A name is just a name, until it changes
By Keith Turner
May 14, 2008
Sometimes automakers like to confuse us dog-loving drivers. For example, they name their models with letters and numbers, making them easier to track internally while causing much confusion externally.
“Is that an RX 330 you are driving?”
“No, it’s an RX 440 LS AWD with ABS and ESC.”
“Oh.”
Ford is especially good at the name game, changing names of vehicles on a regular basis. Last year’s Windstar is this year’s Freestar, and so on.
So it’s no wonder that you might be confused by the name of our latest DogCar vehicle review of the 2008 Ford Taurus X. You might recall the Taurus as the mid-size sedan that was very popular among rental car agencies in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Then it went away and the Ford Five Hundred was introduced.
Well this year, Ford decided to dump the Five Hundred moniker and resurrect the Taurus name for the updated and highly stylized sedan.
But the Taurus X is NOT a sedan. It’s a crossover sport utility vehicle with three rows of seats, a wide body and an overall rough and tumble design. We’re not certain why Ford chose to give it the Taurus name, but we are sure it will be confusing to many of us who try to keep track of such things.
From a DogCar perspective, the new Taurus X comes up a bit short for canine duty because the fold-flat seats leave too little space for dog crates.
Read the full review here.
