- sedan 129,962
- 7,900 high price
- Eugene, OR
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- autoshopper.com
- sedan 129,962 black automatic
2008 ford taurus review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Major revisions make previous five hundred vastly superior. introductionford had little success with its large, front-drive family sedan called the ford five hundred since its introduction two years ago. So, for 2008, ford dumped the five hundred name and went back to the name of a clear market winner, renaming this car the 2008 ford taurus. likewise, the mercury montego has been renamed mercury sable, and the ford freestyle has been renamed taurus x, the x for crossover suv. along the way, ford has made some 500 changes to the new taurus, changes that were already scheduled for the mid-cycle freshening of the five hundred. The general body shape of the new taurus is the same as that of the previous five hundred, a large, front-wheel-drive family sedan, but almost everything else has changed for the better. this family of vehicles, loosely based on the same architecture as the volvo s80 luxury sedans with some detail changes to the suspension systems, also uses the same swedish haldex all-wheel-drive system as the volvo when it is ordered as an option. the weak 3. 0-liter v6 engine has been dropped in favor of a new 3. 5-liter, 24-valve v6 engine that makes a full 30 percent more power. It's the same engine that powers the larger and heavier ford edge and lincoln mkx crossovers and mkz luxury cars. Likewise, the cvt transmission has been replaced by a new 6f six-speed automatic. this new powertrain makes the taurus a whole lot more fun to drive than the ill-conceived five hundred was. Its 0-60 mph acceleration performance has been reduced by more than a second and a half, from 9. 2 seconds down to 7. 6 seconds, which is a huge chunk of performance. The new engine not only makes more power, it gets 10 percent better fuel economy, even after adjusting for the new, stricter testing procedures epa has mandated for 2008 models. On the open road, we found the taurus to be very quiet and smooth. taurus competes directly against other larger sedans on the market, chief among them the toyota avalon, the chevrolet impala, and the chrysler 300. The big kicker in all of this is that, with all the new styling, interior, engine, transmission and standard features upgrades, the price hovers only about $250 above comparably equipped versions of last year's bland, slow five hundred. lineupthe 2008 ford taurus features two models, sel 23,245) and limited 26,845). Each is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, called sel awd 25,095) and limited awd 28,695). Electronic stability control is an option. It's altogether a better looking and more contemporary design for the grille, with new, quieter mirrors, gigantic new headlamp units, big driving lamps under the new bumpers, with necessary changes to the hood and fenders. Decorative, nonfunctional gills have been added to the front fenders to add visual interest and take up some space on the huge fenders. likewise, the taillamps, rear quarter panels and decklid have been redone, and the rear bumper has been rejiggered to feature exposed dual exhaust tips. interiorwe found the 2008 taurus a very pleasant car to be in. Sync features include the ability to have text messages read aloud, voice recognition for control of both phone and music functions, and phonebook transfer. The system is upgradeable for future players and for additional functionality down the road. Sync will be offered on taurus and 11 other 2008 ford, lincoln, and mercury vehicles later this year. a taurus limited awd we drove was loaded with options, including advancetrac electronic stability control, a roof-mounted rear-seat dvd entertainment system, heated front seats, convenience package, wood package, power adjustable pedals, a moonroof, voice-activated touch-screen navigation, sirius satellite radio, and reverse sensing system, bringing the bottom line to $33,600, and making it the best-equipped taurus possible, short of the 18-inch chromed aluminum wheel option. driving impressionthe new engine and transmission in the 2008 ford taurus are a wonderful team. The engine is extremely quiet and smooth at idle, and uses a pendulum mounting system that effectively separates its motions and vibrations from the rest of the car. It sounds healthy, powerful and smooth at full throttle, makes the car plenty quick in acceleration and passing situations, and settles down to a nice background hum in sixth gear, as it should. At freeway speeds, the taurus is very, very quiet inside. we spent in inordinate amount of time at full-throttle with the new taurus because it's so much fun to wind up in the lower gears; the old five hundred was just slow. The steering is accurate, with good feedback, and not overly assisted in normal and highway driving. It just happens to look and behave like a family sedan. It won't outrun a chrysler 300 hemi, but it's quicker than almost everything else in the class, and at these prices, we think it's a real bargain. newcartestdrive. Com correspondent jim mccraw filed this report from dearborn, michigan. model lineupford taurus sel 23,245); sel awd 25,095); limited 26,845); limited awd 28,695). assembled inchicago, illinois. options as testeddvd navigation system 1995); convenience package 475); dvd entertainment system 995); advancetrac esc 495); sirius satellite radio 195). model testedford taurus limited awd 28,695). The new 2008 ford taurus is a refreshed and rebadged ford five hundred with a new, more powerful engine for even better value. The front-wheel or all-wheel drive taurus includes a new 263 hp 3. 5-liter v6 engine and six speed automatic transmission for improved power and fuel economy. It also gets a new chrome grille, new tail lamps and rear fascia, new chrome exterior accents and mirrors, better sound insulation, and revisions to the suspension. Ford's industry exclusive new sync hands-free communications and entertainment system is included on limited, optional on sel. Safety features include seat-mounted side airbags for the front seats and safety canopy side-curtain airbags. Advancetracâ® electronic stability control is available. For 2008, the ford taurus is a return to a well known nameplate, carried over from the 2007 ford five hundred. MP3 Player✔ Bucket Seats✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Navigation System✔ Bluetooth✔ DVD Entertainment System✔ Chrome Wheels
7,900 Eugene, OREugene, OR at autoshopper.com