Faults:

The main problem is the rust on the sheet metal, especially on the trunk and the edges of the roof; in the early years it wasn't kept in a garage and the car suffered quite a bit because of that.

Brakes were changed at 60,000 km, and although they were good, they wore out quickly. The new brakes lasted until I sold the car.

The clutch was replaced at approximately 150,000 km, not bad for a car that, while it hadn't been driven much before I bought it, was still a used car.

General Comments:

A beautiful and spectacular car. It was very popular and sold well here since it was made in the old Ford factory in Genk, Belgium.

I remember it fondly; the car was very well built. The Ghia version I had was the top of the range, with corduroy seats and leather carpeting, all in light brown. Superb quality. I never had to service the air conditioning in all the years I owned it, and it worked perfectly. Very easy to drive thanks to the power steering; taking a drive was a real pleasure.

The engine was a 2.3 V6, with plenty of power and great torque, a perfect engine for a large car like the Taunus. It wasn't slow, but it wasn't particularly fast either.

However, what it lacked in performance it made up for in reliability. It was an extremely dependable engine, the kind you don't see these days. With almost 300,000 kilometers on the clock, it never had the slightest problem. It took me everywhere without a hitch.

The worst thing about it is the fuel consumption. Yes, it's a car that guzzles fuel, especially noticeable in city driving.

If you want to drive it faster than 150-160 km/h, be prepared because it consumes more fuel than an American V8.

By far the best and most reliable car I've ever owned. I envy anyone who has one in good condition today.

Faults:

Rust, rust, rust. Needed 2 paint jobs and welding within 8 years.

Gas leaked from the tank.

Engine replaced 2 times, only the last one (a 1.5 liter) held together.

It was very basic, not much else to go wrong.

General Comments:

Very comfortable and roomy for such a small car. (The smallest Ford of its time.)

Trunk was huge.

Column shifter was new to me, but I preferred it over a floor shifter.

It lacked a 5th gear of course.

Sometimes it selected 2 gears at once. Only remedy was to shut the engine off and open the hood to dislodge the linkage.

The clutch was adjustable while driving.

Parts were hard to get, but cheap.

McPherson suspension in front, leaf springs in the back. It handled great. Not to soft, not to firm. Good for driving long distances without getting tired.

Faults:

The car was in excellent shape for such an old and cheap (3500kr/about £350 in 2004) vehicle - the only things that went wrong was the wiper blade engine, where a plastic cogwheel was worn out according to my mechanic. It was really hard to get the cog back, but eventually I had to change the engine, which was kind of awkwardly placed.

Excellent interior condition due to ghastly purple plush covers.

Unfortunately the cylinder compression dropped due to an old packing, the cylinderhead needed a fix, and since I know nothing of cars I sold it as a spare-part car to an enthusiast.

General Comments:

My first car. It laid rather low, but felt nice and broad on the road for its size, although a little long in the front when parking. Slightly heavy steering, but actually a very nice ride. Impossible to chat when driving in high speed though, due to a bad soundproofing. The defrosting was really bad, and it handled badly when driving on icy roads.

Faults:

Nothing except for the front lights went out at 154000 km.

General Comments:

This is the best car I have ever driven.

Not much to look at, people make fun of me constantly, but I love my Taunus.