Introduction
Name recognition and awareness are no doubt important for automotive manufacturers. For example, look no further than the 2008 Ford Taurus. Ford has pulled the Taurus nameplate out of its one-year dirt nap in hopes of getting back into the thick of the large family sedan game. But is the public's awareness of the Taurus name a good thing or bad? Though a hero car back in the 1980s and early '90s, more recent iterations of the Taurus were dated and anonymous, a favorite of image-dulling rental car agencies and a not-so-favorite of middle management types who received them as company cars.
The Taurus revival is combined with the death of the Ford Five Hundred, a large sedan introduced a few years ago that never sold like the company had hoped. Although it offered a large cabin and an impressive ride and handling balance, the Five Hundred was let down by weak engine performance and a lack of refinement.
2008 Ford Taurus Owner Manual Portfolio