Taurus vs Falcon specs

[turbodewd]

Hi all,

I fear the demise of the Falcon being replaced by the Taurus. The current taurus is bigger than a falcon, check these latest specs I got off the respective websites. The taurus is huge!!!

Taurus (cm)
515 long
194 wide (exc mirrors)
154 tall

Falcon (cm)
497 long
187 wide (exc mirrors)
143 tall

I couldnt stomach a car larger than the falcon. Its already at the limit of parking or tight space viability. It will be very interesting to see what Ford does to replace the FG falcon. The car used to be a top 5 seller every month. If they fed us a Taurus then sales would disappear totally.

[csv8]

The new TAURUS is a great car..tech is way above the Falcon....

[mik]

Tech is`nt everything!

[DJM83]

It is in this market place IMO well not everything but it sure helps

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

Taurus (cm)
515 long
194 wide (exc mirrors)
154 tall

Falcon (cm)
497 long
187 wide (exc mirrors)
143 tall

Those dimensions are staggering, especially the width. 7cm wider than a Falcon, bloody hell!

[Ford_The_Win]

So the new Taurus is almost the same size as the old Crown Victoria?

[csv8]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Those dimensions are staggering, especially the width. 7cm wider than a Falcon, bloody hell!

Its needed..people are getting wider!!!! Taurus Maccas Special Edition.

[fou_bleu]

In the event that the next Falcon is amalgamated with the Taurus, it would be on an all-new platform anyway (a stretched version of the upcoming Mondeo/Fusion platform), therefore rendering these figures irrelevant.

[chevypower]

It will probably happen. Mondeo is consolidating with the Fusion (therefore it will be a Mondeo/Fusion fusion!). It only makes sense that the Taurus and Falcon merge and becomes truly global.

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by 4RD4TW

In the event that the next Falcon is amalgamated with the Taurus, it would be on an all-new platform anyway (a stretched version of the upcoming Mondeo/Fusion platform), therefore rendering these figures irrelevant.

Stop. Youre making too much sense!!

[OffRoadFalcon]

Apparently as I've read, the Taurus may be ahead of the Falcon in some respects, but in others, such as handling, ride, and engine and dynamics, the Falcon is km's ahead. FWD would be a dealbreaker for me too. AWD is good, but I'd miss RWD. And AWD is only available on the top spec SHO currently. I've read that the engine is coarse, and doesn't have the same punch.

And yes, if the Falcon were to be replaced, it wouldnt be with the current Taurus. I've read that the next all new Taurus is planned to be smaller, about current Falcon size. I reckon that the best things to do, would be to improve the Falcon with an all new model, and include many of the goodies from the Taurus, as well as more, and then replaces the Taurus with a car that is much much better. To drive the current Falcon is apparently already ahead of the Taurus. So why not just make the Falcon global and replace the Taurus with a great car.

I like the Taurus for it's front and side styling, it looks pretty good. But I'm not a fan of the rear.

I'm just going to wait and see what happens, and hope that whatever happens with the Falcon is a good thing.

[prydey]

falcon is almost confirmed until 2015/2016 so pointless looking at specs of current US models.

[kinksta]

AWD is the winner for me. If I can get a Taurus, with similar power to the G6ET, but with AWD and more tech, I'm definitely in.

[OffRoadFalcon]

Yeah I agree it's pretty pointless... but it's interesting all the same?

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by 4RD4TW

In the event that the next Falcon is amalgamated with the Taurus, it would be on an all-new platform anyway (a stretched version of the upcoming Mondeo/Fusion platform), therefore rendering these figures irrelevant.

Exactly, and by all accounts, the stretched-for-Taurus version of the CD4 platform has been cancelled in RHD mode.

Oh and BTW the current Taurus is bigger on the outside than the Falcon but has no more interior space.

[OffRoadFalcon]

So the Falcon is more space efficient too... the Taurus is pretty much Fairlane/Statesman/Caprice size externally.

[Falcon_Crazy]

Adding more food for thought

Taurus (cm)
515 long
194 wide (exc mirrors)
154 tall

Falcon (cm)
497 long
187 wide (exc mirrors)
143 tall

Mondeo Hatch
477 Long
188 (Excl mir)
150 Tall

[jpd80]

Next gen Taurus has been looked at for Australia and apparently dismissed...

[TC200six]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Next gen Taurus has been looked at for Australia and apparently dismissed...

Sounds interesting if that's the case.

I still don't feel settled on the idea of seeing the day the Falcon nameplate goes onto a FWD-based vehicle. If the time does come when the Falcon will become no longer viable as a RWD vehicle, I think they should drop the Falcon name. That's just what I still feel at the moment, if the Falcon does end up finding itself based on the Taurus platform, the last RWD model would be the latest model Falcon I'd buy.

[OffRoadFalcon]

Very interesting... I wouldn't buy a FWD car either, AWD, 4WD and RWD for me. If the Falcon ends up being FWD, Ford will lose me as a Falcon customer, I'm already unhappy about the loss of the wagon.

[OffRoadFalcon]

Originally Posted by flappist

This is based on your experience driving RWD, FWD and AWD vehicles with various engine configurations in diverse environments?

When you eventually get a license why don't you actually drive a few different vehicles and find out personally what they are like rather than just repeating rubbish you have read in the internet that in most cases was written by someone else who had no idea and was just repeating rubbish they read on the internet..........

No, it is not based on my experience, I have only driven 4WD and RWD on a farm, and havent even got Learners yet. That is based on what I have read, written by people who have driven many different vehicles in many different environments, and especially an article I read by an Australian car tester who visited the USA to test the Taurus and compare with the Falcon. Unfortunately I don't remember who this tester was, I'd have to dig it up...

When I do get my licence, don't worry I'll be driving many different cars. If what I repeated is rubbish, then it is rubbish written by a Australian car tester who tested the Falcon and then visited the USA to test the Taurus.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by CarsAreMyLife

No, it is not based on my experience, I have only driven 4WD and RWD on a farm, and havent even got Learners yet. That is based on what I have read, written by people who have driven many different vehicles in many different environments, and especially an article I read by an Australian car tester who visited the USA to test the Taurus and compare with the Falcon. Unfortunately I don't remember who this tester was, I'd have to dig it up...

When I do get my licence, don't worry I'll be driving many different cars. If what I repeated is rubbish, then it is rubbish written by a Australian car tester who tested the Falcon and then visited the USA to test the Taurus.

A totally unbiased car tester like Joshua Dowling?

Or Jeremy Clarkson?

Before you discount FWD go for a drive in a Mazda 3 MPS or Focus RS or XR5.
Better still go and play on a track in a similar power to weight ratio falcon against them and see just how hopeless they really are.......

[OffRoadFalcon]

Totally forget what tester, definitely not Jeremy though...

I meant FWD in a car like the Falcon. Those cars you mention I would not call hopeless, they are great cars. I personally wouldnt buy a FWD large sedan/wagon. A smaller car such as those I would be alright with it. I never said FWD was totally hopeless all the time...

[Windsor342ci]

Originally Posted by flappist

A totally unbiased car tester like Joshua Dowling?

Or Jeremy Clarkson?

Before you discount FWD go for a drive in a Mazda 3 MPS or Focus RS or XR5.
Better still go and play on a track in a similar power to weight ratio falcon against them and see just how hopeless they really are.......

I think your being a bit harsh Flap. Whether the kid has a lic or not. I tend to agree with him. Sure you want to bring up nice cars like the MPS, RS etc. but if tey where that good, why doesnt our top end companies run with this? Im not big on Euro cars so I dnt have all the facts. But last i checked BMWs & Mercs ade pretty much rwd. Same with alot of Lambos & Ferrari.
Further more I cant remember the last time Ive seen a top fueler or funny car in FWD.... Do you???

[OffRoadFalcon]

Even if I did have a licence I couldn't say if a Falcon was better or not compared to a Taurus unless I'd tested the Falcon here and then travelled to the states to try to Taurus. I can only say what I think after reading another's thoughts. I can only form an opinion using what I can access and have experienced in the passenger's seat.

[superfly]

In 24 years of driving, I've only owned FWD and AWD cars. The first lot of cars I owned were all FWD and then I had a couple of turbo Subaru's for the last 14 years. My FG is my first RWD.
I've never been a fan of RWD cars due to them being able to break traction so easily. I'll never forget my first Commodore rentacar driven around the corner in the wet - fishtail city. From that I always found FWD cars saver to drive. Then AWD was even better again. Even when it broke traction, it would still go pretty much the way the car was pointed.
But I went for the RWD this time as I wanted a FG. I would've bought it as well if it had come in FWD. I guess the only issue I can see with FWD in the FG is that it will easily light up the front wheels when taking off at the lights, but other than that, I can't see why it wouldn't drive the same as the RWD on the normal city commute.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by CRYHSV

Further more I cant remember the last time Ive seen a top fueler or funny car in FWD.... Do you???

Yes it was the one that went round corners.......

The comment was about handling and a Renult Megane did 8.08 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife recently which is quicker than most RWDs short of supercars.

The points I am making are:

1) Just because something is RWD does not make it handle well or quick and just because something is FWD does not make it slow.

2) People tend to bias their opinions on cars with their favorites being perfect in every way and anything they don't personally like being hopeless, just ask anyone on street commodores how good a FG2 GT is.

The vast majority of people on here have not even sat in let alone driven most of the vehicles they have strong opinions on so all they are doing is repeating other people's repeating of other people's made up stories.

[aquahead2001]

I've driven both Xr6 and Aurion ZR's on exactly the same drives (Hire cars and numerous times too) and I still don't like a large FWD car with ~200kw of power. The Aurion's torque steer is shocking, the things tramline on rough surfaces under accelleration and in the wet, well you might as well just put them away, as the bloody stability control has a hissy fit. The XRs on the other hand are a joy to drive, no tugging on the steering wheel, no histerics under accelleration and certainly very stable in the wet. The other great joy of the Falcon is that thing called torque, it makes the car so much better at overtaking. Its become a bit game now for me to give one the boot full when overtaking just to feel that lovely surge forward.

I've also done the same trip in a Territory and a Kluger, the Kluger felt like it was designed in 1995 comapred to a Tezza on the road. Yes the packaging inside is good and the fit and finish is typical toyota good, but as a driver's car it was crap.

I keep coming back to the same point though, I tow regularly and its very common on our household for bot the Ranger and the Territory to have something heavy hanging off the back of it at the same time.

We're going to get what Ford decides in reality so all our chest beating and demands will fall on deaf ears and we'll get what Dearborn wants us to have. Hopefully it'll be a RWD/AWD with a next generation drive train and that's what I wish for.

[Windsor342ci]

[QUOTE=flappist]

The points I am making are:

1) Just because something is RWD does not make it handle well or quick and just because something is FWD does not make it slow.

2) People tend to bias their opinions on cars with their favorites being perfect in every way and anything they don't personally like being hopeless, just ask anyone on street commodores how good a FG2 GT is.[QUOTE]

Point 1 - I completely agree. When I had my VYSS, which admittedly was a pretty good car, (Got a 13.6 bog stock) my mate in his Corolla Sportivo absolutely gave me a caining on the road around the twisties. I couldn’t believe how crap I was/how good he was. I was very very impressed!

Point 2 - Again I agree. But it’s one of those things for lifestyle... My life style is all WSID and cracking great times. Twisties are fun but a time around a track doesn’t do anything for me. Its not to say anyone who's interested in that is a ****** or loser. No Way! But my lifestyle is based on Wheel standing a power skids.....

Unfortunately we are not in a position to alter or change people’s opinions. We have a fellow member on here who give his opinions as if they are facts, and yes that is wrong to do so. But If IMO I liked dressing up in a big bird outfit on every 3rd Tuesday of the month because it makes me feel sexy, you can’t be annoyed or anything else for that matter because it my opinion... Fact is I’m in a big bird outfit looking very damn yellow and maybe not very visually stimulating....

I wasn’t having a crack mate. But in this kids defense, if he can’t even read an article (Which factually is all he can do due to his restrictions) and share his opinion with people here, amongst his own fellow enthusiasts, what’s the point of the poor kid commenting anyway if he’s going to be flamed upon...

I mean no harm and am a sucker for the underdogs....

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by chevypower

It will probably happen. Mondeo is consolidating with the Fusion (therefore it will be a Mondeo/Fusion fusion!).
It only makes sense that the Taurus and Falcon merge and becomes truly global.

You're looking in the wrong direction.....