Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Taurus Limited AWD]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/15/in-the-autoblog-garage-2008-ford-taurus-limited-awd/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/15/in-the-autoblog-garage-2008-ford-taurus-limited-awd/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/15/in-the-autoblog-garage-2008-ford-taurus-limited-awd/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click above image to view complete high-res gallery of the 2008 Ford Taurus

Ford knew what it was doing handing me the keys to a 2008 Ford Taurus Limited AWD. I'm a self-professed Taurus fan, counting the 1991 Ford Taurus SHO Plus as one of my favorite cars of all time. I consider the Taurus one of the most influential cars in the history of the American auto industry. I even read a book about it called "Car: A Drama of the American Workplace" by Mary Walton. That makes me, like, an expert on the subject. Unfortunately, by the time production of the Taurus ended in late October of 2006, it had come to represent Ford's over-reliance on fleet sales rather than its cutting edge innovation.

When a CEO from Kansas named Alan Mulally took over as CEO of Ford last September, one of his first actions in office was to announce that the Taurus name would return in 2008, replacing the forgettable Five-Hundred and Freestyle badges affixed to Ford's large sedan and wagon. So here we are, reviewing the 2008 Ford Taurus, and along with a new name, it's got an updated design and more powerful engine. Does the new Taurus do the old one any justice? More importantly, is it a better car than the Five-Hundred it replaces? All those questions and more will be answered after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 Ford Taurus Limited AWD



Live Photos Copyright (C)2007 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Taurus Limited AWD

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Taurus Limited AWD originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 Ford Taurus2008 Ford Taurus Limited AWD2008FordTaurus2008FordTaurusLimitedAwdfeaturedFord TaurusFord Taurus reviewFordTaurusFordTaurusReviewMon, 15 Oct 2007 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford Taurus safety ads set to go live]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/15/ford-taurus-safety-ads-set-to-go-live/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/15/ford-taurus-safety-ads-set-to-go-live/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/15/ford-taurus-safety-ads-set-to-go-live/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click above image to view both versions of Ford's new ads for the 2008 Taurus

While Ford seemingly let its large front-wheel-drive sedan languish in obscurity when it was called the Five-Hundred, it doesn't intend to make the same mistake now that it's called the Taurus. We told you at the beginning of the month that the Taurus' new tagline will be "Rated Safest Car In America", and now we've got some advertisements to go along with the new marketing babble. Above you'll find one of the two print ads developed, we assume, by longtime Ford ad agency JWT Detroit. The ad features a highly photoshopped shot of the new Taurus wearing its Sunday best, which is comprised of super shiny chrome trim and 18-inch chromed 7-spoke wheels. The color appears to be Light Ice Blue Clearcoat Metallic, although it looks much better in the ad than it does when building the car on Ford's website. Besides the gussied up Taurus on the left, consumers will also notice the new tagline and references to the stellar crash test scores the Taurus received from both the NHTSA and IIHS.

After the jump you'll find Ford's new commercial for the Taurus that debuts on June 18th. Playing off of Father's Day, it shows that heartwarming moment we've all experience when Dad hands you the keys for the first time and says, "You drive." We thought this would be a perfect set up for a demonstration of how safe the Taurus is when the son blows a stop light and introduces Dad's new car to the business end of a fire hydrant, but alas, the 2008 Taurus just accelerates away.

[Source: Ford]

Gallery: 2008 Ford Taurus ads

Continue reading Ford Taurus safety ads set to go live

Ford Taurus safety ads set to go live originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 ford taurus2008FordTaurusadsadvertisementadvertisementscommercialfull-size carFull-sizeCarmarketingsafesafestFri, 15 Jun 2007 15:27:00 EST<![CDATA[CONFIRMED: Taurus, Taurus X and Sable return for 2008]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/07/confirmed-taurus-taurus-x-and-sable-return-for-2008/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/07/confirmed-taurus-taurus-x-and-sable-return-for-2008/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/07/confirmed-taurus-taurus-x-and-sable-return-for-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

2008 Ford Taurus X
Click for a mini gallery of Taurus, Taurus X and Sable

Let this be a lesson to Ford: if you have a web page up on your servers, it is LIVE even if you don't have a link published for it. The proof comes courtesy of Blue Oval News, where one of their forum posters played around with URL strings and found the splash pages for the 2008 Ford Taurus and Taurus X (née Freestyle), as well as the 2008 Mercury Sable (formerly Montego).

The materials were posted, and the rest, as they say, is history. The big news, of course, is the summary renaming of the Ford Freestyle, Ford Five-Hundred, and Mercury Montego to the familiar Taurus and Sable monikers. Ford honcho Alan Mulally made it no secret that he thought ditching the old names was a big mistake, and by resurrecting them, he and Ford hope that shoppers see them and welcome them back with open arms. It could work. There are plenty of people who don't follow this stuff with the level of fanaticism we (and you, the readers) do. For them, the idea of a New Taurus or New Sable will be of interest, even though we all know it's simply a matter of nameplate swapping.

It also helps that all three cars are restyled. The Taurus is the Five-Hundred that was rolled out in Detroit. The Taurus X loses the Freestyle name and gains the Edge's face, creating a family look for the crossovers. The Sable's new front end apes that of its little brother, the Mercury Milan. All the cars get the 260-horsepower V6 and some new stuff like Ford Sync will be available across the board.

While the initial reaction may be to dismiss this as an act of desperation, it very nicely sets up 2010, when the entire Ford lineup should be all-new. These are just renamed cars right now, but when they get redesigned, they'll be the all-new Taurus and Sable. They'll have had a couple of years to reconnect with the public and by then, all this naming hubbub is going to be a very distant memory. Especially to consumers.

Follow the jump for the press releases on all three.

Stay tuned tomorrow for much more on these cars, as the Chi-town crew will have live shots, full galleries, and (hopefully) video.

UPDATE: Full coverage on each car, including individual galleries, available at the links below:

[Source: Blue Oval News]

Gallery: FIRST LOOK: 2008 Ford Taurus, Taurus X, Mercury Sable

2008 Ford taurusFord taurus X2008 mercury Sable

Continue reading CONFIRMED: Taurus, Taurus X and Sable return for 2008

CONFIRMED: Taurus, Taurus X and Sable return for 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 ford taurus2008 ford taurus x2008 mercury sable2008FordTaurus2008FordTaurusX2008MercurySablesabletaurustaurus xTaurusXWed, 07 Feb 2007 02:02:00 EST