By Cars.com Staff
Cars.com National August 25, 2008Vehicle Overview
Ford chose to resurrect the bygone Taurus nameplate in 2008. The Taurus is available in base SE, SEL and Limited trim levels. The SEL and Limited both can be had with all-wheel drive. The Taurus competes with the Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon.
New for 2009
The Taurus now comes standard with electronic stability control and a new standard SOS-Post Crash Alert System, which unlocks the vehicle doors and activates the horn and emergency flashers when airbags are deployed.
Exterior
The Taurus' front end features a three-bar chrome grille with rectangular headlights. The Taurus has clear-lens taillights. The sides feature chrome vents and the Limited gets chrome door handles and mirrors. At 201.8 inches long and 74.5 inches wide, the Taurus is longer and wider than the Impala and Avalon.
- Available 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels
- Standard body-colored bumpers, handles and mirrors
- Standard power mirrors (heated on SEL and Limited)
- Standard chrome-tipped exhaust
- Standard front fog lamps
- Automatic headlamps (SEL and Limited)
- Optional sunroof (SEL and Limited only)
- Standard keyless entry keypad on driver's door
Interior
The Taurus has room for five with front bucket seats and a 60/40-split folding rear seat. Folding the backseat expands the 21.2-cubic-foot trunk, and the front passenger seat folds flat to carry cargo up to 9 feet long. Interior passenger and cargo space — like the exterior — is larger than the Avalon or Impala.
- Cloth or leather seating surfaces
- Standard leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls
- Standard power windows and locks, and remote keyless entry
- Standard dual-zone automatic climate control (Limited)
- Sync system (optional on SEL, standard on Limited)
- Available navigation system (Limited)
Under the Hood
The Taurus can tow up to 1,000 pounds when properly equipped.
- 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 with 249 pounds-feet of torque
- Six-speed automatic transmission
- Standard front-wheel drive
- Optional all-wheel drive (SEL and Limited)
Safety
Ford's AdvanceTrac electronic stability system is now standard on all models. The Taurus gets a new standard SOS-Post Crash Alert System, which unlocks the vehicle doors and activates the horn and emergency flashers when the airbags are deployed.
- Standard front-seat side-impact airbags
- Standard side curtain airbags
- Standard electronic stability control
- Standard four-wheel-disc antilock brakes
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| Kelsey Mays | Cars.com National | November 18, 2008 |
| Cars.com Staff | Cars.com National | August 25, 2008 |
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