2010 Ford Taurus - Given that Ford had such little success with its bulky, front wheel driven Ford 500, in 2008, the auto manufacturer reinitiated the Taurus name. The 500 simply was not selling well, and since it was due for a mid-cycle refreshing anyway, Ford decided to bring back its longstanding market leader. Following suit, the Mercury Montego was then called the Mercury Sable - and the Ford Freestyle was renamed the Taurus X - the "X" representing the fact that it was a SUV crossover. And now, the 2010 Ford Taurus is being prepared for the market.

The 2010Ford Taurus review reveals a freshened version of the Ford 500. In fact, it is much freshened. More than 500 changes have been employed to create this new bull. Hmmm - 500 changes to the 500 makes a new Ford Taurus - interesting.

Among those changes is a totally new seating configuration. When you sit in the Ford Taurus, you are riding high. Firm, yet very comfortable bucket seats are elevated to a degree where all occupants are able to enjoy excellent views from every window. Instruments and controls are all very well positioned and the more technological features such as the navigation system are a breeze to master. And, one of the most notable improvements is the fact that this new Ford Taurus features the largest interior in its entire class; it measures a whopping 129 cubic feet - 21 cubic feet in the trunk and 108 more in the cabin.

This new Ford Taurus will get down and dirty in competition with the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, the 2010 Hyundai Sonata, the 2010 Pontiac G6 and the 2010 Toyota Camry amongst others. The 2010 Ford Taurus price ranges from $25,170 up to $37,170 - and purchasers feel that it's worth every penny spent. EPA estimations for fuel efficiency rate at 18/28 miles per gallon of fuel spent in the cities and highways respectively. The Ford Taurus is a big vehicle. And it has a big engine to boot.

The base engine for the 2010 Taurus by Ford it is a 3.5L 24-valve V6 that delivers more than 30 percent increased power over the discontinued 3.0L V6 featured on the Ford 500. It's actually the same engine that's used in the significantly heavier and bigger Ford Edge and the Lincoln MKX. Its architecture is a loose version of the Volvo S80 luxury sedan, yet with various changes made to the still-excellent suspension system. That powerful engine is mated to an all new 6F 6-speed automatic gearbox. In addition to creating all of that extra power, Ford has managed to make this drivetrain a full 10 percent more fuel efficient than its predecessor.

Other competitors include the Toyota Avalon, the Chrysler 300 and the Chevy Impala - and the 2010 Ford Taurus may be the quietest and smoothest of all. It definitely is the largest. And let's not forget that it also brags about four separate five-star crash test ratings from the NHTSA for rollover, rear, side and frontal collisions. Of course, it goes without saying that the list of standard safety features is quite impressive indeed. And who would think that with all of this positively-innovative change that the Ford Taurus is actually less expensive than the ill-conceived Ford 500. Oh yeah, it also goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 7.6 seconds.