Need an "affordable" family car - recommendations?

Anyways, I'd avoid selling the truck right now if you can. With gas prices at their highest it might be a hard way to go.

If not, an older Taurus with the 3.0 engine is a good way to go (avoid the 3.8 like the plague). It hard to find a car that seats many without taking a hit on the mileage.

If you can find one in your price range, the 4 cylinder Fusion is "big for its size", and does as well in Consumer Reports as the best of the Japanese stuff. My mother and father in law have one of those and they've had zero issues, gets 30mpg or better. V6 has more power but less mileage.

The 500 (and whatever they called the Mercury version) is awesomely big. Huge trunk, big big back seat (vastly bigger in both areas than a crown vic). These have the good 3.0 motor, but the big car is a tad underpowered with that motor. Also the FWD versions do just as well as the jap stuff for reliability. Buddies at the Ford dealer say they never see them except oil changes and brakes.
And yes, built in America if that really matters.

In (08?) They turned the 500 back into the taurus and put a bigger motor in it, which is what I've got. I love it. Very nice family hauler with loads of room, quiet, drives nice, even fwd does great in the snow. 28-29 on the highway. 20 in town. I'd guess the 500 would do better.

Steve