Children of the '80s (and earlier) will recall the original Ford Taurus as a strikingly modern family sedan and wagon. Amid a sea of anonymous boxes on wheels, the Taurus stood out with spaceship-like styling and some relatively advanced features, winning legions of loyal customers.
Ah, how times have changed -- the 2009 Ford Taurus isn't even a "real" Taurus, but rather a renamed Ford Five Hundred, a large sedan that officially met its maker a couple years ago. And unlike those avant-garde Tauruses of yore, the current Taurus plays it safe with middle-of-the-road styling. On the bright side, though, the availability of Microsoft's Sync system puts the Taurus on the technological cutting edge for this segment, and there's plenty to like about it from a family-minded buyer's point of view.
2009 Ford Taurus Owners Manual