FORD TAURUS ALTERNATIVES ACROSS THE POND

After reviewing the 2010 Ford Taurus SEL AWD for GoodCarBadCar.net, my curiousity was piqued on numerous levels. Concluding that the Taurus's innards were recompense reward for its gargantuan dimensions ended the question of how people live with the problem of finding a garage big enough to hold it. Realizing that people of my generation don't need to buy the Taurus to like the Taurus; and that people of my generation liking the Taurus (even without buying it) is a very good thing for Ford helped allay my concerns over a name that is not well spoken of.

With those wonderings settled, I was left to muse upon one other stupefaction. If you wanted a Taurus but couldn't have one, what would you be left with as alternatives? Take money out of the equation, because you can afford it. Remove age from the debate, since you're over 40. That leaves geography as a reason for your lack of Taurus purchasability. You, yes you, live in Europe.

Here, then, are a handful of Ford Taurus alternatives available only Across The Pond.

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CITROEN C6: Nobody actually buys a large French car. That doesn't stop Renault, Peugeot, or Peugeot partner Citroen from releasing a new model every now and then. The C6 happens to be one of The Good Car Guy's 100 Favourite Cars, and to the best of my knowledge, that hasn't helped sales either. Its strange concave rear window, relexed demeanor, and punchy diesels would make the C6 feel about as different from the Ford Taurus as the Taurus is different from the Crown Victoria. Rumour has it that sales of the C6 in Germany, a fairly crucial market, have been about ten times smaller than Citroen had hoped would be the case. Were the Citroen C6 available in America, its pricing would likely overlap with the Taurus Limited and Taurus SHO while placing a greater emphasis on luxury.

Perfect American Owner: Gwyneth Paltrow

SKODA SUPERB: Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary has done a good job modifying the Passat platform. The styling is conservative; the design of the rear end revolutionary; the desirability factor negligible. However, Skoda is all about screaming value. A Skoda Superb kitted out with a corncucopia of luxury fittings and all the fuel economy you'd expect of a large all-wheel drive V6 sedan wouldn't be likely to surpass . Sales of the Superb in the UK in 2009 will be hard-pressed to be as high as Taurus sales in one good month in the U.S.

Perfect American Owner: An MIT Physics Professor

FORD S-MAX: Clearly not a large sedan - not even large in comparison to America's "mini"vans - the S-Max is a gorgeous MPV with dynamic talent and available turbocharged power. In Europe, flocks of former mainstream car buyers have turned to niche products. Many of those products are low-powered luxury-badged cars, others are MPVs like the S-Max or Renault Scenic, while more still are crossovers like the Ford Kuga or tall six-passenger hatches like the Honda FR-V and Fiat Multipla. The S-Max is a great way to find the space you need without sacrificing the style that, if lacking, could make you look a little too footballer's mum. Pricing sneaks in below the Taurus level. Sales figures are split amongst many Ford alternatives like the Focus wagon, C-Max, and Galaxy.

Perfect American Owner: Brad Pitt

FIVE CARS DON'T BELONG IN BW'S 50 UGLIEST CARS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS

BusinessWeek.com figures that automakers are bound to get some designs wrong given the multitude of new models released each and every year. And amongst all the ugly cars released over the last 50 years, Business Week picked out 50 it believes to be "just plain homely". Except, rather than write a design-led piece on the last half-century's mess-ups and design disasters, BusinessWeek's Damian Joseph appears to have gone out of his way to be entirely subjective.

Take Automobile's Robert Cumberford as somebody who will be subjective; but from an educated point of view. Or consider The Good Car Guy, who will be subjective; but makes very clear that GoodCarBadCar.net is a subjective soloist entity for a reason. GCBC might be inclined to announce The Good Car Guy's picks for the 50 ugliest cars of the last 50 years, but a publication like Business Week shouldn't publish the 50 ugliest cars of the last 50 years if the article is really Damian Joseph's picks for the 50 ugliest. If Business Week, of all websites, decides against utilizing true design credentials, bring in a flock of editors who can work together.

Why am I so hot and bothered? Mainly because of a few cars that, though possibly hated by a wide swath of the population, can by no means be graded as one of the 50 ugliest cars of the last 50 years. Those five cars are listed below. Do scroll. If you want to see Joseph's other picks, check out the article.

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Volvo 240

Nissan Cube

Volkswagen New Beetle

Skoda Roomster

Chrysler PT Cruiser

2009 SKODA OCTAVIA - 61 PICTURES

Updating the Skoda Octavia (a car you have heard of... maybe?) is an important project for Volkswagen, now the third biggest auto conglomerate in the world. When you hear "Skoda Octavia", you must think Volkswagen Golf. Except now when you think Volkswagen Golf, you don't. You actually think Volkswagen Rabbit.

Here at GoodCarBadCar.net, we call that car the Gabbit. Perhaps you see no similarities between the Gabbit and Skoda Octavia. Volkswagen and Skoda don't want you to. Following the Skoda label at GoodCarBadCar reveals some lovely unique designs, but the Octavia flavour remains more traditional; not that the Gabbit is the most exciting vehicular design to ever pass before your eyes.

Indeed, for 2009 the updated Octavia with "bolder headlamps", a more "robust radiator grille", and a one-piece bumper doesn't make this vital Skoda even as exciting to look at as the European Ford Focus and certainly doesn't strike buyers as hip in the way Renault's Megane manages. Turbocharged 1.4L and 1.8L four-cylinders will be available with a seven-speed direct-shift gearbox. Yes, underneath this car is impressive.... especially at Skoda prices.

And that's why Skoda sells a lot of Octavias. They're not just "good for the price" because, as a Gabbit, the architecture and technology is already good. No, the Octavia is good at a higher price, but downright desirable at prices that undercut its VW siblings and many other competitors.

SKODA YETI - AND MUCH MORE FROM THE CZECH AUTOMAKER

To describe the Volkswagen Passat CC as striking would be completely accurate. In the eyes of The Good Car Guy, it's an offense against past handsome Volkswagens, though the starting point (regular Passat) wasn't exactly a lean, mean, fighting machine. Considering the typical price of a Volkswagen in North America as at or near the top of their segment or nudging up against the next class, it appears as though VW has slightly lost the plot on our continent.

Across the globe, Volkswagen has long been perceived as a mainstream brand where top notch cars with supreme engineering were had for prices the people can afford. When VW's quality struggles and prices increase, it's tough to make that case.

That's what makes Skoda so interesting. Firstly, Czech-based Skoda is owned by Volkswagen. (It seems that Volkswagen will soon be owned by Porsche.) Along with Spain-based Seat, Skoda attacks the price bracket underneath Volkswagen. While we North Americans see desirable cars that can't justify their price - with a few exceptions like the GTI, a Good 12 winner - Europeans now see desirable Skodas that can't be made fun of and appear to be worth more than their MSRP.

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Take the Yeti, a small crossover set for production next year. A little bit of Golf/Rabbit and a little bit of Polo combines with the same styling themes that set the Roomster apart. The Octavia, a Ford Focus competitor, will be facelifted soon. Every automaker needs a mini-MPV in Europe, so Skoda will borrow new Volkswagen Touran bits for that cause in 2010. Of course, the oh-so-dull Touran will be converted into something hip and inexpensive. Also in 2010, Skoda will release a wagon version of the Superb. The Superb is already a practical car with its two-element trunk - is it a hatchback or a sedan?

Skoda's Yaris-sized Fabia is a hit in vRS formula. Up until now, the Fabia vRS has been powered by diesel, but 2010 should see the advent of a gasoline-fuelled Fabia vRS. Finally, in 2011, Skoda will receive a version of the much-loved up! from Volkswagen. Already cool, the up! concept will likely be dramatically transformed on the exterior while maintaining unique engineering. Of course, it'll cost less at the Skoda dealer.