Big car, small engine. The pairing may seem paradoxical, but Ford has made a
habit of dropping its turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder
into its larger vehicles. The latest blue-oval big’un to get a small EcoBoost is
the beefy Taurus; this additional engine option, joining a naturally aspirated
V-6 and the SHO’s EcoBoost V-6, appears as part of the sedan’s 2013 refresh. As
for its other big/small combos, Ford already has ladled the 2.0-liter into the
Explorer and the Edge with mixed results.
Pay More for Less
We’ve found that Ford’s 240-hp EcoBoost four does an admirable job of
motivating the Edge and redesigned-for-2013 Escape crossovers, but is
overburdened in the Explorer. The engine is the 2013 Fusion’s top-of-the-line
motivator, and a higher-output version powers the new Focus ST. Regardless of
which hood the 2.0-liter lives under, the engine is well-mannered and smooth,
with linear power delivery and little turbo lag.
The turbo four is paired exclusively with a six-speed automatic driving the
front wheels and is available in any Taurus trim except the sporty,
range-topping SHO model. As with the Edge and Explorer, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost
four in the Taurus is a step-up, extra-cost engine. The promised return for its
$995 price is improved fuel economy relative to the base V-6 engine—both the
city and highway EPA ratings are three better here, landing at 22/32 mpg. In our
experience, it’s tougher to get close to EPA mileage estimates in turbocharged
cars, so we’ll reserve final judgment until we can fully test this model.
Beefy Tostadas Can Accelerate, Too
Of all the big Fords to get the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four, we think the 2013
Taurus may be the most appropriate. It’s mostly a question of mass. The Taurus
weighs a little less than an Edge when both are equipped with the engine. A
2.0-liter Explorer, on the other hand, weighs a good quarter-ton more than an
Edge so equipped, tapping out the powertrain. Although down 48 hp on the
Taurus’s base 3.5-liter V-6, the turbo four produces 16 additional lb-ft of
torque, and its twist is available at a lower rpm. As a result, the 2.0-liter
Taurus gets up and goes much like the front-wheel-drive V-6 sedan. The only
indication that two cylinders are missing comes in the form of a faint resonance
that enters the cabin at low revs in higher gears.
As befits its fuel-sipping mission, the four-cylinder Taurus’s six-speed
automatic transmission dutifully grabs the highest possible gear as quickly as
it can. There is a “sport” transmission mode, which delays upshifts until the
tach needle swings closer to redline, but it seems uncouth to drive a non-SHO
Taurus this way. A fidgety shift-lever-mounted rocker switch allows drivers to
summon an up- or downshift at their leisure. Unfortunately, no matter how
furiously you twiddle this switch, the transmission takes a good two-count to
execute on the command.
Dynamically, the four-pot car feels nearly the same as any other Taurus. Ford
says the 2.0-liter-equipped version is roughly 55 pounds lighter than a
comparable V-6 model; four-cylinder cars get slightly different front spring
rates along with minor changes to the dampers to account for the lighter load.
You don’t feel the weight difference, and the thing still feels heavy because it
is. At least the squishy suspension isolates passengers from all but the worst
road imperfections. The electrically assisted steering is devoid of road feel,
weighting up only off-center. An added bonus for all 2013 Taurus models is an
upgraded brake master cylinder, which has firmed up pedal feel and reduced its
travel.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door
sedan
BASE PRICE: $28,390
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4,
aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 122 cu in, 1999 cc
Power: 240 hp @ 5500
rpm
Torque: 270 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.9 in
Length: 202.9
in
Width: 76.2 in Height: 60.7 in
Curb weight (C/D
est): 4100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 7.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile:
15.4 sec
Top speed: 112 mph
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 22/32 mpg
