I like my Ford 500 although after having 2 buicks I agree with the power issue.
I also had one of the first year's of the Taurus line back in the 80's - loved the looks and interior but the engine ate oil. When they "slimmed" them down though, IMO they ruined the looks and my sister says she has vision problems with hers (blind spots) and won't let the kids drive it.
The Taurus started slipping with that peculiar re-style, with all the ovals, everywhere, on the dash, the back window, the headlights ... it looked sort of like a catfish from the front. The car my folks traded was a 95 Taurus, which was a good car for them, for the entire time they owned it, no problems to speak of. It was just about to turn 100K, and the headliner was starting to let go, so they went shopping for a new car. They didn't care for the last iteration of the Taurus at all, the Fusion was too small, and the Five Hundred was too big. They were looking for something about the size of their 95 Taurus, which could seat five in reasonable comfort, but got good mileage and was easy to maneuver and park. The only domestic that fit the bill was the Impala. They like it well enough, but they're not elated with it, as they were with the Taurus when they got it new.