The third generation Ford Taurus was a moonshot car if there ever was one. After years of reigning supreme as one of the best-selling mid-sized sedans, Ford decided to overhaul its aging Taurus model and launch a bold new vision for what the company believed its hero car should be. The so-called “jellybean” design was nothing short of polarizing, and sadly, the upgrades and refinements that came standard didn’t yield the same success as prior generations. Still, they were decent cars, and very few remain in any sort of condition today, especially with just over 50,000 miles like this 1996 Taurus GL listed here on craigslist for $4,000.
Ford may not have been reading the room correctly when it unveiled this newfangled Taurus. The interior was perhaps where the biggest transformation outside of the exterior took place, and added significant costs in the process. The bodywork was the source of most of the debate, however, as the new design represented a radical departure from the squared-off appearance of the second generation models. With a huge chunk of its sales figures attached to fleet operators, the added cost of the new luxury features and styling that seemingly offended as many consumers as it won over led to Ford having to quickly pivot and introduce a bare-bones base model. The Ford Taurus “G” was designed to keep its fleet customers happy, but it also spelled the beginning of the end of the Taurus’ attempt to move upmarket.
Though this car isn’t a pure base model, it’s also not the trim level that caused the MSRP to increase. The higher-equipped Tauruses had new levels of refinement and details that weren’t expected in a mid-sized domestic, including triple-stitched leather seats, soft touch materials through the cabin, and the option of the powerful Duratec 3.0L V6. All Tauruses benefitted from a stiffer shell and tightened-up chassis, and engineering improvements like those were put to good use in the high-performance SHO offering, which stuffed a Yamaha V8 under the hood. This car is ridiculously clean inside and out, and the seller notes he purchased it from an estate sale with just 8,000 miles on the clock.
Though the Duratec is the engine to get, this Taurus makes do with the venerable “Vulcan” V6, which produced a respectable 145 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. The seller notes he used this car as a college vehicle for his daughter, and as such, he performed a fair amount of preventative maintenance to use it as a reliable commuter. In the last four years, he has installed new belts, a tensioner, water pump, and a battery, and the tires are fairly recent as well. He notes the last work performed was a brake job with a proper brake fluid flush done at the same time. For a cheap and comfortable commuter with lots of life left, it’s hard to beat this Taurus. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.
I never warmed up to the ovoid-themed styling. I don’t think I am alone in that sentiment. That said, this example looks very good. It has had lots of maintenance work. And as Jeff says “cheap and comfortable.” I think the seller is using an appropriate sales pitch: what newer vehicle could you get for the same money? It would likely have 150k+ miles and would need lots of work.
Being “just a car,” and one which filled the role as a fleet vehicle, most of these are long gone. So if nothing else, seeing one brings back the time when they were common. Thanks Jeff.
Totally agree, Bob. They lost me with this generation too but this one’s got lots of life left in it for a low price.
We went to new car auto show in 1996. At the Ford area was this new Taurus. The guy at the Ford display called it “A Symphony of Ovals”…..
Also by then everyone knew that the Taurus was famous for transmission issues. By the time these came out Ford had pretty much got the transmission issues handled. But the history and the new style were too much to overcome.
If you want to see something just as nauseating as this Taurus’ fish-like styling, check out the TV ad for the 1996 Taurus and its awful jingle.
“It’s just like a dream you can hold in your hand…”
“Taurus… making the dream come true for you.”
bought one new sold it with over 200k miles and was a very dependable car
The front grille (ford logo in the middle) and seat cloth pattern look like a ‘98 while the amber tail lights indicate 96 or 97. 🤔
I had a 1996 Taurus SHO with the 8 cylinder engine. That was a fun car to drive plenty of power and handled great bought it for my wife that was around 2000 black with grey leather and a moon roof. She really loved that car right up to the time i got in an accident and totaled it not my fault. Before that car we had a 1994 Taurus SHO with the 6 cylinder Yamaha engine they designed for the 1989-1995 SHO. Both were great cars that never gave me any problems miss both of them.
One of the better ideas was the flip and fold console. You had a regular bench seat and presto some decent cup holders.
Wasn’t a big fan of the redesign but it’s kinda growing on me.
Bought a 97 wagon, with the slower V-6. Decent car, did have to rebuild trans, burnt it up in snow on our mountain. Ran for years for my daughter, who hated driving a wagon.
I expect the wagons will become collectible, they’ve aged well and few remain. One in my neighborhood and it looks great.
I can’t remember why the first generation Tauri were so shocking, they look plain tday. These still look out of the ordinary.
The jellybean look was ahead of its time as the few remaining cars today have curves and angles galore to make getting in and out a job for a contortionist. I prefer boxy cars so drive a Kia Soul. I do love the color on the blue Ford Taurus. The interior looks clean. Some maintenance was performed by the seller so potential buyers get more information than a used car dealer would have. Engine is not powerful but it us a V6 so should run smoothly with lower rpm than many of today’s 4 cylinder offerings. All in all, not a hot collectible but a good survivor that is 30 model years old that can easily be used as a daily driver.
Had three Taurus company cars starting with a ’99, then 2001 and 2003, last two styled much better. I bought those two from the company and drove them many years and many miles. Never an issue with any of the three. IMHO these were some of the best cars Ford made during that period….not exciting, just good reliable and inexpensive transportation. Not every car has to be a screamin’ performance vehicle.
Agree 100%.
I remember this car quite well. I didn’t like it and still don’t. The wagon version was the best looking. Why forward did this oval monstrosity, I will never know. It was bizarre from the inside to the outside and from the outside to the inside. The prior generation was much better looking. Here’s another example of bad management decision. This is what ruins car companies.
I think it is among the best looking cars, inside and out, that Ford ever made. I bought one. It was blue and gray inside, just like the one being shown. The Vulcan 6 very soon developed pre-ignition problem (which Ford call “the sound of power” or something). Repeated trips to the dealer never solved the problem. I figured that soon enough the engine would blow. I WANTED to love that car, so pretty, so modern, art on wheels, but the bean-benders who cheaped-out on the environmental controls have since pointed me to foreign cars which run properly. Management has destroyed the USA car business.
I’ve had a couple of Taurus’s over the years. All were at least OK. For me,I’d rather have a bad American car than the best foreign car ever made. Just inherited a Tuscan. I got her fixed up and she will be for sale in a couple of days. Going to take the money and buy a Escape.
Had a ‘99 SHO, awesome car and man did that motor loooooove to rev. This car is perfect for exactly what it is and priced very fairly IMHO. Perfect for a new young driver. Pretty reliable and parts are cheap and easy to come by.
Another blah car on Barn Finds due to low mileage. 🤮
Well worth 4k. Looks good, low mileage, and appears to have a fold-down rear seat. That’ll come in handy when you need it. Doubt you’d be unhappy using this for point A to point B transportation. C’mon… it’s 4 grand!
However; I’d really prefer the wagon.
When I first saw one of these back in the day, my first thought was: “Where did the designers get their inspiration from, a catfish?”