Ford is on the Right Track

It has been a long time since I have written a review here at Epinions. I guess it just took something worth writing about...I just sold my Expedition and have purchased a 2005 Ford Five Hundred...a car I feel is worth writing about.

The Trim Packages
I ordered an SEL, which is the middle trim package. While I was waiting for my model to arrive, the dealership lent me the Five Hundred Limited, which was fully equipped. The Limited was a beautiful car, with a sticker in the mid 27,000 dollar range. The one I borrowed had a sun roof, 18-inch Pirelli Tires, adjustable pedals, memory buttons for two driver settings, and heated leather seats. These were in addition to the features that were on the model I ordered (the SEL). The SEL has 17-inch tires, dual climate controls, multiple seat control settings to find that perfect driving position, an in-dash 6 CD changer/player that also plays MP3s, as well as other creature comforts. The SEL had a sticker of 25,000 (which included reverse backing sensors which are not standard on this model). The base model has a sticker in the 22,000 to 23,000 dollar range.

Exterior Styling
The exterior of the Ford Five Hundred has smooth lines and a very European look. A friend of mine recently remarked that he thought I had purchased a Mercedes...not quite...but close enough. The styling isn't necessarily remarkable, but effortlessly emits an elegance not typically associated with Ford. The car has a very tall appearance, and actually looks smaller than it is, because of her height. I parked mine next to a Crown Victoria and was surprised to see that it was very close in length, but appeared to have a longer "cabin" space. The factory rims on the car are very attractive without being gaudy. The SEL and Limited also have chrome accents which lend the car a bit of additional class. However, on the Limited, they half chromed the back of the mirrors, which I thought was a bit over-the-top.

Interior Styling
The interior of the Five Hundred is roomy. I was very surprised at the head clearance, as well as the leg room in the front and back. The Limited and SEL come with faux wood grain accents on the console, which add a touch of elegance. The chrome and leather gear shift is located between the driver and passenger, which looks good, but isn't necessarily the best use of space. There are more cup holders than passenger seating, which is a little odd, but not bad.

The Limited I borrowed from the Dealer was a beautiful Burgundy (I think they called it Merlot) with a tan interior. I didn't care for the tan interior, and thought that the console was again, a little over-the-top. The gages had white backgrounds, which looked attractive and gaudy at the same time. It kind of grew on me, but I'm glad I chose the SEL with a more sedate console. The SEL still has the wood-grain accents, with a more traditional black gauge panel. My SEL is black with a gray interior, which has an extremely classy look.

Seating
The seating is ample and comfortable. The adjustments allow for a variety of seating positions for a comfortable ride. I was taking the neighbor kids to school a few days ago, and the young man who ended up in the middle of the back seat commented about how comfortable the middle of the seat was. It sounds like the "middle hump" in the back is well padded to prevent the stiffness sometimes associated with the middle of the back seat. The back seats and the passenger seat all fold down, to allow access to the trunk. If you needed to, you could place long items inside the car, stretching from the front passenger area all the way into the spacious trunk. However, I think I will just borrow a truck if I need to haul lumber.

The Trunk
Okay, who really cares about the trunk, anyway? Well, I guess I do. I traded my Expedition because I no longer need the four-wheel drive (having moved last year to a more sensible climate. But I still travel to visit relatives, and it's good to know that I will be able to load the car down with luggage (and presents, when appropriate), without sacrificing any cabin space. When you open the trunk, it's like staring into a black hole. It's huge. If you loaded five golfers into this car, I believe the trunk could accommodate all of their golf bags...I haven't tried it...but I believe they would fit.

The Ride
I just finished my first trip, putting 1,400 miles on the Five Hundred in a two-day span. The car handled extremely well. The trip took me back to the Chicago area, where it was snowing and extremely windy. The car handled the slick roads well. The wind caught me once or twice and I felt a slight tug, but nothing that had me worried. The exterior noise is minimal (especially when compared to the Expedition or my Escort). The car accelerates smoothly, but not necessarily quickly. The six-speed, six-cylinder engine has twenty-four valves, which is economical, but not the quickest in it's class. However, the car does accelerate adequately. The steering is smooth and responsive. It feels a little bit loose, but not enough to be concerned. The seats were comfortable for an extended drive like this, and felt wide for my 5 foot ten inch, 180 pound frame. It appeared adequate for a much larger driver, without cramping.

Safety
The Ford Five Hundred is built on a Volvo frame. The car is equipped with dual front airbags. The front passenger seat contains a sensor, that detects the weight of the passenger. If the passenger is below a certain weight, the car will automatically disable the passenger airbag, which is indicated with a warning lamp in the dashboard. The car also has a digital warning system built into the odometer, which advises of any problems, such as indicating that one of the doors is not fastened securely.

Price
The Ford Five Hundred is stylish, if not as fast or smooth as the other cars in it's class. However, the price sets it far ahead of the competition. Expect to pay several thousand dollars less for the Ford Five Hundred than a full-sized sedan by Ford's competitors. I would expect that Ford will eventually offer an eight-cylinder model, which may increase the price a bit, and still remain lower than the competition. I would say that the Ford offers a great deal of bang for the buck, creating a vehicle that feels like luxury at an obtainable price...who says "you can't have your cake and eat it, too?"

Fuel Economy
One of the attractive features of the Ford Five Hundred is the six-speed transmission. I have noticed that the car downshifts more readily with even moderate acceleration. The downshifting doesn't really bother me, although I know it's dropping the fuel economy a bit. However, the overall fuel economy is pretty good for this size car. The sticker indicates 21 mpg for city driving and 29 mpg for highway driving. Over the course of my recent trip, I measured my fuel economy. The majority of this driving was highway, and included night time and poor weather conditions, meaning that I had my headlights and windshield wipers, as well as the heater running quite a bit. Over this driving period, the Five Hundred averaged 24.6 mpg.

Comparison Shopping
When I decided it was time to trade my Expedition for a full-sized sedan, I was initially leaning toward the Chrysler 300M. I like the styling of the 300M, especially the tall front end. The other car that I was considering was the Ford Crown Victoria. I have driven the Crown Victoria off and on for the past twenty years, as a work car. I like the roominess of the Crown Victoria, which seems a little more spacious than the Five Hundred. The Five Hundred has the gear shift located between the driver and passenger, where a manual shifter would be located. This cuts into the feel of roominess a little bit. However, the Five Hundred did not feel at all cramped. The Five Hundred handles better and has tighter steering than the Crown Victoria's that I have driven. It also has better fuel economy and is a little bit less expensive. I did not test drive the 300M. I based my decision to go with the Five Hundred on my test drive of the Five Hundred and the price. The Five Hundred was several thousand dollars less than the 300M. I was equally impressed with the styling on both vehicles, but am not in a position to compare the ride or each vehicle, because I did not test drive the 300M (which I would consider the car that would be most similar to the Five Hundred). Epinions author mkaresh has developed a website for side-by-side vehicle comparison if you want to do your own price comparisons. The website is located at www.truedelta.com.

Final Assessment
It appears, to date, that I am the only owner of a Ford Five Hundred that has written a review. As an owner, it is apparent that I think highly of this car. I like the ride, I like the styling, I like the roominess, and I like the price. I would certainly recommend the Ford Five Hundred to anyone in the market for a full-sized sedan.