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The Ford Taurus was the most successful nameplate in the company’s history — eclipsing even the Mustang. It was also the granddaddy of what I call “jellybean” styling, that rounded look, which has dominated sedan design ever since the Taurus originally debuted in 1985. Ford has resurrected the familiar nameplate, rebadging an upgraded version of its full-size Five Hundred sedan and crossover Freestyle station wagon the Taurus and Taurus X, respectfully. Meanwhile, the Mercury sibling, the Montego, gets the Sable nameplate because the original Sable was the upscale version of the Taurus. All three, which were introduced in the 2005 model year, have had lukewarm sales partly because of low consumer recognition.
The main criticism of both has been rather nondescript styling and an underpowered engine. That isn’t really very fair because the sedans are roomy, cleanly styled and compete in a market segment hardly known for innovative design. The 2008 Taurus and Sable are full-size cars, considerably larger than the last Taurus, but are competing in the midsize sedan market dominated by Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, as did the smaller, previous version Taurus, which was discontinued in the 2006 model year.
When Ford introduced the Five Hundred in 2005, many of the original Taurus models ended up being dumped in rental fleets because relatively few people bought them, preferring imports or large, flashy sedans like the Chrysler 300. However, many buyers fondly remembered the first-generation Taurus, which was the best selling car for five years running beginning in 1987. This wasn’t lost on financially troubled Ford’s new boss, former Boeing CEO Alan Mulally, and top Ford executives convinced him to rename the upgraded 2008 Five Hundred the Taurus, making it a no-brainer to rebadge the Montego as the Sable. While Mullally isn’t a “car guy,” he’s a smart executive who understood it would take billions of dollars to create the name recognition the Taurus enjoyed.
Walkaround: Both the Taurus and Sable are mechanically and almost visually identical. To add some level of style, the Taurus boasts Ford brand’s new signature three-bar chrome grille, a new front fascia, a sculpted hood with crisp accent lines and new rear fascia with different taillights. Both are exceptionally roomy for both passengers and cargo, with wide-opening doors and lots of truck space. Both trim levels, SEL and Limited, are well-equipped and offer a choice of front-wheel drive or an improved all-wheel-drive system.
According to Ford, the Taurus has more than 500 improvements that make it safer, quieter, and faster than its predecessors.
Interior: The interior is upscale, roomy, and extremely quiet, thanks to plenty of sound insulation. The front seats provide average support and comfort. The climate controls are a mixture of small and large knobs, with small dashboard buttons that require some learning. Instrumentation is illuminated in Ford signature green, with fuel level and coolant temperature gauges that are small, flanking a large center-positioned speedometer and tachometer.
The Taurus has optional electronic stability control, with a long list of safety equipment, including front-seat side airbags and side-curtain airbags. In fact, the 2008 Taurus was rated the safest full-size car in America and got a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Under The Hood: A smooth, quiet 3.5-liter 263-horse V6 replaces the previous 203-horse V6, and delivers strong acceleration. The continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) has been dropped in favor of a more responsive, conventional 6-speed automatic as standard.
Fuel economy is an estimated 18/city and 28/highway with front-wheel drive and 17 and 24 with all-wheel drive. Only regular-grade gasoline is needed.
Behind The Wheel: We drove both the Taurus and Sable sedans almost back-to-back, each for a week at a time. Frankly, the more I drove them, the more I liked them. Both utilize a Volvo-derived platform, and like Volvo, it doesn’t fit the “sporty” category because this is essentially a conservative family sedan with average — but responsive — handling. I found steering to be linear, with good braking and a pedal that feels slightly soft but has nice linear action. The revised suspension delivers a ride that is smooth, and quiet, but gets a little bouncy over uneven pavement.
Whines: Our test models had the new Microsoft Sync system, but no instructions on using it. Typical Microsoft, it wasn’t as intuitive as say, Apple products, but things worked fine without it.
Bottom Line: The familiar Taurus nameplate graces a larger, more powerful and slightly flashier vehicle for 2008. Pricing is extremely competitive — especially when compared to the smaller Accord and Camry. Our fully-loaded all-wheel drive Limited AWD stickered at just over $32,000. Overall, the 2008 Ford Taurus is a competent, comfortable, quiet, family sedan that’s probably one of the best values in this market segment.
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