Editing Ford Taurus (section)

==Third generation (1996)==
{{Main|Ford Taurus (third generation)}}
[[File:96-97 Ford Taurus .jpg|thumb|1996–1997 Ford Taurus sedan]]
[[File:'96-'97 Ford Taurus LX Wagon.JPG|thumb|left|1996–1997 Ford Taurus LX wagon]]
[[File:1996 Ford Taurus (DP) Ghia sedan (2010-07-05) 01.jpg|thumb|1996–1998 Ford Taurus Ghia sedan (export)]]
[[File:1996 Ford Taurus (DP) Ghia sedan (2010-06-17) 02.jpg|thumb|left|1996–1998 Ford Taurus Ghia sedan (export)]]
For the 1996 model year, Ford debuted the third generation of the Ford Taurus. Although not completely new, the chassis was heavily upgraded, becoming the DN101 generation. Alongside the Mercury Sable, the Ford Taurus shared its underpinnings with the redesigned Lincoln Continental and all-new Ford Windstar.

In 1996, its starting cost was about $18,000 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=18000|start_year=1996|fmt=eq}}).<ref name="wolfstreet.com">{{Cite web|url=https://wolfstreet.com/2019/02/13/sticker-shock-prices-of-new-cars-trucks-flat-for-22-years-says-cpi-even-as-the-price-of-a-taurus-jumps-55/|title = Reverse Sticker Shock? No Inflation for New Vehicles for 22 Years, Says Consumer Price Index, as Taurus Prices Soared 55%|date = February 14, 2019}}</ref>

In a break from the familiar styling of the previous two generations (that chief designer [[Jack Telnack]] had likened to a "pair of slippers"),<ref name="News96">{{cite journal|last=Sedgwick|first=David|title=Taurus for '96 will dare to stand out in a competitive sedan market|journal=[[The Detroit News]]|pages=1C–2C}}</ref> Ford had sought to again make the Taurus stand out for buyers of mid-size sedans, giving the vehicle a much more extensive restyling than its 1992 predecessor. Moving away from straight lines, the 1996 Taurus sought to include rounded lines, moving past the cab-forward design of the Chrysler LH sedans. Alongside the Ford Blue Oval emblem itself, the Taurus repeated the shape several places in its exterior;<ref name="bestselling" /><ref name="MW">{{cite book|title=Car: A Drama of The American Workplace|last=Walton|first=Mary|date=May 1997|publisher=[[W. W. Norton]]|isbn=0-393-04080-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/cardramaofameric00walt}}</ref> in a controversial design element, the rear window of the Taurus was oval, as were the side windows of the Mercury Sable. To allow better differentiation between models, the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable were given separate rooflines; Taurus/Sable station wagons were fitted with the doors of Sable sedans.

The interior saw a complete redesign. To simplify production, all versions of the Taurus were fitted with bucket seats; six-passenger versions were fitted with a flip-forward center seat cushion also meant for use as a center console, while five-passenger versions were fitted with a floor shifter and center console.<ref name="Gen III">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.ford-taurus.org/taurusinfo/G3/index.php|title=Taurus/Sable Spotter's Guide Generation 3|date=October 30, 2006|publisher=Taurus Car Club of America|encyclopedia=Taurus/Sable Encyclopedia|access-date=February 25, 2007}}</ref> To improve ergonomics, radio and climate controls were centralized on an oval-shaped console on the dashboard.<ref name="Tribune">{{cite journal|last=Pierson|first=John|title=How Ford Added a Dash of Design To Its New Taurus|journal=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref>

Reaction to the third-generation Ford Taurus was mixed; Ford found that customers disliked the oval-shaped exterior. For 1996, the Ford Taurus stayed the best-selling car in the United States. At the time, 51 percent of all Taurus sales for 1996 went to [[Car rental|rental fleets]], in contrast to the [[Honda Accord]] and [[Toyota Camry]], of which most sales were to private customers through [[Car dealership|retail outlets]].<ref name="CG encyclopedia">{{Cite book |title = Encyclopedia of American Cars |author = ((The Editors of Consumer Guide)) |year = 2006 |isbn = 1-4127-1354-4 |publisher = Publications International}}</ref> In 1997, the Ford Taurus lost its best-selling status to the Toyota Camry.<ref name="bestselling" />

For 1996, Ford Australia imported the Ford Taurus sedan as the "Taurus Ghia" alongside its locally produced [[Ford Falcon (EL)|Ford Falcon EL]], but imports ceased after only one year because of poor sales.<ref name="Australia">{{cite web|url=http://news.drive.com.au/drive/used-car-reviews/ford-taurus-19961998-20100824-13o9c.html|title=Ford Taurus 1996–1998|access-date=October 7, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325180608/http://news.drive.com.au/drive/used-car-reviews/ford-taurus-19961998-20100824-13o9c.html|archive-date=March 25, 2012}}</ref> Ford New Zealand imported both Ford Taurus sedans and station wagons from 1996 to 1998 with success alongside the RWD Australian Ford Falcon/Fairmont/Fairlane.

===NASCAR===
[[File:GregBiffleCar.jpg|thumb|The No. 16 NASCAR Ford Taurus of [[Greg Biffle]]]]
The third-generation Taurus had a presence in [[NASCAR]], replacing the [[Ford Thunderbird|Thunderbird]] for the 1998 season. The Taurus became the first four-door sedan to be approved for competition.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1990s/1998-nascar.htm |title=HowStuffWorks "1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Chronology" |access-date=May 22, 2011 |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721003748/http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1990s/1998-nascar.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first Taurus driver to win the [[Winston Cup]] (the NASCAR sponsor of the time) [[List of NASCAR champions|championship]] was [[Dale Jarrett]], who drove No. 88 [[Ford Quality Care]]/[[Ford Credit]]-sponsored cars owned by [[Robert Yates (NASCAR owner)|Robert Yates]]. The first Taurus driver to win the [[Busch Series]] championship was [[Greg Biffle]], who drove the No. 60 [[W. W. Grainger|Grainger Industrial Supply]]-sponsored cars owned by [[Jack Roush]].

In total, the Ford Taurus has won three Winston Cup championships and two Busch Series championships.