The perfect family sedan, and then some!

The fifth-generation 2008 Ford Taurus just came to my dealership, although there was one before in June, but someone bought it the next day, as it was outside. Now, I will tell you my story with my 2008 Ford Taurus Limited.

Mine had a 6-speed automatic transmission, it was the Limited model, it was black and it had optional equipment. The old Taurus which had a surprisingly long life (2000-2007) had the 153 and 200 horsepower engines, which were not bad, but the 2008 Taurus had the new 3.5L Cyclone263-horsepower V6 engine, almost as strong as the Nissan Altima 3.5 SE (270 horsepower) and Toyota Camry SE V6 (268 horsepower), and stronger than the Honda Accord (244 horsepower) and others, so it has competitive power.

Drive

My Taurus had leather seats, AWD and some other handy options. I like the 200 km/h speedometer and 7,000 rpm tachometer; it was easy to read and looked very simple and expensive. But the bad part is that Ford should be doing 260 km/h speedometers and 8,000 rpm tachometers by now, but on the other side, the classic easy-to-read 7,000 rpm tachometer is the original Ford tachometer style, so it is good that Ford is keeping the style. Accelerating hard does not mean leaning over in this sedan; it had firm suspension and a very nice ride, I was very surprised. Shall you rev the engine to 4,000 rpm, it listens to your every move and almost all the 245 pound feet of torque comes alive (245@4,500 rpm), and shall you press the brakes hard, the firm brake pedal has good reflexes and the sedan stops.

Although the steering wheel did not have any wooden trim, it felt comfortable and you had grip, and it did not go into your knees. If memory serves, I remember Ford using some hard and boxy materials in some of its cars like the F-150 and Navigator(although while I was at the dealership, I sat in the '07 Navigator L and it was VERY boxy, although very comfortable, indeed), but this is not in the Taurus, it mostly uses firm, comfortable materials so you will not get bored. Its green-lighted speedometer had a fuel gauge and temperature gauge right above the speedometer and tachometer and it was very easy to read, because it was all clear and not blurry, partly because it was green, and that is an advantage. The black leather seats proved to be comfortable and supporting, like the very comfortable Fusion SEL V6 (which I also sat in), and the were not too hard, but not too soft, like some normal cloth sears. It is a good thing that Ford Motor Company produces interiors that are not the type that make some people not feel good, it smells fresh and nice, kind of like fresh fibre. The engine felt very good and smooth, and it drove and sounded like a dream, because it did not rev too loud at higher rpms.

The new Taurus is built on the D3 platform by Ford. The handling was amazing; it listened to my every move and I was amazed by the feel because it did not feel heavy like a tank, nor too light like say, the Smart car. It was also very stable, and when the road is a little tilted, it still is very easy to handle. I like the wheels on either model, even the shiny 17" on the base model. They were very shiny chrome-like and had 8 spokes. The brownish-wooden trim across the interior was smooth and impressive; it felt like you were in a Bimmer or a Benz!

The rear white lights were very good-looking, because now it is getting more and more popular (look at the Chevy Equinox and perhaps, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo MR), and they were surprisingly bright, and three parts of them were red, the others were white. The cupholders were just right, they were comfortable and cool. The speakers were sounding good and you could listen to your favourite ♫, the dashboard layout was very well thought out, and the comfort was awesome. Ford did the right thing to make the dashboard layout good, because it not only keeps you confident on the road, it is easy to reach and use.
I like the legroom, it was very big, and you could sit comfortably. The seats were not too hard like in some models, and they were not made of cheap material. The space inside the Taurus was amazing, bigger than some of its competitors. The chrome grill was 100% Ford, some goes for the design. Although the design probably looks a bit bland for some people(because some thought the 500 was bland), for most people it is cool, and the design definitely improved a lot.

The visibility was very good, thanks to the big windows and the tall, yet aerodynamic position of the car. The driving position was very good, not tilted or anything, and it was cool to sit in the car; you were in a much more civilized, comfortable place. The car did not heat up during the day, neither did its engine during the stop light (unlike some other cars with the problem), and it felt surprisingly cool and very refreshing in the car. The ride was very smooth, so was the quietness, and it was very quiet inside and outside of the 2008 Ford Taurus, even at high speeds.

The Taurus had AdvanceTrac stability control system from Ford, it makes you feel even safer, same as the ABS and traction control. When you do sharp turns, the car does not lean, an important feature in the car. Replacing the 500s old 3.0 adequate 203-horsepower engine is the 3.5L 263 horsepower@6,250 rpm V6 engine. I remember people called the last Taurus "Rental favourite", but this one is not a rental, its a true, refined family sedan. Speaking of refinement, the double-overhead cam (DOHC)engine was very refined and powerful, yet pretty fuel efficient (an estimated 18/28 mpg), and it was quiet, like I mentioned before.

The fixed headrests supported you a lot, and they were comfortable and in the right position.
It is easy to back up, because the car did not make too much of that sound (you know, that ewwww sound) when backing up, and the visibility was amazing. Ford said to have five hundred improvements in the 2008 Taurus, which is good news.

Going from 0-60 mph is expected to be 7.6 seconds, not bad for a family sedan, knowing the fact that the Taurus weighs more than 3,000 lb. The trunk space was awesome, I could fit lots of groceries in the the trunk, and even more big things like golf bags. Plus, the trunk was comfortable, durable and had nice-looking material. Going 120 km/h on the freeway, it felt very quiet and luxurious, and even at bad bumps and speedbumps the car barely shook. Ford has good suspension for this car, it does not shake and it is not cheap, so that is important when you consider that you have a family and kids. Take your foot off the gas, and the car glides smoothly down the road, and you do not have to press gas hard to make the car go fast.

Like I mentioned, this sedan has good space, but also has very good headroom, legroom and overall room; I really like the comfort and features in the car; sedans are getting more and more hi-tech, with lots of safety features. But, I saw the 2008 Taurus on the freeway with five people in it, and the rear suspension was working bad; it tilts back when lots of people are in it, and I have noticed the same problem in older Taurus sedans. I was the only one in the test drive car, so it did not matter. It is the barely the first year of the new Taurus, so Ford should fix the problem. I also like the environment in the car and the window design. On the sides, there were not much lines that made it look sporty, but I guess that does not matter. But there were lines elsewhere, especially on the hood. There were air vents on the side between the front wheel and the door, and they looked very good on a car like the Taurus.

The car never gets boring, it has a bold sense of sport and luxury, because the Taurus has a sporty, although luxurious feel to it. The materials were not cheap and they were very smooth-feeling. The tires had good grip and they supported you on the road a lot, and they did not squeel or anything during hard turns. The door handles were very easy to reach, and the power mirrors and windows were entertaining to use.
I like how there are double exhaust pipes in one piece, and the transmission was very easy to use and it had a lot of grip. The engine looked especially good, and it was clean and looked very nice; a blend of expensive-looking pieces and cool, shiny fragments. I hope that this sedan will change some the opinion of Ford for some people who think Ford is unreliable. Ford was never unreliable, and now it improved even more on reliability, and the Taurus should be very dependable, indeed. In the Taurus, you feel confident and you know that the car has a 5-star crash test rating by the NHTSA. It has even proved to be the safest car in its class! Overall, the driving experience was amazing, and this car is a very good improvement and a leap forward for Ford Motor Company, so it will have a good fun-to-drive rating.

Design
The new Taurus was designed by J Mays, but all the other ones were designed by Jack Telnack, who also designed the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz. J Mays is an excellent car designer, so Ford did the right thing to hire him. The design still looks like the 2005-2008 Ford 500, but mostly in the rear, at least Ford should have changed the taillights a bit. The smooth lines flow very nicely on the body. Overall, the smooth and clean design proved to be bold and nice-looking. It stands out in front of all the cars and people noticed me. The car does not have that much of a low stance, so chances would be bigger that it would not hit a curb, and the Taurus has a design related to the 2008 Mercury Sable. The design is a blend of aerodynamics and luxury, although not forgetting that the design has the family sedan theme.

Other
This not just a new 500, it is a new Ford model. Add a 5-star crash test rating and this is the perfect family sedan. It was rated the safest full-size sedan in America! Ford should add the forgotten SHO model(anyone remember the '92 220-horsepwer SHO, the '96 SHO and the first one, the '90 model?), a hybrid(although they are adding a Fusion Hybrid), a station wagon and a 2-door coupe to challenge the Nissan Altima coupe and Honda Accord coupe(even the '08 model), and we hope Ford does that. Also, the Taurus X is replacing the Freestyle and along with the Ford Taurus, there is a Mercury Sable model.

Thanks for reading, and I hope that my review helped you know more about the 2008 Ford Taurus! I was very impressed with this sedan! Thank you Ford for returning the Taurus and Sable names!

Related vehicles by price/size/class-
Honda Accord EX-L, Toyota Camry SE V6, Nissan Altima 3.5 SE, Mitsubishi Galant Ralliart, Acura TSX, Dodge Charger SXT, Chrysler 300 Touring, Buick Allure/LaCrosse CXS, Hyunda Sonata GLS V6, Kia Magentis LX-V6 Luxury, Saturn Aura XR, Volvo S40 T5 AWD, Ford Fusion SEL V6/Mercury Milan, Pontiac G6 GTP, Pontiac Grand Prix GT, Mazda6 GT-V6 Sport, Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Spec.B, Volkswagen Jetta GLI
And it may even go in the Toyota Avalon/Volkswagen Passat/Cadillac CTS/Nissan Maxima territory!
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