2013 Ford Taurus Overview Change Vehicle

This 2013 Ford Taurus review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2013 Ford Taurus, and includes Ford Taurus safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Ford Taurus is a full-size family sedan that can be upgraded to entry-luxury or sport sedan status, and which is available with an impressive number of information, entertainment, and safety technology features. It competes against other large sedans like the Buick LaCrosse, Dodge Charger, Hyundai Azera, and Toyota Avalon.

Restyled for 2013, the Taurus gets a new direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 engine with twin independent variable cam timing (Ti-VCT) technology and a new turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine option. Ford’s SelectShift six-speed automatic with manual shift buttons is also standard on all 2013 Taurus models, as well as an electric power steering system, sportier suspension tuning, improved brakes, and standard torque vectoring control technology.

Ford also freshens the car’s appearance front and rear, including the hood, trunk, fenders, and quarter panels. New active grille shutters automatically close to improve aerodynamics on all models except the SHO, new wheel designs come in larger sizes, and the car’s substantial rear end adds definition thanks to LED taillights, outlets for the true dual exhaust system, and an integrated lip spoiler.

Inside, new switchgear and a new steering wheel are complemented by available second-generation MyFord Touch technology and a new navigation system option. Upgraded sound absorption materials make the cabin quieter, and a new Dune interior color is available. Revised seat cushions aim to improve comfort, an optional heated steering wheel is available for 2013, and materials are upgraded to include cloth-wrapped roof pillars and center console padding, expanded use of soft-touch surfaces, flocked storage areas, and full trunk dressing.

Active Park Assist is now available on the Taurus, employing front and rear parking sensors and electric steering to automatically parallel-park the car while the driver operates the brake and accelerator pedals. Standard curve control technology automatically engages the brakes if sensors detect that the Taurus has been tossed into a turn at too great a rate of speed.

Ford continues to sell the Taurus in four different trim levels for 2013. The base model is called the Taurus SE, and it is equipped everything you really need in a large family sedan. That means air conditioning, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power side mirrors with blind-spot glass, power windows, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, a six-way power driver’s seat, floor mats and trip computer. The stereo includes a CD player and an auxiliary audio input jack, and the headlights are designed to activate automatically if the wipers are on. Every Taurus is also equipped with SecuriCode keyless entry and MyKey programmable feature technology, which allows owners to limit stereo volume, vehicle speed, and calibrate other Taurus features to keep teen drivers safe.

The Taurus SEL upgrades the car from 17-inch to 18-inch aluminum wheels, and is the required trim level to gain access to many of the more appealing options offered on this model. Additionally, the Taurus SEL is equipped with dual-zone automatic climate control, heated side mirrors, and a handful of other upgrades.

If you’re looking for luxury, the Taurus Limited is the answer. This model is equipped with perforated leather upholstery, 10-way power front seats with memory settings, a wood-and-leather steering wheel, Sync technology with Bluetooth, and ambient cabin lighting. The Limited rides on a set of 19-inch aluminum wheels, and features a reversing camera system, rear parking assist sensors, an upgraded stereo system, and a HomeLink programmable remote.

The Taurus SHO is the sport sedan, and SHO stands for Super High Output. To ensure that the name isn’t just a ploy dreamed up by the marketing team, the SHO is equipped with a more powerful EcoBoost V6 engine and a standard all-wheel-drive system. Further ensuring the Taurus SHO’s performance credentials are transmission paddle shifters with rev-matched downshifting, a sport-tuned suspension, bigger brakes, and special electric steering calibration. Unique 19-inch wheels, black mesh grille inserts, a decklid spoiler, and Xenon HID headlights identify the SHO model from the outside, while inside the SHO gets leather sport seats, a perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel, woven aluminum dash trim, and aluminum pedals. Sync with MyFord Touch is also standard on this model.

For improved performance and handling, get the optional SHO Performance Package. So equipped, the Taurus SHO comes with performance-tuned suspension and braking systems, performance steering with an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, a 3.16 final drive ratio for quicker acceleration, and 20-inch machined and painted wheels wearing summer performance tires. The SHO Performance Package also includes a Track mode for the stability control system, which shuts the safety feature completely off, as well as extreme duty engine cooling and a tire mobility kit.

As this review is written, final specifications for the 2013 Taurus are incomplete, but we do know that to gain access to the goodies, purchasing a trim level other than the basic SE model is necessary.

Do that, and you can pay extra for features like heated and ventilated front seats, massaging multi-contour front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. New for 2013 is a touch-capacitive Sony premium surround sound with HD Radio and 12-speakers, a voice-activated navigation system with EcoRoute route planning and full-color 3D imaging, and an Active Park Assist system with a rearview camera.

Other upgrades include Sync with MyFord Touch technology, real-time traffic and weather reporting, Intelligent Access with push-button ignition, remote engine starting, a power sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, and a power rear window sunshade. High-tech options reserved for the Limited and SHO models include adaptive cruise control, collision warning with brake support, and a Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert.

All models except for the Taurus SHO come standard with a new direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 engine with twin independent variable cam timing (Ti-VCT) technology. When final power ratings are official, Ford expects this V6 to make 290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy estimates are unavailable as this report is written, but a gain over the 2012 model’s 18-mpg city/27-mpg highway rating is expected. All-wheel drive is available as an option with this engine.

For 2013, a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is optional on SE, SEL and Limited models. It is expected to generate 237 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, the latter peaking from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm. The new EcoBoost four-cylinder might not be as powerful as the standard V6 engine, but in places like Denver, where turbocharged engines are better suited to the thinner air at elevation, it sure will feel like it is. Better yet, Ford thinks highway fuel economy ratings will hit 31 mpg.

EcoBoost technology is standard on the Taurus SHO, which is equipped with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 making 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque between 1,500 and 5,250 rpm. Paired with standard all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and rev-matching technology, the SHO is expected to return 16-mpg city/25-mpg highway. This EcoBoosted V6 will run on regular gas, but Ford says it requires premium for the best performance.

In addition to the expected six airbags, traction and stability control, and four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with brake-force distribution and brake assist, the 2013 Taurus is equipped with MyKey and SOS Post Crash Alert features. MyKey allows the owner to program speed, volume, and certain safety feature settings so that teen drivers are safer when behind the wheel, while SOS Post Crash Alert is designed to activate the hazard flashers, sound the horn, and unlock the doors after the airbags deploy.

In addition to these standard safety features, the 2013 Taurus can be equipped with a long list of optional technologies designed to prevent and accident in the first place. These include an adaptive cruise control system, collision warning with brake support, a blind-spot information system, a cross traffic alert system, a reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic high beam headlights. If a crash does occur and the Taurus is equipped with an active Sync subscription paired to a live cell phone, a 911 Assist feature automatically dials a 9-1-1 operator if the airbags deploy, rushing assistance when it is really needed.

While the 2013 Ford Taurus is structurally identical to the 2012 model, there are no crash-test ratings available as this review is written. The 2012 Taurus was called a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received a 4-Star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Reliability predictions are also unavailable as we write this report. The previous model received an Average prediction from Consumer Reports, though it would seem from looking at the data that the Taurus has become quite a dependable automobile since its last complete redesign in 2010.

The 2013 Ford Taurus has a 20.1 cubic-foot trunk. No, that’s not a typographical error. This car’s trunk is positively enormous.

The Taurus’s standard 3.5-liter V6 engine is made in Lima, Ohio, while the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine is built in Valencia, Spain. The Taurus SHO’s EcoBoost V6 is assembled in Cleveland.

Ford claims that the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine is designed to a durability target of 10 years and 150,000 miles, and requires oil changes every 10,000 miles.

On the pre-launch website for the updated 2013 Ford Taurus, the company says that “street cred rises instantly” because of the sedan’s new LED taillights and standard integrated spoiler. Marketing fail.

The 2013 Ford Taurus is built in Chicago. Marketing win.

The 2013 Ford Taurus receives a massive mid-life upgrade, retaining everything that was good about the 2012 model and building upon it. Once we’ve had a chance to drive the car, and once official fuel economy, safety, and reliability predictions are available, we can make a more definitive statement about a recommendation. But for now, the revamped Taurus looks quite promising.

By Christian Wardlaw