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Contour Vs Taurus

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dansou5

New CEG'er
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
19
What would be better, to get a 3L contour or to just get a Taurus with the 3L in it already, and not worrying about swapping the engine?
 
dansou5 said:
What would be better, to get a 3L contour or to just get a Taurus with the 3L in it already, and not worrying about swapping the engine?
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Depends on what you want. Prices are about the same.

Some Taurus has 6 seats. Contours have 5.

Not worrying about tuning a 3L in a system designed for 2.5L should not be overlooked.

If you want a manual, yes, go with the Contour.

If you want a bigger, more comfortable car, go with a Taurus. The Contour has sports tuned suspension and will have a more harsh ride than a Taurus. But the Contour is more fun to drive. :)

I have driven (rentals) many Tauruses(ii). They seem more "solid" on straight roads due to a longer wheelbase but the handling during turns doesn't approach that of the Contour.

In due time, my Contour replacement will probably be a Taurus.
 
lol i have also had transmission problem with my automatic mystique. just fixed a servo seal.:shrug:
 
You could have your cake and eat it too with a 3.0L MTX Mazda 6. The handling of the Contour with the power of the Taurus. Factory built and no automatic transmission worries.
 
tigerbalm said:
everyone that has a taurus including me that i know of has trans problems.
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I disagree, the AX4N tranny is bullet-proof. By far better than the CD4E. I don't think transmission is really an issue for the Taurus, as long as it is somewhat maintained, it'll last. Suspension components on the other hand are notorious to fail. Failing springs, ball joints, etc etc. Though Ford did a recall for the spring issue, and other components are from natural wear.

I think for the price, the Taurus is a great deal. You can get the last gen (~97-00) for crazy cheap prices.
 
i'm not going to say that there are not any good trans out for the taurus i got a 96 where they changed designs 3 times for the trans in the same year. I've had to get trans work done about 4 times since 40,000 miles now at 106,000. 2 other people i know have had trans problems too, but these are the 96-2000 models.
 
In all my 150K miles with the CD4E, I've never had any transmission problems. My cousin's '99 Taurus, on the other hand, has been a nightmare; and not with just the transmission.
 
ancientsanskrit said:
I disagree, the AX4N tranny is bullet-proof. By far better than the CD4E. I don't think transmission is really an issue for the Taurus, as long as it is somewhat maintained, it'll last. Suspension components on the other hand are notorious to fail. Failing springs, ball joints, etc etc. Though Ford did a recall for the spring issue, and other components are from natural wear.

I think for the price, the Taurus is a great deal. You can get the last gen (~97-00) for crazy cheap prices.
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Over the life of the Taurus it has had FAR more transmission problems than the Contour. True, the Taurus trans eventually was designed to handle the poser of the SHO (both V6 and V8) as well as the Continental V8. Also true that the run of the mill Taurus transmission was one of the worst transmissions ever installed in a car.

I really dislike the Taurus. I try my best to get something different when one is assigned to me as a rental car. I don't like the wallowy suspension. Even more, I don't like the left foot rest area. I get a cramp in my left leg whenever I have to drive one more than 1/2 hour. This may not be a problem for others, but it is for me. The left "dead pedal" area is closer than the actual gas pedal, and the angle is much steeper.

To each his own.
 
I don't think a 3L Taurus is necessarily faster than a non-SVT 2.5L Contour. The 3L Taurus is also a gas gussler and not very practical in my opinion.

The Taurus and Contour offer very different driving experiences. Test drive each, and you shouldn't have any trouble deciding. I can't imagine someone being on the fence between the two because they're that different. If I didn't drive a Contour, I definitely wouldn't drive a Taurus. Too big, too cushy, not agile enough.

Edit: referring to non-SHO Tauruses.
 
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Big Jim said:
...I really dislike the Taurus. I try my best to get something different when one is assigned to me as a rental car. I don't like the wallowy suspension. Even more, I don't like the left foot rest area. I get a cramp in my left leg whenever I have to drive one more than 1/2 hour. This may not be a problem for others, but it is for me. The left "dead pedal" area is closer than the actual gas pedal, and the angle is much steeper.

To each his own.
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ROTFL. :laugh: . I am at the opposite spectrum. I make it a point of getting a Taurus where possible. It used to be an upgrade from the Contour when I rented "Midsize". Nowadays, it is harder to get a Taurus because Ford doesn't own Hertz anymore. Of course, I'm sure Jim has much longer legs than me. The last two times I rented a vehicle at Hertz, I got a Buick LaCrosse and a Hyundai Sonata. :shrug:
 
Desiato said:
I can't imagine someone being on the fence between the two because they're that different. If I didn't drive a Contour, I definitely wouldn't drive a Taurus. Too big, too cushy, not agile enough.
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I agree 100%. The Taurus is a family sedan while the Contour is a european-style sport sedan. It feels much more personal, even intimate, in it's driving experience. And there's lots you can do with it without doing a full-on 3L swap.
 
Well there is the 3.0 Taurus SHO which does come with a manual. In stock form tends to be slightly faster though the Contour tends to handle better.

The Duratec Taurus doesnt even really compare.
 
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