For 2008 the Taurus is back times-two in sedan and crossover forms. Back in 2005, Ford replaced the Taurus sedan and wagon with the Five Hundred and Freestyle crossover. Ford had dropped the nameplate because someone in management decided that all Ford car names should start with “F” and all SUVs should start with “E”. This caused some confusion when it came to Mustang and the F150 pickup-arguably the most widely recognized vehicles the company produced.

Thankfully Ford's CEO, Alan Mulally fixed this shortsighted thinking and realized that Ford had some salvageable equity in the Taurus name and other nameplates that did not start with “E” or “F”. Ford has banished the Five Hundred and the Freestyle nameplates to the “better idea” pile.

The “jellybean” shaped Taurus was once the flagship of the Ford line and for several model years in the early 1990s it was America's best selling sedan. Unfortunately Ford allowed the Taurus to become little more than a rental/fleet car with a low price and mediocre quality. This time around, the Taurus X test vehicle was well above fleet status.

Name fixed, now the vehicle

Ford hyped the Taurus replacements as the next advances in sedans and wagons. It didn't work out that way, as the Torrance Avenue plant just outside of Chicago has been running far below capacity. So for 2008, Ford has worked to tighten and tweak its sedan and crossover entries in ways other than slapping on a new nameplate and grille.

First on the list was a new stronger powertrain. The old Freestyle was under powered and Ford solved this problem with a new 3.5-liter Duratec 35 V-6 engine that delivers 263 horsepower - an increase of almost 30 percent over the previous engine. Ford ditched their quirky continuously variable transmission in favor of a six-speed automatic gearbox that delivered crisp shifts and fuel economy numbers of 15 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway-disappointing numbers.

Next up was the all-wheel drive system. Taurus X's available AWD system, delivers the grip without the complexity of the old system it replaces. This results in faster engagement and better driveability. Under hard acceleration the system will proactively allocate torque to the rear wheels before the front wheels begin to slip. The Taurus X drive wheels are up front and AWD is an on-demand system.

The exterior is enhanced with better curb appeal. The Taurus X has a mix of sport utility, wagon and minivan styling. Ford freshened the Taurus X (formerly Freestyle) with design cues from the Ford Edge, like the new headlamps and chrome “venetian blind” grille. Taurus X also features a revised hood, new front fenders and fascia along with headlamps and fog lamps mounted in new chrome surrounds. New taillamps and a revised roof rack complete the makeover. The changes are an improvement, but you have to park a Freestyle and the Taurus X next to each other to really catch the differences.

Interior is versatile

While the exterior is not really an eye catcher, the interior helps to make up for it. I really appreciated the volume of interior space and features like seven-passenger three-row seating. The three rows are a big plus for some buyers (like myself) who don't want to buy a big SUV or a minivan to get three rows, granted those rear seats are of the child variety.

Pluses include one-touch, flip-and-fold second-row seats with access to the third row or the optional second row with captain's chair, allowing just enough space to pass through to reach children located in the third row. The interior of the Taurus X has above average build quality with a balanced grouping of controls.

During the test period I was able to test out the cargo hauling capabilities by folding the second and third row seats flat to take advantage of the minivan-like 85.2 cubic-feet of cargo space. If need, the front passenger seat can fold flat to carry items up to nine-feet long.

Standard Safety Features

Taurus X is rated as the safest seven-passenger crossover in America after earning five-star ratings in all four categories of government crash tests and a 'Top Safety Pick' rating from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. Taurus X comes equipped with standard safety features like: dual-stage driver and passenger front air bags, seat-deployed side air bags for driver and front passenger, and Ford's Safety Canopy side curtain air bags for all three rows.

So is the SUV dead? Not exactly, but CUVs surpassed traditional SUVs in sales for the first time last year and are expected to top 3 million in sales annually by the decade's end. Also, there will always be a need for beefier vehicles that can hold the family and tow more than the 2,000 pounds, which the Taurus X can be equipped to handle.

The Taurus X SEL AWD model had a base price of $28,465. Options included XM satellite, leather seats, interior convenience package, interior power package and a Moonroof that pushed the price to $32,565 including the $750 destination charge.