Taurus SHO or Audi S4

[CBennett]

In the future im thinking of getting a newer car(not brand new I just cant afford it) it will be between 2010-2012 year wise. Ive come down to wanting AWD in what ever I get living in central PA id like it. In 1993 I bought a 1991 Taurus SHO(kept it till 1995) it was the best car ive ever owned.

Bad part was none of the local dealerships had any clue on maintenance on the old Yamaha V6 I knew I was screwed when I asked about the 60,000 mile valve adjustment and they said they didnt know anything about it..when I showed them in their own manual that it was recommended they seemed flabbergasted then went into the old...we dont see a lot of these so let me ask if any techs know about this..they all went into a huddle and the best answer i got was one tech said....I saw them do this in a class I took once I could give it a try....it had 60,000 miles out of warranty and he wanted to just "give it a try" I figured if a dealership could not even fix their own products it was time for it to go .... Too bad too as for the time it was a great car had it worked over by the old(no idea if they are even in business anymore) SHO Shoppe in Maryland it was a mustang killer for sure .



Back to the present...I hear these new ones are again quite nice and have the AWD I want im assuming unlike the old ones the dealerships can actually work on, have a clue about this new one??? I was wondering what to expect from the car? is it like the older ones experience any problems to know about up front? Im assuming other than a few engine parts turbo charger related that its repair costs are pretty typical Ford fare(this is the part that stopped me from already getting a Audi S4...the frakin $$ they cost if they break)

What are the major (or minor) if you know changes between the years? Is this a viable model ? Ive heard locally they have some trouble moving them because of their $$ over the "regular" Taurus.

Anything else to look out for when I look at one??

Hows the insurance on them...the S4 was pretty steep to be honest VS my current Hyundai Sonata

Right now just based on cost and repair cost maintenance im leaning SHO over the Audi S4. Im just trying to do my due diligence first...as it may be a year or so B4 I buy im in no rush..I MAY even consider the new Subaru Forester XT turbo when it comes out next year...but right now tell me about the SHO please.

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

If the S4 has an adjustable suspension, it will eat you alive... Friend had an S6 and fix was over $4,000. when under warranty... He got rid of it when warranty was over and bought a G8.

 

[CBennett]

Yeah I was afraid of that seemingly every time I find my next "dream car" stuff like this happens...in this case without a warranty or some super good extended warranty on the S4....your gonna have to pay out the nose. The SHO came to mind when I was comparing size(relatively speaking ...meaning 4 door sedans) AWD ability and HP...so thats why its falling off the list so quickly and the SHO was rising up it

 

[sho'noff]

I would definitely think the Audi has more class but don't adjust the suspension, especially if you are already sitting a foot off the ground, why go any lower.

:thankyou:

 

[SHOSuperbeast]

Much more room for people and their stuff in the SHO. The Lancaster Ford Dealership does good work on the car - they just don't get many in. You won't see yourself at many intersections. Maintenance costs for the SHO are much lower than on an Infiniti G, my previous car.

 

[CBennett]

Much more room for people and their stuff in the SHO. The Lancaster Ford Dealership does good work on the car - they just don't get many in. You won't see yourself at many intersections. Maintenance costs for the SHO are much lower than on an Infiniti G, my previous car.

The Infiniti G was also on my list.

 

[somedude_001]

I think the A6 3.0T might be a better comparison to the SHO in dimensions

I have been doing a ton of research on B8 audi S4 and it seems like there are a few opinions that I have come up with.

must be a manual
must not have dynamic steering
must have sport diff
must have B&O sound system (I am a sucker for a good sound system)

I was cross shopping the B8 S4 and the B7 RS4. It is a really tough decision to make.

 

[sho'noff]

I think the A6 3.0T might be a better comparison to the SHO in dimensions

I have been doing a ton of research on B8 audi S4 and it seems like there are a few opinions that I have come up with.

must be a manual
must not have dynamic steering
must have sport diff
must have B&O sound system (I am a sucker for a good sound system)

I was cross shopping the B8 S4 and the B7 RS4. It is a really tough decision to make.

if it were an audi s1 I would definitely say it is a smaller car but I would in no way give that kind of horsepower up for an sho.

 

[typhoon5000]

The new SHO shares it's complete drivetrain with every other EcoBoost V6 full size Ford and Lincoln, with just a unique tune to give you avfew extra hp and is much more low maintinance than the Yamahammer. They even use the same drivetrain in the new Police Interceptors, so that shows you how confident Ford is in its reliability.

 

[CBennett]

The new SHO shares it's complete drivetrain with every other EcoBoost V6 full size Ford and Lincoln, with just a unique tune to give you avfew extra hp and is much more low maintinance than the Yamahammer. They even use the same drivetrain in the new Police Interceptors, so that shows you how confident Ford is in its reliability.

Well thats good to know..Much more confidence inspiring than the guys AT the DEALERSHIP not knowing a single thing about the engine or how to preform maintenance on it...That truly had to be the first time ever I took a car to a dealership and they didnt know w thing about how to work on it lol. Im trying to figure out why even the 1 salesman at the FORD dealership tried to turn me away from the SHO though...I just found that strange. maybe he was just a idiot or more likely trying to sell me something they had instead of something they didnt have(they didnt have a single one on the lot)

 

[CBennett]

Right now(and I realize they are different cars but I want something fun/awd but still decent) I think just with the repair costs that unless i had some super extended bumper to bumper type warranty that the Audi is probably out. But in that same thinking the Acura w/ AWD,Infiniti G37X,SHO are on the list...I dont mind the Buick Regal but that seems down on HP. I was also looking at the Forester XT and AWD Mini Countryman (i know TOTALLY different cars than the 3 mentioned) but still different and AWD...

 

[Crax]

Hi, I had a 2010 SHO and got rid of it, constant problems and no assistance from local dealers. However, I have a friend who had an Audi and she posted a letter about it on facebook that convinced me and several other people I know that those are pure junk and to never buy one. If you'd like me to spend your money I would look to other brands altogether - perhaps Acura or Infinity as you mention...

 

[CBennett]

Hi, I had a 2010 SHO and got rid of it, constant problems and no assistance from local dealers. However, I have a friend who had an Audi and she posted a letter about it on facebook that convinced me and several other people I know that those are pure junk and to never buy one. If you'd like me to spend your money I would look to other brands altogether - perhaps Acura or Infinity as you mention...

Thanks right now im starting to lean Infiniti to be honest. Probably a couple years old(2-3) so im guessing a 2011-2012 when i get it.

 

[RonPorter]

DO NOT own an Audi unless it's under bumper-to-bumper factory warranty!!

 

[SHOrod]

I traded in my 2007 Infiniti G35 that I bought new on my 2011 SHO and don't regret it one bit. The G35 wasn't a bad car, but didn't actually seems to be as high quality as the SHO believe it or not. Plus, my nearest Infiniti dealer was over 2 hours away and my Infiniti required more visits to the dealer in the 3 years I had it than my SHO has needed in the 3 years (almost) that I've had it. Plus, Ford dealers are everywhere. Even though we have a Nissan dealer here, they do not get reimbursed by the mothership for warranty or recall work on an Infiniti.

You're likely to have some issues with any brand, and there will be some owners that unfortunately get a lemon. When you start getting in to unique vehicles, certain parts and services are going to be pricey due to economies of scale. With this you also run in to challenges finding technicians that are familiar with the platform since they don't work on them everyday. If what you're most interested in is a vehicle that is not going to have many issues and, when it does, are inexpensive to resolve, really none of the cars in your list are going to suit you, but the Forester XT may come closest.

-Rod

 

[rubydist]

about half the Lincoln vehicles now use the EcoBoost engines, so if your Ford dealer is clueless, take it to the Lincoln dealer.

according to J D Powers, Ford's reliability is now better than Toyota's. Audi's reliability is somewhere south of russian cars and Lucas electronics....

 

[HighBarSHO]

I did the same mental ************ back a few months ago. I really wanted a 2003-2006 E55 AMG Merc. Really nice understated ripper of a car. Problem was most of the lower mileage ones (35k and under) where pushing near 30 grand or more. Factory warranty was long gone. Just could not justify the money with no warranty. Parts and labor for the European stuff is crazy. Plus did not want to budget in 6-10k in repairs on a higher mile one. Oh is life...

 

[CBennett]

I Plus, my nearest Infiniti dealer was over 2 hours away and my Infiniti required more visits to the dealer in the 3 years I had it than my SHO has needed in the 3 years (almost) that I've had it. Plus, Ford dealers are everywhere. Even though we have a Nissan dealer here, they do not get reimbursed by the mothership for warranty or recall work on an Infiniti.

If what you're most interested in is a vehicle that is not going to have many issues and, when it does, are inexpensive to resolve, really none of the cars in your list are going to suit you, but the Forester XT may come closest.

-Rod

Yup I know what you mean thats why the SHO made the list. 4 ford dealerships around here..nearest Inifinti place is a hour 20 minutes...but honestly cant a Nissan dealership do the work lol...(since it will be used anyhow and I may get one at the local Nissan place) But your right the Big reason the SHO made the list was. Ive owned one in the past and loved it(even though it was a 1991 so its been a while ) and ease of getting service. The XT was on the list mostly because of the AWD and performance(plus upgrades if wanted are pretty much a simple swap/drop in STI parts and such)

 

[CBennett]

I did the same mental ************ back a few months ago. I really wanted a 2003-2006 E55 AMG Merc. Really nice understated ripper of a car. Problem was most of the lower mileage ones (35k and under) where pushing near 30 grand or more. Factory warranty was long gone. Just could not justify the money with no warranty. Parts and labor for the European stuff is crazy. Plus did not want to budget in 6-10k in repairs on a higher mile one. Oh is life...

Same here I looked at those, the Caddy CTS V, and such but the $$ and warranty/maintenance didnt make it viable.

 

[SHOrod]

...but honestly cant a Nissan dealership do the work lol...(since it will be used anyhow and I may get one at the local Nissan place)

Yes, a Nissan dealership can do the work, and their scan tools will work on the Infiniti as well, but Nissan dealerships cannot get reimbursed for warranty or recall work, so if you opt to have the work done at a Nissan shop, you will pay for it. If the car is out of warranty, then the only issue you'd have is if recall service needed to be performed. I checked with the Nissan dealer on this on two separate occasions, talking with two different folks. Same story from the Infiniti dealer.

-Rod