 However, unlike the first-generation Taurus, it fell short of their Car of the Year award, which was instead awarded to the redesigned 1996 Dodge Caravan.Consumer reaction was mixed, however.Detractors of the new design pejoratively refer to this generation as the "Bubble" Taurus or "Submarine" Taurus based on the window shaping and broad curves used in the front end being seen as a negative.