Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Taurus thoughts

Actually, it IS possible to have a Vulcan in an SEL. I have seen it, just as I have seen a Duratec column shifter. Ford can't make up their mind with that car...

But yes, the SEL is the top branded trim, while the SE is the base in all 2000+ 4th Gens (Unless you count the LX, which I believe was only for fleets?). I drove a 2001 SEL fully loaded and it was very nice. We have a 2000 SE Vulcan in the dark blue metallic, which is drop dead gorgeous in the sun. It has a slight tinge of purple in the reflection. Very neat color.

dont buy the taurus

keep the svt

I didn't think you were going to replace the SVT with this. In that case, I would not do it unless the Contour has very high mileage and is ready to die. What if you are getting somebody else's problem? I always tell my girlfriend this, and she won't listen. People usually sell, or donate things for a reason. What looks "clean" to your eye, might not look clean to the drivetrain.

The '99 model year also had quite a bit of decontenting done to it. I can't list you all of it, but the SHO model got beat down big time in '99. If the car has rear discs, you might want to pick it up seeing as how the rear drum brake cars are not very good. In 2001+ the front brakes were slightly enlarged, but the rear discs are still a great option never produced in any Gen IV sedan. You want a wagon? Sure, you get rear discs...but it's a wagon.

Sorry guys I had it backwards, it is an SES that she has. Thanks for catching that so fast! Most of the SEL's have the duratec.

My parents had 2 Taurus' (1 was T-Red 96 LX Duratec, tranny went out at 56K, other Black 99 SHO, very cool cars) so I would have to say, get it, if the other people don't.
I think the tranny in my parents' was just a faulty tranny or something.

i 'owned' a 99 taurus se for a whole week about a yr/half ago...silverfrost...loaded as well as it could be...leather, snrf, cd changer, but no abs...beautiful car equiped with duratec...found it online at a ford dealer for one price...sticker on car was nearly 3k higher...worked up a deal for their listed price then sprung the internet price on thm...the salesman couldn't pull up the website to verify the price, but managed to do so once i got up to walk out, so grudgingly they gave me the net deal...drove it for the week and noticed one day on the freeway that the atx started to slip and then i started smelling burning tranny fluid...went home and parked the car for the rest of the day and the next couple times i drove it, no problem...

i took it the next weekend back to have the tranny checked and the brakes and they hit me with the "you need more money down" routine...i loved the car, but with it having problems right out of the box and with my kid weeks from being born i cleaned out my belongings, got a check for my downpayment back and called for a ride home

with all that rambling im trying to say i'd take another one in a heartbeat if it were in good shape...the duratec moved that car very well, much closer to what the base taurus engine should be

here they're still selling for up to 8k depending on where u look

Duratecs had the stronger version of the AX4S called the AX4N. Ford finally settled on 4F50N or something like that in the late models. Whatever Ford has done, the 4th Generation Tauri from 2000+ on seem to have the best auto trannies. We have 106K on the Taurus without any transmission problems, and this is one of the cars I first learned to drive on...the Buick Century didn't cut it. GM POS.

The biggest gripe I have about the Taurus is not the transmission, but the weak rear springs. It sags more than an Explorer Sport. But I saw a new Corolla with two people in the back, and that thing was pointing to the moon. Looks like even Toyota is going to soft springs.