If you can stomach the exterior, the 2008 Ford Taurus X presents a practical solution for hauling people or cargo. Equipped with Sync and navigation, you get a good range of tech with some stand-out features.
The Taurus X uses Ford's three-bar grille, and a nose that's more sedan than SUV height. Vents below the bumper look like they should have been covered with something, but Ford chose to leave them as big, gaping holes.
The Taurus X uses a 3.5-liter V-6, transversely mounted under the hood. It can either power just the front wheels, or all four, depending on which configuration you order.
The real ugliness of the Taurus X is revealed in profile, where big wheel arches are exaggerated by a two-tone paint job. If you opt for the top trim level, you at least get a solid paint job to mask some of the hideousness. But the jutting C-pillar stands out regardless.
Unlike the exterior, the interior looks reasonably nice. The car gets Ford's standard infotainment unit, plus audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel.
Ford's navigation system doesn't have the most complete POI database available. It doesn't include all retail stores, although, along with grocers, it includes book stores.
Particularly nice features of the navigation system are that it reads out the names of upcoming streets, and that you can adjust your route with this turn list on the fly, by hitting the Avoid buttons.
Sirius satellite radio is available on the Taurus X. The interface isn't the clearest, and we had some difficulty figuring out how to find individual stations.