Even though Ford dropped the Five Hundred, the number 500 is immensely relevant to the new Taurus. The Taurus was formerly known as the Five Hundred. So there’s the name connection, and there’s the number connection – as in the 500 engineering changes made to the 2008 Taurus. And those changes equate to a stronger engine (about 30 percent more horsepower) as well as new looks, a new all-wheel-drive system, new sound-deadening treatments (including a quieter climate control system and quieter interior via use of Sonosorb expandable foam pellets in the doors, headliner and pillars), and the addition of Sync (the voice-activated communications system that enables cell phones and other portable devices using Bluetooth to be used through the in-vehicle audio system). Compared to the Five Hundred’s 3.0-liter Duratec that delivered 203 horsepower and 207 pounds-feet of torque, the Taurus’ 3.5-liter Duratec V6 produces 263 horsepower and 245 pounds-feet of torque. Taurus’ exterior departs from the former Five Hundred; the new look features a three-bar grille, a hood with full-length sculptured ravines, and chrome side vents. Safety treatments include moving the driver’s airbag back by 15 mm (accomplished via a new steering wheel design) and standard side curtain airbags. (Side curtain airbags were offered as standard fare on the Five Hundred, but later in 2007 model year.) The Taurus offers up a better ride, which is due to front and rear suspension revisions as well as bolting the engine and transmission to the body rather than mounting the powertrain to the front sub-frame, which was the case with the Five Hundred. Taurus with 6-speed automatic transmission gets estimated per gallon numbers of 17 city/24 highway. MSRP of Taurus Limited AWD is $29,080.