2008 Taurus SEL.

I have owned an '08 Taurus for almost a year and have about 13,500 miles on it, in mostly highway driving.  The car is Silver Birch metallic and the paint is superb.  Fit and finish are excellent.  Body integrity is excellent - no squeaks, rattles and very little wind noise around the windows or sunroof, even at 70 mph and road noise is very muted even with 18-inch 55 series Pirelli P6 tires.  Doors, hood and trunk all close with a very solid 'thunk.'  Fuel economy is a true 28+ on the highway at 70 mph without a/c on, thanks to 5W-20 weight oil and the 6-speed automatic tranny's well-chosen gear ratios.  With a/c on and/or at higher speeds, fuel economy begins to decline but it's hard to get worse than 26 mpg on the highway if you use cruise control.  Look for around 18-19 in the city - both hwy and city are very close to Ford/EPA estimates.  The new 3.5 V-6 accelerates very well and passing power is extremely good.  It is a very quiet engine at highway speeds.  The 6-speed automatic shifts smoothly for the most part, although very occasionally the first to second gear change at low speeds can be somewhat harsh.  Seating position is high and firm but passengers should get the lumbar support feature, too.  Visibility is outstanding with the tall greenhouse.  Standard am/fm cd (with mp3) provides very good sound quality.   Brakes are also excellent with straight, strong stops without any vibration.  It's nice to see that Ford has put decent brakes - both pads and rotors - on this car - which, in my experience with other Fords, Mercurys and Lincolns had been a problem.  You do notice some nose dive on hard stops, but the car remains very composed.  There is a bit more body lean in the corners than I like, but this is not a major complaint.  The car is very spacious and foot, leg, head and hip room are very generous.  The trunk is cavernous and hauls alot, with or without the rear seats folded flat.  The 5-star crash ratings make this one of the safest full-sized cars anywhere.  Consequently, the insurance premiums I pay are lower than those for the 2004 Mazda 3s hatchback I traded in for the new Taurus.  Excellent vehicle overall.  Five stars!