2000 Ford Taurus
Emphasizes Safety To Gain
Edge On Competition

The Mid-Size Sedan Market Is The Most Competitive Segment
With Three Nameplates In Top Ten Sellers.
Ford Blends Value And Safety To Attract Buyers.

By Bob Storck
Photos By Brian Leshon

Price Range: $17,695 to $26,000

Engine: 3.0-liter, 155-horsepower V6 or 3.0-liter, 200-hp V6

Configuration: Front Engine/Front Drive

Fuel Economy: 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway

Safety Features: Driver and passenger side airbags and ABS anti-lock brakes are standard

Culpepper, Virginia -- Here among rolling fields where once the forces of the North and South hashed out their differences, clashes are taking place that affect the outcome of the sales battles between East and West. Where once battles were fought with cavalry and cannon, American and Japanese auto companies are marshalling their forces to gain sales advantages. This is the home of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's car crash test facility: not the most important in terms of objective testing, but with their publicity efforts they are the best known to the U.S. public.

For more than a decade, the battle for the best selling passenger car has been fought out between Ford Taurus, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The nineties have also been the decade of safety awareness, with the public focusing on airbags, drunk drivers, road rage and now trunk latches. Ford has been a leader in the safety field for over fifty years, and now is eager to have their efforts recognized.

When NASCAR Driver "Awesome Bill" Elliott drove the first 2000-model Ford Taurus off the line at Ford's Atlanta Assembly Plant he was calling attention to the unique blend of safety, durability and performance needed to exist in the stock car racing arena. These are qualities that also are paramount to mid-size car buyers, and Taurus is a leader there as well.