What is it?
2008 Ford Five Hundred
What's special about it?
We are among the only car hacks who think that the current Ford Five Hundred is not a bad-looking car, what with its vaguely Volkswagen Passat-like proportions and roofline. So OK, it isn't pretty, exactly. But neither is it plug-ugly like a Toyota Avalon or Chevrolet Impala. But we surely hate the weak-kneed 3.0-liter V6 that is mated, in AWD models, to a silly continuously variable transmission (CVT), which is continuously annoying. But we digress.
Ford has, in its own words, "applied some of the Fusion magic to the new Five Hundred for 2008." This means that the full-size Five Hundred now has the rectangular chrome three-bar grille. Certainly the headlights of the '08 model, which will arrive in showrooms this summer, are also modified and planted at either side of the grille. Ford stresses that this is more than just a "re-fresh" of the old model and, indeed, close inspection reveals that most of the front end is technically different from the outgoing Five Hundred.
Casual viewers will be forgiven for not noticing some of the smaller detail changes, as reflections from the shiny, shiny new grille will have seared their retinas. The taillights, though the same triangular shape as those of the outgoing model, now have pronounced horizontal trim over clear lenses. Ford says this further ties the '08 Five Hundred's styling to the hit Fusion. They now also look much more like the units applied to the not-a-hit Mercury version of the Five Hundred, the Montego. Call it six of these or a half-dozen of those.
The new obsessively horizontal nose, with its straight grille straps doesn't match up too well with the arched roof and generally soft contours of the rest of the body. Like seemingly every new Ford design, the company has pierced a hole in each of the front fenders, surrounded it with chrome and called it a vent.
For 2008, the Five Hundred also gets the new and soon-to-be-ubiquitous 3.5-liter V6. The Five Hundred version, making 260 horsepower, is down a few ponies from the versions used in the Edge crossover and Lincoln MKZ sedan. But it does pump out more juice than either of the available V6s offered in the Impala and is within 10 hp of the Avalon's V6.
Possibly more important than the engine upgrade is the Five Hundred's transmission swap for '08. The company has ditched the CVT that was the only transmission offered with the all-wheel-drive system in favor of the company's new six-speed automatic. We've driven this transmission, which is the result of a joint project between Ford and General Motors, in the Edge and found it smooth and responsive. Ford reckons that the new powertrain should be able to chop 1.5 seconds from the Five Hundred's 0-60-mph sprint. According to the company's estimates then, it'll do the deed in about 6.5 seconds. That's quicker than a V6-powered Chrysler 300C but about a half-second slower than an Avalon.
The optional all-wheel-drive system is new, too. This new system is identical to the one offered on the Edge and replaces the Volvo-based gear that was previously available. Ford took this opportunity to gussy up the interior a bit with optional shiny koa wood trim and a new center console. The company also retuned the suspension with the aim of improving ride quality and added more sound-deadening material around the interior. Other than the new powertrain, though, the most compelling pieces of news for the Five Hundred are the availability of an electronic stability control system and the optional Sync system.
Sync, which will be offered on the 2008 Focus first and later in the model year for the Five Hundred, is a Bluetooth-based system that allows you to operate mobile phones and iPods (and other portable digital media players) with voice commands. Developed with Microsoft, Sync can read aloud your incoming text messages, even translating "LOL" to "laugh out loud." Through the integrated USB 2.0 port in the center console, users can connect a flash memory stick loaded with music or plug in a digital media player, such as an iPod or Microsoft's Zune. Once plugged in, a user can operate his iPod using voice commands to choose the category of music, artist or song title. The USB port also charges the device's battery. All of this will no doubt confound the Five Hundred's older owners.
What's Edmunds' take?
With the new powertrain, the Five Hundred is now at least competitive with others in the full-size-sedan class. But we can't help but think this is just a stop-gap measure and not the game-changer that Ford needs right now. — Daniel Pund
2008 Ford Five Hundred
What's special about it?
We are among the only car hacks who think that the current Ford Five Hundred is not a bad-looking car, what with its vaguely Volkswagen Passat-like proportions and roofline. So OK, it isn't pretty, exactly. But neither is it plug-ugly like a Toyota Avalon or Chevrolet Impala. But we surely hate the weak-kneed 3.0-liter V6 that is mated, in AWD models, to a silly continuously variable transmission (CVT), which is continuously annoying. But we digress.
Ford has, in its own words, "applied some of the Fusion magic to the new Five Hundred for 2008." This means that the full-size Five Hundred now has the rectangular chrome three-bar grille. Certainly the headlights of the '08 model, which will arrive in showrooms this summer, are also modified and planted at either side of the grille. Ford stresses that this is more than just a "re-fresh" of the old model and, indeed, close inspection reveals that most of the front end is technically different from the outgoing Five Hundred.
Casual viewers will be forgiven for not noticing some of the smaller detail changes, as reflections from the shiny, shiny new grille will have seared their retinas. The taillights, though the same triangular shape as those of the outgoing model, now have pronounced horizontal trim over clear lenses. Ford says this further ties the '08 Five Hundred's styling to the hit Fusion. They now also look much more like the units applied to the not-a-hit Mercury version of the Five Hundred, the Montego. Call it six of these or a half-dozen of those.
The new obsessively horizontal nose, with its straight grille straps doesn't match up too well with the arched roof and generally soft contours of the rest of the body. Like seemingly every new Ford design, the company has pierced a hole in each of the front fenders, surrounded it with chrome and called it a vent.
For 2008, the Five Hundred also gets the new and soon-to-be-ubiquitous 3.5-liter V6. The Five Hundred version, making 260 horsepower, is down a few ponies from the versions used in the Edge crossover and Lincoln MKZ sedan. But it does pump out more juice than either of the available V6s offered in the Impala and is within 10 hp of the Avalon's V6.
Possibly more important than the engine upgrade is the Five Hundred's transmission swap for '08. The company has ditched the CVT that was the only transmission offered with the all-wheel-drive system in favor of the company's new six-speed automatic. We've driven this transmission, which is the result of a joint project between Ford and General Motors, in the Edge and found it smooth and responsive. Ford reckons that the new powertrain should be able to chop 1.5 seconds from the Five Hundred's 0-60-mph sprint. According to the company's estimates then, it'll do the deed in about 6.5 seconds. That's quicker than a V6-powered Chrysler 300C but about a half-second slower than an Avalon.
The optional all-wheel-drive system is new, too. This new system is identical to the one offered on the Edge and replaces the Volvo-based gear that was previously available. Ford took this opportunity to gussy up the interior a bit with optional shiny koa wood trim and a new center console. The company also retuned the suspension with the aim of improving ride quality and added more sound-deadening material around the interior. Other than the new powertrain, though, the most compelling pieces of news for the Five Hundred are the availability of an electronic stability control system and the optional Sync system.
Sync, which will be offered on the 2008 Focus first and later in the model year for the Five Hundred, is a Bluetooth-based system that allows you to operate mobile phones and iPods (and other portable digital media players) with voice commands. Developed with Microsoft, Sync can read aloud your incoming text messages, even translating "LOL" to "laugh out loud." Through the integrated USB 2.0 port in the center console, users can connect a flash memory stick loaded with music or plug in a digital media player, such as an iPod or Microsoft's Zune. Once plugged in, a user can operate his iPod using voice commands to choose the category of music, artist or song title. The USB port also charges the device's battery. All of this will no doubt confound the Five Hundred's older owners.
What's Edmunds' take?
With the new powertrain, the Five Hundred is now at least competitive with others in the full-size-sedan class. But we can't help but think this is just a stop-gap measure and not the game-changer that Ford needs right now. — Daniel Pund
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