A recent report on the potential demise of the long-running Taurus nameplate brought mixed reactions in the comments section, and is still doing so as of this writing. Said report also inspired today’s Buy/Drive/Burn, in a get it while you can sort of way. Soon, the Blue Oval in this trio will take the dirt nap.
But that’s then and this is now — and you must choose what to do with three full-size American sedans on sale in 2018.
Ford Taurus SEL
In its sixth generation since all the way back in 2010, the Taurus was updated for the 2013 model year. Exterior updates matched with an upgrade to the standard 3.5-liter V6 engine, bringing horsepower up to 288. Selected for today’s challenge is the SEL model, which is front-drive and comes with standard dual-zone climate control. Seats are cloth, and a sunroof is not included. You do get SYNC and a backup camera. The Taurus is yours for $30,120.
Chevrolet Impala 1LT
Newer than the Taurus by a few years, the 10th-generation Impala debuted in 2014. Trims have been shaved from the Impala gradually since this model’s introduction, and for 2018 number just three: LS, LT, and Premier (formerly LTZ). Today’s specified model is a 1LT. This trim nets the 3.6-liter V6 engine, along with cloth/leatherette seating. The six-speed auto sends power to the front wheels, and MyLink is standard on the 8-inch screen. The Impala will set you back $31,595.
Dodge Charger SXT Plus
The only rear-drive option of our trio, the Dodge Charger has been with us in seventh-generation format since 2011. Since its debut, Dodge has upgraded the Charger’s transmission from five to eight speeds and implemented a new version of the easy-to-use UConnect system. The most significant change was a restyled exterior for the 2015 model year. The SXT Plus trim has the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6, producing 292 horsepower in current guise. The cloth front seats are heated, and a variety of exterior colors are available at no additional cost. Without navigation or sunroof, the SXT Plus asks $32,495.
There you have it — a trio of large American sedans in an ever-shrinking segment. Which one do you grab while you can, and which is only worth a bonfire?
[Images: Ford, Chevrolet, FCA]
Buy the Impala, drive the Charger, burn the Taurus.
Of course, none of those cars is going to transact for anywhere near MSRP. Thanks to healthy discounts, a nice LaCrosse could also be had in that price-range, which I would take over either the Impala or the Taurus, especially because the wheelbase is considerably longer.
And the first reply got it right.
+1
Nailed it.
First reply is best reply. LaCrosse over all. the Taurus was great when released almost a decade ago, but lay in waste since then. Impala is a good long term own, and the Charger is way fun to drive.
No argument here.
/thread.
The whole point of buying a big car is to have lots of interior room, so the Taurus is out (Ford had a major problem with interior packaging in the early ’10s). The Dodge gets the drive nod because RWD, but FCA cheapness means it will fall apart in a few years. GM got religion for a while after the bankruptcy, so that’s the best long-term bet out of this batch.
The correct answer for the segment as a whole is Avalon, with Azera or Cadenza as a runner-up if you can find one.
Frankly the Charger isn’t great on interior room either, no better than the Taurus anyways (center console aside). The Taurus at least has a gigantic trunk going for it. Both have rear seat space that is decent but no better than typical midsizers (and sometimes a bit worse).
The premium version of this trio is incoming soon. :)
@Corey – good.
Kyree has it right.
If my vehicle blew up tomorrow and I wanted something with a low payment that I could pick up in a hurry to drive my current commute in speed, comfort, and near invisibility – I’d pick the Impala. Bonus that I could probably get 4 sets of golf clubs in the trunk.
I’m much more interested in the “premium” version of this question.
When the man is right, he’s right.
The Lacrosse isn’t a clear upgrade on the Impala in my book. The Great Wall center console is every bit as bad as the one in the Taurus. GM’s new e-shifter is just plain annoying. It has stop start that you can’t turn off. They shrank the gas tank by 3 gallons. The trunk isn’t very big.
Agreed Kyree, you hit that nail on the head.
Buy the Impala – its the ubiquitous “large sedan” and will likely present years of trouble free driving, albeit not thrill inducing.
Drive the Charger – with the most horsepower and best transmission, the Charger is an unusually fun and fast vehicle even at base SXT pricing.
Burn the Taurus – its on the chopping block anyway, and any Taurus that isn’t an SHO will suffer horrible depreciation.
Exactly right. Right down to the proper alternative if you have to buy “American”.
But really, if you are going to buy a cheap float boat with your own money, wouldn’t you rather have the super ugly but annoyingly earnest Avalon? It’s good value, won’t break, and has better resale than any of these.
Yup
Buy the Charger, drive the Impala, burn the Taurus.
The Charger is the top choice because it is RWD with AWD available.
^ this is my answer as well.
I’m no fan of the Charger but at least it is RWD.
The Impala does nothing for me but it is still better car than the non-SHO Taurus.
Yep I was going to say this
Taurus is DOA as it has midsize interior space from that huge and pointless center console
Impala is coo but if I want a big FWD car I’d get a Maxima
Charger is potentially the last of a dying breed. Hoping they put the next gen on the Giulia platform, obviously stretched for American lard.
Maxima?!….. Don’t that have CVTs?!
My answer as well.
“Buy the Charger.” Oh wait… I did, but with two more spark plugs.
“Drive the Impala.” OK… but I’ll look longingly at the wife’s Camry every time I pull out of the garage.
“Burn the Taurus.”
The Hemi engines have two spark plugs per cylinder, so you’ve got four more plugs than the SXT in question.
Buy the Charger. Burn the Taurus and Impala.
I would buy the Taurus as that 3.5 N/A engine and FWD transmission are one of the most reliable powertrain pairings out of Ford in recent years.
Drive the Charger because you can always hoon a RWD car.
Burn the Impala because it’s just an ehh car.
I’m almost in agreement.
Buy the Taurus. It’s the most livable of all the choices. A very underrated vehicle.
Drive the Charger. Who doesn’t want to thrash a Charger around?
Burn none. The Impala doesn’t make the above, but it’s too nice to burn.
Easy choice for me in Denver, as it looks like AWD isn’t on the menu:
1) Buy the Impala
2) Drive the Charger
3) Burn the Taurus
And I’m wondering why an Avalon and/or 300 isn’t on this menu.
Premium American trio is incoming, I knew people would ask for it. No Avalon though.
If we went buy % of North American parts content the Avalon would rank pretty high. But that’s not a can of worms I want to open. ;-)
If you really want to torture this crowd, you could ask Passat, Cadenza, Maxima.
That one’s probably worth doing.
For me an absolute no brainer there. Buy the Maxima, drive the Passat, burn the Cadenza.
No contest: RWD means strong Buy for the Charger, but a tight race between Drive the Impala (GovMo is always a “no”), and Burn the Taurus (middling and outdated).
Heh, GovMo. Hate to tell you, but the Charger wouldn’t exist if Lee Iacocca hadn’t talked the Feds into bailing Chrysler out many years ago.
Having significant experience in all three of these cars, the Impala is the clear winner for the one you live with day in and day out. I enjoyed months of seat time in both I4 and V6 versions and surprised myself that I actually preferred the 4-cylinder Impala with higher trim for the same cost as the V6 – it really is that good and the car feels more balanced. The Charger is a great value but is really tired at this point, and the Taurus, while it impressed me more than I expected, is just not nearly as good as the cars from FCA and the General.
1) Buy AND drive: Impala
2) Close runner-up but not good enough to buy OR drive: Charger
3) Burn: Taurus
There are those for whom a sedan is practical. Usually it is those whose kids have moved out (assuming they ever had any) and for whom a wagon-type vehicle is overkill. As a highway cruiser, the sedan is ideal for the couple who occasionally carries one or two friends or maybe their adult kids on a road trip. They tend to offer better fuel economy than an equivalently-sized SUV or pickup and a better ride as well.
I am not one of these people. Of the three, I would buy and drive the Charger and burn the other two. GM lost my trust in their reliability over the last four GM cars I owned and Ford has never been good to me. I’ve had better luck by far with Chrysler/FCA cars than any other brand.
Drive the Charger like you stole it before it falls apart.
Buy the Impala at a steep discount. Get winter tires with FWD for the win.
Burn the Taurus.Interior is too small for the exterior size.
FWD in the winter???
I have YET to own a FWD car that I would drive in the winter over a RWD. I’ve driven FWD Cars, CUVs, and Minivans and they all SUCK in snow. AWD is best, but RWD is next in line.
Give me a RWD and traction control and I’ll plow though just about anything with stock tires. I had a RWD Dodge Magnum with stock all-season Michelin tires. Plowed though 11″ of snow when the only things moving were 4×4’s in my neighborhood.
My neighbor’s FWD Fusion?? Stuck like a lawn dart at the end of his driveway.
I live in snow country and went FWD and all weather tires in 1980 and never looked back. Can’t argue with physics of the engine over the drive wheels. I have two RWD cars and would not drive either in the snow unless I had to. Never owned AWD anything and have no interest in it.
I’ll split the difference between the two of you. I don’t really care, as long as it has proper tires on it, six to one, half dozen to the other. RWD is more “fun” in the snow, but it you need to pay attention a little more too.
I also have no need for AWD, though I freely admit that AWD+snow tires is amazeballs in the snow. But it is also overkill. If the conditions are so bad that AWD makes a difference, stay put, it’s too dangerous to be out there at all.
“If the conditions are so bad that AWD makes a difference, stay put, it’s too dangerous to be out there at all.”
Pretty much my sentiment. I’ve been driving FWD cars in the snow for most of 20+ years now (- the 10 years I lived in Atlanta). If you can’t get around with proper tires on city streets in the snow, you should stay home. You’re just adding to the hazardous conditions.
“If the conditions are so bad that AWD makes a difference, stay put, it’s too dangerous to be out there at all.”
We don’t all have that option. I’d have to stay put pretty often.
Btw: I usually venture out with FWD, but there are many many times that I’d be better off with AWD.
FWD is much better than RWD in Minnesota if you don’t have 4wd or AWD. Like people say, the physics of the engine over the wheels helps a lot.
For what it’s worth, you can get the Charger in AWD, in case you guys didn’t know.
Yes, but can you *imagine* the whining if I’d put the AWD one up there?
Bought the Impala, don’t fit in the Taurus, burn the Charger.
Hell would freeze before I buy anything from Dodge.
Buy Charger: RWD, Uconnect, Pentastar + 8. Sell it at warranty’s end rule breaker?
Drive Impala: It has its charms
Burn Taurus: Meh, ugly, meh, dull.
Rule breaker?:
fif
teen
G
S
three
fiddy
all
day
long
I brought up the GS in the previous Taurus topic.
Absolutely. For $30k, they’re a STEAL.
Got more life left in them if you’re willing and able to budget for the inevitable control arm replacement.
If you need to sell at warranty’s end, it’s not a “buy”. I want a car that never needs the warranty.
Buy Impala. Nice car, probably last generation.
Drive Charger (RWD…. best system ever!…. MOPARS Rule!)
Burn Taurus. Rode in one. Sucks rocks.
Gotta break the rules here and go with buy/drive on the Charger and dispose of the other two. But I’d burn the Taurus more than the Impala I guess. The Charger actually feels like something “special” to drive, plus heated seats are always a plus. I’d just put snow tires on it and not worry too much about winter traction issues, I live in a flat place.
In the ideal world you would buy and drive the RWD one. Stick it between 2 FWD cars and “Drive” position is obvious. Then, you have two duds left and need to pick one to “buy” – hell, buy the cheaper one [Taurus] and burn the leftovers.
Already played this out IRL.
Bought Chargers
Driven Impalas
Burned a Taurus once.
Have you told the burn a Taurus story?
It was an ovoid Taurus that was flogged to death as a field car until the engine got so hot that the engine bay caught fire. To be fair, it was only *this* car in name.
Sorry for cheating but i wouldn’t buy any of these over a comparably priced Accord 2.0T.
Sinner!! Corey is going to track you down.
It’s okay, he’s exempt from being able to follow simple rules!
It’s not cheating. It’s refusing to play the same game.
Gimme a 2.0T Accord Sport 6MT and burn all three! Heck, I’ll stay with my Civic Hatch Sport Touring 6MT !
The Impala is boring as hell to drive, the Charger is an outdated (close to 15-year old) FCA-built POS, the Taurus is smaller inside than even the Civic, and is hated all-over America by cops of all sizes. BURN ALL THREE.
What about the Charger is outdated?
The Impala has the best interior materials out of all of them and it looks the most luxurious inside. It stands out from the crowd as well.
1. Buy and drive the Impala, it’s truly a perfect all around sedan that does everything right, and really doesn’t have any faults, plus it’s reliable’and well put together. If anything the rear seats are too flat and hard would be my only complaint.
2. Drive the Charger since it looks the best ( bad ass) out of the 3 and is RWD. But I’ve never been too keen on Dodge products, it’s like your waiting for something to break in the back of your mind. And that is why I would never own one for long term.
3, Burn the Taurus, it’s ugly, cheap feeling, the other 2 have the latest tech features, have a better drivetrain and architecture. Ford vehicles are a hit n miss too, some of their stuff is great, other times they make crap that is unreliable such as the Focus, Fiesta and some Fusions that all had bad transmission problems.
But the Charger, of-course. The other two are not even in the game. Charger rocks and is a superstar only second to Challenger.
Actually, the Charger is more pleasant to drive than the Challenger… But even then, it’s still a POS.
Buy the Impala. Nice car all around, far more refined than either of the others.
Drive the Taurus by default.
Burn the Charger. THE DOOR HANDLES DON’T LINE UP AND THAT’S JUST NOT GOING TO WORK.
The handles are bad, and too chunky. They should be flush with the body. Like on an old Beretta.
The shape doesn’t really bother me, but the misalignment is something I just can’t unsee and makes me angry every time I see a Charger.
The interior of the Charger is also bad. It reminds me of the Impala’s predecessor in that it feels like there was an aggressive effort to put cheapness in the customer’s face to get him to upgrade to a 300.
I don’t care for that either, but the Charger isn’t the only guilty party. The front handles are fine, but I say the rear doors should have had the handles hidden in the C pillar, along with one piece door glass which is what I think is what CL is suggesting with the ‘Beretta-like’ comment. Then this would look like a coupe.
It’s an old, old platform, based on the 3-generations ago Mercedes E-Class, one of the most troublesome platform Mercedes has ever put out, so don’t be surprised…
Wrong.
Using some Mercedes parts does not constitute using an old Mercedes platform.
Chrysler LX platform
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The LX platform is Chrysler’s full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform for the mid part of the first decade of the 21st century. The LX was developed in America to supersede the previous Chrysler LH platform, which had been designed to allow it to be easily upgraded to rear and all-wheel drive. Mercedes parts were used to save costs, including some shared with the Mercedes-Benz W220 S-class, and the Mercedes-Benz W211[1] E-Class 5-link rear suspension, seat rails, steering column, the W5A580 5-speed automatic, the rear differential, and the ESP system. The LX cars are built at Brampton Assembly in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The European variant and all RHD models were built in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr from June 2005 until 2010, where they carried the platform designation of LE.
Ok I am torn w this , by the rules I think I have to keep this car awhile and I assume the same for the drive part so here goes
Burn the Ford that is the easy part
I guess I will buy the dodge even though I do not need red and i do not trust dodge or any part of FCA to make a dependable car. it is easier I think to sell this than the Impala.
I will drive the impala because it is the best looking of the three and I think the best put together and best long term bet, and I do not have to drive the dodge and have high school kids asking me if I wanna rice at every stop light.
Buy: Impala
Drive: Taurus
Burn: Charger
Hemi-less Charger isn’t worth the price of owning an FCA vehicle. Impala is the best of the bunch. Taurus is a decent driver.
“Hemi-less Charger isn’t worth the price of owning an FCA vehicle.”
I want to agree with that…and its true I would and have stepped up to the Hemi in mine. But my ex g/f’s 3.6 Charger was an impressive car…and it didnt even have the 8spd which is a godsend. Even with the V6, the Charger still looks and drives like something you want to own, not an anonymous blob.
keep the chevy, burn the ford and on weekends…..a hellcat charger thank you!!
Buy the Charger. Poor packaging, dour interior, bunker greenhouse and perhaps not the best long term bet, but the RWD and unapologetic styling appeal to me. It’s flawed but it has personality and the other two don’t.
Drive the Impala, but I’m not sure why you’d want to if you have the Charger. The proverbial “nice car” and great all-rounder and a generation newer than the Ford. It’s ugly though, with a big schnozz and a mess of character lines doing weird things aft of the C-pillar.
Burn the Taurus. Them’s the breaks. It may have been unfairly maligned and unappreciated, but it’s older than the Chevrolet.
Yet again we’re on the same page, with similar reasoning!
Agreed mostly. Your longevity fears on the Charger are unfounded though. The LX cars are built like tanks. A TF-8 rebuild down the line might give me pause. But pretty much all fwd slush boxes are made of glass from what I see. And first gen LX cars are thick on the ground. Weak points are the front upper control arms on sub-SRT models but that’s usually a result of some knob putting 20”+ wheels on them…those never had factory 20’s until ‘09 or so. And the biggest thing to watch for on a used LX is the previous owner. Trashy mods and/or cowboy hooning are the point of concern with these cars. Like many wretched crap wagons, these impalas/taurii will make great cheap usd cars not because they’re well made but rather because they’ll be owned by blue hairs who will install an egg on each pedal.
Agreed mostly. Your longevity fears on the Charger are unfounded though. The LX cars are built like tanks. A TF-8 rebuild down the line might give me pause. But pretty much all fwd slush boxes are made of glass from what I see. And first gen LX cars are thick on the ground. Weak points are the front upper control arms on sub-SRT models but that’s usually a result of some knob putting 20”+ wheels on them…those never had factory 20’s until ‘09 or so. And the biggest thing to watch for on a used LX is the previous owner. Trashy mods and/or cowboy hooning are the point of concern with these cars. Like many wretched crap wagons, these impalas/taurii will make great cheap usd cars not because they’re well made but rather because they’ll be owned by blue hairs who will install an egg on each pedal.
I think the basic bones of the LX cars are solid, and I haven’t heard much in the way of issues about the TF8. But at the end of the day it’s a Chrysler so we can expect a smattering of electrical issues as the vehicle gets on in age, classic Mopar weak balljoints (easy and cheap enough to address). So no, definitely not something to run for the hills from, nor will it be a Camry. At the same time I’m not convinced a Taurus or Impala would be any better than the Charger, so might as well enjoy the fun option.
The only electrical issues id be really concerned with are the gimmicks like pushbutton start (already fought that battle with my Challenger) and those stupid TV screens…although those are supposedly very reliable.
Youre right though…I think your basic sentiment is “life is short, so don’t drone around in boring car” and I couldn’t agree more.
I’m talking about more fundamental electrical stuff like Chrysler’s infamous TIPM horror-show.
As to my sentiments, in real life with real dollars on the line, I’m too stingy to buy new to begin with, and if I did it would be something that held its value. But in this hypothetical match-up the Charger is the easy winner for me. I actually test drove used versions of all of these back when I had my Maxima and considered splurging a bit on a new-ish sedan with some power and comfort for my daily commuting duties. Tried a Taurus SEL (2015, leather, 41k miles, $14,9k asking), W-body Impala Limited (similar age/miles, $12,5k asking), Epsilon Impala (LT V6 with cloth and 30k miles, $19k asking), and Charger SXT (2016, 15k miles, $25k salesman seemed to imply he could get it down to $20k?). The Charger was easily the best driving of the bunch both in terms of how it handled/rode and the powertrain. Trunk was kind of small (was testing if it would fit folded large wire dog crates), and I thought the seats were the least comfortable of the bunch, feels like you sit “on” them rather than “in” them.
Once the Toreass is burned, the fire should be extinguished with cat urine.
It’s often said that there are no ‘bad’ cars for sale. Ford begs to differ.
Burn, burn, burn, buy something that doesn’t look pre-mangled, and drive that.
I went through this dilemma 2 years ago. I drove all three cars. Weighed out the pro’s and con’s.
I bought the Taurus(limited)
I liked the Impala
I would burn the Dodge.
I found the Impala comfortable and I really like the new body design. It’s a great looking car.the Charger wasn’t comfortable and personally I’m not a fan of the style. But truth be told, the original charger was never high on my list either. The Ford with the V6 was my winner. It handles tight going through the Arizona mountains, and i had it up to speeds of 115, very smooth. The trunk space is huge. The cabin is nicely laid out and the SYNC system is second to none. There is enough room for passengers to suit my needs and I love the look of the car. I’m extremely happy with my decision.
All three only have a maximum 5-passenger seating capability so it’s burn/burn/burn.
If I were only planning on keeping the car to 10 years I’d buy the Charger for driving dynamics, but probably regret not buying the Impala for interior comfort and space the whole time I was driving the Charger…The Taurus doesn’t even register.
If I were keeping longer than 10 years, I’d buy none of them, and rather go with the Avalon for long life plus interior comfort.
If I weren’t limiting myself to sedans, I’d buy the Durango over the Charger and never look back.
Easy peasy:
Buy the Charger…it’s the only ‘real car’ here. A strong V6 and an automatic that’s actually responsive. Motor/trans are driving the correct axle and this is one of 2 4-door sedans that doesn’t reek of cheapskate/federal paper pusher/nursing home. Your other option is the 300, especially in S trim. For those naysayers who think these cars are unreliable or ‘outdated’…quit drinking the kool-aid. That this platform has been in service since ‘05 MY with constant upgrades as well as the high number of the early cars still in use says everything you need to know. Competition is ‘newer’ in some cases but not clearly ‘better’ on the whole.
Those other two things…rinky dink fwd appliances meant for non gearheads. They’re the same. Drive/burn makes no difference either way. Since I’ve driven the Taurus already, I guess burn it first.
Realistically, buy the Charger in ANY Hemi variant. I think the R/T is the perfect Charger as your all around car. The Scat Pack 392 is the best bang for the buck, but might as well save that for the Challenger.
I agree with Kyree.
Buy the Impala. I’m obviously partial to them, even though mine is a much-maligned (on this site, anyway) W-Body. But mine’s been rock solid (3800 love?) and I love it. And I admire the new ones when I see them in traffic.
Drive the Charger. Like the new Impalas, I admire the Chargers when I see them on the road. Not crazy about the Dart-inspired refresh they got a couple of years ago, but they seem interesting enough.
Burn the Taurus. The current Taurus is really a refreshed Five Hundred anyway, isn’t it? And the name’s been watered down somewhat, in my opinion. Maybe it can come back in a few years as a CUV.
The 2008-2009 Taurus was a refreshed 500. The 2010 was a major redesign. New styling, new drivetrain, etc. The 2013 was a refresh of the 2010. Nothing meaningful (in the US) since 2013.
“The 2010 was a major redesign” Still fundamentally the same chassis underneath, fwiw. They sure did squash the greenhouse though.
By same chassis, do you mean the same platform? Yes, both sit on the D3 platform, as does the Explorer.
We could split hairs over what that really means, but the 2010 is more than a refreshed 500.
More than a “refresh” if a refresh was considered going from the ’05 Five Hundred to the ’08-’09 Taurus, but IIRC the “hardpoints” are all still there. They seemed to have scooted the front seats rearward to make space for that massive dash and raked windshield, which resulted in an awkward position of the driver’s seat relative to the B-pillar, and ruined what was fantastic rear legroom in the 500.
The ’08-’09 Taurus and Sable (RIP) had a great back seat and an airy greenhouse. It’s unfortunate that the taste-makers criticize designs like that.
I got to drive a 2008 Taurus once, with the 3.5 V6 and six speed auto. The front and rear airiness of that design would make you forget about the full size 2 row SUVs.
If they had built them just a few more years I would have hunted one up when I was used car shopping in 2014.
The correct answer here is 2009 Sable Premier FWD, in Cinnabar Red.
https://imganuncios.mitula.net/2009_mercury_sable_base_zelienople_pa_7190049441396824902.jpg
Buy the Impala(used), lease the Dodge and turn it in right before it falls to pieces, burn the Taurus and piss on its ashes. Then go around town burning the rest of them.
Buy Charger. It’s a toss up for me on the other two. Neither one appeals nor discourages. I’ve owned 2 earlier versions of the Charger – 72 & 84 – and enjoyed driving/owning both of them. I’m sure the offering here would please also.
The charger looks to be the future of US law enforcement. The charger will probably become as ubiquitous in police departments as the crown Victoria is today.
I just had a Taurus as a rental car. It was brand new, only 13 miles on it, so I was the first person to rent it.
It was a Limited trim ( about 37k on the build and price) you do get all the stuff. And a lot of it; heated and cooled leather seats, Sony audio system with SYNC which worked well and sounded good. But also, you can get that stuff in an an uplevel Hyundai or Kia too.
The seating position is high, which I remember when the Taurus was introduced as the 500. You lose some of the rolling bunker aspect, unlike the Chrysler. There’s lots room, but it feels a little tight due to the design of the interior. SYNC is pretty intuitive and I only used the Apple CarPlay, but it was all fine.
The powertrain is coarse and while you never want for power, it doesn’t feel like its power rating. Throttle response is almost 80’s-90’s GM hair-trigger: Lots of initial response, but not that much more when you plant it. It can be hard to smoothly pull away from a stop until you’re used to it. According to the trip computer, I averaged 22 mpg across PA from NJ in moderate traffic and about 75-80mph average. Our Sienna does that with a full load of people and stuff.
Ride and handling were OK. It didn’t drive big, but you certainly know you’re piloting a big car. Ride is a bit cloppy and stiff over uneven stuff, largely due to 19 inch wheels wearing the awful and ancient Goodyear RS-A. I’m sorry, but my Golf feels much more linear in response and composed over the road at nearly half the price of this car. I know this is an old platform and the VW is new, but the Taurus doesn’t feel like 37k worth of car. The Ford does feel solid though, more solid than our Sienna, which is as old of a platform.
An SHO might be fun, but I don’t need a giant car and it’s not worth the 40k+, not with the awful resale these cars have. I’d go with the Chrysler if I was going for a big car.
For me, I’d:
Buy (or lease) the Charger
Drive the Ford
Burn the Chevy (sorry, not a GM fan at all, even though these are decent cars)