Ford Taurus SE vs Taurus SES
The Ford Taurus is a sedan that has been in production for almost three decades. It has gone through a number of revisions and models. Two of said models are the Taurus SE and the Taurus SES. The main difference between the Taurus SE and SES is their position on the trim scale. The Taurus SE was considered to be a mid-level offering with the Taurus SES right above it as the next trim level.
I used the word “was” because this is no longer the case. Both the SE and the SES were introduced in the year 2000, in the fourth generation of the vehicle, to add more choices to the Taurus line-up. This persisted until the year 2005 when Ford decided to drop the SES line along with one other. The SE continued on for 3 more years, but was also eventually dropped in 2008.
While the two existed, a variety of minor differences between the Taurus SE and SES existed. Although the actual differences may vary from one year to another, it is the SES that got the better features to match the appropriately higher price. Some of the premium options of the SE were also included as standard in the SES, and some of the options in the SES were not available in the SE.
But, the most notable option that you can only get in the SES is the Duratec 30 V6 engine. Although it has the same displacement as the Vulcan V6 that you would get in the SE, it produces 45 more horsepower for a total of 200. It also produces a lot more torque for increased acceleration.
If you buy the Taures SES as stock, then the differences between it and the Taurus SE are quite minimal; just a few trims and minor features. The true reason for getting the Taurus SES is so that you can upgrade to the Duratec 30 engine. This gives you the sporty performance without paying a very steep price that other models have.
Summary:
- The Taurus SES is a higher trim level than the Taurus SE
- The Taurus SES has been discontinued since 2004 while the Taurus SE is still in production
- The Taurus SES can have a more powerful engine than the Taurus SE