No heading for Taurus so I put this under Crown Vic....

Fairly good in reliability, roominess, and value. A solid family sedan that will provide years of dependable service. Nice, though bland, styling. Great stereo and cheap to fix and maintain.

Needs help in ergonomics (seats are really hard), exhaust (noisy - embarassing at the drive through), and ride (stiff - feel and hear everything). Not at all refined. By this I refer to the car body's harmonic frequency. All cars pickup road noise, but more luxurious cars communicate the cacophony in more pleasant, deeper, and softer tones. Highway botts dots sound tinny in the Taurus as if the body was an empty shell whereas the Camry transmits those sounds in muted, deadened notes as if the body cavities were filled with marshmallows and milled from a single billet of steel.

Engineering wise, the Taurus has some clever features, my most favorite being the fold out center console with space for a cell phone and cupholders. In a pinch this can be folded down and used as a seat. This sedan, as in most, best seats only four occupants even though there may may be more seat belts.

This is a great car for the masses. It does nothing to offend but it doesn't stand out in any way either. Ford builds Lincolns and Jags. One would think that the suspension/refinement technology would flow downhill. Shame that it didn't.

This opinion applies to all Taurus/Sables built in the 1999 model year and beyond (except for the following comment which only applies to the 2001 Mercury Sable:

If you are dead set on getting this car or its clone, the Mercury Sable, pay a few bucks more and get the Sable, especially if you are a gadget freak. The motorized foot pedals are neato. The build quality and ride in the Mercury seems to be much better. Although quieter than the Taurus, still not as refined as the Camry.