The Taurus X made us hope for a true alternative to an SUV or a minivan. Something that delivered their functionality without the image problems both other classes of vehicle suffer. Instead, it compromises on ability while carrying over too much height from an SUV and the family-man image of a minivan.

The Taurus X has an identity problem. By trying to be part station wagon, part SUV and part luxury car. It aims to draw from the best qualities of each, but so far, I'm afraid it might be doing the exact opposite. Take the economy for instance. Ideally, the Taurus X would provide SUV versatility with lower fuel…

Yesterday, we introduced the 2008 Taurus X — which is in Jalopnik's garage for a week — telling you it made us look like dads. Today the big Taurus gets a chance to shine, hauling unwanted doors from Ray's pied-à-terre to his glamorous storage facility in Jersey.

I had high hopes for the 2008 Ford Taurus X. My earliest memories of a car take place in the way back of a 1982 Caprice Classic station wagon. I would sit in the rear-facing seat, waving enthusiastically at whomever happened to be held up by my mom's slow-as-syrup driving. For nearly a decade, the Caprice served as…