The Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Malibu are family sedans that offer good gas mileage, lots of room and enough power to get you to the PTA meeting in no time. The 2012 Ford Taurus and 2012 Chevy Malibu both offer a range of trim levels from the affordable to the luxurious, so whatever level of luxury you desire can be yours.
Both the Ford Taurus and Chevy Malibu are available with heated leather seats, navigation, climate control and a sunroof. The Taurus has optional keyless ignition and parking assistance, which aren’t available on the Malibu. The 2012 Chevy Malibu starts at $23,335, while the 2012 Ford Taurus starts at $25,555.

The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu comes standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 169-hp rated at 22-mpg city and 33-mpg highway. Also available is a 252-hp 3.6-liter V6 engine that gets 17-mpg city and 26-mpg highway. The 2012 Ford Taurus only has one engine available, though it does have the option of all-wheel drive, which isn’t available on the Malibu. The Taurus is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 263-hp. The Taurus gets 18-mpg city and 28-mpg highway with front-wheel drive and 17-mpg city, 26-mpg highway with all-wheel drive.
The Taurus is quite a bit larger than the Malibu, 11 inches longer, three inches higher and six inches wider. That extra size doesn’t translate into more interior room, the Taurus has 39.0 inches of front head room and 41.9 inches of front leg room, while the Malibu has 39.4 inches of front head room and 42.2 inches of front leg room. The Taurus has 37.8 inches of rear head room and 38.1 inches of rear leg room, while the Malibu has 37.2 inches of rear head room and 37.6 inches of rear leg room. The Taurus does have a lot more trunk space than the Malibu, with 20.1 cubic feet of room compared to the 15.1 inches of trunk space in the Malibu.