Best Cash-Back Finds: 01.25.08

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury are dolling out pretty darn good deals through the end of February, and we had to be selective about which ones we picked for this round of our top finds. We could have gone with the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner with decent cash back, or numerous SUVs, but we went a different way. We also added one fun-to-drive model that’s surprisingly still in decent supply. For a complete list check out Cars.com's Incentives page.

2008 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable

MSRP: $23,485/$23,780
Cash back: $2,000
Percent off MSRP: 8.4-8.5%   
Expires: 2/29/08
5-Year Ownership Costs

Just this week, Ford’s CEO said the company is going to redesign the Taurus completely for 2009. That kind of move would usually have us telling folks to wait and see, but the Taurus and Sable were just updated this year, and we just spent a week in the new Sable and found it to be a great daily driver. The new Premier trim had a pretty nice interior, too. Both also look much better in person and offer a ton of space in the second row and trunk.

Ford Will Redesign Taurus Next Year

Ford CEO Alan Mulally let slip some interesting product news today: During a speech at the Auto World Congress in Detroit, he said that there would be a new Taurus sedan coming next year. “The new Taurus is the one we should have made originally," he said.

There are a few interesting tidbits here. One, it was Mulally who, after arriving at Ford from Boeing, immediately decided to resurrect the Taurus name on an existing and failing model, the Five Hundred. The resurrection included some major upgrades and took place just last year, for the 2008 model year.

We’d guess the current Taurus would stay for another year as a 2009 model. Even after it’s replaced, there’s a chance its sister vehicle, the Mercury Sable, could stay around as is. Neither is lighting the world on fire in the sales department, but the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan might be too similar to their sibling sedans, even though they’re smaller vehicles. It’s unlikely the Taurus would move to a rear-wheel-drive platform, but it could take its cues from the upcoming AWD 2009 Lincoln MKS. We’ll have to wait and see.

Ford CEO Says New Taurus Coming (Detroit Free Press)

Friday Fleet Notes: 10.19.07

This week we get feedback on quite the cross section of cars. From the sporty Volvo C30 hatchback to the Mazda CX-9 crossover to the aggressive Dodge Viper, the staff was hopping in and out of some diverse vehicles that recently got the full review treatment on Cars.com.


2008 Volvo C30

• The outrageous Volvo S60 R, now discontinued, probably raised my expectations. The C30 is no S60 R. Neither is it a Volkswagen GTI, but it is a fun car and a nice size. The steering isn’t the best attribute, but saying a Volvo has numb steering is like saying a Hell’s Angel has a tattoo. Having driven it, I still have sticker shock – the good kind, but I wonder if they shouldn’t bring over one of Europe’s smaller and more efficient (please, more efficient) four- or five-cylinder engines and sell it cheaper still. That might be asking too much. Making a car look distinctive isn’t easy these days, so I like the C30’s easily recognized rear window and shape. — Joe Wiesenfelder, senior editor

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Ford Taurus

Last week we got senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder’s take on the newly renamed Taurus X crossover. This week, Kelsey Mays delivers his report on the Taurus. The tried and true name is just one of the updates to what once was the Ford Five Hundred. Besides the new-fangled three-bar grille, the Taurus gets an upgraded engine and transmission. See the full review to see if the car lives up to its historic name.

2008 Ford Taurus Expert Review

New Ford Taurus X a Top Safety Pick

Hot on the heels of the renamed and redesigned Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable sedans earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top safety award, Ford’s renamed and redesigned Taurus X three-row crossover has also earned the designation of Top Safety Pick.

Previously called the Ford Freestyle, the Taurus X now features more safety features, a larger engine and new exterior styling. Recently, Ford began an ad campaign touting the new Taurus, formerly called the Five Hundred, as the safest large sedan you can buy. It’s the only non-luxury large sedan that’s earned the Top Safety Pick award. 

Currently, the Taurus X is the only non-luxury three-row crossovers of its size to earn the nod. To be fair, many other new comparably sized three-row crossovers have not yet been tested. The Taurus X should be on sale next month. 

The Week in Ask.cars.com

It’s been another week of terrific questions from Ask.cars.com readers. Our crack research staff has been hot on the phone with automakers and questioned our reviewers about driving impressions and more to make sure no automotive inquiry is left unturned. Check out the latest entries below. If you have a question you want answered, submit it at Ask.cars.com.

• Does the Nissan 350Z convertible have a hardtop?
• When will the new 2008 Ford Taurus X go on sale?
• How can you spot an all-wheel-drive Cadillac?
• Does the Honda CR-V or Mitsubishi Outlander have easier steering?
• Does the Impala use drive-by-wire technology?

2008 Ford Taurus, 2007 Acura MDX: Top Safety Picks

The newly restyled and renamed Ford Taurus makes an impressive appearance on the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick list, joined by the all-new Acura MDX SUV. The award goes to vehicles that pass front and side crash tests with the insurance industry group’s top rating, as well as providing additional safety features including stability control.

Both car companies had to improve their vehicles to earn the important nod. The MDX had to improve its head restraints while the Taurus had to add stability control. It is now an option, while in the previous model, named the Five Hundred, it was not offered at all. 

Ford, Honda Get Top Crash Test Scores (Detroit News)

Related
2007 Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Ford Taurus (KickingTires)
2007 Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Mercury Sable (KickingTires)

Ford Prices New Taurus Under $24,000

The 2008 Ford Taurus will go on sale this summer, bringing back a classic car name in a redesigned model that was called the Five Hundred from 2005 to 2007. The outgoing 2007 Five Hundred — which is still on sale — starts at $23,035. The 2008 Taurus, which boasts a new, more powerful engine and reworked design, will start at $23,245, which doesn't include the $750 destination charge.

There are two trim levels, SEL and Limited. The base SEL sports that $23,035 price, but it can also be had with all-wheel-drive for $25,095. Ford did not release the price of the Limited model.

Related:
2007 Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Ford Taurus

2007 Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Ford Taurus

Ford introduced three “new” vehicles today. We’ll start with the Taurus. We saw the Taurus last month at the Detroit auto show when it was still called the Five Hundred. This is the exact same vehicle we saw there, only with a different nameplate. We’re not going to inundate you with too many images of this one, but the Taurus X and Mercury Sable are actually different and we'll post more about them shortly.

Related:
2007 Detroit Auto Show: 2008 Ford Five Hundred
Ford May Rename Five Hundred ... Taurus

Ford Flex-Fuel Glitches Burning Up Nebraska Owners

Ford’s flexible-fuel Taurus sedan is causing an uproar in Nebraska. Flex-fuel vehicles are supposed to work on either regular unleaded gas or blends of up to 85% ethanol, called E85. Now, owners, fleet managers and even Nebraska state officials are complaining the Taurus isn’t living up to its billing. Even on 10% ethanol blends, called gasohol, the Taurus has had problems starting. Ford has sent dealers instructions on how to fix the problem, but many owners have had to pay out of pocket for the repairs — the Taurus is no longer in production.

State officials are worried the mechanical problems will reflect negatively on E85 itself at a time when corn-producing states like Nebraska — ethanol is mainly refined from corn — are doing everything they can to promote the alternative fuel. We’ve tested many flex-fuel vehicles, and besides using a different pump they’ve run almost identically to gasoline-burning engines, with no added mechanical issues. Of course, that doesn’t make Nebraska Taurus owners feel any better, and they want Ford to buy them back.

[Complaints: Ford Taurus Doesn't Work Well on E85, USA Today]