Explorer XLT V-8 VS. Taurus LX Wagon VS. Windstar Lx

Fake wood or no fake wood?" When our parents pondered the purchase of a family mover, this was among their toughest choices, ranking up there with the agonizing debate over glass portholes in the roof. Twenty or 30 years ago, "family mover" and "station wagon" were synonymous. But today's choices are much more daunting. Minivans and sport/utility vehicles (SUVs) have put the station wagon on the threatened-species list.

Minivans offer more capacity for carrying people and cargo than even the largest station wagons of yore. They also offer ride, handling, quiet, and sophistication rivaling today's luxury sedans. But many buyers in the market for a people mover, perhaps rejecting the idea that they've become their parents, wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan, much less a station wagon. For them, SUVs provide about the same functionality as station wagons, and offer an image of freedom counter to the minivan's yoke of domesticity. Meanwhile, wagons still hold considerable favor among those who haul more items from the antique store and less from Toys "R" Us.

We acknowledge that most questions about choosing among a minivan, an SUV, and a station wagon are as dependent on the buyer's life stage as on his or her lifestyle. To help you decide which is best for your current reality, we're going to look at three answers Ford (which still calls itself "America's Wagon Master") offers to the query: the Explorer XLT V-8, the Taurus LX Wagon, and the Windstar LX.

With Ford's popular 5.0-liter OHV V-8 now in its engine bay, the Explorer is topped only by the Jeep Grand Cherokee V-8 as the quickest SUV in captivity; however, its 8.9-second 0-60-mph run tied the Taurus Wagon and Windstar. A "command of the road" high seating position is a major attraction of SUVs, and, of this trio, the Explorer offers the best view by far. Plenty of headroom adds to the open sensation. Other pluses include a whopping 6500-pound towing capacity and garage-friendly narrow width. On the down side are its trucklike suspension, comparatively rough ride, and high step-in height. But, to many owners, the Explorer's biggest plus: It isn't a minivan.

Like its sedan sibling, the Taurus LX Wagon underwent a radical transformation for '96. Its aggressive styling strips away much of the station wagon's staid image, and the 3.0-liter/200-horse DOHC Duratec V-6 pushes it to an 8.9-second 0-60-mph time, bettering the performance of virtually every monster-engined '60s wagon. Although many have fallen in love with the high seating position offered by minivans and SUVs, some feel more confident in a vehicle with a lower center of gravity and an easier-to-park feel, as provided by the Taurus Wagon.

Equipped with the optional rear-facing third-row seat, our Taurus Wagon had a seven-passenger rating, which tied the Windstar for tops. If we had chosen the three-across front bench, it could have carried eight; however, at least three-if not four-of those eight need to be 10 years old or younger.

Finances will always remain a critical consideration for families, and the Taurus offers the lowest price of this trio. The Taurus, however, can't match the Windstar's people- and cargo-moving capacity, and it falls far short of the Explorer's stylish go-anywhere image.

When equipped with the optional 3.8-liter/200-horsepower OHV V-6 and lower-ratio 3.56:1 axle, the Windstar is the most powerful-and quickest-minivan on the planet; with a 0-60-mph performance of 8.9 seconds, Mom can kick sand into the grilles of her single friends' V-6 Mustangs and Mercedes-Benz C220s. The Windstar LX offered the smoothest, quietest ride of the bunch and behaved better in accident-avoidance simulations, though it lacks the ultimate grip of the Explorer and Taurus. Not surprisingly, the Windstar's cargo and people capacity is unchallenged by its intramural rivals.