andrewcjduong

I wonder if the police officers drive the Taurus SHO. I know most of the police in my area have switched to Ford Taurus's.

Brock79

I know the ones in my area do, they are not normal SHO packages though. The can climb 14" curbs, which is ridiculous for a car. They also are tall plush inside either. They have larger brakes and the performance package radiators and gear ratios.

draph

[QUOTE=Brock79;14885360]I looked at the skidpad numbers and found the TL's best was .79 while the SHO was .84, that would give the SHO the upper hand. /QUOTE]

What year/generation of TL are you talking about? C&D has SH-AWD at .92g with OEM summer tires, and .88g with the all-seasons... I suspect .79 is the fwd model.

23109VC

The Ford is a piece of crap inside and out... I looked at one and the styling made me want to barf.

Brock79

[QUOTE=draph;14885908]Those are the numbers for a 2011 model and this thread is about AWD models not FWD. Those are the numbers from motor trend and road and track, I wouldn't use numbers from a SHO based magazine or forum nor for the Acura. Also these tests had both cars equipped with all season tires. Which majority of owners have on their cars.

mickey3c

I hope the reliability factor with the TL works out for you My experience with 3 of them have not been as reliable and over a number of years and generations. I know people think so much about their cars and all but in the end what gets you where you want to go, offers comfort, and lively acceleration. That plus 2-3 trip to the dealer for general maintenance.
TLs have had more than their share of issues over the years.

ABDomega

With the advent of smart key technology, what is the benefit of the keypad? Is it that it affords the ability to access the car without a key?

Brock79

You must have not read my post about it. I said earlier I can throw my keys into the car and lock it when I go to the gym or go jogging or even the beach. The keyless entry we have on the TL still means you need the key fob on you. There is a difference between the two, and yes with the keypad you can still have keyless entry like I have on my sho. Also there is no button on the sho handle, I just have to touch the outer handle.

wreak

While I'd probably stop short of going that far I'd have to agree that they really aren't great. Boring styling and typical American build quality. Once the coolness factor of the SHO badge wears off you're left with a pretty lame car.

Brock79

Please elaborate on LAME?

wreak

Well its a Ford Taurus to start, its sort of like asking why a Chevrolet Malibu is lame. Just about any car that is ultimately destined for the rental car lots and fleet use is lame in my books.



Very surprised that is the SHO, at least make it standout like the Regal GS and the CTS-V.

Brock79

It does have distinguishing features, but the only thing that's lame is that my fleet rental car can blow the doors off of whatever you want to call your tl

wreak

I can stick a big block in a Ford Tempo and do the same to your Taurus, what's your point? You must be confused if you think TL owners are buying for drag racing lol. Hey if fleet cars with big engines and low resale value are your thing all the power to you.

Brock79

Not at all, I guess you missed the post that the resale on the SHO is just as good as the TL. You must have not read many of the posts, to realize that I already wrote the SHO has more features than the TL does as well. Don't forget Ford also has a luxury brand as well. The SHO is pretty much a Lincoln with Ford badging. Just like the TL is a Honda, although I'm not sure if any Hondas are as nice as any Acuras. Don't be so butt hurt that an American made car has more features and amenities than your TL, for the same price. Don't get me bring I like my TL and I'm glad I bought it, but I love my SHO.

wreak

I'm far from butthurt, I'm not even here to compare the two cars, i dont care about the amenities it has, I just had to agree with the other users post that the SHO is a lame car. Something about paying that much for a car that starts at 26k and will be a dime a dozen and all over the rental lots just doesnt make sense to me

We dont have to agree, thats just my opinion, I feel similar about the Dodge Chargers.

wreak

I should clarify that I dont have anything against domestics either, i really like what Cadillac has been doing lately.

Brock79

You find me rental lots with SHO's all over them and any other posts on here calling the car lame and I will sell my SHO tomorrow. I also guess that Vettes are pretty lame also, being that those are on rental lots at almost every major airport and large city. I could be wrong though and they might not be lame. The reason you see mostly American cars at rental lots is because they work together with each other. Of course Ford, GM and Dodge are going to have rental fleets, it's a money maker. Ford and GM also have their luxury brands as well, that you typically won't see on rental lots. Most places aren't going to rent luxury vehicles as there is no real demand for it. The same goes for sports cars, you neighborhood rental is not going to carry the Vettes, SHO's, and mustangs because it's no practical from a business standpoint. What you call lame is a base SE taurus and I agree it's a lame car. The SHO only shares the sheet metal, glass and frame with that car. Everything else is completely different, obviously you have never been in a SHO. You should go test drive one this weekend.

andrewcjduong

I've always been judgemental on american cars and personally, the chances of me ever owning one is slim to non due to my previous experience on reliability. But that doesn't mean I don't love them. I've driven corvette's and escalades and I just never found the quality of the interior worth it for the price of the vehicle, especially the escalade but both cars lived up to what I expected and the Escalade was definitely a boss vehicle to ride around in.

Ford themselves have really improved on their brand and quality. The Taurus is by far the best looking vehicle on their lineup, but with an MSRP price of $54k CAD for the Taurus SHO, I would never consider that. I probably would never consider a new car in general either. Something about the interior just doesn't seem to live up to the pricetag.

Litt3

I think the Taurus looks really big and heavy. That is not a good thing for a performance car. The numbers back me up.
The SHO has a 500 lb heavier curb weight than the TL SH-AWD. (4300 vs 3900)

Plus with that high belt line and tiny windows how would you even see out of the thing?

Brock79

$54k for what? The highest I have seen for a SHO is 47-48k

Brock79

So you're saying that 500lbs is what you're basing you're performance on? Not the fact that a stock 2013 SHO runs 13.5 in the 1/4 and 5.1 0-60 or the fact a stock SH-AWD runs a 14 in the 1/4 and 5.4 0-60. Yea your performance numbers make perfectly good sense. The windows look small but actually have a better view than the TL does, which I was even surprised about. And like I mentioned before with 2 grand of work the SHO is running low 12's in the 1/4 mile and running mid to high 4's in the 0-60. 2 grand for a TL will get you no where near there, I'm just gonna buy rims and do the grill, rear trim and headlight mods. No sense of chasing something that's not there in the TL.

andrewcjduong

Canadian MSRP is 54k for the SHO.

andrewcjduong

We've all agreed on your SHO and we do believe that the car has good value so I'm not sure what you're trying to prove. Some people like their Acura's and think it's fun. Others like Fords. I could get a 335i and put 2k into it and pull out 500hp with a 1/4 mile time of under 11 seconds.

We're in an Acura forum where we discuss about Acura. You've already inputed that the TL you've purchased does not "stand up to" the SHO that you have. I'm not saying our TL's are faster, I'm saying this is an Acura forum so unless you're here with an issue about your TL. There's not much left to be talked about, and with all do respect. If you would like to talk more about your Ford. I think you should find a SHO forum to talk about it. No point in trying to convince a bunch of Acura fan boys that your Ford is better. Whether we think it is or not, it's really your car and you bought it.

Brock79

I'm simply replying to other members comments or questions. When the member posted previously that 500lbs is his deciding factor that the SHO is slower than the TL, I just showed him true facts. I know there are other cars out there that will outperform the SHO. Also I dare you to take a 335 and get 500hp out of it. Let me know how that works out, those engines can barely stay together now. The bolts in the heads are snapping from normal boost, imagine what it would do of you added another 5lbs lol. Also if you don't want to be part of this thread, simply ignore it and move onto threads you wish to read. I don't comment on threads that have no interest to me, I don't even open them up. Sounds easy enough.

andrewcjduong

Seems like you post positive things about your car, wait for someone to trash talk it and then you're up defending it by trash talking a TL or whatever car they bring into the conversation, so in this case. a 335i. And I know a 335i can withstand that power because a close friend of mine is running well over 400whp on a convertible 335i.

There's really no reason at this point for you to continue on bashing the TL where this whole forum is based around cars like the TL.

Brock79

I never bashed the TL once. Pointing out the differences is not bashing. Saying you like brunettes over blondes, doesn't mean your bashing blonds. It's a proven fact the 335's have all kinds of issues with their engines, in particular the bolts snapping on the heads. If you don't believe me go check it out yourself. Obviously every car isn't going to snap heads, just like every early TL didn't have the trans fail one them and just like all of the early SHO's didn't have the heads fail. You are just taking facts that I put on here and twisting them to favor what you call bashing. Would it be bashing to say my 2000 Mustang GT can only handle 400hp max at the crank, before you chance blowing the engine apart? Or the fact that they are slower than stock Z28's and trans as from the same years? NO, those are just the facts, so you can stop saying that I'm bashing the TL, when I haven't even attempted to bash it.

Brock79

P.S. Like I said earlier if you don't like the thread you don't have to open it and read it. Yet you are drawn to it.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

Saw a SHO Taurus on the GWB today, besides that I had no idea at what I was looking at, once I identified it, I remembered how it reminded me boat of a boat. Something that really bugged me was when 3G owners bashed the 4G for being too big. I had a 3G and two 4G's all three cars were perfect in size for me, yet when I first saw a 4G along side a 3G the size difference was shocking, much like a 335 along side a 4G. The Taurus next to me in bumper to bumper traffic made my 4G look tiny. Domestic design language with large bland body panels and small windows accentuates the large proportions, I find the Taurus, challenger and charger all extremely dull.

mondo540

Brock79, interesting thread as I am in research phase for my next vehicle and prefer awd this time around....the SHO wasn't even on my radar screen but I'll have to take one for a drive...it does look big, (huge actually) in pics but, the list of features surprised me...adj. pedals, heated steering wheel, heated/vent/opt. massaging front seats, heated rear seat, some pretty decent tech/nanny stuff as well....and yeh 47 list but I am seeing some new for way less than that...I also like the stealth factor and the fact you can make add'l power cheaply...Resale may not be be the greatest, however..

Brock79

Resale isn't that bad on them, line stickered for 44k I got it out the door for 37.5. The 2010-12 SHO looked identical to the regular variant and besides SHO badges and an ecoboost emblem you would have no idea. For 2013 and up they added a different hood, black mirrors only no matter the color of the car. This led me to buy a black one, the only other color that looks good with black mirrors is the dark green IMO. The refresh also added a new front grill that is completely blacked out. Along with basically an entire front end, I think the headlights are even different. It also got a new lower rear fascia, led tail lights and SHO spcecific trim in the rear.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Guys, let's relax and take a breath here. If we can't keep it civil, this thread will be closed.

012TL-GLM

I've seen a lot of comparisons since I joined this forum, this is a first for the SHO. I haven't driven it but I've been a passenger in one. Interior was sub-par especially for the price Ford is demanding. The Sync system could be the worst car tech on the market. The car is simply huge. I was behind a non-SHO taurus in a drive-thru recently and it looked like I could drive my TL into the trunk with room to spare

I'm not sure what market Ford is trying to take with the SHO. Maybe there are some oldies looking for that huge Buick ride with a little more power? Acura's SH-AWD is a proven system regardless of the weather. I've never heard anything about Ford's. There are plenty of professional reviews/videos comparing SH-AWD to Quattro, quite possible the best AWD in a sedan available, and the verdicts are generally in Acura's favor.

As long as you like your car is all that matters, we aren't driving it. However I would imagine it won't take too long before you grab the Acura keys first

amill

Are we magazine racing in this thread? lol.

Nobody buys a 2 ton vehicle with 4 doors because it's a sports car. I bought my TL because it has decent get up and go, 4 door functionality, wasn't fwd and had a manual. All are specs that I couldn't find elsewhere without getting into something ALOT more expensive. Sure there is the 3 series and the A4, but if you've ever sat in the back of either for more than 15 minutes you can understand why they aren't comparable.

Obviously people have different tastes, which is why there are countless car models across a broad range of prices. Coming to an Acura board to try and prove a Ford is better is like one of us going to a Ford board and talking about our TL. I'm pretty sure we've figured out the point of the thread.

2012 SHO with 25k miles with all options checked. Trade in Value
http://www.kbb.com/ford/taurus/2012-...etype=trade-in


2012 TL SH-AWD with advance package and 25k miles.
http://www.kbb.com/acura/tl/2012-acu...etype=trade-in

Both are loaded to about the same msrp, and same mileage. Both have "very good" condition selected. Good idea for trade in value, but not the end all be all.

The Acura is worth $6k more. You really can't compare resale value of most domestic cars to japanese/german cars.

Brock79

Like I said i never once said the ford was better, I said I'm surprised it has more featured then the TL has. I like both cars but I might be a little bias because I like the extra power from the sho, having owned several corvettes, a mustang gt, an 04 Cobra and a 98 trams am, I guess I'm just use to the power.

almostatlowner

Back in 2010, I was considering the SHO. Unfortunately there were very few available around here and there was no way I could come close to getting the kind of deal I got on my TL.

I do love the fact that the SHO is turbo, and with a tune and catback you can get ~320whp. And the down low torque would be sweet. Torque is very addicting. I also love the stealth factor of the SHO...back in the 80's and today as well.

The SHO does seem to be too large though. Hopefully Ford will put it on a diet (didn't the F150 lose 600lbs?). And, the TL is better in turning circle radius and tight parking lot maneuvers. I'm probably the only TL driver with the seat cranked all the way forward so I can push the clutch in. If my airbag goes off, I'm history. I do love the giant trunk on the SHO though. Could easily fit my mower or snow blower in there.

The TL I think is funner on twisty roads, especially with a manual. The SHO would be better for straight line performance. I've lost quite a few races to much less powerful cars (due to my lack of driving skills), but I'm not about to launch my car at 4k rpms either.

Must be nice to own both at the same time!

ostrich

One thing that is probably worth pointing out is that, the 2011 TL SH-AWD still had the 5 speed AT transmission. However, the 2012+ TL SH-AWD has the 6 speed AT. I have owned both and I must say that there was surprisingly a big difference between the two vehicles - not only did the 6 AT version feel more responsive, somehow the car also was smoother and more refined overall. I remembered others commenting on this before as well.

Do you have the AT or MT TL?

Brock79

I have a 5Speed auto, I looked into this as well when deciding between a 12 and 11 model. Everything I could find on the difference was maybe a 1 mpg increase and a better cruising speed for the highway. I don't know the exact gear ratios between the two of them, but I would guess its minimal just like any other companies switch from 5 to 6 gears. Now that most companies are looking into 8 and 9 speed gear boxes, I could see this making a difference, but most likely not. If you look at any cars that are set up for strictly 1/4 miles they have less gears. 2-4 only and they are autos. It waste time to switch gears in any trans. This is different on a road course car though, were you want to hold the rpms up and stay in the powerband range. But most TL's wouldn't be in the 6 gear for road courses, or should I say reach 6th gear. Unless there was a long straight on the course.

Epiphany

MSRP of the base model is 45k. You can get one decently loaded up for 55k out the door without any incentives or negotiations.

dtrayers

Actually, there is quite a bit of difference. Look HERE and scroll down about 2/3 of the way. They compare the 5-sp to the 6-sp.

Brock79

Yea it says exactly what i said, even to the point that in sport mode it locks out the 6th gear for performance reasons. Making it a 5 speed auto, the gears in the 6 speed are lower ratios which is obvious, because that's why you add more gears. The fact that the 2011 and 2013 run the same times in the 1/4 mile means that feeling people notice is only in their minds. There isn't enough power in the car to notice a difference. I would bet running both cars on an auto cross track would show a slight difference.