2010 Ford Taurus SHO Test Drive PREVIEW!

Make: Ford

Model: 2010 Taurus SHO

Yes, The Fast and the Fugly is coming back to life.

Today's special edition brings you a preview of something The Fast and the Fugly has never seen before - an actual test drive! Now, you can read my cynical commentary (or praise) and know that it's coming from a real-life field test! Just a note: this may or may not change my actual opinion of the car. For example, I'm pretty sure that if I test drove a Kia Rio, I'd be even more unimpressed with the brand than I am now.

However, this all starts on Thursday, March 4th, when the lovely Ford Motor Company will pay me $50 to test drive a 2010 Ford Taurus SHO. The early 2000's Tauri always left something to be desired. Anytime I got in one, I always felt a little underwhelmed. It's a car, but it's just that -- a car. Nothing special. Nothing to "surprise and delight" (to borrow words straight from Ford's new design philosophy) the driver or passengers.

Will the 2010 Taurus be the car to change that? A brief looking over at the Chicago Auto Show said, "quite possibly." Be sure to read Thursday's post to find out what happens when I ask the test drive salesperson if I can "wind it up a bit."

Verdict: TBD

P.S. From now on, clicking the title of any post will send you to the web page of the relevant car. Pretty nifty, eh?

A little too "everyday"

Make: Toyota

Model: Camry

Lowdown: The fact that it's the best-selling car in America isn't a testiment to its greatness, or it's value for the money, it's just an indicator that it's the most, well - ordinary - car in America. The Camry is at the epitome of unoriginality. It's not special in any way, it's just a car. Now lets apply some simple logic: The Toyota Camry is the most popular car in America. Most American drivers are horrible drivers. Ipso facto, most Camry drivers are horrible drivers. Especially the champagne colored Camry drivers (the car not the people), who always, ALWAYS get in your way. It's not a bad car, unfortunately it's the mediocrity of its owners who have dragged it down where it is now.

Verdict: Fugly!