The 2008 Ford Taurus-The Family Car

Ford touts the 2008 Taurus as the "ideal" family car, and also as America's safest family car. The Taurus is a roomy vehicle that seats five in comfort and provides unexpected luxury.

The Taurus ranks the highest in five safety crash tests as indicated by the Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Taurus scored a perfect 5-star rating in frontal impact (driver and passenger) side impact (front and rear seats).

Taurus has combined all wheel drive (AWD) with Advanced Trac, resulting in a confident ride and handling in all weather conditions and on all road surfaces. This pairing can send a high level of driving torque to a single wheel, and can also deliver up to 100 percent of the available torque to the rear wheels when front-wheel traction is limited.

Ford built Taurus to grab your attention. Look at a few of the new exterior features: Tri-bar chrome grille and front fascia sculpted hood and front fender with chrome vents, chrome –accent door handles, chrome license plate molding. Even chrome tail lamps and exhaust tips. Exterior colors include: Dark In Blue, Light Sage, and Light Ice Blue.

I drove the Light Sage Taurus Limited for a week. There was more chrome, leather, and wood grain trim in and on that car than there is gold in a rapper's mouth. And no, Taurus doesn't cost as much as an NFL team might pay for a number one draft choice. For less then $34,000, this luxurious Taurus can be yours.

Taurus was as quiet as a field mouse. Sound-deadening materials in the doors, headliners and pillars keep road, wind, and weather noises out. Expandable foam pellets fill the A-pillars and also help to reduce wind noise. The trunk space was an unimaginable. 21.2 cubic feet of space, which made Taurus the vehicle with the largest trunk for a sedan in America.

2008 Ford Taurus has an attention-grabbing new interior (Courtesy of Ford Motors)

The Taurus Limited came with Taurus audio system, Sirius satellite radio, DVD family entertainment system and touch screen DVD navigation system. Ford has some of the best warranties in the industry: 3yr/36,000 bumper-to-bumper, 5yr/ 60,000 powertrain and 5yr/60,000 roadside assistance.

Ford has combined economy, practicality, and safety with a sleek-looking family sedan that appears to have cost much more than it did.

A Ford engineer who helped to develop the Taurus seems to have summed up the Taurus pretty well when he stated, "Taurus's all new interior is sure to grab people's attention. Outside, there are distinctive elements, front to back, and the interior is more than just the inside of a car—it's a haven where people travel relaxed, comfortable, and safe."

This statement sums up my opinion quite nicely.

Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or dcaussey@sbcglobal.net .