1992 Marked the first redesign of the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable. These cars had been launched to great fanfare in 1985 as 1986 models, mainly and most notably for their smooth and futuristic designs. By 1992, the cars weren't dated much, but did blend with the rest of the competition. The cars had been revised with the same general look, but with sleeker and more smoothed over body panels.

I currently own and am also trying to get rid of my 1992 Ford Taurus GL Sedan. It is in the carribean green color with gray bumper trim, it had a gray velour interior with various options. I have also had a 1986 Sable so I am familiar with these cars but when compared, the first Generation Taurus/Sable was far better manufactured with better materials.

My engine is the optional 3.8 Liter V6 engine. It has a lot of pickup, and while rated at the same horsepower as the standard 3.0 V6 (140 HP) it puts out lots more torque, which makes for better accelaration for getting on the freeway, and getting to desired speed in a shorter period of time. If you are considering an LX Wagon, this engine is standard, but because of past problems such as the infamous head gasket problem, I strongly reccommend you have the car thouroghly inspected before making a purchase, because a well maintained LX model can run about as much as $8,000.

Braking is pretty good, but could probably be better. Stopping distance when exiting the freeway is marginal, but when driving in the city, braking is adequate. The transmission is also "okay", I have it flushed regularly and make sure im not "flooring" it on the freeway, which is very tempting with the engine im packing. However, the transmission is slow shifting and a bit sluggish, so its important to manitain it religously.

The interior is another story, And when compared with other manufacturers interiors, Ford/Mercury come up extremely short. Lets begin with the door panels. These are completely made of cheap plastic with a fabric accent on the door. The exposed screws in the front power window switches and in the door storage compartments are very bothersome, because when new these cars could run as much as $23,000! I think ford didn't put much effort into the interior. The dashboard is also a problem area, because it cracks so easily, I have several large areas of this on my dashboard and so I had to buy a dash mat to cover it. If you have the optional Passenger Airbag, that puts you at lower risk of all the cracks, but I don't have it so I guess my resale value is pretty much screwed. The Dashboard ergonomics however are very well planned. Everything but the radio and cupholders are well placed, and theres even a tandem radio control that lets you change the station/volume without taking your eyes off the road. The cupholder is also another problem for those of you considering a model with splitbench seating. The cupholder is mounted underneath the radio with its tiny buttons. The cupholer is placed under an overhang in the dashboard which makes it particularly difficult to use it with any other size cup besides a "Small". The cup support is also rather worthless. Its simply a pair of two hanging "u's" which slide out from under the cup or can when you hit a bump, so in this case i would look for a model with the center console with floorshift or go buy a floor tray which may run you about $5.

The seats are ok but could definitely be improved. The driver's seat with power controls is a nice option, but falls short of lumbar and thigh support. I have moderate to severe backpain after I drive for about an hour, so I reccommend an LX, because I guess ford decided only Its LX buyers were worthy of a little back support. The fabrics are also very poorly applied to the seats. The front seats bottom portions are wrinkled and creased, so It's is not very appealing to my eyes. The fabrics however did improve for the 1993 model year, but watch out for the leather because it is extremely cheap and often rips easily.

As far as storage space goes, the trunk is one of the largest in its class, but there is no folding rear seat in the sedans, which is one of the areas ford falls short when it comes to competeing with toyota, because Camry had a folding rear seat for 1992. In the interior there are some small compartments for storage in the dorrs, but no console. I think that by 1992, the bench with cloumn shift was a little dated, but it was popular, but by the same token, you would think Ford would have exploited the space between the seat with storage, not a mediocre center seat which I personally dont consider a real "seat".

The body itself is much better in terms of quality and craftsmanship. I have been in two accidents and I have a dent in the door which really didn't require repair. The Taurus is an immensely strong car which I do feel safe in when I drive it, But again, The cheapness is a bit apparent with bumpers made of hard plastic and have been know to crack easily. The design Of the car overall is very nice, It has become a bit dated, but it has always maintained its general appeal and can be a very nice family car if you maintain it, but I cannot stress enough how important it will be for you to have any Taurus/Sable inspected before you buy it. You will save yourself a lot of money If you do.

Last thoughts? From Family Hauler to Workhorse, the Taurus/Sable sedans and wagons have many, if not more amenities that many buyers in this class are looking for. If Ford would simply put a little more thought into the fact that most buyers would not be comfortable with paying over $20 grand for a car that utilizes a little too much plastic and exposed screws on the interior, they would have a REAL winner. I think that in a lot of areas the Taurus may very well earned its best-seller status, but With such poor materials used in so many vital areas, Its hard to agree with that status. If you just need transportation, I would still have it over looked by a mechanic, but If you are looking for a more long term purchase, I would go with a Toyota or Honda. They are made better and have a far better resale value.


Amount Paid (US$): 1500
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1992
Model and Options: GL Sedan, Cruise control, power seats, many luxury upgrades