2008 Ford Taurus/ Mercury Sable

After a short disappearing act the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are back and this time they have a whole new look. Or do they?

What was previously called the Ford Five Hundred is now the Ford Taurus, the Ford Freestyle is now the Ford Taurus X and the Mercury Montego is now the Sable. This bit of marketing and name changing has lead to some mixed emotions about the new Taurus and Sable. Though, many others (including myself) are excited to see both the Taurus and Sable back.

The Five Hundred didn't seem like a new car in the lineup but instead a bigger version of the Taurus ever since it was launched two years ago. The honeycomb grill linked it the 2004 Taurus but the size and tailights linked the Five Hundred to the large Crown Victoria, making it fall somewhere in the lineup between the Taurus and Crown Victoria.

But some design aspects of the Five Hundred were reminiscent of the 1st Generation Taurus (1986-1991). The headlights and the overall boxy shape of the car.

That seems to be more evident with the new 2008 Ford Taurus.

The new look of the 2008 Taurus gives an obvious link to the Ford Fusion (which in shape and size seem similar to the second generation Taurus: 1992-1995), most obvious with the tri-bar chrome grill, but seems to makes an emotional appeal to the 1st generation Taurus owners. Possibly, the designers looked back to some aspects of the first Taurus for inspiration or to appeal to long time customers. Could the designers have applied a few “new retro” design aspects to the 2008 Taurus?

Possibly. The headlights seem similar to the headlights on the first generation. The shape of the car also brings to mind the first gen (86-91) Taurus.

Some even have suggested Ford create a heritage edition of the Taurus.


I’ve created a concept of a heritage edition of the Mercury Sable. Complete with the classic lightbar.

There's even a online organization, bringbackthesho.net, has created their own concept of a 2009 Ford Taurus SHO. (Rumors are flying around from auto insiders that Ford may be planning to put a performance engine into the Taurus and bring back the SHO for 2009 or 2010. It's like 1989 all over again when the SHO originally debuted.)

Though, the 2008 Taurus is different than the previous model years. It's more refined, bigger and has more amenities than any previous version.

The new Taurus has gone upscale and is staying competitive as more auto makers are putting more extra amenities into their lower and middle end models. Chrome side vents, door handles and mirror caps are new to the Taurus and Sable. The tailights have clear plastic covers linking the car back to the Fusion. Not to mention a lot of interesting standard features inside and out.

The interior looks more upscale than any previous version with touches of chrome detailing and leather seats. Wood accents are back (wood accents were included in the interior of 89-91 Taurus LX).

The Sable is not like any Sable seen before. It still looks like a Mercury but Sable owners may need to take a closer look. Sable name plates are placed all over the car telling potential buyers this really is a Mercury Sable and not a restyled Montego. The front fascia takes a visual clue from the Mountaineer and Mariner.

In the back the tail lights are also clear giving it an updated look. Inside wood accents are also back (included in the LS trim level of Sables from 89-92) Leather seats with light stitching give the interior a subtle sporty feel. The Sable has always been styled as the Taurus’ more sophisticated (and slightly more expensive) sister so its no wonder there’s a bit more styling details on the Sable than Taurus.

The Taurus X still seems too much like the Freestyle. Families would be more likely to buy a full sized Taurus station wagon than a crossover.

Though, its interesting watching an advertisement for the new Taurus. The commercial is clearly marketed toward families, specifically male heads of the household. A solid five star crash rating and a name that was the best selling car in America (from 1992 to 1995) reminds viewers of the heritage of the car but the same commercial seems to imply teenagers would be happy to drive it also.

Ironically, many younger drivers throw around the term “lame” or “boring” when asked about the Taurus. The Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and the Mazda 6 seem more appealing in terms of other cars that are in the class. For the price many find a Mustang, or lower end European import more attractive. Many younger drivers associate the Taurus with its rental car image or as a “granny car” due to some associating it with senior drivers.

The images of Nascar, Robocop in hot pursuit in his SHO or even of Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Chicken in a Sable with the bad guys in Last Action Hero seems to have slipped away in the past couple of years. It seems bringing back the SHO would be a better move to get younger drivers because the SHO preformed well, was fast and looked more sporty than the regular Taurus.

It’s also worrying to think the Taurus and Sable will become more popular with senior citizens than with families which could cause the cars image to be associated with older drivers. The Lincoln LS was marketed to take on European luxury cars but became popular with senior citizens instead.

Though, the drop down TV screen for the kids in the backseat, a ISHA five star crash rating and other family friendly options give a strong visual clue as to which market this car is intended for.

This isn’t exactly the Taurus/ Sable we’re used to seeing but in a few subtle ways it is. The Taurus and Sable are legendary icons in the automotive industry and nation. It will be interesting to see if the current model retains the Taurus tradition while appealing to a new generation of families.

Go on a walk through of the new 2008 Ford Taurus with the engineer who built it.