The new Ford Five Hundred represents an opportunity for the manufacturer to hit a home run in the sedan market (you know, kinda like the Chrysler 300). For far too long, brands like Ford, Dodge and Chevy have neglected their cars in favor of SUVs. Perhaps they've been drunk on SUV profits or self-satisfied with halo heritage cars that look cool but don't ultimately sell. Still, one could argue it really hasn't mattered all that much, as new car shoppers seem to have all but forgotten about domestic sedans.
Compare the average Ford sedan to a Honda or Toyota and virtually all hope is lost if you're one who longs for a day when U.S.-brand automobiles dominate the market as well as the landscape. But the tide is turning a bit. Chrysler's proud-to-be-an-American 300 is a stellar example of what can happen when Detroit throws out the rulebook and looks to develop an all-new product chock-full of value, performance and style.
A far cry from the Chrysler 300, the 2005 Ford Five Hundred is still a credible attempt at building a top-notch sedan. It's a good-looking car that boasts both quality and value — value being key in the Five Hundred formula. On paper, the Five Hundred hits all the marks and looks to be a car that will change the image of Ford sedans. There's only one problem with the car, and it's a big one. But we'll get to that later.
Ford has been promising improved interiors for some time now, and the new F-150 and Expedition were the early recipients of Dearborn's new direction. Thankfully, we feel confident in adding the Five Hundred to the list of recently redesigned Fords that offer impressive interiors and more deluxe accommodations. In Limited trim (the trim of our test car) especially, the Ford Five Hundred comes off more like a near-luxury car than a budget-priced family sedan. The dash area is well laid out and attractive with cream-colored gauge faces surrounded by metallic rings that add an extra hint of class. The center stack is functional but lacks the pizzazz of the gauge cluster.
The Limited's interior has plenty of faux wood trim and a material that looks like brushed aluminum. Of course, it's not really aluminum, but both the fake wood trim and metallic accents are very convincing. On the downside, the leather is not as soft as expected and pales especially when compared to the leather found in the Toyota Avalon.
One thing the Five Hundred certainly does not lack is interior space. The cabin is large and airy with lots of glass to let light in. The rear seat is by far the roomiest we've seen in any $25,000 car, topping even the well-proportioned Chrysler 300 in terms of legroom. Cars like the Chevy Impala and Nissan Maxima also offer roomy rear seats, but the Five Hundred has that extra bit of room that really makes the car feel luxurious. The trunk is equally large with a generous 21 cubic feet of storage space. The only bummer in all this is that while the interior is roomy, the front-seat footwells feel a bit cramped.
The front seats are comfortable and provide enough cushioning without being overly soft. As the Five Hundred and Freestyle share a platform, the Five Hundred feels like it rides a little higher than a typical sedan. While this might not sound significant, it makes the car more comfortable to get in and out of and offers the driver a more commanding view of the road. It may be a gimmick but it does seem to work.
On the road, the Five Hundred performs well with a sportier than expected attitude. The steering is quick and light and the 18-inch wheels are backed up by sticky Pirelli tires. These tires provide more than adequate grip and seem almost lavish given the Five Hundred's budget-friendly price. Through the slalom we noticed some body roll, but the movement was well controlled and predictable. While we wouldn't say cornering is flat, it is an enjoyable car to drive hard. Thankfully, the Five Hundred's slightly sporty handling doesn't come at the expense of a comfortable highway ride. At speeds above 50 mph, a fair amount of road noise creeps into the cabin but wind noise doesn't make itself known until 75 mph or so. The continuously variable transmission (CVT), standard on all-wheel-drive models such as ours, helps to keep engine noise down at highway speeds — the net result is a very pleasant and well-mannered car that is perfectly suited for a long road trip.
So far we have a nice (if unremarkable) looking car that handles well, offers plenty of interior room and trunk space, provides a comfortable interior and does so for thousands of dollars less than a similar import-brand car.
And here's where things start to go awry. That "big problem" we mentioned earlier is an underpowered and unrefined engine. Rather than offer an engine, or choice of engines, that complements the Five Hundred's high points, Ford saddled the Five Hundred with the old 3.0-liter V6 from the Taurus — it's as if the company ran out of money 7/8th through the project. It wouldn't be so bad if buyers had the option of upgrading to something better, but as it stands the Five Hundred is offered only with the V6, and one making all of 203 horsepower at that.
No matter how you slice it, the Ford Five Hundred is underpowered. A quick survey of current V6-powered midsize sedans reveals that the Five Hundred's engine is a serious Achilles' heel. The Nissan Maxima has 265 hp, the Chrysler 300 Touring 250 hp, the Honda Accord V6 240 hp and Mitsubishi Galant V6 230 hp. Only the back marker Chevy Impala has fewer ponies, but even on a good day that would be a straw man comparison.
The Five Hundred's Duratec V6 performs well at midrange rpm, but off the line the car just has no punch. Around town the car feels like a normal family car, but should you need some zip from a dead stop, you'll be sorely disappointed. The lack of refinement is also noticeable and falls far short of the overhead cam V6s from Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota. While the CVT does a good job of keeping the weak engine in its optimal rev range, it also makes for a rather noisy cabin under moderate to heavy acceleration. In addition to the lack of power, the car rounds out the package with poor fuel economy — we averaged just 19 miles per gallon. With a better engine, we suspect we'd find little to gripe about in this otherwise better-than-average sedan.
And "better than average" pretty much sums up the car overall. Its clean but ultimately invisible styling combined with a rather deluxe interior make the car appealing. Despite the tame engine, the car handles well and provides a reasonably quiet cabin. The Ford Five Hundred is not perfect, but with a starting price of about $23,000 the car is a fine choice for those in need of a competent, feature-laden family sedan. Just try not to cringe too much when you mash the gas from a dead stop.
Compare the average Ford sedan to a Honda or Toyota and virtually all hope is lost if you're one who longs for a day when U.S.-brand automobiles dominate the market as well as the landscape. But the tide is turning a bit. Chrysler's proud-to-be-an-American 300 is a stellar example of what can happen when Detroit throws out the rulebook and looks to develop an all-new product chock-full of value, performance and style.
A far cry from the Chrysler 300, the 2005 Ford Five Hundred is still a credible attempt at building a top-notch sedan. It's a good-looking car that boasts both quality and value — value being key in the Five Hundred formula. On paper, the Five Hundred hits all the marks and looks to be a car that will change the image of Ford sedans. There's only one problem with the car, and it's a big one. But we'll get to that later.
Ford has been promising improved interiors for some time now, and the new F-150 and Expedition were the early recipients of Dearborn's new direction. Thankfully, we feel confident in adding the Five Hundred to the list of recently redesigned Fords that offer impressive interiors and more deluxe accommodations. In Limited trim (the trim of our test car) especially, the Ford Five Hundred comes off more like a near-luxury car than a budget-priced family sedan. The dash area is well laid out and attractive with cream-colored gauge faces surrounded by metallic rings that add an extra hint of class. The center stack is functional but lacks the pizzazz of the gauge cluster.
The Limited's interior has plenty of faux wood trim and a material that looks like brushed aluminum. Of course, it's not really aluminum, but both the fake wood trim and metallic accents are very convincing. On the downside, the leather is not as soft as expected and pales especially when compared to the leather found in the Toyota Avalon.
One thing the Five Hundred certainly does not lack is interior space. The cabin is large and airy with lots of glass to let light in. The rear seat is by far the roomiest we've seen in any $25,000 car, topping even the well-proportioned Chrysler 300 in terms of legroom. Cars like the Chevy Impala and Nissan Maxima also offer roomy rear seats, but the Five Hundred has that extra bit of room that really makes the car feel luxurious. The trunk is equally large with a generous 21 cubic feet of storage space. The only bummer in all this is that while the interior is roomy, the front-seat footwells feel a bit cramped.
The front seats are comfortable and provide enough cushioning without being overly soft. As the Five Hundred and Freestyle share a platform, the Five Hundred feels like it rides a little higher than a typical sedan. While this might not sound significant, it makes the car more comfortable to get in and out of and offers the driver a more commanding view of the road. It may be a gimmick but it does seem to work.
On the road, the Five Hundred performs well with a sportier than expected attitude. The steering is quick and light and the 18-inch wheels are backed up by sticky Pirelli tires. These tires provide more than adequate grip and seem almost lavish given the Five Hundred's budget-friendly price. Through the slalom we noticed some body roll, but the movement was well controlled and predictable. While we wouldn't say cornering is flat, it is an enjoyable car to drive hard. Thankfully, the Five Hundred's slightly sporty handling doesn't come at the expense of a comfortable highway ride. At speeds above 50 mph, a fair amount of road noise creeps into the cabin but wind noise doesn't make itself known until 75 mph or so. The continuously variable transmission (CVT), standard on all-wheel-drive models such as ours, helps to keep engine noise down at highway speeds — the net result is a very pleasant and well-mannered car that is perfectly suited for a long road trip.
So far we have a nice (if unremarkable) looking car that handles well, offers plenty of interior room and trunk space, provides a comfortable interior and does so for thousands of dollars less than a similar import-brand car.
And here's where things start to go awry. That "big problem" we mentioned earlier is an underpowered and unrefined engine. Rather than offer an engine, or choice of engines, that complements the Five Hundred's high points, Ford saddled the Five Hundred with the old 3.0-liter V6 from the Taurus — it's as if the company ran out of money 7/8th through the project. It wouldn't be so bad if buyers had the option of upgrading to something better, but as it stands the Five Hundred is offered only with the V6, and one making all of 203 horsepower at that.
No matter how you slice it, the Ford Five Hundred is underpowered. A quick survey of current V6-powered midsize sedans reveals that the Five Hundred's engine is a serious Achilles' heel. The Nissan Maxima has 265 hp, the Chrysler 300 Touring 250 hp, the Honda Accord V6 240 hp and Mitsubishi Galant V6 230 hp. Only the back marker Chevy Impala has fewer ponies, but even on a good day that would be a straw man comparison.
The Five Hundred's Duratec V6 performs well at midrange rpm, but off the line the car just has no punch. Around town the car feels like a normal family car, but should you need some zip from a dead stop, you'll be sorely disappointed. The lack of refinement is also noticeable and falls far short of the overhead cam V6s from Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota. While the CVT does a good job of keeping the weak engine in its optimal rev range, it also makes for a rather noisy cabin under moderate to heavy acceleration. In addition to the lack of power, the car rounds out the package with poor fuel economy — we averaged just 19 miles per gallon. With a better engine, we suspect we'd find little to gripe about in this otherwise better-than-average sedan.
And "better than average" pretty much sums up the car overall. Its clean but ultimately invisible styling combined with a rather deluxe interior make the car appealing. Despite the tame engine, the car handles well and provides a reasonably quiet cabin. The Ford Five Hundred is not perfect, but with a starting price of about $23,000 the car is a fine choice for those in need of a competent, feature-laden family sedan. Just try not to cringe too much when you mash the gas from a dead stop.
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