2008 Ford Taurus X Limited AWD

The artist formerly known as Freestyle

What do the star ratings mean?

The Ford Taurus was one of the biggest hits of the 20th century, so it's no wonder that Ford would bring back the nameplate. The wonder is that they'd bring it back twice: once on a sedan (the former Five Hundred) and once on a crossover: The former Freestyle is now the 2008 Ford Taurus X. The 2008 Ford Taurus X Limited AWD carries a base price of $31,800 ($39,120 as tested), along with a 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty, a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty and EPA fuel economy estimates of 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway. Let's drive.

Larger Exterior Photos: Front Rear

I know that I spend a lot of time on names, but I really think that a vehicle's name can provide great insight into a manufacturer's goals, and whether or not the manufacturer is in touch with its public. The "Taurus" part of the name, I understand. But let's take a look at that "X." I assume that the "X" stands for "crossover." It also carries the connotation of "Generation X," the smaller wave of Americans born after the Baby Boom. Gen Xers are no longer the hip, young twentysomethings that they were when Douglas Coupland wrote his book in 1991, they are now fortysomethings with kids and dogs and groceries and stuff. So, by tying the unhippest of car names, Taurus, with the former hipness of Gen X, Ford hits its target with Taurus X.

So, that's the name. What about the crossover itself? Well, like the Freestyle that preceded it, the Taurus X is more tall wagon than pure SUV. Doing its best not to look like a minivan, Taurus X is a slight variation on the two box design. A sedan-like hood and front end is decorated with the new Ford three-bar chrome grille, also seen on the Ford Edge. Detailed headlights mark the corners, and sharply-sculpted wheel arches lend a sense of muscularity. The Edge also inspired the Taurus X's taillights, with plenty of clear plastic surrounded by red lenses. Twin exhaust pipes poke out of the single muffler on the left side of the bumper, a comforting asymmetry.

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Larger Interior Photo

That eternal Ford oddity -- the five key numeric keypad -- sits like a wart on the driver's side B-pillar. Do Gen Xers lock their keys in the car that often? Does anybody really use this feature?

My test vehicle arrived wearing the Limited trim level -- there's a base SEL model with less luxury, and the omnipresent "Eddie Bauer" edition as well. Taurus X is a six-seater, with three rows of individual bucket-style seats, leather-trimmed in the Limited. It's the seating and the great use of space that makes Taurus X shine like the Freestyle before it. A full-sized adult can sit comfortably in any one of the six seating positions, with ample head, leg and hip space. Fold-and-flip second row seats that deliver a gap wide enough that a modest starlet in a skirt could easily access the third row without causing a stir among the paparazzi.

Taurus X's driving position is comfortable, though I would have appreciated a telescopic adjustment in addition to the tilt feature on the steering wheel. The dash is nicely laid-out, very familiar to Freestyle drivers. The Limited uses more fake wood than I can easily ignore or endorse, but at least the quality of dash materials is pretty good. The instrument panel features bold numbers on silver analog dials, a very crisp look. Overall, Taurus X's cabin is mature, classy and very functional.

Ford did one thing right when they chucked the Freestyle name -- they also threw out the 203 hp 3.0 liter V6 they had stashed under the hood, and replaced it with a gruntier 3.5 liter V6 that produces 263 hp and 249 lb-ft of torque. They also scrapped the new-fangled continuously variable transmission (CVT) for a good-old six-speed automatic, which provides familiar-feeling surge and steps.

Sure, there's a sacrifice in fuel economy -- the Taurus X is rated for 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway, while the outgoing Freestyle AWD could achieve 19 mpg city/24 highway. But remember, the EPA changed the way that it rated fuel economy for 2008, resulting in more realistic (read: lower) numbers across the board. And with Taurus X hovering at the two-ton mark, the extra power transforms the driving experience from laid-back mom-wagon to something that approaches fun-to-drive status (note that I said "approaches"). Helping to get that power to the ground is a surprisingly supple suspension, all four wheels hanging independently (MacPherson struts in the front, multi-link with coil-over shocks in the rear). Power rack-and-pinion steering changes the direction cleanly.

Safety is always a concern with people haulers. Taurus X piles on the safety features, including an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety "Top Safety Pick" rating (five-stars in all four crash tests), standard anti-lock brakes, electronic stablility control, dual-stage front airbags, side airbags for driver and front passenger, side-curtain airbags for all three rows and improved side-impact protection.

Ford's Freestyle earned my grudging admiration through its versatility and elegant comfort. Taurus X builds upon Freestyle's good will with more performance and refinement. It fills a niche between the Edge and the Explorer that I didn't realize existed, and in some ways is the most versatile Ford in the lineup. My loaded test vehicle's $39,120 price tag made me choke, but I could see plunking down closer to $30,000 for a mildly optioned SEL model, which would have the same powertrain and standard safety features.

Taurus X's closest competition is the similarly-styled Chrysler Pacifica, a neglected oldster in the Chrysler lineup, but a very versatile crossover. Dodge's new Journey is also worth a test drive. General Motors' Saturn Outlook/Buick Enclave/GMC Acadia trio is an innovative crossover design that you should check out at as well. I'm a fan of the Mazda CX-9, and some of my colleagues love the Hyundai Veracruz.

If you choose a Taurus X as your next family vehicle, you'll get a good one that will surprise you with how many tasks it can accomplish with ease. It can swallow cargo like an SUV, carry people like a minivan, swing around curves like a ... well, you do have to make some sacrifices, Generation X. Unlike the Baby Boomers, we have to recognize that sometimes you really can't have it all.