Video: Live from Dearborn - Autoblog drives the 2008 Ford Taurus
by Sam Abuelsamid on Jul 1st 2007 at 3:01PM 
Click on the Taurus for a high-res gallery
At Ford's 2008 model preview at the Dearborn Proving Ground, we had the opportunity drive the newly-reborn Taurus back-to-back with its immediate predecessor, the Five Hundred, and the differences were immediately apparent. Side-by-side, the Taurus is clearly an update of the Five Hundred, retaining the same profile and stance, but the Taurus now has the face it should have had all along.
The three-bar grille gives the Taurus a look that fits in with its stablemates and sets it apart from the competition.A lot of detail work was done on the Taurus and Sable for 2008 to ramp up the refinement levels and bring them to the head of the class. One example is visible on the side mirror housings. The top of the housing has a row of notches that manage the airflow around the mirror. The notches reduce the aerodynamic drag of the mirror and also reduce wind noise dramatically.
Continue reading our driving impressions and see the video after the jump
Gallery: 2008 Taurus/Sable on track
Chris and I took the Five Hundred and the Taurus out on the straightaway at the Dearborn proving ground. The 3.0L V-6 in the Five Hundred roared and struggled to increase the velocity of the big sedan. Even at constant speed, wind and road noise were clearly audible, with a noticeable whistle around the mirrors. Ford specifically had us drive the Five Hundred and Taurus on the main straightaway because it was smooth, straight and flat, eliminating other variables so we could compare the differences between the cars.
Driving the 2008 Taurus
Climbing into the Taurus and closing the doors immediately seals out the outside world. When we pulled out, the drivetrain improvements were immediately apparent. The extra sixty horsepower that comes with the new 3.5L Duratec now motivates the Taurus in a manner more befitting its position at the top of Ford's sedan lineup (ignoring the geriatric Crown Vic). Stepping on the gas now brings a prompt but much quieter response from the engine room. Shifts were smooth and seamless and downshifts were only a squeeze of the gas pedal away.
How much of the improved refinement comes from extra insulation or the engine itself is unknown, but either way this is by far the most sophisticated car ever to wear the Taurus nameplate. The dash is largely unchanged although the plastic wood does look a little more like it came from a tree rather than a refinery. Those fancy notched mirror housings definitely accomplished their task of reducing the whistling as air flowed over them.
Between the vastly better engine and the all the other tricks, this may be one of the quietest cars Ford has ever built. This new Taurus is now definitely a worthy competitor in the large sedan class. Stay tuned for a longer review of the new Taurus soon.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
bmoredlj 3:14PM (7/01/2007)
When you get down to brass tacks, it's probably one of the best Taurus' ever. Now shoehorn in the Mustang GT's v8 and make a SHO of it.
Reply
naggs 3:19PM (7/01/2007)
sure seems vastly improved. the question now is has it been improved to middle of the pack? how does it compare to the dodge/chrysler fwd sedans?
Reply
Vasili K 3:20PM (7/01/2007)
Its not like the 500 was a bad car. Like everyone says, its very practical inside wise, it just had a weak engine and forgettable style that overcame the great interior. It was lost in the crowd especially since the dramatic Chrylser 300 came out about the same time. Hopefully the better looking Taurus will do Ford some justice.
Reply
bmoredlj 3:20PM (7/01/2007)
Watched the vids....even in compressed video one can easily tell the difference in engine note and pep between the 500 and the Taurus. The 500 has that coarse, struggling sound and is loud at speed. The Taurus' V6 has a much more satisfying sound, much less effort to get up to 60, and once it's there its much quieter and smoother. Nice job.
Reply
john 3:21PM (7/01/2007)
I am looking forward to seeing a direct comparison against some of the imports. With sophitcated styling, excellent packaging, upgraded powertrain and compelling pricing the Taurus may not have elevated itself to top dog yet, it now to strong to look past.
Reply
SOhp101 3:35PM (7/01/2007)
Clicking on the Taurus doesn't lead to the high res gallery T_T
Reply
Sam Abuelsamid 4:32PM (7/01/2007)
Sorry for the brain fart, I forgot the link
TriShield 3:40PM (7/01/2007)
I always thought the Five Hundred looked like an XL-sized Taurus when it debuted. The name fits it well.
The Jeep Liberty is getting a styling makeover for 2008 returning to boxiness. Chrysler should pull a Ford and rename it the Cherokee.
Reply
Alex Nunez 5:02PM (7/01/2007)
In Europe, the Liberty's been the Cherokee all along. All they need to do is swap out the badges...
jf2273 1:50AM (7/02/2007)
Well, the Jeep Liberty is called the Cherokee in the rest of the world.
Dave 4:24PM (7/01/2007)
Too big to be a Taurus.
Not stoneage enough to be a Crown Vic.
Five Hundred was a better name than either.
Reply
naggs 4:40PM (7/01/2007)
it will sell better with the taurus name. that alone is reason enough to use on of the most recognizable nameplates.
had the model never died, it would probably look something like this model anyways, getting slightly bigger and moving slightly upscale with the fusion below in size and price.
the next sho is going to be the svt fusion, if they ever get around to doing that.
Stoneman 5:26PM (7/01/2007)
Folks, it's a boring car. Let's move on to something exciting. Honestly, is Ford expecting a huge sales turnaround by renaming the turkey 500 and calling it a Taurus?
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
Reply
epilonious 5:43PM (7/01/2007)
... and putting in a bigger engine with a new transmission... and putting in sound deadening....
You make it sound like it was a mild refresh. Did you even read this article?
MrMorix 9:26PM (7/03/2007)
Should we really take your comments to heart from someone shamelessly promoting your website here?
Dave 6:35PM (7/01/2007)
Well come on, be fair they did make some vast improvements to the car. Its not like they just badge swapped, better engine, better trans, redesigned exterior. It will give ford a fighting chance in the family sedan market thats all.. Sure its not exciting but it also keeps Ford workers employed.
mr.ed 6:01PM (7/01/2007)
A facelift by any other name is still a facelift. BFD.
Reply
TriShield 6:12PM (7/01/2007)
It is a refresh, not a redesign.
Reply
Esprit bird 6:35PM (7/01/2007)
Put the 3.5 in the Five hundred then try a retest.
Reply
aSHIRTandTIEguy 7:01PM (7/01/2007)
I LOVE the new Ford Passat! It looks incredible. Must be Ford's revenge since VW stole the Focus Engineers to make the new Golf! Oops, Sorry Rabbit. Even VW is using the Old names from the 80's. What a coincidence? Do the Germans copy Americans now since the Japanese copy the Germans? It is all coming full circle!:)
The Taurus name died and came back. Stupid idea at first but killing the old Taurus was brilliant, continuing on the vast improvements with Ford products is Makes me think why did they not just introduce this "Third Generation" Taurus like they introduced the Fifth Generation Mustang. Such vast improvements!
Engine, transmission, rear, facia, hood, lights, grille, lamps, mirrors, door handles, interior, wheels and everything looks amazing. But for $41,000 CDN plus duties and taxes. OMG WOW! Never going to happen!
How do I explain this right. Charge $10,000 less and force the Japanese out of the market and the Germans to re-price their products. Cause at that price I won't see many in Quebec. What a pitty! When is the Lincoln MKS version hitting the market? It’s gonna be the shiz-bomb!
Reply