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The big news for 2008 is the introduction of Ford's new Sync entertainment and communications system. Developed with Microsoft, Sync provides a hands-free link to cell phones and MP3 players through a series of voice commands. It recognizes your cell phone's address book. It can even read text messages to occupants through the stereo system. It's an amazing system and Ford appears to be ahead of everyone else in this area.

The Fusion is available with a choice of V6 and four-cylinder engines. The four-cylinder comes with a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. The V6 comes with a six-speed automatic, a feature associated with top-end luxury cars. Available all-wheel drive and a new sport package make fine handling even better.

The Mustang is available as a coupe or convertible. The Mustang GT comes with a 300-hp V8 and is an absolute hoot to drive, making all the right sounds, hanging onto corners tenaciously, and delivering thrilling acceleration performance. The American pony car has never been better than the current Mustang GT.

For 2008, Ford dropped the Five Hundred name and went back to the name of a clear market winner, renaming this car the 2008 Ford Taurus. There is a new 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6 engine that makes a full 30 percent more power. Likewise, the CVT transmission has been replaced by a new 6F six-speed automatic.

The 2007 Ford Edge is an all-new crossover sport utility that answers the call for a roomy vehicle with utility and style. It isn't a truck. Nor is it a minivan. Yet it's more than a car. Edge delivers on its promise to be a dual-purpose vehicle. It's roomy and comfortable, and it has fully foldable seats for cargo carrying. It drives well, with good performance from a new V6 engine mated to a new six-speed transmission.

The 2008 Ford Taurus X offers a host of improvements inside, outside and underneath when compared to the old Freestyle. So it's ready to compete in the hotly contested crossover segment with a whole bunch of new arrows in its quiver. The 2008 Ford Taurus X comes in three models and each offers all-wheel-drive versions.

The Ford Escape has been thoroughly updated for 2008, reinforcing the character and appeal that have made it America's perennial best-selling small sport-utility vehicle. The improvements nearly cover the spectrum, and inject a new level of refinement. The Ford Escape's standard safety features are upgraded significantly for 2008.

Ford Explorer is a traditional midsize SUV with body-on-frame construction available with V6 or V8 power. The latest Explorer is quieter than previous models, and it rides better. It leans less in corners and the brakes are more responsive. The rear seats fold flatter, and the interior has been improved throughout.

The Ford Explorer Sport Trac is essentially a four-door, five-passenger Ford Explorer with a pickup bed. The Sport Trac offers plenty of room inside for people and out back for cargo. Inside, the Sport Trac has easy-to-read instruments and nice materials, room is plentiful front and rear. The optional navigation system offers voice activation for 2008.

The Expedition is meant for utility, not posing. It carries people, hauls gear, tows boats, and pulls campers. When it's equipped with four-wheel drive, the Expedition will also get you there whether the road is dry, wet, snowy, or even when there's hardly any road at all. Inside, the Expedition features rich materials and generous space in all three seating rows.

The family oriented Flex is a big vehicle, measuring more than 202 inches long on a 117.9-inch wheelbase. One cool feature is that its roof pillars are blacked out and its side windows are dark, and it will be available with a white or silver roof. Standard wheels will be a substantial 18 inches in diameter, with 19-inch wheels offered as an option.

Ford Ranger has been America's best-selling compact pickup for 17 years running. The price-leading Ranger XL comes with the 2.3-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission. XLT adds chrome trim, interior amenities and useful truck accessories. XLT 4WD models get step bars, fog lights, and 16-inch aluminum wheels.

The smallest, least-expensive F-150 has room for customization and keeps overhead down. With the segment's only rear-hinged sideeaves access doors, the Regular Cab gives excellent recline space and an easy reach to everything dropped behind the seat. At the other end of the scale, premium models include two-tone leather seats, polished 22-inch wheels and other touches: Within those extremes lies something for everyone.

Two words can define the 2008 Super Duty relative to the previous iteration: refined and more. It has more of the work ability you expect from a heavy-duty pickup, yet it is more comfortable, rides better, delivers more in the cost-benefit analysis, and is more environmentally friendly, a lexicon not normally applied to big trucks.