Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2016 Ford Taurus VS 2016 Cadillac XTS Near Scottsdale, AZ

The Taurus Limited/SHO’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XTS doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Taurus and the XTS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, available collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Taurus is safer than the Cadillac XTS:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Taurus is safer than the Cadillac XTS:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are almost 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Taurus’ warranty.

The Taurus has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The XTS doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Taurus’ reliability will be 47% better than the XTS.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2015 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 12th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Taurus V6 is faster than the Cadillac XTS V6:

On the EPA test cycle the Taurus gets better fuel mileage than the XTS:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Taurus uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. engine for maximum performance). The XTS Vsport requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

For better stopping power the Taurus’ brake rotors are larger than those on the XTS:

The Taurus stops much shorter than the XTS:

For better traction, the Taurus Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XTS (255/45R19 vs. 245/45R19).

The Taurus has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Taurus flat and controlled during cornering. The XTS’ suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Taurus SHO’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The XTS doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taurus’ wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the XTS (112.9 inches vs. 111.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Taurus is 3.6 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than on the XTS.

The Taurus SHO AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the XTS AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Taurus SHO AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XTS AWD (26.8 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

The front grille of the Taurus (except SHO) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The XTS doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Taurus SHO AWD is quieter than the XTS (73 vs. 74 dB).

The Taurus has 1.2 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the XTS.

The Taurus has a much larger trunk than the XTS (20.1 vs. 18 cubic feet).

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Taurus’ exterior PIN entry system. The XTS doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar ® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Insurance will cost less for the Taurus owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Taurus will cost $1890 to $7960 less than the XTS over a five-year period.

The Taurus will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Intellichoice estimates that the Taurus will retain 41.48% to 45.91% of its original price after five years, while the XTS only retains 34.69% to 36.83%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Taurus is less expensive to operate than the XTS because typical repairs cost much less on the Taurus than the XTS, including $145 less for an alternator, $145 less for front brake pads, $16 less for a starter, $177 less for fuel injection, $206 less for a fuel pump, $108 less for front struts and $1131 less for a power steering pump.

Intellichoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Taurus will be $18989 to $32293 less than for the Cadillac XTS.

Both the Ford Taurus and Cadillac XTS won an award in Kiplinger’s 2015 car issue.

The Ford Taurus outsold the Cadillac XTS by over two to one during the 2015 model year.