2011 Ford Taurus SHO.A small but very vocal contingent of car nuts are inexplicably passionate about “classic” Ford Taurus SHOs.
When Ford decided that it would essentially relegate its Taurus to fleet sales beginning with a 2000 refresh, the Ford Taurus SHO was an early catastrophe. Clamoring SHO nuts begged Ford for a rewrite, which finally arrived as a 2010 promising a new recipe for success.
We finally took Ford up on the opportunity to spend some quality time in a 2011 Ford Taurus SHO, even though we refuse to pronounce “ess-aych-oh” as “show.” Sorry, Blue Oval. The Taurus SHO might seem like just a jazzed up full-size sedan, but it’s much more than that. Fast forward to 2011 and Volvo is no longer part of Ford, but its full-size platform remains under the Blue Oval’s control. Ford first used this architecture in 2005 for its Taurus-replacing Five Hundred, a perennial candidate for the Dullest Car Ever Built award. Then-new CEO Alan Mulally dictated a name change after discovering that Ford let the Taurus nameplate expire and, eventually, he called for a redesign. Bowing for 2010, the latest Taurus follows in a long line of large Ford family sedans that once totally dominated the automotive landscape in America.
This latest car reprises the somewhat historic Ford Taurus SHO nameplate, but instead of the naturally aspirated V6 and V8 front-wheel-drive models that preceded it, the new car boasts a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 and all-wheel-drive. Undoubtedly, the Taurus SHO is loaded with solid tech for the money. It boasts Ford’s still-advanced second-generation infotainment system with Sirius Travel Link updates, a high-power Sony audio system and, if you tick all the right boxes, heated, ventilated and massaging seats covered in leather and synthetic suede.
The Ford Taurus SHO has little to differentiate itself from lesser Taurus models – a good thing if staying covert is your goal.
Ford aimed to make the Taurus SHO feel like a personal luxury vehicle geared at satisfying the most demanding and hedonistic needs. Let’s start with the Taurus’ seats. Ford can do great interiors at this price point – check out the Ford Flex platform mate, for one.
We positively love this 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. Ford’s engineers carefully tuned the intake and exhaust to deliver a mild and refined growl that perfectly suits the vehicle’s mission.
The SHO’s neutral all-wheel-drive system seemed best tuned for outright grip, with each wheel eagerly scrabbling for traction when driven aggressively. Combine the SHO’s so-so steering with substantial body lean and we felt compelled to drive at no more than 7/10ths, where the big sedan seemed happiest.
The quiet, refined ride and extensive sound deadening made the Ford Taurus SHO one of the most silent vehicles we have ever tested.
The Ford Taurus has been redesigned. When Ford redesigned the Taurus in 2010, it added some much-needed life (and competition) to the Affordable Large Car class. Before the Taurus’s update, buyers looking for a comfortable large car with decent performance had only one option: the Toyota Avalon. With the updated Taurus, buyers now have two very good options when shopping large cars.
Car reviewers have a lot of good things to say about the Taurus.
Other Cars to Consider
Most car reviewers say that the Ford Taurus is an excellent large car, but they say the same things about the Toyota Avalon.
Ford Taurus: The Details
The 2011 Taurus is available in SE, more upscale SEL, near-luxury Limited and high-performance Ford Taurus SHO trims. The Ford Taurus SHO is reviewed separately.
After experiencing the performance and the brilliance of the 2011 Ford Taurus SHO, the only thing one might find a bit odd is that the car is called "Taurus". Fortunately, Ford is a company with considerable institutional memory, so when they brought the Taurus back—this time as Ford's top sean—they resurrected the Ford Taurus SHO iteration of the car as well.
More than just a terrific performer though, our test Ford Taurus SHO came loaded with the latest high-tech safety features.The blind spot indication system illuminates indicators on the appropriate side mirror when another car is in a blind spot. Put the Taurus in reverse, the rear window shade retracts (if deployed) and the car's touchscreen displays video from a camera on the trunk.
The Taurus has easily paired Bluetooth capability for hands-free calling with Microsoft's SYNC telematics system. The car's 12-speaker Sony audio system features iPod connectivity, a CD/DVD player and a hard drive for storing music.
