From ST to SHO

smeans92

New member
Hi,
I just picked up a 2010 Taurus SHO a few weeks ago and so far I'm loving it. I traded in a 2014 Focus ST for the SHO. I needed something with AWD, a little bit bigger and I really wanted something with the 3.5. My brother has an F150 with the 3.5 and after driving it I was so impressed I wanted one but I didn't need a truck.

So my new SHO is Tux Black (same color as my ST was) non PP with the technology pack including ACC and the Massage seats. It has 122,000 miles on it but previous owners must have taken great care of it. No reported collisions and everything looks like new. The only thing that is broken is the rear sunshade which I read is normal in these cars. I have done an oil change along with PTU and RDU change. The PTU had been changed recently as it wasn't bad at all. The RDU needed it.

There is a big difference between the SHO and the ST. I loved the ST but it had some big drawbacks as well. The ST had much quicker steering response and far superior brakes. The manual gear box was fun at times and annoying at others. The Recaro seats also were great when doing some spirited back roads driving, but were not comfortable for long road trips. The 2.0 ecoboost has some serious torque for a 4 cylinder (I had full bolt ons and custom tune) but the first 2 gears were almost useless due to traction issues. The ST was pretty much useless in the winters we get here in Montana. I got stuck in my driveway many times.

The quiet, comfortable interior of the SHO are great. The AWD and smooth power delivery with no wheelspin is really nice. The SHO is obviously much larger but drives like a smaller car than it is. Especially comparing it in maneuvering in tight spaces. The backup camera makes up for weird rear window. The ST has bad rear visibility too and a really awkwardly large turning radius for a small car. Gas mileage is pretty close on the 2 cars so far I'd get 22 city and 28 highway@80mph in the ST and in the SHO so far I'm getting about 20 city and 26 highway going 80.

Overall I'm quite happy with the switch. They are definitely a different breed of car. My plans for the SHO are tune, dps, exhaust, brakes, coilovers, and maybe a few visuals like the grill and a bass upgrade, I miss the 3 Sundown 8's I had in my ST. I've read a ton on this forum and the knowledge base is excellent. I'm looking forward to being a member here. 



 
Glad to have you join our little community, smeans!  It is great that Ford has ample "hot" offerings for the public to choose from :thumb:  Sadly, it is rumored that if a SHO continues to be produced, the 3.5 may be history.

The problem with the sunshade may be a broken tooth in the gear, which can be fixed if you know how to weld.  Brakes benefit from an aftermarket rotor/pad upgrade (Power Stop, EBC, StopTech, etc.).

How about some pics of this Gen 4.1 beauty!!!
 
Welcome!!!

They fixed the SHO brake problem in the '13 + cars with 60% more swept area on the rotors... With the plans you list be sure to UG the brakes and rotors...
 
The brakes will probably be my first upgrade since the pads that are on now do not have a ton of life left. I'm looking at ordering the EBC stage 5, sport rotors with yellowstuff pads. I want to do the 2013+ master cylinder and booster upgrade as well. Has anyone tried stainless brake lines on these cars? Do they firm up the mushy pedal?
 
welcome! I had a race red '14 ST. It was a good car but a bit too small for me and the wife hated the recaro's. the SHO is definitely a good upgrade
 
I loved my ST, it was a car that encouraged you to drive faster and corner harder. I also love the SHO though, there is something very satisfying about getting massaged in an armchair like seat and accelerating like the SHO does. Different kind of driving experience but both great, Ford is really doing well with their new performance lineup!
 
Welcome!

I had a '13 ST, very fun to drive. I didn't like that you couldn't get the better sound system without upgrading to the Recaro's (which I tried and definitely did not care for). I finally traded it because of the wiring harness issue, the car continuously having hard starting/stalls issues. Ford had yet to diagnose the problem when I had it, so away it went.

That was followed by two Coyote Stangs, but I needed AWD so I got the SHO.

Good luck. :)
 
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