1990 Ford Taurus Wagon Review - How It Changed Automotive Design FOREVER!

[@thatcarguy1UZ]

A fun fact about the first generation Ford taurus, it was so futuristic at the time that it was the futuristic police car in robocop.

[@maxgood42]

We did not get that model in Australia but I wanted one, I did have a black 1996 model that had a large wing option that changed how it looked as standard it was like a car that a doctor would drive but black with a high curved wing made it look like a Bat Mobil 🤣🤣🤣

[@karoltakisobie6638]

Taurus got into a lot of movies because of its looks.

[@zythr9999]

Don't recall that, but remember a sedan being used in a movie but oops editing showed it totaled after doing a jump

[@herbcraven7146]

Climbing over the back seat to get into or out of the cargo area of a station wagon was a universal experience for us GenX kids. Glad to see you figured it out. 😁

[@OhPhuckYou]

This car is the car of Millennials. Boomers or Gen X would've been the ones driving it. Station Wagons are a universal experience from Baby Boomer to Millennial. They died out by Gen Z.

[@herbcraven7146]

@@OhPhuckYou I know it's a later wagon, but most Millenials' parents had a minivan. Wagons were far less popular after about 1980.

[@Andyface79]

Eh these were really popular too. It was the exception to the rule. @@herbcraven7146

[@joshuadugan1931]

Doesn't matter what wagon it is I love them all 😎

[@Crispychicken4u]

Even the in back of a patty wagon? 👮‍♂️

[@bldontmatter5319]

​@@Crispychicken4uhe'd be admiring it's design from within

[@themumblebrapper]

SOMEONE LIKE ME LUSS GOOO

[@jeremytd7072]

@joshuadugan1931 it’s like you stole my comment. Couldn’t agree more. 💯

[@jimmbobb]

I must be getting old because I've Always hated wagons, but they're growing on me.

[@aca2983]

Young people have no idea how radical and revolutionary these seemed at the time. The wagon especially looked so ahead of it's time, fake wood or not.

[@daved3948]

Back in 1987 I had a poster of the Taurus lx on my wall in my bedroom, that persuaded my dad to buy one. That Taurus eventually became my graduation gift in 1991😂

[@robertdiehl9003]

I still remember my neighbor bringing this beauty home when brand new in 1986. Certainly envied. Mercury Sable looked futuristic with the UFO lighting headlights. Those were the days where exterior style ruled the road but interiors were like living rooms. Best of both worlds.

[@bwofficial1776]

I miss Mercurys with the full lightbar. It was quite a sight when all of the bulbs worked. Lightbars are coming back because what's old is new again but thin LED strips don't have the impact of a bunch of hot halogen bulbs.

[@anthonybha4510]

Yeah. And people died and were maimed. Rose colored glasses for inferiority

[@zythr9999]

@@bwofficial1776 Made it easier for the tow truck to find as well.

[@Foxonian]

Injected molded headlights had been around in Europe since the early 70's.

[@MisterrJmark]

Man!! My mom had a 91 Taurus Wagon. My dad had a 93 Taurus SHO when I was young. These were my favorite cars. I still love wagons to this day!

[@Doctor_Robert]

10:47 Fun Fact: While it was FoMoCo that ended the tyranny of sealed beam headlights, it was actually for another car... the Lincoln Continental Mark VII which deputed in 1983 for the 1984 model year! Mind you, of course, the Taurus of two years later was the first regular American car to have composite-type headlights from the drawing board (and not like what GM did in the period and just shoehorning composites over what was clearly a sealed-beam design) and was, nevertheless, a game changer because of it. Composite headlights had been a fixture of Europe and Japan for decades by 1984 (with many cars ruined by Federalized sealed beams... but none worse than the Citroen SM) and rectangular headlights only became legal in 1975... having a similar sudden impact on the public with the introduction of the Chevrolet Monza (though lots of GM cars got rectangular headlights that year).

[@wx4newengland]

My mom had a 91 sedan - I loved that car like no other car. Would give my left arm to have one again.

[@bibasik7]

If you gave your left arm, how would you use the blinkers? It's a Ford, not a BMW!

[@nightwolf883]

9:18 that’s not the LTD that the Taurus replaced, you’re thinking of the smaller Fox Body LTD. The bigger ones were still sold along with the Taurus’s

[@juanpabloarena2724]

One of the most impressive models from the 80s ... It still looks modern today ✨

[@MandusahRamirez]

Anything with wooden siding remind me of Christmas!🎄Perfect review for today!

[@ryanglass2778]

Fantastic review Zack! I have always loved the first gen Taurus and admired it with how it forever changed automotive design. Up until a month ago, I owned a 1993 Taurus wagon with only 48k miles that I sold on Bring a Trailer. But I bought it initially because the design intrigued me as a kid and I always wanted one. It doesn't hurt either that Christmas Vacation is my favourite Christmas movie. I agree with everything you said. It's surprisingly lovely to drive, the cupholder warning is hilarious, the second row seat is cramped given the cars size, and the design influence is so important. Getting yourself stuck in the third row is something I almost did myself, and thank you for not editing that out. With my love for the Taurus, this review was the ultimate Christmas present. Thank you Zack and keep up the amazing work

[@jimmbobb]

Luxurious, absolutely!!!! My 1st car was a 1990 Escort. It was so much more luxury than you'd expect of any entry level offered by any other automaker at the time.

[@zythr9999]

Of course, comfort was important when waiting for the tow truck.

[@ryanhobbs4054]

My Father had a 1992 Taurus Wagon that he bought used. He needed something reliable for work, but the Taurus wasn't it. It left him stranded a few times and a blown head gasket with under 90k was the last straw. After getting rid of it, he bought a new 2000 Honda CR-V. The car now has around 330k and still goes down the road. Anyway, great review as always! Have a Merry Christmas, Zack!

[@seanmcgivney7631]

My brother had a similar experience with a Mercury Sable. not a good car at all.

[@zythr9999]

@@seanmcgivney7631 lol

[@WaylonDog]

My grandma had an early ‘00s Taurus Wagon with the rear facing seats. It was a total clunker and the back was tight even for us kids, but I still smile on the rare occasion I see one :)

[@bwofficial1776]

I drove my great-grandmother's '01 Mercury Sable wagon through college, every option but the sunroof. It was a beater because of its age despite the low miles but it was comfortable. I made my sister ride in the 3rd row seat once and the front bench seat once. It was more of a four adult, four very small children car if you wanted to use all eight seats.

[@robertdiehl9003]

Absolutely a classic. Ford Taurus was very innovated and revolutionary style when released in 1986. Highly sought after and won Motor trend car of the 1986 year.

[@zythr9999]

Too bad the auto tranny wasn't that good

[@khakiswag]

Ford went to the government to change the headlight law for the Lincoln Mark 7. However the Taurus did turn the entire industry around with its style inside and out. The exterior was designed for aerodynamics and the interior for ergonomics, a first for any U.S. carmaker. Ford designed the switches to be used by feel without the driver looking at them.

[@bwofficial1776]

The alleged story of how Ford got the law changed was interesting. Ford went to the government asking it to allow aerodynamic headlights for styling reasons, to which the government reminded them that the law required standardized sealed beams. Ford's engineers thought about it for a while and went back to the government with the reasoning that improved aerodynamics from smooth headlights would increase fuel economy therefore decreasing emissions therefore increasing safety. The government said "but of course you can have aerodynamic headlights!"

[@MondayNightRAWsRKO2024-xk9ew]

1984 Ford was first American automaker to introduce the plastic composite headlights we're all used to! 1984 was huge for Ford when the Thunderbird, Taurus, Tempo and new for the 1985 model year Aerostar van all launched

[@zythr9999]

@@MondayNightRAWsRKO2024-xk9ew Taurus didn't come out until '86, by then Ford was on the brink of bankruptcy.

[@badusername4]

I love the fact you could easily edit you getting stuck out .. fair play love the honesty 😄

[@BrianLevine-q7e]

In 1989 I went back to Germany. I had lived there in my early childhood. My Dad had been stationed outside of Stuttgart. My childhood friend was my landlord's son. He had to go to Constance on business. We would drive there in a company car. It was a fleet beige Taurus wagon. We planned to get up early so we loaded up the car the night before. My friend told me we would leave a little after 6 am to guaranty getting to his appointment on time. I asked what the plaque on the dashboard said. "Company cars not to exceed 200 kilometers per hour". I laughed. I explained that in America no Taurus could go 125 miles per hour. They were "mommy" cars. 70-90 hp jokes. He opened the hood. A V6 like an SHO was in this company car. We left the house around 6 am. Got fuel near the Autobahn. We drove from Stuttgart for 2 hours at 125 mph in the middle lane. Beetles in the "slow" lane doing 100 mph. We had some cars pass us at 150 mph and faster. I wish I could have gone back and bought one of those Tauruses.

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

I used to have a Ford Taurus sedan, I loved that car, very reliable. Happy holidays Zack!

[@colpitts350]

My dad drove one of these from 1990-2005. I have many fond memories in it. It’s hard to find photos and such of 1990 models. They had an interior upgrade.

[@Pyjamarama11]

Driving a 30 year old land yacht with its huge soft seats, spacious cabin and amazing visibility Shows you just how far backwards modern car design has gone

[@bc5441]

Merry Christmas, Zack! When I saw the thumbnail my first thought was, “I didn’t know they offered wood on the sides of the Taurus!!!” And now I know for sure that they didn’t. It’s a good thing the child protection locks weren’t set for the back doors, because you might be waiting for someone to let you out.

[@kc9scott]

Just crawl into the front seat, then…

[@MichaelAChang]

I had a '94 Sable Wagon with the 3.8L V6 - great car except for head gasket problems with the engine.

[@damson_jmonay42069]

man, you locking yourself in the trunk unearths a high school memory of mine. One of my best friends had an 07 Escape, and we figured out where to cleverly drill a hole in the interior trunk panel and insert an arrow shaft to release the latch from inside. We had the intention to do the same with my '99 Sable wagon at the time because it had a 3rd row trunk seat, but I don't think it ever happened.

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

These things absolutely ATE transmissions alive, if you made it to 130k with the trans intact you were very lucky. The normal sedan had the same issue but add the extra weight for the wagon-back and they struggled. The 3.0L Vulcan engine was great tho

[@tedfreakinray]

Only 86k on this example! I had a lot of rust repair to do. The Midwest was not courteous to these cars.

[@James3478-r4n]

The transmission cooler was just a externally looped tool under the front bumper. A proper cooler would have helped with fluid temps along with regular fluid and filter changes.

[@ironinquisitor3656]

You're supposed to actually change the fluid and filter on the transmission every 30,000 miles. My 92 Sable LS wagon has over 200,000 miles on it and still has it's AXOD-E from the factory with the every 30,000 mile maintenance done on it. Ford claimed these transmissions were "virtually maintenance free" when the Taurus and Sable came out, oops.

[@pizza2437]

Merry Chrysler!

[@walterzoomie]

I had a first gen sedan, four cylinder/five speed manual transmission...it was called the MT-5. Talk about rare...

[@robwhite3241]

I hope I can find one of these or a mercury sable wagon to swap a SHO engine into. Probably would still be slow but at least it would sound cool!

[@legerdemain]

Great video! The 3.8L was available before this. Mom ordered a 3.8L GL wagon new in 1989. Salesman went through so many cigarettes while filling the forms.

[@AddieDirectsTV]

A 1990 Taurus Wagon is the car I learned how to drive on!

[@johnsaunders1435]

Hey there, coming of driving age at this time, i was totally fascinated with cars and in particular fords as that was dads preference. These wagons were and are still futuristic! Id like to note a couple things here, the taurus replaced the smaller ltd, not the full size one, the rare model to covet was the predecessor to the sho, the mt5 was a test mule to see how a manual trans would fare in this size of a vehicle, even though the only engine available with this transmission was a four cylinder. The last thing id like to mention is those rotary ventilation controls were revolutionary at that time and eventually trickled out to other models. Another great video! Keep on bringing back some good memories,.

[@drewzero1]

My family never had a wagon with a third row, but some friends did and I loved the third row on all of them. As soon as you closed the hatch I started laughing- been there, done that!

[@25rsimp]

I grew up in one of these. So awesome to see the coin tray and rear bench seat again.

[@martinhernandez628]

Hey Zack, thank you for releasing a new video just in time for Christmas. Keep it up brother. Im a fan of your channel and may the seasons blessings be upon you and your family.

[@tedfreakinray]

Thanks for the review! Months in the making and I'm glad i was the one that got the first review of the 1st gen taurus! Merry Christmas everyone!

[@theadvocate4698]

So futuristic back then, robocop used them! Great work! You drive all those old special car and thank you for that!

[@5T3V3N-ns9gg]

Ayo, been watching a few of your videos now, and I really enjoy the content. You seem chill, kinda like a best friend type of dude. Peace!

[@smoguli]

I had the Mercury version of this car, the Sable wagon. It was a 1995. Lots of space, very smooth, lots of torque from the 3.8L V6. But the transmission was on it's way out at about 150,000km.

[@ajthenerd4918]

Great to see a 1st gen Taurus on the road still

[@chriscastillo4634]

My parent had the Mercury Sable wagon with the V6 & leather seats and of course othe rear facing seat. Your totally reliant on the front passengers to open the hatch. I loved that wagon.

[@scottbiddle3967]

Love all of your hard work. I am glad you have gotten a chance to make shows about vehicles that interest you. So far since I have found you. They have all been something I would like to drive. Keep up the good work. Also Happy Holidays to you & all!!

[@President_Not_Sure]

You should review an early 90's SHO and do a comparison of how different they are despite having the same name.

[@sponk2112]

I love the little picture illustrating the "hard cups can kill you" warning, with an ostensibly hard cup flying at ostensibly high speeds into some dude's head. Have to wonder what the poor dude would have suffered had he been using a Big Freakin' Bottle.

[@nobatteriesincluded3968]

I always think robocop when I see the Taurus 🤷🏽‍♂️This one’s a classic….the video that is 😂Merry Christmas 🙌🏼💯

[@mysticstarhf9265]

I learned something new. I didn't realize these had a third row.

[@dfharris03]

Great review. The Griswolds wagon was actually a Mercury Colony Estate which was a Ford LTD wagon which is based on the Panther platrom!

[@hearmonheardjr8065]

The 96 to the 2007 Taurus had a severe rust problem around the rear wheel openings and rocker panels . My 2002 rocker panel mouldings both sides fell off .

[@OmegaWolf]

These generation of Taurus are rare especially the wagon due to rust and age.

[@kc9scott]

My ‘89 was done for when the engine cradle mounts rusted out.

[@OldFordTaurus]

Merry Christmas Zack!!!

[@mikeperry6794]

Really enjoying your reviews. Keep up the great work.

[@Loiyaboy]

Merry Christmas, Zach!

[@jlang8213]

Merry Christmas Zach!

[@PoesRaven73]

So we have this car to blame for headlights that now cloud over so badly you need sandpaper to get rid of discoloration. Didn’t have that problem with glass sealed beams.

[@bwofficial1776]

The Lincoln Mark VII was the car that brought back aero headlights. Some cars like Volvos used glass headlight covers that didn't haze over.

[@OldFordTaurus]

Omg I just KNEW you were gonna get trapped in the back and I was right lol

[@tedfreakinray]

I may have forgotten to tell him that lol

[@mauricesoulis1590]

Merry dang Christmas Zac🎄👍🎯🎅💫🍕

[@MrJayrock620]

7:59 as soon as I heard that hatch close all I could think was “did he just lock himself in the back?” Lol. Just climb over the rear seat, it’s not graceful but it’s the only way out

[@caseystringfellow9594]

Thanks for the Christmas video! Sitting here alone nice to have some new content to watch.

[@OLDS98]

Interesting review. The 1984 Lincoln Mark VII had the flush/European headlamp design first. That was first car to have it. That was the car the changed the game and paved the way. In 1986 Taurus and Sable had them. The Pontiac 6000 STE had them in 1986 also. In 1987 a lot of vehicles got them at Ford and GM got them. Thank you for the review and I wish a festive and healthy holiday.

[@thejorba5881]

merry xmas zack !!

[@christophersmith1155]

im still driving my 1999 wagon. never had a problem with it 25yrs old.

[@bwofficial1776]

I drove an '01 Sable wagon through college until I traded it in last year. It was falling apart from age and neglect despite having low miles. I was just tired of putting more than it was worth into it. It was slow and unreliable but comfortable and spacious. I still miss it whenever I see a Taurus/Sable wagon.

[@DrClaw77]

Perfect choice for a Christmas video. Reminds me of the one in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation lol

[@tedfreakinray]

That's because it is lol I replicated it as close as I could

[@mickiemack2748]

Great presentation - I had a 1992 Mercury Sable LS wagon (3.8 ltr V6) way back when. It was a nice car but after about 3 years of ownership, the coolant somehow mixed with the transmission and repairs where necessary. It was 'fixed' but issues persisted. I traded that in for a new 1996 Nissan Maxima. The Sable had many good qualities but reliability wasn't one of them. Thanks for taking us back in time with your well presented reviews.

[@ironinquisitor3656]

I got a 92 Sable LS wagon with the 3.0 from a family member. Still has it's factory AXOD-E. Sounds super unlucky for you that stuff mixed that shouldn't have...

[@EdwardMorris-p3y]

The 3.8 had head gasket issues.

[@kevlarazalea]

Vroomy Carmax, Zack! 🎄

[@bibasik7]

Even without the wood, the 1st gen Ford Taurus wagon looks a million times better than the 3rd & 4th gen blob-like Taurus wagons!

[@davidp2888]

Merry Christmas Zack.

[@Modeltnick]

The rear facing seat area is big time cramped and scary since there is no way to get out from the inside. I learned it when I went to dinner with another family and almost had a panic attack thinking about what would happen if the car was involved in a wreck, etc.

[@bass_fish_gleb]

Thanks for video! Wait for 2008 Ford Taurus review!

[@phillyspitta8147]

I had a buddy in Highschool who had one of these many stoner nights from jersey to Philly in this thing as a kid and never broke down .

[@FogartyAvenue]

You crushed it this year.

[@BoopdaBeep]

I get what the owner was going for, and I respect it, but that faux paneling needs to go because that Rosemist Metallic is such a damn good color!

[@jeremyanderson1139]

Merry Chrismas Zack!

[@Diecastjoe]

Well the back seats were made for kids though. But anyway as a claustrophobic I always get worried when you lock yourself behind the hatch. Hoping you do better next time! Also never knew Taurus was so innovative! Thank you for sharing with us!

[@ironinquisitor3656]

People sadly forget it was a groundbreaking car.

[@silverwolfmonastery]

The Family Truckster was a LTD. Still the Taurus does capture the vibe. Merry Christmas

[@tedfreakinray]

Correct. That one was used in the first vacation movie. This one was used in Christmas Vacation

[@silverwolfmonastery]

@@tedfreakinray I had forgotten there was a Taurus based Truckster. Thanks for the reminder

[@jw77019]

Is it just me or does the woodgrain not work on the Taurus? I don’t remember if this was a factory option, since they still made the Country Squire.

[@tedfreakinray]

It was not an option. Yes its hideous but that was the point of Clark griswold cars lol. The green family truckster was beyond hideous.

[@Doctor_Robert]

And Happy Late Christmas, Zack! ^_^

[@dave11686]

So cool! Ted’s car has gotten a lot of attention

[@Govt_cheese903]

Not gonna lie, I kinda wanna clean up my old Caravan and have you review it

[@bitemyshinnymetalass1569]

Merry Christmas 🎄

[@CarsofGlasgow]

Is this the same vehicle that was in Christmas with the Kranks? The mother drove a red Ford estate (wagon) that looked old

[@tedfreakinray]

Yup! Just slightly newer

[@ironinquisitor3656]

Gen 1 Ford Taurus are so hard to find now. I've been trying to find a 1986 Ford Taurus LX wagon I want to one day restore for over 5 years now. I had a chance to get a very clean 86 LX wagon in white with the instaclear windshield but my dad got in the way and I've had no luck since...

[@tedfreakinray]

I paid 300 for this GL and it needed so much rust repair

[@ironinquisitor3656]

@@tedfreakinray That white 86 LX wagon I nearly could have gotten was $1500. I hope I get lucky and can find another one...

[@claybarnett6350]

The Griswold Christmas wagon!

[@sutherlandA1]

It cost Ford $3 billion to develop the Taurus, a gamble that if it didnt pay off couldve bankrupted the company. The aero styling was inspired by the 1982 Audi 100 (5000) and followed on from the euro Ford Sierra (Merkur xr4ti)

[@gm12551]

Clark Griswold would love this one. Wait till you drive it…

[@samuelince6144]

I immediately thought about Kevin's mom's car from home alone 😅

[@celsovera91]

Close but if you look at the garage, they look like they both have buicks

[@samuelince6144]

@celsovera91 yeah but if you google the answer she drives an 1989 Taurus wagon. I remembered it from the movie 😅

[@celsovera91]

@@samuelince6144 oh you’re thinking of alex’s mom from home alone 3. I forgot about that movie

[@MikeMudesi]

back in 1996 my father bought a Ford Taurus MT-5 1986. It was cool car in Europe and we actually liked the car - very comfy, although performance-wise it was a bit "lazy" :)

[@jimmbobb]

p.s. duh... climb over the seat!! Obviously for safety reasons there isnt an inside door latch in the wayback.

[@thepatchface7236]

Got to rewatch the movie again. 3rd time this year

[@jessekuchinski1172]

Gosh that wood grain is fire

[@tedfreakinray]

It took me a bit to do it lol

6:53 it was at this moment he knew he f*сked up

[@mitch9521]

All I think about when I see this is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

[@keithdosik]

Merry Christmas!

[@jamessouthworth1699]

What I remember most about these cars is in the movie Coneheads the alien talks up these cars while trashing Ronnie's Camaro. I remember thinking Ronnie's Camaro was WAY nicer.

[@Noloveforspectre]

i actually like the way these look minus the woodgrain

[@bandwagon240]

The SHO would like to have words with you on engine selection options.

[@scottbiddle3967]

What I miss most about cars from the '90s & before is you could tell the difference between them. Nowadays most of what you can get are SUV's or trucks. Also they all look alike. You can hardly tell the difference between all of them. You can hardly tell what country or continent they are from.

[@jlr194]

Its like a mini Roadmaster 😊

[@wigletron2846]

These had a mechanical automatic transmission? As opposed to what, a magical automatic transmission?

[@tedfreakinray]

Didn't have relays/sensors/wires.

[@111danish111]

Seems like every car fails the big friggin bottle test!

[@kc9scott]

There was one pretty recently that passed. But very few do.