About the 2008 Ford Taurus

Ford Motor Company's resurrected 2008 Ford Taurus mid size sedan offers the best little things that you can find in an automobile, according to Ford design and engineering team who created the vehicle. Want to know these small things that Ford engineers are talking about?

According to Robert Parker, Car Marketing Manager, Ford Division: "One of the areas that we focused on is what we like to call the 'handshakes' of the vehicle -- the things that influence a person's initial impressions of the car,". "It's an attention to detail that tells the customer on either a conscious or subconscious level that the vehicle is well built."

"Things such as the way the door sounds when it closes, how the audio control knobs feel when you turn them or the way the vehicle sounds when it's idling are just a few examples of the kinds of details that leave lasting impressions on car buyers. This could be something as simple as the way the door handles are molded. We used to mold the plastic in the previous generation in such a way that the seam was right where your fingers were so that when you grabbed it, you felt a rough edge. We spent a lot of time improving small details like that in the 2008 Ford Taurus."

In addition, Ben Winter, chief engineer for the Ford Taurus also said that shifter knob is one of these small things. Mr. Winter said: "We developed a new shifter knob and shifter assembly that feels more solid and substantial in the customer's hands. We also standardized leather on the shifter and added chrome and wood accents as an option. In general, we made the shifter feel, look, sound and operate in a more refined and solid way."

"We made the gauges and the clock in the 2008 Ford Taurus much easier to read no matter what kind of lighting condition you're driving in -- broad daylight, twilight with the lights on, or dark with the lights on. It's the type of refinement that makes the customer feel more satisfied with their car." He added.

Meanwhile, Susan Sage, interior designer of the Ford Taurus commented: "With fashion, for example, you can change your jewelry and make an outfit look totally different. The same concept applies to vehicle interior design. We added chrome ring accents to the audio and climate control knobs," she said. "It's a fairly small thing, but we’ve received a lot of complements about it from the media, guide book editors and even customers in final drive research."

So these small things contribute to the overall quality of the 2008 Ford Taurus for the customers. I think that is exactly what the Ford engineers and designers were trying to say.