Comparison Test: American Family Values
Te 3.8-liter OHV V-6 in the Impala LS makes a healthy 200 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque.
PLAYING THE PONIES
While pavement-ripping quarter-mile times aren't the major interest of family-sedan buyers, it's important to have enough power to safely pass on a two-lane road or to merge onto a fast-moving highway. The step-up powerplants in each of these competitors also bring a deeper axle ratio. However, traction control, standard on the LS-level Impala and SE Comfort Taurus, was an extra-cost upgrade on our Intrepid.
Despite spotting the Intrepid 25 horses but only 23 pounds of mass, the Impala took top honors in acceleration, zipping 0-60 mph in 7.7 seconds and nailing the quarter mile in 15.9 ticks at 88.8 mph- performance that equals the best 396 V-8 Impala from the musclecar era! Also down 25 ponies, but nearly 150 pounds lighter, the Taurus was next quickest, logging 8.3/16.3/86.5-mph figures in the two sprints. Saddled with a SportShift system that insisted on changing gears at exactly the same rev points as when in full-auto mode, our Intrepid took 8.5 seconds to hit 60 mph and toured the quarter in 16.4 ticks at 85.9 mph. Still, better-than-decent times all.
The all-aluminum SOHC 3.2-liter upgrade that powers the Intrepid ES makes 225 horses and 225 pound-feet of torque.
It was a bit different story when it came to halting the action. All three cars had ABS--standard on the LS and SE, optional on the ES. However, the Intrepid's four-wheel-disc binders pulled it to a stop from 60 mph in 128 feet, while the Impala's similar setup needed 5 feet more. The Taurus, fitted with a disc/drum setup but offering a unique Electronic Brake Force Distribution system that can independently vary line pressure to each wheel, finished third, with a 138-foot tally.
SAFETY CHECKS
While all three of these vehicles feature a strong, rigid unibody with the requisite computer-optimized front/rear crumple structures, side-impact door beams, and dual front airbags, a closer examination of the fine points shows the new Taurus brings some class-leading tech.
Ford's sophisticated 3.0-liter all-alloy Duratec V-6 makes 200 horsepower and 200 pond-feet of torque.
Seeking to build on the five-star frontal crash ratings its predecessor earned from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this 2000 variant incorporates standard and optional features the other two cars don't offer. Heading the list is Ford's new Advanced Restraint System, a comprehensive hardware/software package that more accurately tailors the response of the passive safety equipment to any given impact. Key elements include a crash severity sensor linked with a driver-seat position sensor, dual-stage front airbags for driver and passenger, and the latest strain of belt retractors and pretensioners.
Unlike the Impala and Intrepid systems, which rely on the current iteration of "depowered" airbags paired with conventional retractors/pretensioners, Ford's ARS is designed to actively modulate the amount of bag inflation energy released in a given crash. One more advantage: The Taurus is the only one in this group to offer dual front-side bags as an option. Curiously, a driver-side-only side-impact bag is optional on the base Impala--but standard on the LS model--while the Intrepid makes no provision for side bags at all. All three cars are equipped with child seat anchor points in the rear package shelf but only the Ford and Chevy boast three-point belts in the center seat spot. The Taurus alone offers a standard-equipment emergency inside-the-trunk glow-in-the-dark release. A similar item is optional on the Impala but not yet available on the Intrepid.
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