2013 Ford Taurus SHO Review and Prices

Styling: The 2013 Ford Taurus SHO’s basic shape and overall dimensions are unaltered but a number of styling tweaks are onboard to keep the look current and help distinguish it from mainstream 2013 Taurus models.

The 2013 Taurus SHO gets a new black mesh grille flanked by specific high-intensity headlamps. A vent-like scallop just behind the front wheel wells subtly displays the SHO badge.

The 2013 SHO also comes with specific black-painted side mirrors that incorporate downward-facing puddle lamps; the mirror surface is heated on the driver’s side. At the rear, a redesigned spoiler is on the decklid and dual chrome exhaust tips exit beneath the bumper.

The ’13 Taurus SHO retains 19-inch all-season tires as standard, but on a fresh alloy-wheel design, while 20-inch summer tires on their own alloys remain optional.

Inside, the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO will be differentiated from other 2013 Taurus models by a perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather-trimmed sport seats with embroidered SHO graphics. The cabin will further sport woven-look aluminum trim and adjustable aluminum brake and accelerator pedals with memory settings.

Like the rest of the 2013 Ford Taurus line, the 2013 SHO will retain the same basic interior themes introduced with this big sedan’s model-year 2010 redesign. Horizontal lines and boxy shapes will again dominate, but the 2013 SHO will adopt higher-quality materials and softer plastics for a richer overall feel. Added insulation behind the dashboard will help isolate powertrain noise and contribute to a quieter ride, while modifed front-seat cushions promise added comfort.

The 2012 SHO’s steering wheel is also revised and embedded with ergonomically designed switchgear to control various vehicle functions. A new electronic instrument cluster is brighter and more legible than before and includes two supplemental LED displays to show trip computer data. An LCD video screen again tops the central stack of dashboard controls and displays audio-system information, climate-control settings, and other systems. A larger center screen is included with the optional navigation system.

Despite the midcycle freshening, the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO remains a large and muscular-looking car, with a long hood, low roofline, and tall rear deck. The styling, however, takes a toll on interior space: this sedan is big on the outside but shortchanges taller passengers for legroom and headroom. And while the trunk remains atop the full-size-car class with 20.1 cubic feet of volume, a too-narrow lid opening will continue to make loading larger objects a challenge.
As before, the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO will continue in a single trim level.

Mechanical: The 2013 Ford Taurus SHO doesn’t get changes to engine output but does receive several enhancements intended to improve handling. For starters, the car’s electric power-steering system is recalibrated for greater road feel and improved response. The brake system is revised to deliver added stopping power; tweaks include a larger master cylinder, revised booster tuning for improved pedal feel, and larger front rotors with newly vented rear discs intended to help the cool the brakes.

Also added to the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO is a torque-vectoring system that automatically places a slight amount of braking force on the outside front wheel when accelerating through turns to afford quicker and more precise cornering.

A revised version of the optional SHO Performance Package includes specific suspension and steering tuning, the 20-inch wheels and tires, a 3.16:1 final drive ratio instead of the standard 2.77:1 for enhanced acceleration. The package also includes a fully disabled “track” mode for the antiskid system and braking- and cooling-system enhancements.
Unchanged is the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO’s version of Ford’s 3.5-liter direct-injected and twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6. Output is again 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque (think of torque as the force that gets a car going, horsepower as the energy that keeps it going).

A specially calibrated six-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel paddles for manual-type shift control will remain standard. Ford has revised the wheel-mounted paddle shifters to reserve one paddle for upshifts, the other for downshifts. It says they’re more intuitive to use.

All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional on mainstream Taurus models as a wet-pavement grip enhancement in place of standard front-wheel drive. AWD is again standard on the 2013 SHO and remains specially calibrated to improve both slippery-surface traction and dry-road handling. It also helps quell the unwelcome tendency of any powerful front-drive car to pull to one side during rapid acceleration, an anomaly known as torque steer.

Enthusiastic drivers should again be able to delay intervention from Ford’s standard AdvanceTrak antiskid stability control system at the push of a button to allow some wheel slippage through turns. The system will still engage as necessary to help prevent the vehicle from fishtailing out of control in extreme handling maneuvers, however.

Overall, the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO will continue to afford V-8-like thrust with fuel-economy ratings at or near those of mainstream 2013 AWD Taurus models powered by the 290-horsepower non-turbo version of this V-6. The ‘13 Taurus SHO can also be expected to again deliver above-average handling, though as in most performance-oriented cars, a continued trade-off for cornering prowess will be a slightly rougher ride than with the mainstream Taurus models.

Features: Ford has always positioned the Taurus SHO as a tech showcase, and it’ll turn up the volume by equipping the 2013 version with its MyFord Touch multimedia control system. This does away with most conventional dashboard audio- and communications-system buttons and dials. It instead governs most functions via a configurable menu-driven touch-screen LED display, with a few adjustments relegated to a series of tactile “touch points” mounted below the screen.

MyFord Touch debuted in the 2011 Ford Edge crossover SUV and then was made available in the 2012 Explorer SUV. In our tests, MyFord Touch has proved a bit tricky to operate and it requires a steep learning curve. Once mastered it still requires an inordinate amount of attention to operate – not good news for the careful driver. Fortunately, conventional analog controls for many functions are included on the steering wheel, and most commands -- including those controlling mobile phones and iPods -- can be issued verbally via Ford’s Sync voice-activated control system.

The foundation of MyFord Touch is the Sync communications system jointly developed by Ford and Microsoft. Sync has been available on a variety of Ford and Lincoln models for several years and the 2013 Taurus SHO will include the latest edition. It affords added integration with smartphones that can connect remotely to the Internet. New services include the ability to stream music from the Pandora Internet music service through the audio system and even read Twitter messages read aloud via a synthesized voice.

Newly optional for the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO will be a heated steering wheel and Ford’s Active Park Assist system. The former is an indulgence in chilly weather climates, the latter might be a must-have for suburbanites who struggle when they’re required to parallel park in urban environments. Active Park Assist employs sensors to determine whether a parking space is sufficiently large to accommodate the car. Then the system takes over and steers the car into the slot; the driver—keeping hands off the wheel—simply works the brake pedal to modulate the car’s speed.

The 2013 Ford Taurus SHO will continue to coddle its occupants with specific leather-clad seats, an abundance of standard features, and array of safety and amenities options typical of more expensive luxury cars.

These include Ford’s Collision Warning with Brake Support, which gives visual and audible alerts if the system senses the car is closing too quickly on an obstruction or traffic ahead. It won’t actually slow or stop the Ford, but will prime the brakes to full force in anticipation of a panic stop. Ford’s optional Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert (BLIS) warns of vehicles beyond the driver’s field of vision on the highway or approaching from the sides when backing from a parking space or garage.

Other 2013 Taurus SHO options will include a premium-grade Sony audio system with HD Radio. The latter receives higher sound-quality broadcasts (where available) and allows users to “tag” and save song information onto a connected iPod or iPhone for later reference; selected songs can also be purchased and downloaded in a few clicks via the online iTunes music store. Other options will include a voice-activated navigation system, rear backup camera, heated and cooled front seats, a front-seat massaging function, power moonroof, and a fanciful multicolor ambient interior lighting system.