2008 Ford Taurus X - Quality Review

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The 2008 Ford Taurus X has good comfort for five passengers, but TheCarConnection.com advises that buyers be realistic about the third-row seat.

The Washington Post says the 2008 Ford Taurus X has a "comfortable, ergonomically appealing interior," while Cars.com reports "roomy seats in all three rows." While ConsumerGuide notes "headroom and legroom are both six-footer ample," Autoblog points out that "third row seatbacks are pretty short and best suited to juvenile [occupants]." On the other hand, Edmunds says the 2008 Ford Taurus X has "acceptable seat comfort in all three rows" and claims "children, teenagers and average-sized adults alike will find the rearmost quarters perfectly comfortable and fully usable."

TheCarConnection.com notes few complaints about interior space in this Ford; 2008’s Taurus X, the Washington Post reports, has "rear seats [that] easily can be flipped and folded to make room for lots of cargo," with a capacity of "85.5 cubic feet with second- and third-row seats folded" and "15.8 cubic feet with those seats raised." ConsumerGuide reports "all rear seats fold flat," providing a "wide load deck [that] stretches to 9.5-ft with the right-front seatback folded down." This source also notes that the third-row seat of the 2008 Ford "converts more easily than most, disappearing into a floorwell that provides handy storage otherwise."

Autoblog points out "plenty of storage space throughout the interior, including deep, wide pockets in all four door panels with Ford's now customary cup holders molded in"; they also mention that in the 2008 Ford, a "decent sized compartment in the dash above the center stack can hold the usual assortment of electronic toys" and a "roof mounted console has a compartment suitable for glasses or garage door openers."

Cars.com is less impressed with the Ford 2008 Taurus X's interior material quality and ergonomics, noting "so-so materials and some shoddy build quality...the steering wheel tilts but doesn't telescope, a shortcoming." Edmunds notes "cheap interior materials" while ConsumerGuide says that the cabin assembly is "mostly top notch, but materials disappoint...hard plastics dominate the interiors, with precious few soft or padded surfaces to be found."

Noise levels are acceptable for the most part; Autoblog reports that "on the road, the Taurus X was nicely hushed...sounds that did come through from the engine compartment were muted and never felt strained." On the other hand, ConsumerGuide reports "a coarse engine note intrudes during acceleration."