How about a good old' versus thread.

   Let's say the ups, downs and demands of life have forced you to abandon participating in Motorsports for nearly two decades. You have two kids in their early teens and you're feeling a strong urge to buy a DD that has room for the family but, can also be flogged around an Autocross or Rallycross course and be, not necessarily competitive but, at least fun. Your wife drives a '13 Explorer on which you recently swapped out the o.e. shocks, struts, and springs for HD units, and you're a big fan of how that platform is put together. 

   Having said all of that, and realizing the Explorer doesn't meet SCCA's height/track width standards for competition, I give you this:

https://chicagomotors.com/206165/2013-Ford-Taurus-Police-AWD-35L-V6-Twin-Turbo-EcoBoost

Versus that:

https://chicagomotors.com/209129/2013-Ford-Taurus-Police-AWD

Ps, NMNA. I'm not trying to help sell them, yadda yadda. 

The twin turbo all day every day. 

Because. Twin turbo. 

Also, you need to find pre-runner parts and pictures for these.

Definitely the twin turbo one. 

Keep in mind, depending on your local region, as long as you don't lift it, they might let you rallycross the Explorer as-is.  No autocross for it though, there's less discretion for what's allowed than in rallycross. 

Twin turbo for sure.  But I have a pretty strong bias in that recommendation.  

Oh boy, that is a BIG car.  Neither will be competitive.  I might choose to own the 3.7 for reliability/maintenance/cost of ownership reasons.  And it costs 33% less up front.

I have driven one like the second option and didn't think it was bad at all, but given the option I would go turbo every time.

In reply to The_Jed :

You sound smart enough to understand that racing and daily driver is a nice way to spend too much going too slow. 
      Buy a cheap car only for racing.  Your starting budget is $500. 
     What you don't want is a worn out piece of junk.   So forget small economy cars.  Sports cars are going to be massively too expensive.  Plus likely they have been thrashed to an inch of their lives. 
     Get something that has low miles, great components, probably still looks decent at 20 feet. 
        Are you interested?  

You already have the Explorer.  Why do you need another big vehicle?  You can't all be in two vehicles at the same time.  If you need to take everybody, use the Explorer.  The other car can be a bit more fun.

I've put many miles and lots of hours in the 3.7 interceptor. I'm not a fan, I find the explorer much more comfortable and just as quick. We had a lot of issues with the first few years of the interceptors to include lots of transmission issues, cv axles, and suspension making God awful noises with mileage lower then the one you posted. Granted I work in a very poor city so conditions are rough.

I have zero experience with the twin turbo model but in sure minus the engine its all the same.

The starting point for the turbo version is the ecoboost SHO.  The civilian version is giggly fast but understeers under power badly.  The Police Interceptor version probably does, too.  It would be a difficult challenge on an autocross course.

I have seen SHO's put up some big dyno numbers that made them FLY on the interstate. The motor is capable. Size and weight are your enemy. I think stripping it to the bare sheetmetal and running some big tires and camber might make an interesting Mod car. Not competative, but fun as hell. 

I thought this was going to be about the best splatstick comedy-samurai-zombie-yakuza movie ever created.

Also, it prominently features a Toyota Sera.

The thing I like about the Explorer PI is they are crash test rated to a 70mph rear end collision (think cop car sitting on shoulder hit by passing motorist).

They're pretty safe vehicles in this regard. The Ecoboost is very quick. Tune it to run on E85 and enjoy stomping on dudes from stoplights.

If I were wanting a car that I could fit multiple people in and it to autocross/rallycross on a budget - Honda Fit Sport or Civic SI sedan. 

Rallycross and daily driver don't go together. Unless you can tolerate every surface of the interior constantly being coated in dirt/mud and aaaaallllll of the interior squeaks and rattles. I don't know IL's rules on street legality, but the right answer is clearly a four seater side by side. I would take the ecoboost though, both are going to be horribly slow, that one has a chance of being fun at least.

Fly and drive for southern rust free example of a protege 5. Use fluid film religiously every winter and thoroughly power wash the undercarriage after every rally cross

Miata?

David S. Wallens said:

Miata?

2 so the whole family can come.