Quote:
Originally Posted by Miller88
That car is pretty much the same as the 96-99 Taurus - which was very aerodynamic for it's time. Basically the front and rear clip are the only difference on the body.
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Actually everything rear of the B-pillar is different, minus the rear doors.
Here's a rear pic of the gen 4 (2000-2007):
Here's a rear pic of the gen 3 (1996-1999):
The roof line was extended to provide more passenger headroom, and the trunk was raised for more luggage space. On the gen 3 the trunk lid slopes down towards the rear. On the 4th generation the trunk lid is flat.
Interestingly, the 4th gen also has an indentation at the rear. That's something that UC Davis put on their hybrid Taurus which they named Joule.
UC Davis Joule
I'm guessing Ford looked over some of their work.
Both the 3rd and 4th gen Taurus's had the same Cd as far as I'm aware, although fuel economy dropped 1mpg with the 2004 refresh (which only had front and rear bumper cover changes externally). It is a shame that Ford made such an aerodynamic sedan, then put relatively inefficient drivetrains in it.