Taurus/Sable Spotter's Guide (Generation 2

All Gen 2 Models

Taurus trim levels: L (see 1993), GL, LX, SHO, SE (see 1995)
Sable trim levels: GS, LS, LTS (see 1995)
New for the second generation (aka G2) was a total aesthetic redesign. The new models were slightly bigger than the previous models by a few inches and a couple hundred pounds.
Changes included:
- New front fascia
- Slimmer headlights
- Redesigned rear fascia and taillights
- New interior door panels
- Door handles were now black plastic
- Redesigned upper dashboard
- New badging on passenger side dashboard
- New dash mounted remote for radio
- New digital radio
- New gauge design
- New instrument panel backlighting
- Digidash backlighting changed from green to blue
- The unibody wasn't changed much (if at all)
- Power windows and power lock switches now lit up. They come on when the ignition is in the Accessory or Run positions as well as when the headlight and parking lights are on.
All models now have the crease at the door handle level (Only the Taurus models got the crease from 1986-1991).
The HSC 2.5L I4 and the 3-speed automatic has now been dropped from the options list. The Taurus L/GL (sedans and wagons), Taurus LX sedans, and all Sables were the Vulcan 3.0L V6. The Essex 3.8L V6 was standard on the Taurus LX wagon and was optional on all other non-SHO Taurus and Sables. Both engines used the 4-speed AXOD-E (AX4S) automatic transaxle.
Sedans had black B- and C-pillars while wagons got body colored pillars.
All sedans lost the storage compartment in the rear package tray. Taurus sedans lost their rear headrests and had a flat package tray. Sables still had the headrests, but they were downsized and resembled the previous Taurus design. The rear package tray in the Sable had two "humps" where the speakers went. The humps matched the rear headrest contour. (Exterior Pic)
The wagons were also redesigned like their sedan counterparts. The body from the A-Pillar back was the same as the first generation wagons (based off the Sable). Both Taurus and Sable wagons got the same taillights (carry-over from the '89-'91 Taurus wagon). The only way to tell them apart from the rear of the vehicle was the badging.
The rear wiper/washer control for the wagons are located in two different places for both models. On the Sable, the buttons were located under the rear defrost button next to the tachometer. On the Taurus, the buttons were located to the right of the ignition switch. Coincidentally, the spot for the rear wiper/washer on the Taurus is the same spot for the foglight button on the SHO.
The Taurus hood got a more pronounced depression while the Sable hood was still completely smooth.
Taurus LX/SHO and Sable LS/LTS had different bodyside trim than the Taurus L/GL/SE and Sable GS models, respectively. The Sable LS/LTS also had different rocker panels and lower front valance than the GS models.
The Sable still came standard with a tachometer on the instrument cluster while the Taurus had a simple instrument cluster (engine temp, speedometer, and fuel gauge) standard. The Taurus LX got the Sable's instrument cluster standard while it was optional on the lower trim levels.
The Sable and SHO came with a cornering light built into the side marker. This light turned on when the headlights were on and the corresponding turn signal was activated.
The new Taurus SHO was more subtle than the previous generation.
Changes included:
- The body was a Taurus from the A-Pillar back, but it used the Sable's hood, front fenders, and headlights. Note that the SHO does not share the same hood as the other Taurus models.
- It got new front and rear bumpers as well as less flashy side skirts.
- Because they used the Sable's front, the grille (now integrated into the bumper cover) was smaller than the slot between the headlights. They filled the gap with "fishtanks" which were clear plastic lenses (similar in design to the Sable's lightbar). They never lit up, but could be modified to do so.
- The B- and C-Pillars were also blacked out instead of body color.
- The Slicers used on this generation has "SHO" on the center cap. White SHOs could still be ordered with white Slicers.
- The "Taurus" badge on the upper left side of the decklid was painted body color instead of the standard chrome on black.
- It also gained a new "24V DOHC" (24 valve, dual overhead cam) badge on the front fenders near the front door jamb (carry-over from last year's SHO Plus).
- Inside, the instrument cluster, upper dashboard, and door panels were revised (like the regular Taurus).
- The SHO came standard with a million mile odometer.
The Police Package Taurus was also redesigned. It looked like a low level Taurus and still had dual exhaust, and 140 MPH "Certified Calibration" speedometer. The speedometer gained a million mile odometer this year.
Other items that were carried over:
- SHO steering rack
- Power steering cooler
- Heavy-duty transmission cooler (tube-in-fin design, like a radiator)
- Stiffer springs
- Heavy-duty strut mounts
- Thicker sway bar (24mm front, 25 mm rear)
- Steel front endlinks
- Heavy-duty subframe
- 4-wheel disc brakes w/ ABS
- 130 Amp alternator
Instead of cooling slots on both sides of the Ford logo on the grille, it now had a wide single slot under the grille. It still came with the 14" steel wheel with center cap. The high output 3.8L was modified to put out more power.
Modifications include:
- New head design (open chamber for slightly lower compression)
- More agressive cam profile
- Increased webbing on the lower block to increase rigidity
- A water-to-oil engine oil cooler helps to keep things cool
- Transaxle's final drive ratio is 3.37:1
- Reinforced transaxle bellhousing
- New engine and transmission strategy
These modifications provided the 3.8L V6 with 160 HP and 225 ft-lbs of torque. In full cruiser dress (lightbar etc.), the Police Package has a drag limited top speed of 129MPH. In detective dress, top speed is in the upper 130s.
The Taurus L, SHO, and Police Package came with black mirrors. Other models had body color mirrors.

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1992

Standard Features and Options: Taurus | Sable
The following were a carry-over from the previous year:
- Instrument cluster (sans gauge design)
- Digital dash (if equipt)
- Steering wheel and column
- Shifter (column and console)
- Lower dash
- Center console (floor-shift models only)
This was the only year the clock on the dash had LCD numbers and three buttons.
This was the only year the Taurus L/GL and Sable GS came with gray bumpers and side trim. Some Taurus models of this year got a two-tone paint job where the bumper and trim was a slightly darker shade of the body color. Sables also got the two-tone but some models also got a colored stripe across the trim and bumper. The Sable LS got special body cladding that made the lower middle section of the car the same color as the bumpers.
It was the only year the Taurus LX had the option of a cornering lights on the side of the front bumper.
This was the only year the G2 Sable got wood panelling on the upper passenger side of the dashboard. This was only available on models without a passenger side airbag.
This was the only year the G2 SHO didn't come with a spoiler and came with the Yamaha 3.0L V6 with the 5-speed manual transaxle only. It also gained chrome window trim.
Early 1992 SHO bumpers were different from later models. The earlier bumper is straight across on the bottom. The later models extend down with a notch in the middle below the license plate bracket.

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1993

Standard Features and Options: Taurus | Sable
The Taurus L was discontiued.
The clock on the dash now had new digits and two buttons. 1993 was the only year the clock's buttons were not marked.
The rear brake discs (if equipped) went from vented discs to solid discs.
This year saw the introduction of the remote transmitter keychain as an option. It came as an option with illuminated entry and the keypad on the driver's door.
No more gray bumpers or two-tone color schemes for the Taurus or Sable.
All floor-shift models got an updated center console and shifter. The center console was much rounder than before and had integrated the armrest. It seemed to flow into the design of the dashboard instead of looking like a tacky add-on. The shifter was more ergonomical and shorter than before. Non-SHOs and SHOs have different gear indicators. Non-SHOs have P R N OD D 1 while SHOs got P R N D 2 1 plus an overdrive-off button on the shifter.
The Flex Fuel Taurus was introduced about mid-year. It was a Taurus GL that used a modified Vulcan 3.0L V6 that could run on methanol or a mix of methanol and gasoline. The FFV (Flex Fuel Vehicle) Vulcan differed from the normal Vulcan because of a distributor-less ignition system. It also had a digital instrument cluster to monitor the fuel. All Flex Fuel Vehicles got the extended range (18 gallon) fuel tank as standard equipment.
The biggest change for the SHO was the addition of a new engine and transaxle option. It could now be ordered with a Yamaha 3.2L V6 coupled to the AXOD-E (AX4S) 4-speed automatic transaxle. The Yamaha 3.0L V6 with the 5-speed manual transaxle still came standard. The way to tell the 3.2L and 3.0L apart is that the 3.2L EGR is mounted on the driver's side of the intake to the rear of the throttle body.
The SHO also gained a new directional Slicers ("blades" faced forward; no slot to remove center cap), decklid spoiler, straight exhaust tips (last year's turned downwards), and steering wheel (see 1994). The directional Slicers pulls air out of the wheel while running down the road to help cool the brakes. These were made in Italy and have "R" and "L" stamped on them. The older non-directional slicer were made in Canada. The new spoiler had an integrated Light Emitting Diode brake light eliminating the need for the center high-mount stop light mounted in the rear window.
Sables now had the passenger side airbag as standard equipment. It was an option in 1992.
All non-SHO models gained the SHO steering wheel in the middle of the year. The old wheel was used at the beginning of the year until it was phased out. The new steering wheel had a new integrated horn pad/airbag which curved inwards on the sides and was much rounder than before. The cruise control buttons (if available) fit neatly on both sides of the horn pad and curved outwards.

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1994

Standard Features and Options: Taurus | Sable
All models (except police packages) now had body color door handles.
All models now had R-134a (CFC-free coolant) air conditioning instead of R-12 (Freon).
Some Vulcan-equipped models received the AX4N 4-speed automatic. There is no logical reason as to why this happened. This odd combination continues up until the AX4S was discontinued around late 2002 when the AX4N became the standard transaxle. The only way to tell what transaxle is in the vehicle is by the VIN tag on the driver's door or transaxle characteristics.
All models got a new dome light. The switches (for the map lights) were located on the back of the previous unit. On the new light, the switches have been moved towards the outer sides of the corresponding map light.
All models gained a million mile odometer in the middle of the model year. It was previously a no cost option.
All models got 15" wheels standard (except SHO which had 16" wheels standard) to accomodate larger brakes.
All Taurus models now came with a passenger side airbag as standard equipment. It was an option in 1992 and 1993.
The Taurus LX gained new "disco ball" crystalline headlights. The LX wheels also gained a metallic finish and sharper design.
The SHO now had blacked-out window trim.
The Police Package gained 21# injectors.

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1995

Standard Features and Options: Taurus | Sable
No major change from the previous year.
In 1995 about 200 Vulcan 3.0L V6s received EEC-V and OBD-II.
Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC) buttons were revised with harder and newer buttons. On the previous EATC, the buttons were a thin sheet of plastic and most of the time broke prematurely.
The Taurus saw the introduction of a new trim level. The SE was introduced as an affordable SHO. It was a Taurus GL that could be ordered with almost every option (except the SHO instrument cluster, drivetrain, bumpers, and trim). It could even have the SHO spoiler!
It came standard with:
It came in sedan form only with the Vulcan 3.0L V6 standard and the Essex 3.8L V6 optional. The only way to really tell it apart from the other trim levels was by the "Taurus SE" on the front door trim panel.
This was the only year the Sable had the LTS package. It was basically the same as the Taurus SE. It was a Sable LS that could be ordered with every option the LS could get.
It came standard with:
- A floor-shift automatic
- Front "sport" bucket seats
- 4-wheel disc brakes (with ABS)
- Aluminum Taurus LX wheels (with Mercury logo on center cap)
It came in sedan form only with the Vulcan 3.0L V6 standard and the Essex 3.8L V6 optional. The only way to really tell it apart from the LS is by the "Sable LTS" on the front door trim panel.

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Misc. Pictures

Sedan:

Space-saver (donut) spare tire cover
Space-saver (donut) spare tire
Full-sized spare tire cover
Single lever remote (Trunk Only)
Double lever remote (Trunk and Gas)

Wagon:

Space-saver (donut) spare tire
Double lever remote release (Gas and Wagon Liftgate)
Back seat down
Back seat up
Picnic table
Rear glass open
Rear grab handle

Taurus:

1992 Police Package Interior (Front)
1994 Police Package Interior (Front)
1994 Police Package Interior (Back)
1995 Floor Shift Interior (Front)
1995 Basic Interior (Front)
Police Package Dome Light
SHO Dome Light

Sable:

1992 Floor Shift Interior (Front)
1995 Interior (Front)

Misc:

Sunroof/Moonroof Overhead Console
Lighted Sun Visor
Digital Gauges (Lit Up)
Buttons for Digital Guages
Metric Speedometer
Premium Sound Radio and CD Player
Premium Sound Tape Deck
Premium Sound Speaker
Tapeless Radio
Manual "Crank" Windows
Manual Fuel Door (Taurus Shown)
Lower Left Dash
Autolamp Controls
Pedals
Keyless Entry Keypad
Dome Light (Without Map Lights)

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