TEST DRIVE : 2008 FORD TAURUS AND TAURUS X

Ford Taurus Returns Taurus out, Five Hundred in. Freestyle added. Five Hundred out, Taurus back in. Freestyle out, Taurus X in. Put it all together, and the 2008 models are indeed both “new” and “improved.” by Joe Sage

Extra touches of bling on lighting and trim provide an element of what Ford calls “eyeball.”

The Taurus X provides ease of third-row seating entry through easy folding of the second row.

hen Ford introduced the new Five that Taurus is the third-most-recognized WHundred sedan for 2005, it was model name in Ford history (following slated to essentially replace the venerable the F-Series and Mustang). With 1500 Taurus in the company’s product lineup. brand name choices in the marketplace, Ford kept producing the old Taurus as a and studies pegging the Five Hundred rental and fleet vehicle for awhile (ex- name at just 40% recognition, this was all plained as an accommodation to the mar- too much to ignore. So with this founda- ketplace, but largely geared around the tion, Ford is bringing the Taurus back for complexities of multiple plant change- 2008, as well as a companion Taurus X. overs and reassignments—much like pro- Is this new Taurus the Five Hundred, duction of a dual-purpose new-body F-150 rebadged? Is the Taurus X a rebadged and F-250 in the early ’90s, a prior-body Freestyle, and/or is it the former Taurus Super Duty before the F-250 changed wagon, but with that currently unfash- over, and a “heritage” F-150 when the ionable word not appended? Or has Ford new 2004 F-150 was introduced). created all-new vehicles that just happen The Ford Freestyle was introduced at to be very similar to the Five Hundred/ the same time as the Five Hundred, as Freestyle team, which are leaving the Ford dabbled in the category then just lineup just as the heritage Taurus also beginning to be known (and debated) as fades from view? The company clearly the crossover. Both were sound vehicles, presents these as all-new vehicles, and in though a little underpowered for their many ways they are, but the lines of mass, and the availability of all-wheel evolution are clear. drive widened their potential appeal considerably. Sales, however, never set 2008 TAURUS STYLE the world on fire. On the heels of the You will not have any trouble spotting the Taurus being the world champ for years newbies on the road: both sport Ford’s (then fighting off, and finally losing to, latest signature grille, as applied on the Toyota), this was painful for Ford. Fusion, the Edge and several concept The solution? Despite the fact the vehicles for the past couple of years. Taurus had lost ground to its competitors, Other quick visuals include an emphasis and despite the name being off the on eye candy, what Ford calls “eyeball,” public’s radar for three model years, Ford from the grilles themselves, to the lenses, has identified deep and wide brand equity in the Taurus name. Ford tells us KEEP RIGHT >>

36 • July-August 2007 • ARIZONADRIVER ARIZONADRIVER • July-August 2007 • 37 Taurus stands alone for having already received four 5-star (front, rear, front side, rear side) crash ratings from the the National Highway Traffic Safety Admini- stration (NHTSA). Minor upgrades have been made to the Five Hundred shell for its evolution to Taurus duty, such as reen- gineering cross-members to accommo- date engine changes, but the funda- mentals are essentially the same for the ’08 Taurus. The Taurus is promoted as the safest full-size car in the US (based on independent agency tests). In addition to the energy-redirecting safety cage at the heart of the vehicle, there are adaptive load-limited seatbelts, side curtain airbags which add a full 6 seconds of rollover protection, a collaps- The Five Hundred had been set up as presenting clear controls and instruments Lead Crash Safety Engineer Rob Randolph ible driveshaft and much more. more of a “driver’s car,” with a solid road and a comfortable and effective HVAC shows off the energy-absorbing shell that Electronic stability control (ESC) is an feel communicated through the steering (heat/vent/ac) system. Seats and adjust- directs crash energy away from the cabin (see option on the Taurus and standard on the wheel. The Taurus market, however, has ments are great, and there is plenty of arrows in yellow zones) and has brought Ford Taurus X. This feature, which is a few been deemed to prefer a softer sedan backseat room for adults (which we four 5-star crash ratings for the new Taurus. years ahead of anticipated industrywide ride. Five Hundred owner feedback had successfully challenged on about three- government mandate, is engineered in indicated that a perceived harsh ride quarters of the test drive, with different The Taurus instrument panel and cockpit are response to the fact that half of accidents (“not like my Crown Vic” or “too Euro- Ford engineers and executives joining us among the most elegant to be found in a domes- are solo/one-vehicle incidents, and ESC pean”). The new Taurus V-6 and 6-speed for some stretches). The ride difference is tic sedan, rivaling the best German brands. cuts their occurrence in half. changes help with this. Newly engineered immediately noticeable; the Five Tim Stoehr demonstrates (by unloading) the front strut tower braces, pendulum Hundred was very sensitive to road ENGINEERING AND PERFORMANCE engine mounts and general chassis/ surfaces (new pavement, older pavement, prodigious trunk capacity of the Taurus, which John Heider, in charge of drivetrain and suspension and other improvements even some dirt), which can be a nice Ford promotes as having SUV-like utility. vehicle dynamics for the new Taurus and combine to provide noticeably lower thing for a performance driver, but the Taurus X (as well as the Edge, Fusion, the noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) figures. Taurus was much more pliant. When we buckets and refractors of new lighting upcoming Flex and the next Lincoln Power steering has been reengineered first changed over, we might have thought fixtures, to dual chrome exhaust tips, sedan), also joined us in Arizona. Where- with efficiency in mind—the system is off this ride was a little too soft by simple but elegant badging and more. as Randolph had already given us a clear until ready to turn, which saves signifi- comparison, but that was forgotten Both also sport fairly aggressive air indication that safety has been tops for cant fuel—yet it provides the feel of high- within probably about a hundred feet. intakes below the front bumper. quite awhile, only to be improved as end variable assist steering as a bonus. The new Taurus gobbled up the twisties applicable for this changeover, Heider All-wheel-drive models will follow, with and significant climbs of the Beeline with THE SAFEST FULL-SIZE CAR IN THE US makes it clear that much else has been a different front suspension. enthusiasm. We were able to pass and What’s going on here, however, is far readdressed, fine-tuned and reinvented navigate the RVs and semis even on the more than skin-deep, although not all of for the new Taurus and Taurus X. To per- WE HIT THE ROAD curviest stretches and definitely at that is new. The Five Hundred has already fect ride, steering and performance, the Ford set us up with an excellent test drive, highway speeds. become a star of Ford’s safety engi- new vehicles underwent exhaustive test- starting near Carefree, covering the back Tim Stoehr, in charge of Ford sales for neering, as proudly pointed out to us by ing and tuning at Ford’s new $15 million roads via Rio Verde to Fountain Hills, up Arizona, New Mexico and Las Vegas, re- Lead Crash Safety Engineer Rob Randolph, Whitman, Arizona, proving grounds (re- the Beeline Highway (AZ 87) to Payson minds us again that the new Taurus repre- who joined us for the Arizona press launch cently moved from Florida). and back via the urban grid of the upper sents “way more than a name change.” on June 18. The 2008 Ford Taurus earned We’ve already mentioned that the Five East Valley. Standard tires for these Ford has taken what they and their market a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute Hundred and Freestyle were short on vehicles are a Continental riding on 17" consider the best of all attributes from for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the power. The new vehicle boasts the same wheels, but our vehicles were equipped Taurus heritage and the Five Hundred government’s highest available five-star 263hp V-6 as the Edge and the Lincoln with the optional 18" Pirelli P6 fitment. years, fine-tuned and upgraded through- ratings in all crash test categories. The MKZ, which provides a 60-horsepower To make sure we appreciated the out, and yet preserved the value status of IIHS “Top Safety Pick” rating can only be boost from its predecessor. This is mated changes applied to the new Taurus, versus the Taurus brand. The new Taurus enters earned by vehicles that achieve the best- with a 6-speed automatic, also from the the Five Hundred, we broke into teams of the market with about a $24,000 base available safety performance in frontal, Edge (and developed in cooperation with two, each team getting plenty of oppor- price, and statistics show it should have a side and rear collisions and offer elec- GM). Put these together, and the new tunity for each driver to experience each residual value 11% higher than the prior tronic stability control. In addition to Taurus not only offers a more potent per- vehicle. We started with the Five model. The new 2008 Taurus went on sale being the only large family car to merit formance package, but also achieves a Hundred. Most is as expected, with a on June 17, and the Taurus X arrives in IIHS’ Top Safety Pick rating, the new 2008 2mpg fuel efficiency increase. spacious, modern and intuitive cabin, dealerships by late July. ■

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