2004 Ford Taurus Review
Summary
What Edmunds.com says
No longer a top contender in the midsize car segment, the Taurus is still a decent buy if a low initial price is more important to you than overall refinement and resale value.
Pros
Low price, roomy interior, good crash test scores, available as a sedan or a wagon.
Cons
Low-grade interior materials; doesn't ride, handle or stop as well as top competitors; poor expected resale value.
What's New for 2004
New front and rear fascias give the Taurus a slightly updated look. Minor interior enhancements include a revised instrument cluster, new steering wheel design and a passenger seat weight sensor for determining airbag deployment.
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
Drive it until it dies
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 8 | Build Quality: | 7 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 8 |
| Fuel Economy: | 10 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2004 Ford Taurus SES 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
Review
Love this car. Economical, roomy and wonderful highway feel. Bought it in 2006 with 18K miles and have had little problems. Mostly highway driving (60 mile rural commute) I average 390 - 420 miles on a tank. Twice got 455 miles with still 18 Miles to E! The duratec engine is a fuel-sipping work horse. Highway performance is adequate, and even with four people and luggage (that all fit comfortably), the car still gets wonderful gas mileage! City mileage has gotten horrid. 1 week of it showed about 250 miles to a tank. and transmission seems to be slipping slighty at only 57K. A/C also robs engine performance. Staying with regular maintanence, this car will last forever!
Favorite Features
Display for miles to empty and MPG. 6 disc changer. Gas mileage. Plenty of room. Can fit my two brothers and father in there and I'm the shortest at 6'1
Suggested Improvements
Wish I had the folding rear seats. Better stereo... four speakers a little inadequate. A/C drain on the engine. Auto headlamps would be wonderful
Just Right
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 7 | Fun-to-Drive: | 8 | Build Quality: | 8 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 8 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 8 | ||
Vehicle
2004 Ford Taurus SES 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
Review
Ford finally had it together for me. Just the right size and accruments. Comfort and style for 4. Utility to carry 6 in a pinch. And when we added a K & N air filter, synthetic oil and tires at 37 psi, 37 mpg on the highway loaded with 4 and full bags. Too bad they let it slip away.
Favorite Features
Room, ergonomcs, leather 6 seat setup is perfect for 4 with center armrests for all. Sunroof also allows running with no AC in relatively warm conditions, helping the gas mileage. Roomy trunk and 60/40 incresases the versatility. Good sound system.
Suggested Improvements
Even better fuel efficiency. Had our 1st Taurus in '88, no increase gas milage in 20+ years. Engineers, or Ford, went into hibernation after '86. Need higher quality AC units and rads, though this '04 has yet to give any problems. Both our '88 and '95 models had to have them replaced.
2004 Ford Taurus SE
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 7 | Fun-to-Drive: | 4 | Build Quality: | 2 |
| Comfort: | 5 | Interior Design: | 5 | Reliability: | 6 |
| Fuel Economy: | 4 | Exterior Design: | 5 | ||
Vehicle
2004 Ford Taurus SE 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
Review
I put a considerable amount of miles on this car each year; mostly highway. Car has averaged 20mpg. For the most part the Taurus has been reliable, but soon after I passed 60,000 miles (warranty expire) I started to have nagging issues. I performed the regular maintenance, but mechanical elements still broke down (i.e. transmission, alternator, etc.)
Favorite Features
I like the size of a full-size car with a relatively low sticker price.
Suggested Improvements
You would think Ford would've identified all the bugs in the Taurus since it has been on the market for years. Seats wore down quickly, very noisy, tires did not last long, cannot use sun visor without blocking the entire windshield.
Wanna Trade?
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 5 | Fun-to-Drive: | 5 | Build Quality: | 2 |
| Comfort: | 7 | Interior Design: | 4 | Reliability: | 3 |
| Fuel Economy: | 2 | Exterior Design: | 6 | ||
Vehicle
2004 Ford Taurus SE 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
Review
I have had this vehicle for a little over a year now - my Gma bought it new and passed away, so I got it - and I have had to put tons of $ into it. I expected some, but not nearly the expense I've had. I get ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE gas mileage. 13/14 mpg at most... 15 if I want to spend the $50+ for 93 octane gas, but it's obviously not worth it.
Favorite Features
It fits us all.
Suggested Improvements
MUCH NEEDED gas mileage improvement!!!
Bring back into production
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 7 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 8 | Interior Design: | 7 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2004 Ford Taurus SE 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
Review
Bought this under D-plan as a Ford technician for around $12K brand new. This car is now a wow factor, but a solid family car. Wish I could have bought a fleet to last our family for the next millenium. So far I have only put tires and a starter on this vehicle after 83K miles. 1 recall for reflash PCM for flex fuel usage. The 3.0 Vulcan is bulletproof and these cars are easy to work on when they do require service. We will be keeping this vehicle until it can't go anymore in a million years.
Favorite Features
Extremely low cost per mile to operate.
Suggested Improvements
Bring this platform back into production. The new Taurus & Taurus X are impersonating.
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