1996 Ford Taurus GL review from North America

Previous owner (my older sister) had to replace the transmission at about 300 000km.

Engine died shortly after and was replaced.

Minor suspension issues due to rust, old age, and rough teenage drivers; sway bars snapped off.

Clips in the door panels keep breaking due to cheap plastic clips.

Minor electrical problems such as the rear window defroster grid.

Overheating of the engine because of the fans not being able to switch to top speed (fixed by re-routing the circuits to a button we put on the dash, had to do the same for the windshield washer jets on the hood).

This is my first car which I got from my older sister, which she got from our grandpa whom was a mechanic and a ford enthusiast. He personally picked this car from his used car lot for his granddaughters to have because it is safe and reliable. As a teenager I am extremely pleased with this car.

Even through the harsh winters of northern Canada where it can touch -45 degrees Celsius, the Taurus has never failed to get me to school and work every morning. I feel very safe driving in the winter, even when the roads are buried in almost a foot of snow and only big trucks and the toughest of cars can still get around. I've had a couple mild accidents including being rammed by an F-250 truck, but this thing is built like a tank!

The interior is roomy and I adore the front bucket seat setup which allows it to carry seven friends. The trunk has more than enough room for my 17" sub-woofers, camping gear, and a couple flats of beer. A great car for bush parties :D.

Along with its good looks, it's relatively quick too with regular maintenance and decent fuel quality (I've won many red-light drag races against other cars in its class and a couple coupes too!).

Even though it's approaching 350,000km it still runs like a real trooper and I expect my little brother, when I pass it down to him, will have as much fun with it as I did for many years to come. As for myself, I may move on to a ford Taurus station wagon with a sunroof. Well done, Ford!