If a sedan is too small for your family and a sport utility vehicle too big, the 2008 Ford Taurus X will be just right. The Taurus X is a smart-looking reinvention of the old-fashioned station wagon. There is room for the kids and the kids' stuff, but you won't feel like you're piloting a river barge. Many SUVs and crossover utility vehicles drive like a truck. Not this one.
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Photo by Ford
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Ford Taurus X
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ABOUT THE FORD TAURUS X:
Body style:
Full-size crossover utility vehicle
Trim lines:
SEL, Limited, Eddie Bauer
Price:
MSRP $26,615 -$32,185
Drive:
Front-wheel, all wheel
Seating:
Two in front, two or three in second row, two in third row
Engine:
3.5-liter V-6
Transmission:
Six-speed automatic
Miles per gallon of fuel:
EPA estimate for front-wheel drive 16 city, 24 highway; all-wheel drive estimate is 15 city, 22 highway
WHAT'S SPECIAL:
People buy station wagons because they need space, and there is plenty of it here. The 2-2-2 seating configuration will be the most popular, and second-row passengers will be very comfortable. So will third-row passengers -- if they are 4-year-olds. Adult-size third-row seats are rare indeed. There is ample cargo space even when using the third-row seats.
WHAT WE LIKE:
First-generation SUVs were built atop pickup truck frames. Many drivers considered the high perch a plus. Riding high became an SUV, and crossover, standard. The Taurus X rides lower, like a sedan. The lower center of gravity contributes to steady, nimble handling.
WHAT ISN'T THERE:
The Limited trim isn't missing much. If we had to nitpick, we would ask for greater simplicity when wrangling with the third-row seat. Folding down the seats is a pull-A-while-pushing-B three step process.
YOU OUGHTA KNOW:
The Taurus X is one of a dozen vehicles to offer Ford Sync? -- a voice-activated, hands-free communications and entertainment system. Ford Sync -- as you may know if you've seen the TV commercial for the Ford Focus -- allows you to control the sound system by talking aloud. The system, developed in collaboration with Microsoft, is available only in Fords and Lincolns.
EXTRAS:
The back seat is a pretty nice place to be in the Limited trim thanks to an optional DVD player with 8-inch screen, heated leather seats and separate A/C controls. The second-row seats slide back and forth and recline so that passengers can get comfortable. There is copious storage in a rear center console. One-touch, flip-and-fold second-row seats provide easy access to the third row.
COMPETITORS:
The Taurus X competes as sort of a 'tweener -- a little bit crossover SUV, a little bit wagon. On the crossover side, the Taurus X competes with a host of vehicles -- the Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV4, to name a few. On the wagon side, its competitors would include the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Chevrolet HHR. These segments have been popular recently among consumers seeking family vehicles that aren't minivans.
ABOUT FORD:
Ford took a lot of heat when it did away with the Taurus name for its midsize sedan and wagon. The Taurus, which was made at Ford's Hapeville, Ga., plant, had been one of the most popular cars in America since its inception in the 1980s, selling almost 7 million cars in 21 years. The decision to bring it back for the 2008 model year was seen as a good move, as the company tries to reverse years of declining sales.
AND ANOTHER THING:
The 3.5-liter V-6 delivers 263 horsepower, plenty for the demands of a family wagon.
