Test Drive: 2011 Ford Taurus SHO
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VOICE OVER: Miranda Lightstone
There's no denying it; the Ford Taurus SHO (pronounced show, but it's actually an acronym for Super High Output) is a big car. Inside and out, everything about this vehicle is large; and that works well for the vehicle. This isn't meant to be a nimble, little hatch. Ford designed a sedan to be both comfortable to sit in and comfortable to drive. And with plenty of funky technological gadgets, comfort is ensured. In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com gets behind the wheel of the SHO to check out its unique features and see how it handles itself compared to some sportier models.
Design
The Ford Taurus SHO isn’t the prettiest looking car on the road today, but it’s not horrible either. The car is regal in a way with a large front end and exaggerated grille. The lines of the car are large and sweeping and the overall stance of the car is quite high.
Get inside the Taurus SHO and the bigness continues. Even the buttons and middle console are large, creating a clear separation between driver and passenger. The seats are large and plushy, almost too much so, leaving very little support while driving. The SYNC system is, perhaps, the coolest onboard system available in any car and is standard on the SHO. Voice-activated everything means you never have to touch a button anywhere if you don’t want to.
The SHO is even outfitted with nifty ambient lighting (which seems to be the cool thing to do these days) and a privacy/sun screen in the rear window for your passengers.
Drive
The Ford Taurus is a big car (I think we’ve established that by now), however, it’s quite quick on its wheels for all that size. With a 3.5-liter V6 twinturbo EcoBoost engine, the SHO pushes out 365 horsepower, and it shows on the road. The AWD also helps give the car stability in the corners, despite its size.
With a 6-speed automatic transmission with available sport shift (which you have to select on the gear lever before you can change gears with the big, unsightly paddle shifters on the steering wheel), the Ford Taurus SHO isn’t the most exciting car to drive in the world, but it’s not bad either. If you’re looking for a sedan that’s more like a small crossover in interior space/size, then look to the SHO.
