Tauras X

Car and Driver.com

Article: 48 of 227

Crossovers

2008 Ford Taurus X Limited – Short Take Road Test

Highs: Improved powertrain, exemplary road manners, nifty new nose, spiffy interior.

Lows: Excessive brake fade, long stopping distances, puny towing limits.

New Car Buying Guide

2008 Ford Taurus X Limited – Short Take Road Test

Now, that’s more like it.

BY TONY SWAN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY
December 2007

When you peel away all the Gen-X pandering and celebrity worship of today’s new-car marketing, the heart of the U.S. business is still family transportation, and this revitalized Ford wagon is as well conceived for that market as any other.

Consider the attributes: First-rate crash ratings. Enough airbags to cushion a Mars lander. Seats for six or seven. Lighter than an Explorer, with a bit more cargo room. Minivan utility minus minivan stigma. Quiet interior. Rigid front-drive unibody. Ride quality that irons out lumps but maintains a hint of Euro firmness. Excellent all-around dynamics (although diluted by long stopping distances). All-wheel drive availability. Stability control standard.

With the exception of stability control, which is new for 2008, all these attributes applied to this vehicle when it made its 2005 debut as the Ford Freestyle. But if it was so terrific, why was it almost invisible? Could it have been the name, so easily confused with the Freestar minivan?

Ford has obviously thought better of that moniker, but there were more substantive issues—power, for one. A two-ton wagon was more than a 203-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 could propel with any zeal (0 to 60 in 8.2 seconds). And although our January 2005 road test gave the Freestyle’s continuously variable transmission a passing grade, this device was not loved by all. Then there was the bland styling, with its generic Ford face and cheap-looking wire mesh grille.

Behold the Taurus X. The powertrain issues have been addressed with Ford’s 3.5-liter V-6 (263 horsepower) and a six-speed automatic, a combo that propels this tall wagon to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds with none of the irritating engine crescendos that come with CVTs. The forgettable fascia has been refreshed with Ford’s Edgey three-bar grille, the rear end gets a power-liftgate option, and the interior sports improved materials and textures.

All of this adds up to a more desirable vehicle, albeit one that still defies easy classification. The shape says SUV, a message enhanced by a high seating position. But ground clearance is about the same as the Taurus sedan’s, and even with all-wheel drive (add $1850), off-road isn’t part of the deal here. Nor is there much towing capability (2000 pounds).

But if towing isn’t on your family menu, this X might mark your spot.

2008 Ford Taurus X Limited – Specs

(continued)

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 5-door wagon

PRICE AS TESTED: $36,310 (base price: $30,700)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 213 cu in, 3496cc
Power (SAE net): 263 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 249 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.9 in Length: 200.3 in Width: 74.9 in Height: 67.6 in
Curb weight: 4216 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.7 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 22.0 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 7.9 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.0 sec @ 88 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 111 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 200 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 16 mpg
C/D observed: 16 mpg

Copyright ©2007 Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.

Dick’s MacKenzie Ford
4151 SE TV Highway
Hillsboro, OR 97123
800-783-0863
503-214-5029

http://www.dicksautogroup.com

mackenzieford.com

Top Fuel-Efficient Three-Row SUVs … 2008 Taurus X

2008’s Top Fuel-Efficient Three-Row SUVs

Ten affordable ways to take it all with you without leaving your full paycheck behind.

By Steve Siler

provided by:

2008 Ford Taurus X

16 city/24 highway

2008 Ford Taurus X

As a category between categories, the crossover comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Clearly on the car/wagon end of the spectrum is the square-jawed Taurus X, Ford’s low-slung wagon/ute. Having started life as the Ford Freestyle, the Taurus X got more than a new name for 2008; it received a facelift that added some much-need pizzazz to what had been terminally forgettable styling.

It also got a heart transplant, upgrading to a 263-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 and a six-speed transmission, which shuttle the family around reasonably well. Handling is decent, and as a crossover, the X is far more enjoyable to drive than Ford’s tippier, truck-based Explorer, which also offers three rows of seats but musters nowhere near the Taurus X’s fuel-economy figures. If one’s allegiance is the Blue Oval, there is no more frugal choice for a team of six or seven.

Dick’s MacKenzie Ford
4151 SE TV Highway
Hillsboro, OR 97123
800-783-0863
503-214-5029

http://www.dicksautogroup.com

mackenzieford.com

CHRYSLER CORP IS DEVELOPING PRODUCTS THAT MINIMIZE IMPACT

DEVELOPING PRODUCTS THAT MINIMIZE IMPACT

ON THE ENVIRONMENT

For the past 15 years, we have been among the automotive industry’s environmental pioneers. And as the need for reduced energy consumption and alternative fuels continues to rise, we dedicate a prominent portion of our research and development to finding and building solutions.

Here are some of the great strides we’ve already accomplished:

• Added Jeep® Grand Cherokee diesel SUV to the diesel product lineup (2007)
• Manufactured the first diesel-powered, mid-sized SUV for sale in the U.S., the Jeep® Liberty CRD (2002)
• Offered the best-selling street-legal electric vehicle in the U.S., the GEM. (2000)
• Built the EPIC electric minivan, a second-generation, battery-powered, fully electric minivan with fast charge technology, advanced nickel metal-hydride batteries and full minivan capabilities (1999)
• Produced 1.5 million Flexible Fuel Vehicles* (FFVs) capable of running on clean, renewable, American-made ethanol E85 fuel since 1998
• Founding partner of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, to demonstrate and develop fuel cell vehicles (1998)
• Offered the first vehicle certified to California Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle standard (1994 natural gas Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager minivans)
• First manufacturer to produce vehicles meeting California’s Low Emission Vehicle, Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle and partial Zero Emission Vehicle standards (1993)

Most Recent Offering: SmartWay Vehicle Certification
Chrysler offers 11 vehicles that are considered very good environmental performers relative to competitors. These have received the SmartWay certification and are recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for having tailpipe emissions significantly lower than environmental thresholds. In other words, they’re cleaner than they have to be.

Chrysler:

• PT Cruiser Sedan: All models
• PT Convertible: All models
• Sebring Sedan: All models equipped with the 2.4L DOHC 16V VVT Engine and 4-speed automatic transmission
• Sebring Convertible: LX model only
• 300: RWD Touring and Limited models

Dodge:

• Avenger: SE and SXT models equipped with the 2.4L DOHC 16V VVT Engine and 4-speed automatic transmission
• Caliber: All models equipped with 2.0L or 2.4L engine with CVT2 tranmission
• Charger: RWD SE Plus and SXT models
• Magnum: RWD SXT model only

Jeep:

• Compass: All modles
• Patriot: All models

Future Development
Here’s what we’re working on now:

• A gas-electric two-mode hybrid model of 2008 Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen
• 50 percent of Chrysler vehicles will be capable of running on alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel by 2012

* Flexible-fuel engine not available in CA, VT, NY, MA, ME, RI, CT, and PA. Contact your authorized Chrysler Dodge and Jeep® dealership to verify your vehicle’s flex-fuel (FFV) compatibility.

From: http://www.chryslerllc.com/en/environment/smart_green/

®Copyright 2008 Chrysler LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Visit Dick’s Country Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Hillsboro Oregon to test drive these vehicles and choose your way to make a difference in your environment and the environment of your children!

http://dicksautogroup.com/

http://www.dickscountrydodge.com/

Dick’s Country Chrysler Jeep Dodge

767 SW Baseline Rd

Hillsboro Or 97123

800-783-4891

503-214-5014

 

Dick’s Country Chrysler Jeep Dodge Construction

Over the past year LRS Architects along with TM Rippey engineers completed the design for the new Dick’s Country Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Hillsboro, OR. The new facility will be constructed by Perlo McCormack Pacific. The jobsite will be run by Jay Edgar as superintendent, along with Dan Pierson as project manager.

On March 21, 2008, the demolition permit was obtained to remove the small detail service building and the process to build a new Dick’s Country Chrysler was underway. The new 38,428 square foot single building dealership will be constructed while the existing showroom and service buildings remain open. Once occupancy is achieved for the new facility later this year, the two older buildings will then be removed.

The first construction step was to remove the asphalt paving where the new building will be located. This material was crushed and stockpiled for later use in filling around the new building. The next step involved grading and compacting soil to the new building floor elevation. Upon completion of this grading, the excavator then dug out the locations where building footings occur. Concrete formwork and reinforcing steel (rebar) was installed and approved by inspectors. On April 16^th, the first concrete trucks arrived and the footings and elevator pit were poured.

Working around the footing crews, the electrician and plumber are now installing underslab piping and fixture boxes. Once complete the floor slab, rebar and formwork will commence. The current schedule calls for the main building concrete floor to be placed by the end of April.

Stay tuned for the future plans and action involved in building a new home for Dick’s Country Chrysler.

http://www.dicksautogroup.com

dickscountrydodge.com

mackenzieford.com

Ford shows its commitment to the environment on Earth Day, and everyday.

EARTH DAY

2008-04-21 15:52 GMT

Ford shows its commitment to the environment on Earth Day, and everyday.

Ford continues to actively engage in innovative green technologies and alternative sources of energy for its manufacturing operations. In addition to sourcing green energy, Ford has improved energy efficiency at its plants to conserve electricity and water as well as to reduce waste.

Ford continues to pioneer environmental initiatives, which have resulted in many industry firsts.

• Ford was the first automaker to estimate its total greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities.
• Ford’s Brigend engine plant in Wales was the first site retrofitted with one of the largest integrated, grid-connected solar/photovoltaic installations at a car manufacturing plant in Europe.
• Ford was the first automaker to participate in carbon trading markets in North America and the UK.
• Ford is the only automaker to voluntarily accept CO2 emissions targets in the UK emissions trading scheme and the Chicago Climate Exchange.
• Ford is the only automaker to win EPA’s Energy Star Partner of the Year Award for two successive years (2006, 2007) and its Sustained Excellence Award this year.
• Ford, along with the Georgia Institute of Technology, designed an overseas shipping container made of polypropylene plastic that after use can be ground up and used in plastic auto parts.
• Ford reduces the industry’s impact on the environment by engaging its suppliers in its Code of Basic Working Conditions established in 2003.
• Ford is only automaker to have been chosen best-in-class on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) annual review of global automotive sustainability leaders six consecutive years.
• Ford was first automaker to certify all its manufacturing plants worldwide under ISO 14001–a voluntary international environmental management system standard.

Sustainability initiatives have allowed the company to minimize the environmental effects of its worldwide operations. Here is a partial list of the achievements Ford has made in North American and around the world toward a greener future:

• Since 2000, Ford has cut its global operational energy use by 30 percent (3 percent improvement from a year ago), CO2 emissions from its facilities by 39 percent (11 percent improvement from a year ago) and water use by 43 percent (21 percent improvement from a year ago). By improving energy efficiency in the U.S. by 4.5 percent, Ford saved approximately $18 million.
• Renewable or “green” energy such as hydro-, solar- and wind-power, landfill gas and waste gases as well as other sources supply approximately three percent of Ford’s global energy needs.
• In Dearborn, Michigan, Ford redeveloped its Rouge Center to incorporate environmentally-friendly and sustainable processes, including installing a photovoltaic array and solar thermal collector at the Visitor Center, and the world’s largest living roof system that reduces the solar thermal load. Ford also implemented a storm water management system, natural wetlands and retention ponds and a new green-belt promenade along the plant’s main road.
• In Lima, Ohio, Ford eliminated 4,300 metric tons of CO2 each year through the installation of a geothermal system to cool the plant. The plant also uses reclaimed landfill and low-impact hydro. Together, this has reduced CO2 emissions by 144,000 metric tons per year.
• In Kansas City, Missouri, Ford has offset its greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing renewable energy certificates from wind power plants, creating carbon neutral vehicle manufacturing for hybrid vehicles Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
• In Avon Lake, Ohio, the assembly plant reduced CO2 emissions and VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions by about 10 percent through a three-wet paint process that also creates a smaller, less expensive and cleaner paint shop.
• In Oakville, Canada, Ford’s Fumes-to-Fuel process converts paint emissions into electricity at its Oakville Assembly Plant. The program, also at Michigan Truck Plant in Dearborn, involves one-third of the fumes in one paint booth, but produces 45 to 50 kilowatts of electricity daily when the system is running, enough to meet the typical demand of an average suburban block of houses.
• In Dagenham, England, Ford will remain 100 percent green-energy powered despite increased production by adding a third wind turbine. At the present time the existing two wind turbines reduce CO2 emissions by more than 6,500 metric tons per year.
• In Cologne, Germany, Ford began to source fully renewable energy from three hydro-power plants in Norway and Sweden as of 2008. This will help Ford reduce CO2 emissions by 190,000 tons per year.

We Support Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland

Learn more about the Inukai Family Boys & Girls Club

The Mission:

“To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

Club History

Since 1946, Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland has been providing thousands of young people throughout the Portland metro area with affordable, high-quality after-school and summer programs designed to help them develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. The Clubs offer kids what they want the most: safe, clean, fun places to go when they’re not in school; caring adults who respect and guide them; and challenging programs that teach them life skills and keep them engaged in productive activities.

The Inukai Boys and Girls Club

In October 2006, dozens of community leaders and investors joined with more than 300 Boys & Girls Club youth to witness the ground-breaking event of the Inukai Family Boys & Girls Club. Preceding the ground-breaking, Club Kids and guests were honored with a visit by Former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, who took time to share a personal message for the Kids before participating in the ceremony.

The ground-breaking marked an important event in the Hillsboro Club’s history. With the investment of many community leaders and donors, the Hillsboro Boys & Girls Club was able to undertake a capital expansion project, adding an additional 12,000 square feet to the existing 8,100 square foot facility.

The new Club has been renamed the Inukai Family Boys & Girls Club after the family of Richard Inukai, Board Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area and major contributor to the Clubs operations and expansion effort. Mr. Inukai is also owner of Dick’s MacKenzie Ford and Dick’s Country Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Hillsboro.

The Inukai Family Boys & Girls Club in Hillsboro

http://www.dicksautogroup.com

dickscountrydodge.com

mackenzieford.com