Replacing the Ford Freestyle, and resurrecting a name that had a 21-year run of success from the mid-80s, the Blue Oval has unleashed the Taurus X on the market, with the “X” meaning crossover, as Ford believes the Taurus X is a combination of wagon, minivan and sports-ute.
A full-size crossover that really seems more minivan than sportwagon, yet more station wagon than SUV, the Taurus X looks as if Ozzie and Harriet woke up in the 21st century and had a navi system and Satellite radio.
The Taurus X is essentially the Freestyle, borrowing design cues from the shorter-but-wider Edge crossover. It is the extra length of 14 inches that makes the Taurus X look more like Ward and June Cleaver’s station wagon and less like a trendier sport wagon. The T-X’s dimensions are 200.3 inches in length, 74.9 inches in width, 67.6 inches in height on a wheelbase of 112.9 inches, with that familiar, family wagon feel of days gone by, but with cutting-edge electronics and safety features all around.
With the name change comes an upscale cabin makeover with third-row seating for adults, and the signature three-bar Ford grille.
The Taurus X also gets a power upgrade to eliminate the Freestyle’s anemic sluggishness. The T-X draws its brawn from a new 3.5-liter V-6 engine that rumbles out 263 horsepower. That is an increase of 30 percent (60hp) over the Freestyle's 203-hp 3.0-liter V-6 plant. The old system was good for a 9-second zero-to-60mph run en route to a mid-17-second quarter-mile. The added power is stalwart enough to propel this 4203-lb. wagon from zero-to-60 in the low 8s, on its way to a mid-16-second quarter. And with 249 lbs.-ft. of torque available at 4500rpm, there is enough pick-up to make highway passing confident and sure.
EPA rated 15mpg in city driving and 22mpg on the highway, a solid week of late-Fall tests in and around Pennsylvania and Maryland during crisp, clear days and starlit nights in holiday traffic, achieved an average of 19.1mpg.
The Front-wheel drive is mated to a 6-speed automatic overdrive transmission and an intelligent all-wheel-drive system that incorporates an active, on-demand electro-mechanical center coupler to allocate a precise amount of torque from front to rear, up to 100 percent to either axle. This system can also anticipate wheel slip before it happens. Under heavy acceleration, for example, the system will proactively allocate torque to the rear wheels before the front wheels begin to slip.
Power rack-and-pinion steering, Macpherson strut and rear facing L-shaped lower control arms up front, with isolated subframe and stabilizer bar, and independent multi-link rear suspension with coil over shocks and hydro-formed lower control arms, make for a smooth, family-friendly ride. AdvanceTrac electronic stability control, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, power steering and traction control make for a smooth and secure driving experience. However, challenging road and course tests showed that while the Taurus X provides deft handling, the rear tends to sway a bit in quick, tight maneuvers.
That being said, the Taurus X still provides an exceptionally safe automotive environment. The Taurus X has been the rated safest seven-passenger crossover in America, based on NHTSA five-star frontal and side crash test ratings and is an IIHS “Top Safety Pick.”
Structurally, safety is enhanced through reinforcements in the footwell area for better crash protection, as well as side impact protection via pressurized crash sensors in the doors and redesigned interior door panels.
Standard safety items include dual-stage driver and passenger front air bags, seat-deployed side air bags for driver and front passenger and Ford’s Safety Canopy™ of side curtain air bags for all three rows. The advanced side air curtains feature “roll-fold” technology to enhance protection during an extended crash event. Also on-board are a reverse sensing system (for parking and backing up), tire pressure monitor system, perimeter alarm and LATCH seats for children.
The cabin is cavernously roomy. With seating capacity for seven, headroom is 39.4 inches in front, 39.7 in row two and 38.6 in row three. Legroom measures 40.8, 40.4 and 33.4, while shoulder room comes in at 58.5, 58.0 and 50.8 inches, for a total interior volume of 162 cu. ft., with 85.5 cu. ft. of space behind row one, and 15.8 behind row three.
Interior niceties include wood inserts, one-touch, flip-and-fold second-row seats that provide easy access to the third row, leather-trimmed seats, heated driver and passenger chairs, 8-way power driver and 4-way power passenger seats, power windows and clocks, synchronized voice activated system and informational displays.
Optional interior upgrades include memory adjustable pedals and seats (part of a $255 package); second row bucket seats and power lift gate ($825); auxiliary climate control with heat ($650) and navigation system ($1995).
Add to those options, a $695 set of 18-inch 7-spoke chrome wheels and destination charges of $750 and you take the base price of $32,185 to a price as tested sticker of $38,545.
The Taurus X crossover is safe, strong and roomy, and has a new name. Ward, June, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson would be proud.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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