Last summer, the Ford people offered to loan us a Ford Taurus X to take a family road trip in; we'd just gotten back from a too-long family road trip to the Outer Banks, and wanted desperately to avoid any more road trips for a while, so I declined. The Jalopnik folks clearly have some trips to the storage unit to make, though, so they borrowed one, no problem.
Though it shares a platform with the Volvo XC90, the Volvo isn't sharing much of its SUV mojo; the Taurus X has lower ground clearance and a third row of seats [if only they were rear-facing]. The X is a station wagon that totally makes you look like a dad.
2008 Ford Taurus X, Day Two [jalopnik]
It may be a station wagon, but I'll bet most NYC parking garages will still charge the SUV rate.
Also, the Taurus X ain't new. It used to be called the Ford Freestyle.
[indeed, and the Taurus sedan was the snoozeworthy Ford 500 -ed.]
Interesting that they're reviewing this car. All those Jalopnik guys are pushing 35. I don't think they can Peter Pan this too much longer...
We rented one of those when we were in NJ for Thanksgiving. I thought it was practical considering we had 2 kids in carseats plus assorted extended family. However my husband thought it was ass. Too much of the Dad-look for even a confirmed Dad, maybe?
I am sorry... the road trip may have seemed to long... But at least it was the Outer Banks and NO trip to the outer banks could be so long as to not be worth it!
The trip home on the other hand...
To the point though, I've seen several reviews of the Taurus on blogs and it seems like a really nice car.
"the Ford people offered to loan us a Ford Taurus X"
Note to self: post on blog more often.
A station wagon with 2 rows of passenger seats. I love it when car companies realize that sometimes you have more than five passengers, but don't want an SUV or minivan. And sometimes each kid just needs his own row of seats so that you don't have to pull over and kill them both.
A word in favor of the Taurus X -- or rather the Ford Freestyle. I leased the 2005 model and have loved it EXCEPT for the weaknesses of Ford engineering -- and little annoying things breaking down and going out. (I'm used to Toyotas, so spoiled.) But I have loved the Freestyle -- it has driven like a car, allowed me to haul whole families on the three rows of seat (comfortably, everyone liked it), and haul whole truckloads of boxes or small furniture with all the seats flattened (and I mean flattened, even the front passenger). I am considering getting the Taurus X because I've liked this car so much, but have my reservations about Ford longevity. I'll miss it if I chose another -- really. (Mileage was good, too.) Hate that they changed the name, by the way -- didn't want a "Taurus" -- that really DOES sound too "dad."