[car fanatics]

Ford
Photo: Copyright 2012 Vic Handa / Car Fanatics Forum
June 26, 2012
By: CF staff

The 2013 Ford Taurus, the Blue Oval’s technology and performance flagship sedan, is now certified by the EPA as the class leader in large sedan city and highway fuel economy.

The Taurus’ new 2.0-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder engine is certified at 32 mpg highway – better than the 2012 Chrysler 300, Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Charger and Toyota Avalon.

The all-new Taurus demonstrates fuel economy isn’t limited to compact car sizes. All three engine options for the 2013 model have now been certified at 25 mpg or higher in EPA highway estimates.

“Ford understands people want fuel-efficient vehicles but don’t want to sacrifice power, cargo space or convenience preferences to get them,” said Raj Nair, vice president of Engineering for Global Product Development. “Taurus fuel economy showcases Ford’s success in developing smaller yet more powerful engines for its larger vehicles.”

Taurus offers comfort, convenience and technology comparable to premium German sport sedans, while beating their diesel and hybrid variants for fuel economy. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost helps Taurus deliver a 26-mpg combined EPA rating, higher than Mercedes-Benz E350 Bluetec diesel and Porsche Panamera S Hybrid.

Compared to smaller vehicles, Taurus 2.0-liter bests V6 models of Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, with comparable power.

Power of choice
The Taurus base 3.5-liter V6 engine also has been updated for 2013 with twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT), adding 25 horsepower plus 1 mpg city and 2 mpg highway in EPA estimates – compared to the previous Taurus base V6.
The 2013 Taurus SHO (Super High Output) high-performance sport sedan continues to feature a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine producing 365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, while still delivering 25 mpg on the highway.

EcoBoost engines are fundamental to Ford’s strategy of providing technologically advanced, high-output, smaller-displacement powertrains that deliver exceptional fuel economy and uncompromised performance for millions of drivers around the world.

The 2013 Taurus demonstrates to consumers there is no need to trade power, performance, comfort or convenience to achieve savings at the gas pump.

All new Taurus models now come with EPAS, helping improve steering response by rigidly mounting the steering rack to the subframe. The EPAS system allows for a high degree of tuning by Ford vehicle dynamics engineers to optimize steering feel, plus it saves fuel and provides drivers with enhanced feedback.

Additionally, fuel economy in the 2013 Taurus is enhanced by a class-exclusive Active Grille Shutter System. Positioned between the grille opening and radiator, the shutters are controlled by the engine’s control module. Shutter slats automatically open and close to maintain the ideal operating temperatures and optimize vehicle aerodynamics.

The 2013 Taurus range is built at Ford’s Chicago Assembly facility and will begin arriving in dealerships later this summer.

[jaybird]

What's the horsepower and torque numbers for the 2.0 in the Taurus?

[car fanatics]

Horsepower on the 2.0: 240 @ 5,500 rpm

Torque on the 2.0: 270 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 rpm

[McLovin]

Power and efficiency upgrades are coming, and when combined with new transmissions, and less total weight, I suspect Taurus will be more mid size like in efficiency.

Good things.

[jaybird]

CarFanatics;214419 Wrote:Horsepower on the 2.0: 240 @ 5,500 rpm

Torque on the 2.0: 270 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 rpm

So the 2.0 gives up horsepower compared to say the avalon but offers higher torque at a lower end of the curve.

[zguy]

This car is going to suck down gas in the city if you want to go with any speed, this engine is much too small for this car, might get good millage ok highway but I wouldn't be suprised if v6 was more fuel efficient for most drivers

[McLovin]

zguy;214425 Wrote:This car is going to suck down gas in the city if you want to go with any speed, this engine is much too small for this car, might get good millage ok highway but I wouldn't be suprised if v6 was more fuel efficient for most drivers

I4 offers much more torque, and at a lower rpm, and total power area under the curve.
It is also rated much better at city mpg.

You are thinking of NA engines it seems.

[G8mike]

The trouble with turbos is staying off that boost - it's just so tempting, then of course your mileage will tank. If you can be disciplined then it should achieve good numbers.

[McLovin]

Light pressure boost is your friend. It is the high rpms that hurt fe most.

[zguy]

I drive a 9-3 basically a smaller version of this and the boost kills mpg just as much as the rpm increases. In cruise control the rpm will stay the same but the boost will become greater or less using gas just like the rpm increases of a na car. The thing with turbos is when u are getting the good mpg on low boost you are working with a 130 or so horsepower and torque which wont get the car moving very well. Under 30mph you get horrible mpg because the small motor has to work harder to get the large car going

[McLovin]

zguy;214454 Wrote:I drive a 9-3 basically a smaller version of this and the boost kills mpg just as much as the rpm increases. In cruise control the rpm will stay the same but the boost will become greater or less using gas just like the rpm increases of a na car. The thing with turbos is when u are getting the good mpg on low boost you are working with a 130 or so horsepower and torque which wont get the car moving very well. Under 30mph you get horrible mpg because the small motor has to work harder to get the large car going

Well, technically, boost is just air, as where more rpm's equals more direct fuel per cycle. But yes, they are aligned with each other to some degree. The fuel savings comes from fewer cylinders firing. And most V6 engines spin pretty fast to make power.

The hwy rating of 20 is conservative in some regards, as somehow the EPA drive cycle drives down the rating a bit based on some wacky criteria. Driven a certain way in reality, it is easy to spike up that instant mpg. I have done it on an Explorer with EB, driving 45mph at a steady clip, with mild occasional stops, reading the instant mpg around 28mpg. Much higher than the city rating, and much better than I can do with my V6 Explorer, at around 22.5 on that same daily drive.

Anyway, the Taurus weighs far less and is much sleeker, which helps aero immensly. I Expect real world numbers to be far better.

[zguy]

Yeah the epa highway is wacked on the highway cycle, my work drive is a mile through my neighborhood, 2 miles of 45mph roads and then 25 miles of 65mphinterstate and I get 36 mpg in my car rated for 28 highway. On 45mph roads I can get 27-30 mpg depending on the stops and traffic flow but below 30mph when in the actual city or neighborhood.roads I can only get 22mpg. The weakness of the small turbo is lo w speeds where it has to work harder to move the car because withput boost the car has the torque curve of a 2 liter engine: none.
And boost is more air but the more air allows more fuel.to be used increasing power

[McLovin]

^

agreed, except for small boosted torque curves. They are much better than V6 replacement. More in total, much flatter too. Look at a V6 torque curve. It looks like mount Everest in comparison.

[REVolution]

I have been saying this for a while and I will say it again, I would love to see a hybrid powertrain in this car. An Ecoboost 2.0T or even the 1.6T coupled with a hybrid powertrain would be amazing. The Ecoboost engines get great fuel economy as is and I would love to see what they can do with a hybrid system.

[lengnert]

Now Wings get them to put a 6 speed manual in that EB Taurus and you make my car buying decision this Fall a no brainer.

:WINK: