440 He's not wrong about improper maintenace on these cars. My aunt's 92 Sable LS wagon has over 200,000 miles on it and STILL has it's original factory AXOD-E on it. Never died. Never had to have been replaced, Never rebuilt. If you think you can go to 100,000 miles or 75,000 miles on one of these Taurus and Sables without doing ANY sort of transmission fluid or filter changes in between that amount of miles you're sadly mistaken. Ford in the original 86 Taurus brochure laughably claimed the AXOD was "virtually maintanence free," That was a load of BS. Besides my uncle working on my aunt's Sable I know of several other people who changed the fluid and filter on the trans in between 20,000 miles and 50,000 miles and just like my Aunt's car, NO transmission troubles ever.
@@ironinquisitor3656 newer geared automatic transmissions require far fewer fluid changes, but older cars required them much more frequently. I remember my mom having the transmission fluid changed once a year (10k-15k miles) on her 92 Plymouth Acclaim Torqueflite 3spd automatic. That transmission gave her no trouble for over 180k miles. So I know what you're saying. My thought is that I don't see a reason why people buying the Taurus new would have been more neglectful than anyone else buying new cars at the time that didn't have a terrible track record like the Taurus transmission. It just doesn't make any sense.
This generation of Taurus SHO was fun to drive with the manual. It's a shame that sales of the SHO didn't take off until they put an automatic in it. This was back when having the manual made a big difference. Now automatics have advanced and surpassed the manual.
The '94-95 Taurus/Sable, '94-95 Thunderbird/Cougar XR7, '96-98 Mustang, and '95-97 Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis were some of the prettiest cars Ford made. The three that were Ford or Mercury were the same yet different. Ford did a great job to differentiate them. In all cars, they could have dual airbags, anti-lock four wheel disc brakes, and had a somewhat potent engine in each. I always wondered what if the SHO and Sable LTS had the T-Bird SC supercharged 3.8 V6 and its semi adjustable suspension - That would have made it a direct import fighter to any vehicle in the world and it could have beaten them. Also, what if the SVE Thunderbird had been released? Literally would have been a Mustang with a backseat with its 4.6 32 valve V8 being reported at 300 hp according to magazines. Ford had it going but killed it all too quickly
They could’ve avoided the 1996 debacle if they paid more attention to upgrading material quality and design in the interior and rushing a better V6 into production. By this time, the Taurus began to look like a stale American sedan with flat seats and crude interior. That said, I’d like a 3.8 liter LX wagon with sunroof. I’ve seen exactly one of those.
2:51 Ford used those window switches for so long. I think the 2008 Crown Vic was one of the last Ford vehicles to have them. Even the plastic trim panel that contains the switches is shaped the same on the Crown Vic.
I own a 1995 mercury sable gs with the 3.8 engine it’s the ever common white color with green interior some people don’t like the mercury but I love mine been waiting for this review for a little time
The only Taurus I've ever been somewhat familiar with is the '97 that my Grandma had untill 2012 or so. A completely different car from the previous generation. I like the look of the 3rd gen best.
These are my favorite Sable and Taurus body styles. Despite looking the same as the prior generation they look smoother, fresher. I would only consider driving the SHO or Sable LTZ. My parents wouldn't have driven either as they had an '88 BMW 325iS.
I had a ‘95 Taurus GL 3.0 that was handed down to me as a young adult. It was a great ride, minus the blown engine under 85,000 miles and the transmission rebuild.
My dad had 2 of these, one was a 92 LX and later a 94 GL with the 3.8. The 94 was the one I remember riding in and this will always be my favorite Gen of Taurus
What? The 3.8 was unreliable. It blew headgaskets before 100,000 miles. Although... there is a mod you can do to fix the problem. You can mod the gaskets and take the headgaskets from a late 90s Mustang or Windstar and put it on a 3.8 Taurus.
It’s hard to state how impressive the original Taurus and Sable were when they came out in 1985. I know they had their share of reliability issues but the design and execution was ground breaking for a Big Three car maker. It had the right blend of aero looks and power, as well as a Euro flavor, that America hadn’t seen before. It was gamble but one that paid off. GM just have been running scared when the first year sales figures came out- the best it had were the decidedly frumpy looking A-body cars (Celebrity, Century, Cutlass Sierra and 6000) which were no match for the Taurus/Sable in aesthetics or dynamics. The 1991 refresh was quite a comprehensive one as refreshes go. Still clearly a Taurus or Sable but much more aerodynamically packaged and with a new dashboard design. This was as different as the final Granada was to the original Fairmont, same doors and structure, everything else different.
@@hakeemsd70m That's fair but the Lumina was no match dynamically for the Taurus in looks or execution. I happened to like this version of the Olds Cutlass Supreme though, it was one of GM's better efforts to me.
My first car was a 92 Taurus, bought it in 2007. It was 15 years old with 94k on the clock, but it fell apart as if it had 194k on the clock. It ran smoothly between services, but services were monthly. Sold it to my cousin at a significant loss, and he also experienced frequent breakdowns.
They won't because they could never produce a sedan competitive with its foreign counterparts. Instead, they claimed that cars weren't selling and decided to torpedo the market by pulling out of the segments. If they couldn't succeed they didn't want anyone else to, either.
Friends dad had a 1st gen wagon went to trade it in in 93 for the redesigned Taurus. Ford dealer had no wagons and would be a 6 month wait! Said he was going to the Chrysler lot! Sales manger stopped him and he ended up getting a SHO same as the one shown here(Somebody else ordered it bought a 93 Cobra instead) Got a wicked deal on the SHO I will always remember the looks on people’s faces when that thing took them to grapplebees! Lol
They were about as boring to look at in the 90s as they are today. Not the kind of car I'd be interested in, but a roomy mid size offering that hauled kids, groceries, sports equipment, etc. It did it's job and was a reliable, well built car for it's time...
Always had a thing for these Taurus and Sable. A woman that lived down the street from me that taught me in head start knew for many years even my elderly great aunt passed away sometime ago taught her as well was a Ford person around that time had a yacht LTD or Marquis from the good old days green not sure color of interior later bought a White '94 Taurus she had it for 9 years until she bought a Pontiac Aztek still see once in a while after she wasn't able drive anymore she never did trade the Taurus in sad time when her house burned down and her husband died in the fire he was on oxygen when tank exploded think he tried light a cigarette or something remember when she picked it up from the house never seen it since. My grandfather had a '96 Taurus GL in white he had numerous health issues he was on dialysis passed away one day coming from taking dialysis at my great grandmother house when was in school that was over two decades ago. I did like the 96 Taurus as the 92-95 Taurus/Sable they were some nice cars liked the SHO haven't seen one in so many years.
No doubt that the Taurus was influential and design, you can still see it in today's sedans. I like to think that with the 97 Camry, Toyota took the '92 Taurus and made it the car it should have been in terms of reliability and fit and finish. I believe Toyota looked at the 96 jellybean Taurus and how bad Ford messed it up and decided to stay conservative with the 97 Camry. It worked because the Camry overtook the Taurus in 1997 and never looked back.
Yep the pointy arrow shape of the car always comes back to the Taurus. This design lasted for about 12 years. Toyota is good at copying other manufacturers which is why they're so successful. It's pretty easy to spot. Take the 2006 Tundra for example, it's just a reversed version of the f-150. They've flipped the headlights on it. The Camry is also inspired by the Taurus. Sharp aerodynamic nose and blocky yet low hanging trunk area. The Taurus showed the world what a 90s sedan looks like.
@@johnjones393 That is not fully accurate, as Toyota designed the 1997 Camry from 1992 to August 1993. They didn't know the 1996 Taurus trajectory yet.
@Scott I can agree with this, as although well regarded, the XV10 1992 Camry was internally a disappointment for Toyota and they cut the budget significantly for the XV20 Camry. Echoing the Ford Taurus only made sense.
my friend had one of those Taurus. He some how got some CLI lettering that he placed before the taurus badging in the rear. It was the CLI-TAURUS those were the days lol
The SHO is my FAV Taurus and Conan O’Brien’s, especially of this design. The standard versions of this Taurus also makes me think of Danny Tanner (played by the late Bob Saget; R.I.P. Bob), who drove one on Full House.
Your comment isn't really irrelevant, since you weren't there were you? As a 90s kid, learning about the world around him in terms of cars, you either saw bulky outdated boxy cars or more modern looking designs like this or the Dodge Intrepid. That's how you knew which was "new" or "old". Cars with airbags or those without.
@@jmin8400 I drive a 90s car my guy. 2000 4Runner. One of the few that aged well. I have come around to the exteriors on more 90s cars. But dear god the interiors are still absolutely the worst thing about 90s. Plastic everywhere. Not even variations. Luxury cars all have that gross glossy wood and plastic button overload. My 4runner has different colors thankfully.
I actually wish I held on to my 92 Sable. It was my first car when I got my license in 06, had the 3.8 motor and was powder blue colored. It had its typical Ford Motor Company issues, but was a beast of a car.