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Sedans Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable 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
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Replying to: ronsmith38 (Jun 17, 2008 6:11 pm) It is surprising that the Sable goes back to halogens. Must be a cost cutting measure? |
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Replying to: mschmal (Jun 21, 2008 7:38 am) What is this based on? |
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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
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Replying to: desertrat5 (Jun 09, 2008 6:59 pm) 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.......... |
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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 |
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 28, 2008 7:27 pm)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 28, 2008 7:27 pm) 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.
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Replying to: ronsmith38 (Jun 29, 2008 6:44 am)
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Replying to: brucelinc (Jun 29, 2008 7:06 am) |
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 28, 2008 7:27 pm) I think the 3.5 Vtec Honda engine is much quieter than the 3.5 Ford engine when it's at idle. It whispers whereas the Ford has a growl(which I kinda like). However Ford has done an awesome job of putting sound deadening materials around the car and it's much quieter then the Honda on the open road. I've got 17,000 miles on my Taurus and really like this car. It's a great highway cruiser with a lot of room. |
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