2008 Ford Taurus X
Taurus X falls short on adequate crate space
Tue, May 13th 2008
| VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| type | 5 door, suv - mid, awd |
| msrp | $32,600 |
| trans | automatic |
| gas mi. | 16mpg/24mpg |
| rating |  |
The folks at Ford have a way with names. Changing names to be exact.
Over the past few years, Ford decided to name all of its models with words that started with the letter “F”. They had the Ford Fusion, Ford Focus, Ford Five Hundred, Ford Freestar, Ford F-150 and, finally, the Ford
Perhaps they ran out of “F” names (that you could print, at least) so they decided to do something else to confuse the public. A couple of years after retiring the popular Ford Taurus sedan, the marvelous marketers decided to bring it back . . . twice.
So in 2007, Ford redesigned its full-size sedan -- the Five Hundred -- and replaced its name with that of the Taurus, one of Ford’s best-selling sedans throughout the 1990s.
But they didn’t stop there, Ford also removed the Freestyle name and replaced it with another Taurus label, adding an X to signify the fact that this is the crossover SUV, not the sedan.
So we have it, the Taurus X, a mid-size sport utility vehicle that shows great promise as a viable DogCar . . . until you look inside. The Taurus X features what is called “Stadium Seating,” meaning that the seats are on graduated levels, with the third row higher than the second row of seats. And while the seats do eventually fold flat, they don’t leave enough vertical space to be useful for dog crates and other canine-related cargo.
The available power tailgate and one-touch, flip and fold second row seats are nice and easy to use, but again, not enough to help dog owners that much.
The conclusion: The Taurus X holds much promise, but in the end it seems more suited for soccer moms than for dog moms.
In this instance, the “X” clearly does not mark the spot.
-- Gina Spadafori
* * *
Carguy Comments: The Ford Taurus X comes in three models: the SEL, Eddie Bauer and Limited trims and is built at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant. The 3.5-liter V-6 produces 260 horsepower and is available with all-wheel-drive that anticipates wheel slip before it happens. The front-wheel-drive version achieves an average of 16/24 mpg while the all-wheel-drive version gets slightly less. Base prices range from $27,030 for the SEL front-wheel-drive version to $32,600 for the all-wheel-drive LTD model.
-- Keith Turner, The Family Car
2008 Ford Taurus X: Not a good fit for four-legged friends
Barking Lot Banter: Soccer moms and carpoolers may be attracted to the new Ford Taurus X SUV, but dog lovers who crave crate space may be left wanting more.
Comments
With the last two rows of seats folded down in my 2005 Freestyle, I squeeze in two large crates for my boxers and still have plenty room for luggage, a large cooler, and a ramp. I use some naugahide on the top of the front crate to protect the headliner at the sunroof and use some blocks of wood under the edges toward the back of the vehicle to keep the crates more level.
The rear auxilary cool/heat system is great and the external keypad allows me to lock/unlock with the car running. I’ve had very little trouble with the Freestyle and get 24 mpg with AWD.
I guess that with the new Flex, Ford decided there was some overlap in their lineup and so the Freestyle/Taurus-X is going away.
2009-04-10 08:49:19
I have a 2007 AWD freestyle – 2 #400 vari-kennels fit perfectly in the back on the rear seats. The dealer un-bolted the middle seats and I removed them. I manage 26 mpg freeway. So far I am very pleased with the arrangements. jc
2009-01-11 11:43:17
I have been searching for a new dog car to replace my 2002 Forester only because of a coming baby and the need for slightly more cargo space behind the second seats. This website has been incredibly useful, so I find it odd that I am settling on a Ford Taurus X as my new dog car. It beat out the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Volvo XC70, Nissan Xterra, Saturn Outlook, and many others. The reason all comes down to the cargo space and low step in.
The stats:
Measurements in inches with at least one rear seat up and latched (to hold aforesaid infant):
Ford Taurus X, 2008:
cargo width at wheel wells: 45.5”
cargo length at height of top of seats to hatch: 40”
cargo height at lowest point: 31”
Subaru Forester 2009:
cargo width at wheel wells: 42”
cargo length at top of seats: 26.5”
cargo height: 31”
Subaru Outback 2009:
width: 42”
length: 26.5”
height: 31”
Honda CRV 2006:
width: 41.75”
length: 21.5”
Toyota 4Runner 2006:
width: 41.5”
length: 32”
height: 32.5”
Toyota 4Runner 2002:
width: 39”
length: 35”
height: 35”
Volvo XC70 2007:
width: 44.5”
length: 32”
height: 29.5”
Honda Pilot 2007:
width: 48.5”
length: 34”
height: 35.5”
Saturn Outlook 2007:
width: 48”
length: 48”
height: 32”
Toyota Highlander 2007:
width: 39”
length: 32”
height: 33”
Toyota Highlander 2008:
width: 42”
length: 33.5”
height: 32.5”
My considerations have been (in order of priority):
#1: Can it fit two crates, 30”L X 21”W X 24”H, side by side in the cargo space behind the second seat?
#2: Does the second row of seats fold down to accommodate a third crate of the same size?
#3: Can I find one with less than 50,000 miles on it for under $20,000?
#4: Does it have AWD or 4WD?
#5: How is the fuel economy?
#6: Is the deck height easy for my older dog who has hip displaysia?
#7: Is there enough power to accelerate on a freeway entrance ramp?
After asking all of these questions, I settled on the Honda Pilot and Ford Taurus X. I’m choosing the Ford based on the cargo space primarily: the seats fold completely flat and one of the second row seats can be removed to accommodate a crate with a low entry height for my older dog. All of this can occur while leaving a seat intact to secure an infant seat safely.
Happy hunting to everyone else!
2009-04-12 22:42:50