Sign In Join 



2008 Ford Taurus New Owner Reports

103 messages,  Last post on Nov 01, 2008 at 9:06 PM

You are in the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Ford Taurus, Sedan


Messages Page 8 of 11
1
...
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Prev
Next
Last
Go To Msg #
Search This Discussion

#66 of 103
Mercury Sable. by mschmal
Jun 21, 2008 (7:38 am)
Reply
The headlights are projector style Halogen bulbs, not xenon.
 
Mark.
#67 of 103
Taurus/Sable differences by terryd
Jun 21, 2008 (11:01 am)
Reply
Are there any qualatative differences between the two models for 2008. We are considering the Limited or the Premier, and the salesman said it is only a badging issue with sheet metal the only significant difference. Appreciate your insights.
#68 of 103
Re: Taurus/Sable differences [terryd] by thegraduate
Jun 21, 2008 (12:07 pm)
Reply

Replying to: terryd (Jun 21, 2008 11:01 am)

The salesman is correct. The Sable has some styling tweaks versus the Taurus (different trunklid/taillamps, front-end styling), but otherwise should be pretty much identical to drive.
#69 of 103
Re: ronsmith [ronsmith38] by ryster
Jun 22, 2008 (4:22 am)
Reply

Replying to: ronsmith38 (Jun 17, 2008 6:11 pm)

The 2007 Montego definitely has HID Xenon headlights. We have a 2007 Montego Premier with HID headlights. The one drawback is that with the HIDs we don't have daytime running lights.
 
It is surprising that the Sable goes back to halogens. Must be a cost cutting measure?
#70 of 103
Re: Mercury Sable. [mschmal] by ronsmith38
Jun 22, 2008 (6:37 am)
Reply

Replying to: mschmal (Jun 21, 2008 7:38 am)

"The headlights are projector style Halogen bulbs, not xenon."

 
What is this based on?
#71 of 103
08 Sable by slagfysh
Jun 28, 2008 (3:00 am)
Reply
I have an 08 mercury sable that I purchased in Nov 07. After a few thousand miles I began to hear an annoying suspension noise from the front end. This occurs when going over speed bumps, turning right or left, crossing a dip or ridge in pavement, any condition that works the front suspension. This condition is worsening with time and use. Any else experienced this problem? If so, what was the cause of problem and what was the fix. Thanks.
 
Merlin
#72 of 103
Re: First Long Trip [desertrat5] by auld_dawg
Jun 28, 2008 (1:51 pm)
Reply

Replying to: desertrat5 (Jun 09, 2008 6:59 pm)

**By the way, the Park Avenue is listed at 3750 lbs while the Taurus is listed at 3640. The 3.8 generates 205 hp and 225 lbft of torque unboosted and 240 hp and 280 lbft of torque boosted. The Taurus generates 260 hp and 245 lb ft of torque.**
 
Actually, the Taurus FWD is listed at 3643lbs. The Taurus AWD is listed at 3817. So, the Taurus has two "mileage hits" going against it. It weighs over 170bs more than the FWD Taurus {nearly 70lbs heavier than the Park Avenue} and it loses some of its potential power thru the AWD. Likely close to 20lbs of torque.
 
The AWD may be real good for nasty weather conditions, but its a minus for mileage..........
#73 of 103
2008 Taurus SEL New Purchase by thegraduate
Jun 28, 2008 (7:27 pm)
Reply
Hi all. My folks purchased their new Ford Taurus SEL today. It is equipped with leather, the convenience package (Auto Headlamps, Power Driver's Seat, Dual Climate Control, 6CD/MP3), SYNC, and Sirius Radio. MSRP - $26,615.
 
First, the pricing.
 
Was given an initial offer of $22,000 Out the Door, and after passing it on to my folks, they were happy with that. No negotiating necessary. The breakdown on pricing looks like this:
 
2008 Ford Taurus SEL, Silver Birch over Stone, 21 miles on the vehicle.
 
MSRP : $26,615
Dealer Price : $24,844
Customer Cash : - $2,000
Manufacturer to Dealer Cash : -$2,000
Doc Fee - $199
TTL - $957
 
APR - 4.54% (Fantastic Credit)
 
Final Price - $22,000 OTD
 
As far as how the car drives, today was my first chance to drive it. A few short thoughts (as it was a short drive, after all)...
 
Powertrain: More than enough power. I felt like I just "wafted" to 50 mph. Shifts are incredibly smooth; smoother than the 2008 LE-V6 Camry I drove recently; probably the smoothest transmission I've ever experienced, actually. I "got on it" from a light, and while it didn't make a fuss, it just "went." Quietly. Engine noise is very muted; most of what you do hear is the exhaust note, which is quiet, but has a nice sound to it. Very smooth-sounding; as smooth as our 3.5L Honda we had. Throttle tip-in is gentle; appropriate for a car this size. Interestingly, when accelerating on an on-ramp onto I-59 (70mph limit) I didn't "nail" the throttle, but instead accelerated like I normally would. The car stayed below 3,000 RPM, but had my dad (who at the time was sitting behind me) saying "easy there, cowboy - we want to buy it, you don't have to force us too by driving fast and wrecking. My mother actually told him "he's not gunning it; it is just a quick car!"
 
Handling/Ride: Steering is much too light for my tastes, but for a large highway car it should be just fine. I'm used to sportier Honda tuning. It felt accurate, linear, and quite easy to drive. It handled bumpy I-59 with only muted "thumps" from the suspension. No real floatiness, although the nose does pitch-up more than I'm used to upon hard acceleration (probably because it accelerates harder than my 4-cyl Accord!). Something that stood out to me was its tight turning radius. Surprising, really, in a car this size. I didn't do any "cornering" but in my test drive I felt more secure than in the Camry I drove not long ago, and rode as well.
 
Braking: A pleasant surprise. I was expecting the mushy pedal I experienced in the Toyota; wrong. While not as grabby as my 2006 Honda Accord, the brakes were firm enough, with feel that was well-modulated. I felt instantly comfortable driving this car in traffic, unlike the Toyota, or even my Honda (my Accord has very touchy brakes, and take some getting used to).
 
Features/Interior: Sync is a pleasure. The dealer even set up my folks' cell-phones, and showed them how to use it, having each of them execute commands from the driver's seat until they fully understood how it worked. Interior room is obviously unmatched by many others. The rear seat of the SEL model does not have adjustable rear headrests, so neck support is lacking for me in the back (I'm 6'5"). My mom was just fine (5'5") however. The rear bench sits well-off the ground at chair height, as do the front buckets. Those front buckets have little lateral support, but make for easy ingress and egress, and should suit this car just fine. The lack of a telescoping wheel was no big deal (sure, it should have it at this price, but it's placement was great). Materials such as the wood-grain aren't going to make anyone think this is a Lexus, but there was enough soft-touch plastic and well-damped buttons to make this car feel more expensive than it's $22,000 price; especially given the features. The leather is soft and perforated; interior color: stone. Stereo sound quality from the more basic 6CD system (not the Audiophile one) is better than adequate; at least as good as that in my Honda if not better.
 
I'll have more chances to drive this car as time goes on, but wanted to share my experience with it today. I already thought this car had a lot going for it on paper, but as a Honda guy I thought it might feel like an 80% effort. I was wrong. It is an 80% price for 100% good car. Give it a look.
 
Thanks,
 
TheGraduate
#74 of 103
Re: 2008 Taurus SEL New Purchase [thegraduate] by ronsmith38
Jun 29, 2008 (6:44 am)
Reply

Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 28, 2008 7:27 pm)

I think you will find that the audio system included with the convenience package is the Audiophile one.
#75 of 103
Re: 2008 Taurus SEL New Purchase [thegraduate] by brucelinc
Jun 29, 2008 (7:06 am)
Reply

Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 28, 2008 7:27 pm)

Wow! Other than me not really being a Honda guy, your review could have been written by me! I agree with everything you said. Your folks got a great deal and the car is a tremendous value, IMO. I hope they enjoy it as much as my wife enjoys ours.
 
On another Edmunds board, you asked about oil changes. There is no oil life monitor but the recommended intervals are 7,500 miles for normal or 5,000 for "special" service. (lots of idling, slow speeds, stop & go, etc.) The car comes with synthetic blend 5W20 oil. It has a timing chain - not a belt.
 
Thanks for the well-written review. After you drive it more, please share your comments.

Messages Page 8 of 11
1
...
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Prev
Next
Last
Go To Msg #
Search This Discussion
To POST a message, please Sign In.

New? Join Now!

Forum Tools

Please sign in.
Email Address:

Password:

Forgot Password?

Search Forums

Enter Keyword(s)

Advanced Search

Browse by Vehicle



View All Vehicles
Advertisement
Ask the Community
See What People Are Asking

Browse by Board

Browse by Topic


View All Topics

Today's Chats

Advertisement