2010 Ford Taurus SHO
Ford chiseled a new niche in 1989 with the advent of the Super High Output Taurus. Showcasing the then-new Taurus' better-than-expected chassis, the Taurus SHO combined a high-tech revvy engine, plush interior and garden-variety sedan platform to make a fiscally approachable sports sedan that dared challenge the BMWs of the day for tens of thousands less dollars. Prized by a small core of enthusiasts willing to overlook the car's inherent front-wheel-drive weakness, the first generation V-6 SHOs were followed in 1996 by a more luxury-oriented V-8 version before fading away in 1999 as the Taurus it was built on stagnated into rental car ignominy.
There's no danger of finding the new Taurus SHO on a Hertz lot, though. With crossovers and minivans now doing the daily hauling, Ford has propelled its full-size flagship sedan deep into luxury-car territory and reincarnated a SHO version along with it. It's the old SHO fixed, and more.
So, unlike the athletically exuberant Mitsubishi Evo, the Taurus SHO makes a point of its 10-way power, heated, air-conditioned and dual-massage seats, not to mention its heroic dimensions. Seen fender to fender, the SHO lords over the Evo with fortress-like massiveness inherent in an 8-in.-longer wheelbase plus its low greenhouse and tall beltline proportions. When it comes to straight-out size, the SHO positively eclipses the Evo by 25.9 in. of overall length, 2.4 in. of height and 4.9 in. of width.
Obviously the Mitsu doesn't stand a chance when it comes to passenger or luggage room. The SHO graciously embraces four adults and their gear, a fact we verified repeatedly by always choosing the SHO over the Evo whenever it was time for editors and photographers to pile in one car for a lunch run. Furthermore, the SHO's generously large and plush seating, plus its seemingly endless sybaritic delights, shame the bottom-pinching Evo front buckets and coach-class rear space.
Sound, or the lack of it, is another runaway win for the SHO. Its doors thunk solidly and it wissshs unobtrusively at high speeds in complete contrast to the Evo's tin can acoustics.
Of course, with mammoth size and all those ergonomically excellent twiddle knobs comes weight — over 850 lb. more of the stuff, give or take an electric servo motor. But much of that weight has been put to good use in a brick-stiff chassis, all-wheel drive and the SHO's thumper of a V-6.
Displacing 3.5 liters, or just 213 cu. in. using somewhat appropriate muscle-car terms, the SHO's 24-valve dohc aluminum six is augmented by an excitingly efficient combination of direct fuel injection and twin turbochargers — EcoBoost, Ford calls it. And while the resulting 365 bhp is impressive enough, it's the looming mesa of torque that stamps the "Super" in SHO and differentiates it from the Evo's more frenetic four. Double that thought for the smoothly tuned paddle shifting that trades a little shift speed for grace compared to the Evo's multi-mode driveline clanging and snagging through gears.
Although well dressed in base trim, the real action is in the shouldn't-be-optional Performance Package that delivers a numerically higher final-drive gear — a strong tonic for this mature performance car's corpus. This shorter gearing surprisingly didn't improve the SHO's 0–60 time (due to an additional shift), but its advantages were palpable in the quarter mile with 3/10ths of a second shaved and a 2.2-mph faster trap speed. Sportier summer tires on 20-in. wheels and improved front brake pads are two more commendable Performance Package improvements, as are a more precise calibration of the electric power steering and the ability to turn the traction/stability control completely off.
The amalgamation of these upgrades resulted in an additional 0.06g around the skidpad, an extra 2.1 mph in the slalom and reduced braking distances from 60 and 80 mph by 8 and 15 ft., respectively. These tools put the needed final edge on the SHO's performance, and with no apparent downside.
So-equipped, the SHO is exciting, luxurious transport. Native to the open road with its silken power, ready grip and hushed personality, it simply processes distance as a basic function. Twenty-five highway miles per gallon and a 19.0-gal. tank mean few stops. Radar-guided cruise control maintains one of three pre-set following distances, automatically slowing and resuming speed while you merely steer. Optional navigation and powerful concierge electronics intuitively provide fuel and food locations, even pricing and real-time traffic conditions (it might as well be cheating when dodging urban snarls).
Fatigue, even the transcontinental variety, seems a quaint concept in the new SHO. Besides the lounging room inherent to this full-size car, some of the optional equipment stretches our concept of a performance sedan. The power moonroof and 12-speaker sound system are givens, but heated rear seats — sorry, no air-conditioned leather hides back there — and a power rear sunshade are living large in a go-fast car.
When the road becomes more engaging the paddle shifters provide extra control and the chassis stable confidence. The SHO doesn't loop or barrel roll like the Evo, but it definitely carves turns and doesn't hesitate to tackle mountain switchbacks or sinuous river runs. Only when pushed indecorously does the chassis at last surrender, the front end scrubbing like a Dutch maid until a few miles per hour are dissipated. This happens only long after the passengers have been checking their parachute harnesses, of course.
Back in town, the SHO continues to deliver unexpected electronic tricks. A good example is Cross Traffic Alert, where yet another radar array peers around neighboring vehicles when reversing out of parking spaces; it sounds an alarm long before the driver could see such threats. This same hardware also lights an amber warning dot in the outside rearview mirrors when a car lurks in the SHO's blind spot on the freeway.
It's difficult to reconcile so many features, the SHO's large size and its surprising emphasis on luxury with its pony-car acceleration and sports-sedan handling. Ultimately we realized the latest SHO has not only retained its original mantra of affordable, sedan-based performance, but chiseled out yet another new niche by adding no-excuse luxury to its potent performance mix.
And so, as it did 20 years ago, the SHO defies easy categorization. It has traded some immediacy for huge steps forward in comfort and utility, not to mention performance. Like the Evo it remains compellingly affordable and threatens today's blue-blood sports sedans for tens of thousands dollars less. But this time there are no inherent limitations and, brother, it still flies.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
