2008 Ford Taurus First Drive

The story of the 2008 Ford Taurus is really the story of three different cars. The first is the original 1986-1995 Taurus that quite literally saved Ford from collapse. It was a risky gamble, one that paid off with a car that quickly became a bestseller, put money in the coffers, and gave Ford a fighting chance against the crushing popularity of Japanese family sedans.

Next you have the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, a car that sorta, kinda, replaced the Taurus in the Ford lineup. Big and comfy, it suffered from an underwhelming engine connected to a continuously variable transmission, and an odd name, no matter how historically significant it may be to Fordies.

Why not just call it the Taurus? That brings us to car number three, the 1996-2006 Taurus. Maybe expectations for another automotive revolution were so high that the second-generation Taurus had no chance of replicating its previous success. Maybe it’s because the ultra-aero look was ending just as the 1996 Taurus debuted. Maybe it’s because people didn’t want to drive a car that looked like a catfish. Whatever the reason, sales declined, competitiveness suffered and the equity of one of the best new brands to come along in decades was wasted as the car’s sales numbers were propped up more and more by fleet sales until it was quite literally sold only to rental car companies.

Now it’s 2008, and there is again a Taurus on Ford lots. Technically, it’s last year’s Five Hundred, updated with a new engine and transmission, revised styling, better sound deadening and significantly elevated refinement. This is the car the Five Hundred always should have been, including the name. It is also a car that recalls the good ol’ days of the Taurus, and while maybe not the huge gamble that it was in 1986, it enters the Ford lineup at a time when the company is still scrambling for hits.

After a day of driving the new Taurus, we think Ford has a potential winner that fits perfectly alongside the hot-selling Fusion and Edge.

The Taurus name has also been extended to the Freestyle crossover, which is now the Taurus X. Although there was not one available for us to drive and we haven’t seen one since the Chicago Auto Show in February, Mercury’s Montego is similarly upgraded and rebadged for 2008 as the classic Taurus-mate, the Sable.

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The story of the original Taurus is well known, but here’s a quick, oversimplified refresher: Desperate company makes good car; company makes money; company lets car get stale; company introduces weird-looking replacement for good car; company winds up desperate again.

Fast forwarding past that to modern history, the 2005 Five Hundred was based on the Volvo S80, and if you’re going to introduce a family-oriented full-size sedan, starting with Volvo parts isn’t a bad idea. It would have been nice if Ford had used Volvo engines, too. Instead, it saddled the Five Hundred with a 201-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 that, when in all-wheel drive configuration, was mated to a continuously variable transmission that made the worst of the engine. The anonymous styling and name only a true Fordophile could appreciate didn’t help, especially considering that Chrysler introduced its excellent and boldly styled 300 at exactly the same time.

Ford says that “Taurus” is the company’s third most recognized nameplate, right after Mustang and F-150. If it had simply glued the name to an unchanged Five Hundred then the mockery would have no end, but the truth of the matter is that this is a much improved car, addressing every complaint of the 2005 model and then some.

There are two other vehicles in the mix here, neither of which we drove. The first is the redesigned Ford Freestyle crossover, which is officially added to the Taurus family with its new designation, Taurus X. Based on the same general platform, it bows later in the summer with many of the same improvements as the 2008 Taurus. The Mercury version of the Taurus gets its old name back too, but as always the Sable lives in its bullish brother’s shadow. Accuse us of lip service to the Mercury version if you want, but frankly, we’re giving as good as we’re getting from Ford on this one.

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The Taurus sedan is the big news, and what we’re concentrating on here. All Tauri come with the 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 engine, which puts out 263 horsepower and 249 lb.-ft. of torque. No matter what drivetrain you get, front or all-wheel, the engine is mated to the smooth-shifting six-speed automatic that we’ve come to enjoy in cars such as the Edge crossover. Gone is the unloved CVT in all-wheel drive Five Hundreds, and good riddance to it.

The basic trim level for the Taurus is SEL, and if you’re thinking that like the old Taurus, this one’s a stripped fleet leader, think again. Standard equipment on the Taurus is extensive, including a full complement of airbags, a tire-pressure monitoring system, MP3 player input for the audio system, traction control, and keyless entry. Fog lamps and 17-inch aluminum wheels are also part of the standard package, as are cloth seats and a CD player. Traction control and anti-lock brakes are also standard. Rental customers should be so lucky.

Optional equipment for SEL models are mostly grouped into two packages. The first is the safety and security package, which adds an anti-theft system, heated outside mirrors with puddle lamps, and stability control; note that this package is the only way to get stability control in the SEL. The other major package is an interior convenience package that adds an Audiophile sound system, dual zone climate control, automatic headlights, an 8-way power adjustable seat and woodgrain finish on the door armrest and switch panel. Leather seating is also an option.

An easier way to get all that stuff is just to buy the Limited, where nearly all of the above is standard. Limiteds also get 18-inch wheels and tires and chrome accents on the door handles. Options for the Limited includes a Limited package, which adds power pedals with memory, a universal garage door opener, reverse sensing system and a cargo net. A wood package adds wood-look trim to the steering wheel and shift knob.

Standalone options for both models include all-wheel drive, stability control (standalone on the Limited only), a power moon roof, navigation system, and Sirius satellite radio. If you want the optional rear-seat DVD entertainment system you’ll have to kiss the moonroof goodbye, and if you want Ford’s nifty Microsoft joint-venture SYNC system you’ll have to wait until the fall.

Ford touts value with the new Taurus, noting that it’s thousands less than comparably equipped competitors, such as the Toyota Avalon and Chrysler 300. The base SEL with the above listed equipment starts at $23,995 including the $750 destination charge. All-wheel drive SELs start at $25,845, a $1,850 premium. Limited models start at $27,595 for front drivers and $29,445 for all-wheel drive versions. The SEL security package retails for $695, and the interior convenience package rings up at $895. The Limited convenience package totals $475. Opt for the navigation system in either model and you’re looking at $1,995, while the DVD entertainment system costs $995.