1998 Ford Taurus SE 24 valve 3.0 V6 from North America

Summary:

Simply outstanding compared to the Toyota Camry!

Faults:

I have had to replace the rotors, which is basic maintenance. Other than that nothing else.

General Comments:

I am so impressed with this vehicle. I had owned a 1995 Toyota Camry before this. This car beats the Camry hands down. The power is so much better on this car, my Camry had a 4 cylinder. Which I always thought was stupid, why wouldn't they make a V-6 standard? The ride was okay, but nothing great, the seats weren't that comfortable. Plus the Camry wasnt that reliable, I had to replace the transmission, alternator, radiator, and numerous other things. These were all before 140,000 miles.

I always heard how reliable the Ford Taurus was, so before I started college, I decided to get a different car. I stumbled upon this one at Ewalds Ford. It really took me by surprise. It looked so sharp, it is red, with factory chrome rims. IT looks so much classier and nicer than the Toyota Camry. I also couldn't get over the comfort. The seats offer such great support, and are so comfortable. Also this car has great power, when I am getting on to the highway, I have no trouble getting up to speed. Another great thing on this car is the stereo. Usually your factory stereos are crap. Mine is awesome, it is a Mach stereo. The only little complaint is that the 6 disc CD player is in the trunk instead of the center console.

Another great thing about this car is the gas mileage, I get about 26 MPG in mixed driving. I get 29 MPG with highway driving. Which I thing is great for a midsize sedan with a powerful V-6 engine. The reliability is awesome with this car, I have put 40,000 miles on this car, the only thing I have had to replace was the rotors. Which is a normal thing.

I would defiantly recommend this vehicle to anyone who wants a stylish, comfortable, and reliable vehicle that gets great gas mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd March, 2008

6th Mar 2008, 23:21

Looking at the reviews it appears that the 1980 Yugo is an outstanding car compared to the Camry.

6th Mar 2008, 23:26

After posting the last tongue-in-cheek comment about the Yugo being a better car than the Camry, I checked the Yugo reviews just for kicks. Believe or not, the Yugo models sold in the U.S. in the 80's actually DO have BETTER REVIEWS than the Camry!!!

28th May 2009, 23:02

I had a 1998 Taurus Wagon. Every month hundreds of dollars of repairs went into it. The most dissatisfying car I have ever owned. A friend of mine has a 1997 Toyota Camry that has hardly ever cost him any money on repairs. In fact his Camry didn't develop its first exhaust leak until 350000 kms.

12th Feb 2010, 13:53

You know I guess it really depends on the factory where it was built, or maybe even the day the car was made on. If it's made on like a Friday afternoon and the workers rush things to get home, yes your car will ultimately suck. Mine was made in Boston and transported to Canada. The car sat in a field for 2 years, and I've had no problems. Weird how these things can make such a huge difference.

1998 Ford Taurus SE 3.0 V6 24 Valve from North America

Summary:

A great looking and reliable car

Faults:

Replaced the starter around 130,000.

Besides that its been all normal things, like brakes, tires, and etc.

General Comments:

I bought this car at the end of my freshmen year in college. After having my Toyota Camry break down on me numerous times on the way home and to work.

A couple teachers at my school told me to look at a ford Taurus. They said that they had owned a couple of them, and that they had been extremely good cars. The one professor of mine told me of a dealership not too far from the college. I went there and ended up looking at a 1998 Ford Taurus. IT was loaded up to the hilt, it has leather, moonroof, mach audio, 6 disc CD, spoiler, chrome rims, and dual exhaust. Just to list a few, I was shocked on the reasonable price I got it for. I paid more for my Toyota Camry, it didn't have any of those features I listed.

I have also been extremely happy with the gas mileage, I get a combined gas mileage of 25 mpg. On road trips I got 29.5 mpg. My Camry got about the same gas mileage, but had only a four cylinder, and didn't have even close the amount of power.

Another thing I have come to love about this car is its looks. For being ten years old, this car still sticks out from the crowd which I love. Its unique and I think looks very nice.

The comfort in this car is great, me and my two sisters went on a straight fifteen hour drive to new york city. We were extremely comfortable the entire time, the seats provide great support. The lumbar is also a great thing to have. I have the automatic climate control, which is awesome. I can set it to the exact temperature I want.

The steering and ride is also very nice, I've been in a couple almost bad accidents, but thanks to the Taurus responsive handling, I was able to get out of them. The ride on this car is great also, its nice and smooth. You don't feel too many bumps.

Reliability has been outstanding also. In the six years and over 100,000 miles besides the regular things that you fix. The only thing has been the starter. Which for the amount of miles and the period of time I've owned it, has been amazing. I was planning to buy a new car after graduation. But I ended up liking the car so much.

I'm planning on buying a new Taurus when this one dies, which I think might be a while yet.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st February, 2008