2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contenders

Ford Taurus: What's Exactly in a Name, Anyway?

Previously called the Ford Five Hundred, the new Ford Taurus has over 500 changes, but there are really only three important ones. First, Ford replaced the anemic 3.0-liter V-6 in this full-size sedan with a much stronger (can you say 30 percent and 60 horsepower stronger?) DOHC 3.5-liter V-6. Additionally, gone is Ford's mad-revving CVT and in its place is a conventional six-speed automatic transmission that allows the car to get up and running with surprising agility. Finally, the front and rear suspension has been significantly retuned, vastly improving the control and handling. Some of that improvement is because the new transmission is now connected to the chassis with hydraulic mounts instead of to the subframe. The overall result is more rigidity and stability when cornering, prompting a few of our judges to note it handled better than expected.

While there's nothing wrong with taking a larger-than-the-competition strategy to sell cars, the Taurus has too little personality here to peg our meters. In fact, some accuse the new Taurus of being an SUV: It drives heavy, has upright seating, and where else can you get a roof-mounted DVD for rear passengers? That said, expect to see a good number of buyers for this new Taurus; there's a sense of nostalgia here with the no-apologies, big-American sedan feel that allows all four passengers to stretch out and even wear 10-gallon hats.

Still, regardless of the value here, none of the Taurus changes (including the name) is enough to score well in superiority or significance. Ultimately, just fixing the existing problems, however well they're done, isn't enough to win (or even be a finalist) in this year's competition.

-Mark Williams

What they did right: Replacing the Ford Five Hundred's 203-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 and CVT combination with the 263-horse Duratec 3.5-liter and six-speed automatic is a worthy upgrade.

Room for improvement: Bolder than the anodyne Five Hundred, the Taurus restyle is still less than the car needs to be a standout in the market.

Bet You Didn't Know: The 11th-hour decision to substitute the Five Hundred nameplate with Taurus was made, almost unilaterally, by Ford's then-newly installed CEO Alan Mulally.