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A lot can happen in 30 days. The moon makes one orbit of Earth and you can try out a Rite Life Power Juicer with a no-hassle money-back guarantee. A large sedan can also undergo an identity crisis and become the 2008 Ford Taurus.
On January 7, 2007, the vehicle you see here was introduced at the Detroit auto show as the updated Ford Five Hundred. One month later after some rather sobering market research followed by some corporate soul-searching, the same car was reintroduced at the Chicago auto show as the 2008 Ford Taurus.
For better or worse, Ford has realized that four out of five car buyers have heard of the Taurus, which sold almost 7 million units in the nameplate's 21 years on the market, and the same couldn't be said of the slow-selling Five Hundred. You can't buy the kind of brand awareness the Taurus has. Well, actually you could, but Ford estimates it would cost a half billion dollars.
So Ford has dusted off the Taurus tag after a one-year hiatus and rebadged the Ford Five Hundred. Yet it's the 500 or so other changes that have been made to transform the old Five Hundred into the 2008 Taurus that ultimately prove that there's more to this exercise than just a marketing experiment thrown together in 30 days.
You Asked for More Power
Of all the modifications Ford has made to turn the Five Hundred into the Taurus, none are as important as those under the hood. The fuel-sipping, 203-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 that proved woefully inadequate to the task of motivating a 3,643-pound full-size sedan is gone. Replacing it is the 3.5-liter V6 recently introduced by the Ford Edge crossover sport-utility, and it pumps up the Taurus' muscle to 260 hp and 245 pound-feet of torque.
Just as important, the V6 still preserves this car's green-friendly identity, because fuel-efficiency has improved 10 percent and the air emissions are so squeaky clean that the Taurus qualifies as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) in California.
While nobody will ever call the Taurus quick, the drivetrain no longer feels overwhelmed. Thrust off the line is strong, and charging up highway on-ramps is now more easily accomplished. Ford estimates a front-wheel-drive Taurus accelerates to 60 mph in less than 8 seconds. Although this makes it a second faster than the Five Hundred, the Taurus is still about a second slower than a Hyundai Azera or Toyota Avalon.
On the upside, though, the crummy continuously variable transmission that was previously connected to the all-wheel-drive Five Hundred has been tossed into the crusher, replaced by the Ford Edge's six-speed automatic. (Both front- and all-wheel-drive Taurus models get this transmission.) This six-speed auto shifts up through the gears with wonderful smoothness, but it's calibrated for fuel economy at all times, so it's slow to downshift, and it often requires you to floor the accelerator just to get the tranny to drop down a gear and unleash the rather noisy 260 horses.
Safe and (a Lack of) Sound
It's hard to argue with Ford's assertion that a comfortable ride and quiet cabin are of paramount importance to buyers in the full-size sedan segment. Accordingly, engineers have thoroughly revised the suspension tune, so there are new dampers and springs, while revised shock towers increase front suspension travel by 10 percent.
We've driven the 2007 Five Hundred and 2008 Taurus back-to-back, and the new car feels notably cushier and soaks up road imperfections without becoming nautical. Of course, there's more body roll in evidence, and the Taurus doesn't feel as composed on a mountain road as the Five Hundred. Perhaps the Taurus' target buyers in gloriously flat Boca Raton, Florida, will find this an acceptable trade-off.
Ford says it has tried hard to make the Taurus as quiet as a tomb, something that consumers apparently equate with overall quality. The Taurus has a new package of acoustic insulation that includes foam pellets in the A-pillars to reduce wind noise and an exclusive sound-deadening material called Sonosorb placed throughout the car that quiets it by 20 percent.
These efforts make the Taurus as tranquil as a Toyota Avalon at 30 mph. The Taurus apparently is more hushed than all other full-size family sedans, and comes close to approaching the luxury-car standard of Cadillac and Lexus.
Safety is a primary marketing message for the new Taurus, and Volvo's input has helped this car earn a five-star rating in four of the five government crash tests. (It got four stars in rollover.) Side airbags and full-length curtain airbags are standard, although stability control is curiously only an option.
A New Group of Adults
Now that the Taurus has assumed the Five Hundred's spot in the Ford lineup, it competes in a segment that's apt to be perused by older shoppers more inclined to full-size cars from domestic brands.
And full-size it certainly is. The 2008 Taurus boasts interior dimensions larger than all its competitors, and it offers 107.1 cubic feet of interior passenger volume. The trunk measures a cavernous 21.3 cubic feet, which Ford says is big enough to hold eight golf bags. Actually, it's hard to think of a time when you'd need to carry eight golf bags in a five-passenger vehicle. Perhaps a golf-club salesman would find it useful.
As in the Five Hundred, the front seats of the Taurus hover about a foot off the floor in an effort to create a commanding, SUV-like driving position. While the great outward visibility might be very reassuring to little old ladies who like to watch The Golden Girls on cable, the satisfaction of the height-challenged Estelle Gettys of this world might be balanced by the consternation of the statuesque Bea Arthurs, who will find that their hair brushes the roof of a car that supposedly has best-in-class headroom.
A New Look for New Friends
While it still won't be making the cover of Auto & Design, the Taurus is certainly more eye-catching than the mundane Five Hundred. What Ford describes as an orbit of chrome stretches from the increasingly ubiquitous Ford three-bar grille to the rear license plate mustache. Fender vents seem to be a necessity these days, so they've been tacked on as well.
Inside the Taurus, the overall layout of the Five Hundred remains in place, but details like revised gauges, classier wood trim and chrome touches here and there liven things up. Even with chrome trim, Ford's standard radio faceplate looks cheap and out of place in an otherwise attractive and rich-looking dash. Unaffectionately known as "the brick" inside Ford, the faceplate's days are thankfully numbered.
Later in the fall, Ford's high-tech Sync communication system codeveloped with Microsoft, will be available for the Taurus. This ground-breaking technology has the ability to access a driver's cell phone, iPod or other MP3 device via the car's stereo controls and voice commands.
The Importance of Change No. 501
With the 2008 Taurus, Ford has simply taken what already was a pretty decent vehicle in the Five Hundred and given it a few things to better attract buyers, like more power, more attractive looks and a more recognizable name.
The Taurus also represents a tremendous bargain, as its base price comes in at just $23,245. Even a fully loaded Taurus Limited rings in at almost $5,000 less than a comparably equipped Toyota Avalon, while the all-wheel-drive Taurus undercuts the AWD Chrysler 300 (its closest competitor) by a similar margin.
Of course, the brand recognition Ford has sought with the revival of the Taurus nameplate could cut both ways, as the indifferent quality and disastrous depreciation of the Taurus in its last days as the choice of fleet programs might not be a great memory for some. Yet the Taurus once was the symbol of the American car industry's answer to Japan and the darling of the business media. Even now, Taurus is still the most recognizable Ford nameplate after F-150 and Mustang.
Of the 500 changes made to the Five Hundred in this revised car, the last-second 501st change that has made it the 2008 Ford Taurus might be the most important.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
Used 2008 Ford Taurus listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2008 Ford Tauruss for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 331 used and CPO 2008 Tauruss listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 4,800 and mileage as low as 0. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2008 Ford Taurus. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 192 on a used or CPO 2008 Taurus available from one of 2,630 dealerships in your area.
What's a good price on a used 2008 Ford Taurus ?
Save up to $192.4 on one of 18 used 2008 Ford Tauruss for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $4800 as of Apr 25, 2018, based on data from 15 dealers and 7 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 1 to 2.3 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2008 Ford Taurus trim styles:
The used 2008 Ford Taurus Limited is priced around $8419 with average odometer reading of 81402 miles.
The used 2008 Ford Taurus SEL is priced around $6528 with average odometer reading of 118755 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, Virginia. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
What options are available on the 2008 Ford Taurus?
Available Ford Taurus 2008 Submodel Types: SHO, Sedan, Wagon
Available Ford Taurus 2008 Trims: SE, SHO, SEL, SES, Limited, SE Fleet, GL, SEL Deluxe, SES Deluxe, LX
Exterior Colors: Magnetic Metallic, Shadow Black, Ingot Silver Metallic, Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat, Tuxedo Black Metallic, Blue Metallic, Sterling Gray Metallic, Oxford White, White Gold Metallic, Ebony Black, Silver Frost Clearcoat Metallic, Burgundy Velvet Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Deep Impact Blue, Merlot Clearcoat Metallic, Blue Jeans Metallic, Dark Side Metallic, Red Candy Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Dark Shadow Grey Clearcoat Metallic, White Suede, Candy Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Caribou Metallic, Deep Impact Blue Metallic, Kona Blue Metallic, Matador Red Clearcoat Metallic, Smoked Quartz Tinted Clearcoat Metallic, Steel Blue Metallic, Vibrant White Clearcoat, Arizona Beige Clearcoat Metallic, Bronze Fire Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Chestnut Clearcoat Metallic, Dark Ink Blue Clearcoat Metallic, Gold Ash Clearcoat Metallic, Silver Birch Clearcoat Metallic, Spruce Green Clearcoat Metallic, White Suede Clearcoat, Black Clearcoat, Bordeaux Reserve Red Metallic, Cinnamon Clearcoat Metallic, Dune Pearl Clearcoat Metallic, Gold Leaf Metallic, Green Gem Metallic, Kodiak Brown Metallic, Oxford White Clearcoat, Silver Frost Pearl Metallic, Sunset Metallic, Titanium Green Clearcoat Metallic, Toreador Red Clearcoat Metallic, Tuxedo Black Clearcoat Metallic, Vermillion Red, Vermont Green
Interior Colors: Charcoal Black leather, Dune cloth, Charcoal Black premium leather, Charcoal Black cloth, Dune premium leather, Charcoal Black leather/sueded microfiber, Charcoal Black/Mayan Gray leather/sueded microfiber, Dune leather, Light Stone leather, Medium Parchment, Medium Light Stone leather, Black leather, Camel leather, Charcoal Black premium cloth, Light Stone cloth, Light Stone premium leather, Medium/Dark Flint leather, Ebony Black leather, Light Stone premium cloth, Medium Graphite, Medium/Dark Pebble
Popular Features: Post-collision safety system, Stability Control, Back-up camera, Remote Start, Parking sensors, Mobile Internet, Keyless Entry/Start, Cooled Seats, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Blind Spot Monitoring, Upgraded Headlights, Navigation, Sunroof/Moonroof, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Aux Audio Inputs, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Power Driver Seat, Rear Bench Seats, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, Upgraded Stereo, Alarm, Auto Climate Control, Bluetooth, Heated seats, Leather Seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control, USB Inputs, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, AWD/4WD, Upgraded Engine, Third-row seating
Engine/Mechanics: 6, 4 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Fuel Types: flex-fuel (unleaded/E85), premium unleaded (recommended), regular unleaded
Drivetrains: front wheel drive, all wheel drive
Used 2008 Ford Taurus Overview
The used 2008 Ford Taurus is offered in the following submodels: Sedan. Available styles include SEL 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 6A), SEL 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A), and Limited 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 6A). Pre-owned Taurus models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2008 Taurus comes with front wheel drive or all wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed automatic.
