The New York Times, Phil Patton, November 5, 2013. From its straightforward wire-fence grille to its big tail lights, this sedan exudes common sense. Vehicle Details Not only is the Five Hundred a breeze to enter, it's a pleasurable place to be seated. I never had to step down — or climb up — to get in, and the high perch offers a commanding view of the road. The four-pillar greenhouse profile brings on déjà vu. The tires sound sporty over some surfaces, too; they rumble on textured city streets, which seems out of character for a whopper. It had 182K miles on it, but the outside looked great, and the inside was like new.
Form Follows Function From fastback rooflines to tall trunks and tiny windows, many cars go to great lengths to look sporty. Few onlookers will fancy its lines, but fewer still will debate its functionality. It still offers plenty of standard features for the money, interior functionality at its best and an excellent safety record. Isn't it wonderful the way our free market keeps confusing shoppers with a blur of choices? On each of the sedans, a defective fuel tank could potentially leak fuel. Theoretically, it offers an infinite number of ratios, optimized on the fly to give the best combination of speed, fuel economy, and emissions. Worse yet, the analog clock in my test car was so poorly lit that I quit using it at night. Still, there is the nagging yawn! That's a shame, because the Five Hundred is otherwise chock-a-block with family values.
Yes, yawns happen in this car, a condition we associate with family four-doors generally. The Five Hundred uses a 3. All-wheel drive substitutes the six-speed gearbox for a continuously variable automatic transmission. This car understeers firmly, consistently, and reliably. The easy-loading trunk holds plenty of luggage, too. At cruising speeds, things change noticeably.
Zero-to-60 comes up in 8. InstalledOptionsFilter selectedInstalledOptionIdList, installedOptionIdToLabelMap, possiblyDroppedOptionsMap ; installedOptionsFilter. But every time I drive this car, I gain respect for it. . A new Chrome Package became available, with 18-inch eight-spoke alloy wheels and a chrome trim mesh grille. An is not available, but Ford says one will be offered for 2008.
This is all quite wonderful to tech minds but completely unsatisfying to our gearhead pleasures. While the Five Hundred would attract attention for its high interior volume, design functionality, value, and large number of safety features, along with its styling, many reviewers criticized the performance of the 3. So many automakers have opted for sensuous shapes even on their most practical vehicles that it's refreshing to see a sedan that flaunts clean lines and looks like what it's intended to be. It features an enormous trunk and expansive rear seats. I never had to step down — or climb up — to get in, and the high perch offers a commanding view of the road. Kelley Blue Book expects the Five Hundred to retain a slightly better-than-average resale value, holding onto more of its value than the and , while remaining on par with the Dodge Charger V6. The Ford Five Hundred is a roomy sedan emphasizing comfort and good ergonomics over performance and pizzazz.
Is the Five Hundred boring? I do have a few gripes, windshield glare off the dash can be very annoying at times. Also, paint is peeling from rust around wheel wells. Not so with the Five Hundred. On longer inclines, the transmission prefers to hold the gear it started in — even though a lower one might provide brisker acceleration — so getting up to speed can take some patience. As with the Five Hundred, the Montego was produced in front and all-wheel drive configurations, sharing the same powertrains. Very comfortable, very roomy, excellent layout. A 10 out of 10 for Ford, my only disapointment is that can't replace it with a new one down the road.
It has 21 cubic feet of trunk room, five more than the 300, and more rear passenger space, too, if only by an insignificant percent. This is a not-so-close second to the Chrysler 300 with its optional 3. I highly recommend Power Kia of Salem. And for a large sedan that doesn't cost much, the Five Hundred goes down the road with unusual precision and composure. Unfortunately, a lot of these designs lead to very little headroom, obscured blind spots and cramped backseats. This car has been replaced by the revived Taurus line- same car, more 'glitz'. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — Cars.
Ford has come a long way in its interior styling. If you think of it as the smartest transmission in the world, always making the best choices, you'll love it. I know alot of big guys have said they love this car, but as an average woman, I have to say the slight up-slant at the sides of the seat keep my rear firming in place, while the deceptively straight-looking back supports not only my lower back, but may shoulders as well, which takes pressure off my neck. And relative to the cautious sedan offerings of recent years, both are as radical as the flat tax. SellerTypeFilter selectedSellerTypeList, null ; sellerTypeFilter. Now has 90,000 miles and I still find excuses to go places so I can keep driving.