Test drive Ford Taurus 1995 - 1999 Sedan
Two worlds, two sedans
In the last issue, we wrote about the presentation dedicated to the beginning of sales in our Ford Taurus market, and promised to tell more about this car. The word must be kept, and that is exactly the Ford Taurus golden color, which, during the presentation, proudly towered on an impromptu podium framing the spruce paws. _2_v a pair of Ford Taurus, we selected Opel Omega MV6. These two cars are technically very close. But, comparing the American and European approach to the business class car, we simultaneously compare two American cars, because Opel Omega MV6 is sold in the US market as Cadillac Catera. In addition, it turns out that the comparison is between a middle-class car (Ford Taurus) and the highest still Cadillac! Although in those trim levels that were selected for the test, cars cost approximately the same $ 47.500 (Ford Taurus) and $ 48.450 (Opel Omega MV6), have approximately equal overall dimensions, automatic gearboxes, V6 engines with a working volume of 3 liters, with a capacity of 203 liters. With. (Ford Taurus) and 211 l. With. (Opel Omega MV6). But if our Ford Taurus market is supplied only with this engine and, like any decent American, it does not have an alternative to the automatic box, then for Opel Omega such an engine is a prerogative of the top version, and the automatic box is installed at an additional fee.
The differences between machines begin with their appearance. Ford Taurus is similar to either a child-over-child, or a hero of Disney cartoons. It seems that the car stretched out a slot of the radiator cladding in a smile from headlight to headlight, and hard to resist, so as not to smile back. This immediately sets up in a friendly way. The avant -garde design is emphasized by a cheerful coloring in an infrequent shade of metallic. It is impossible to predict how such an appearance will look in a couple of years (the vanguard is obsolete as quickly as the outfits of high fashion), but so far it leaves no one indifferent. Wherever the car appeared, he always found himself in the spotlight and caused others only positive emotions even Pajero with dark glass politely let us go forward. It is difficult to say how much increased attention to serious businessmen will be, namely, they, judging by the price, will be the main buyers of this machine in Russia. After all, in his homeland, Ford Taurus is considered an inexpensive car, and such a bright appearance should attract the attention of young Americans who now prefer to buy Japanese models. 
But Opel Omega seems dressed in a strict business suit. Although such an appearance will not be able to attract the attention of young virgins, it will be appropriate in almost any situation from the cultural trip to the theater to shopping. Thanks to this, the car, which debuted back in 1993, looks good to this day and will not look old -fashioned for another five years. 
The salon is richer at Opel Omega. Leather finish and everywhere wooden inserts. From the full list of additional equipment for this model, only two things cruise control and an adjustable steering column were absent in our machine. The latter was especially missing, but a huge amount of (12) adjustments of the driver’s chair, and all with electric drive, helped partially fix the situation. Of the shortcomings, it should be noted the display of the flight comprehensive control system, which is obsessively looming in the right corner of the instrument, on which the frequency of setting the radio receiver is highlighted in large numbers, and the air temperature overboard or the instant fuel consumption arises slightly below. The information, of course, is interesting, and sometimes even useful, but not so much as to keep her before her eyes all the time. The installation of climate control has double controls, spaced on both sides of the central console on one side for the driver, on the other for the front passenger. A little below a number of buttons. Pressing one of them, we jumped in surprise. There was a strange sound as if in the back seat of a pterodactyl spreading its wings. It turned out that this is the control of an electric drive of the sun -glass curtain of the rear window. By the way, the glass itself, although it has an actually larger area, is installed with a strong slope. Because of this, a gap remained between the roof and the back of the rear seat, more like an embrasure, and that is almost completely blocked by three head restraints. In addition, the rear window collects all dust, like a hatchback. And in the outer mirrors you can only look along the sides of the car. Therefore, whether there is another car from behind or not, it is difficult to understand, and it is almost impossible to determine the distance to it. And reversing maneuvering is a real torture. 
Ford Taurus does not have problems with this, the salon mirror gives a wonderful review back, and external mirrors are better. Although they also want to add more sphericalness, since there are still dead areas due to the wide racks of the roof. But the body of the body is impeccable. The outer door handles are always clean, and for all the days that the car was at our disposal, I never had to wipe the rear lights. The salon is generally simpler, although only two hatches in the roof and leather salon were not enough from the list of options. However, on tissue seats in hot weather you feel more comfortable. With the adjustments, the Americans struggled at the driver's seat of only six of them, and the back of the seat has no servo. But this amount is enough for convenient landing, especially taking into account the steering column adjustable in the angle of inclination. But the right front passenger will have to adjust the chair for himself manually. 
To stretch your legs and feel like in some Stretch, passengers on the back of the Ford Taurus do not have enough 15-20 centimeters to the backs of the front seats. Opel Omega cannot boast of such comfort. Here the planting of the rear passengers is more vertical, typically European. The only thing that the Ford Taurus announces is the noise flying from under the wheels of water and dirt that occurs due to insufficient sound insulation of the rear wheel arches. 
From the point of view of the driver, Opel Omega lost Ford Taurus dry. European engines are nevertheless created primarily under a manual gearbox. Opel Omega, no matter how muffled the gas pedal, forcing the box to perform the exercise of the kik-dowan, is very sleepily responding to all attempts to stiffen it. On the sports regime of the box, the position does not save. Well, it starts to pick up almost 1000 revolutions earlier, so what? This practically does not affect the dynamics of overclocking. Yes, and switching from step to step occurs with such pauses that the hand involuntarily lays on the selector lever wants to add the transmission, as on a manual box. 
Whether the matter is Ford Taurus. Here, sitting behind the wheel and transferring the selector to the Drive position, you forget about it until the end of the trip. The first several times you start with the slip of the drive wheels so sensitively powerful engine reacts to pressing the gas pedal. The transition from step to step is practically not felt, and if you forcefully turn off Overdrive, then the car turns into a real missile. But even with such an aggressive driving manner, fuel consumption does not exceed 15 liters per 100 kilometers, which is not so much for a 3-liter engine. Despite such a frisky disposition, the car does not provoke the driver on the racing with his own shadow. At the wheel, you feel comfortable both at a speed of 60 km/h and at 160. Ford Taurus was created in the typically American style of the space of space. There is a convenient support for the left elbow on the door and for the right on the cover of the glove compartment of the central console. Turn on the cruise control, a couple of jars of something refreshing in the cup holders everything in the same console, a beautiful girl in a neighboring seat, and forward from Chicago to Los Angeles without stopping! 
Whoever goes quickly, he must be able to quickly stop. From the point of view of asymptotic approximation to the Absolute, the brake is better in Opel Omega. With the easiest touch to the brake pedal, the car stops as if dug. For Ford Taurus, the inhibition process is not so rapidly that it allows you to more accurately control the degree of slowdown. That's just ABS works a little earlier than we would like. However, this was already the nit -picking. 
The steering of both cars is excellent accurate and moderately acute. And this despite the fact that Ford Taurus is front -wheel drive, and Opel Omega has a classic layout. Supervisors on machines have a progressive characteristic, that is, with an increase in speed increases the force on the steering wheel. 
The only thing the Ford Taurus is losing Opel Omega is in the characteristics of the suspension. Of course, Ford designers have gone very far from the former American sofas, rocked, like a plane -water in a storm. But in order to reach the European level, one more small step needs to be taken. Most not enough transverse rigidity, which is especially manifested when passing at high speeds on roads with a poor coating. And after a long trip along a fairly decent highway, leaving the steering wheel, you feel like a sailor who has come down from the ship. 
And on gentle transverse waves, the suspension works on the verge of breakdown. Opel Omega has a strict suspension so that the car drews like a compass, but on the irregularities of the roadway, passengers did not feel sitting on a stool. 
Both cars were equipped with factory alarms. At Opel Omega, it turned on either by double pressing the door blocking button on the keychain, or repeated turning the key in the driver's door lock. At the same time, the LED, built into the key that turns off the internal volume sensors in case you go out, and the car remains in the car, begins to flash on the central console. The Ford Taurus alarm is not equipped with such sensors and is only controlled from the keychain. One pressing of the button on it opens only the driver's door, and all the others repeated. In addition, on the keyboard there is a button for the remote opening of the trunk cover and the panic button. When the alarm is turned on on the instrument panel, a small inscription in English begins to glow red. The courtyard shit, which studied poorly at school, may not understand. 
And there is something to steal. Both of the one and the other car have decent stereo systems and CD changers for six discs in the trunk. But the Ford Taurus radio is integrated into the central control panel of the music center and the climate control system. Not only is it not suitable for any other car, but when trying to uproot it from there in the hands of the thieves, only a ribbon -resistant mechanism and a handful of radio components, suitable only for emission. 
Since the vast majority of the motor employees, alas, smokers, we tried to evaluate the car from this point of view. In Opel Omega, a huge ashtray, the volume of which is enough for a week, is on the services of a driver and front passenger. But on the other side of the Atlantic, the fight against smoking is gaining momentum. A modest capacity for cigarette butts is available only to the driver, and even during movement, since it is almost completely overlap with the selector lever in the Parking position. 
When choosing the most liked car, opinions were divided into the editorial office. Fans of the European auto industry were inclined towards Opel Omega MV6, but with a mandatory requirement of a manual gearbox. And I would choose Ford Taurus.
The Ford Taurus car was provided for the test for the Moscow representative office of Ford Motor Company. Tel.: (095) 258-0900. 
The Opel Omega MV6 car was provided for Trinity Motors test. Tel:. (095) 200-4726. Source: Motor magazine [No. 5/1997]
