2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD - Review
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD
WITH CAREY RUSS
2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD
SEE ALSO: New Car Buyer's Guide for Ford
It seemed like the ink was barely dry on the paperwork for Ford's buyout of Volvo Cars in 1999 when I first heard the rumor: the next-generation Taurus would be based on the Volvo S80. As automotive industry rumors go, that was a pretty wild one - the norm when a large company acquires a smaller one is that the smaller manufacturer's products disappear as separate entities, and become versions of the larger company's offerings. But Ford has an admirable record of leaving its acquisitions alone to do what they do best in the manner they do best, and even of helping them to do so. Volvo went on to use the basic platform for the S80 in the smaller S60 sedan and V70 wagon, and the larger XC90 SUV. The Ford Taurus soldiered on with minor styling freshenings. It looked like the Ford-uses-Volvo-platform rumor was just another bit of the misinformation, disinformation, and just plain fantasy that keep the automotive rumor mill so entertaining.
Wrong. It was correct, except that the ``next-generation Taurus'' wasn't called Taurus. Ford's new flagship sedan is called Five Hundred, and underneath it is a modified version of the platform originally used for the S80. ``Platform'' in this case means basic structural architecture and suspension design, some of the most expensive parts of a car to develop.
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One reason for SUV popularity and the decline of the sedan has been space.
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So, with available all-wheel drive and interior versatility, is the Ford Five Hundred is designed to be an SUV replacement? Well, yes, except for the small minority of SUV owners who actually do need serious off-road ability. As I discovered in a recent week with an all-wheel drive Limited, it has an amazing amount of space, especially in the trunk, and is a solid, comfortable car that is pleasant to drive. At just over 20 mpg for mostly around-town driving, it may not be as economical as a hybrid, but beats any SUV with a similar amount of useful space hands-down.
APPEARANCE: All of the current Ford passenger car styling themes are exemplified in the Five Hundred - meaning that it's a conservative, European-influenced design that strikes a balance between the overly-rounded 1996 Taurus and the subsequent ``New Edge'' angularity of the 2000 Focus. There is a more-than-passing resemblance to the current Focus in the grille and headlight styling, but the Five Hundred is considerably larger. Considerably. It bests a Taurus by three inches in length, an inch and a half in width, and five and a half inches in height, and the conservative lines, dominance of the passenger cabin, and large wheels and tires make it look even bigger. It's still a foot shorter and four inches narrower than a Crown Vic, although it looks nearly as large.
COMFORT: The most important part of the Five Hundred is its interior. It offers ample room for five, and, according to Ford, trunk space for eight sets of golf clubs.
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SAFETY: The original S80 version of the platform had noteworthy crash performance, and the Five Hundred continues this with front and rear crush zones designed to distribute crash energy around the central safety-cage cabin in a controlled fashion. Side impacts are controlled both structurally and by available side and side-curtain airbags. Four-wheel antilock disc brakes are standard, with twin-piston front calipers.
RIDE AND HANDLING: Given its rigid chassis and softly-sprung but well-damped fully-independent suspension, the Ford Five Hundred is meant for comfort. But it is surprisingly enjoyable to drive on the scenic route as well as the Interstate. The all-wheel drive system operates in front-wheel drive mode most of the time, sending power to the rear wheels when necessary. Interestingly, the tires on my test car were Pirelli P6es, at one time Pirelli's number two high-performance tire. All-wheel drive and good tires? This is not your basic late-60s large family sedan!
PERFORMANCE: With the trusty 3.0-liter aluminum alloy twincam Duratec V6 producing 203 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 207 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm, the Five Hundred won't set any acceleration records, although at under 9 seconds zero-to-60 it is perfectly adequate in daily life and quicker than many an SUV. It is, after all, a family sedan, not a sports car. The CVT may take a little getting used to, but does its job well. Engine and road speed acceleration may not be directly related. It's strange at first, then normal - and no transmission shifts more smoothly than one that has no discrete shifting. A wide ratio spread in the ZF-Batavia CVT makes allows both a low initial ratio for good acceleration and a high overdrive for economical cruising. Chain, not belt, drive in the CVT should give it good durability.
CONCLUSIONS: You say you like the space and versatility of an SUV but not the high step-in and thirst? Try the new Ford Five Hundred sedan - it offers the space and interior versatility with more comfort, better handling, and better fuel economy.
SPECIFICATIONS 2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD Base Price $ 27,845 Price As Tested $ 30,525 Engine Type aluminum alloy dual overhead cam 24-valve V6 Engine Size 3.0 liters / 182 cu. in. Horsepower 203 @ 5750 rpm Torque (lb-ft) 207 @ 4500 rpm Transmission wide-ratio continuously-variable Wheelbase / Length 112.9 in. / 200.7 in. Curb Weight 3815 lbs. Pounds Per Horsepower 18.8 Fuel Capacity 19 gal. Fuel Requirement 87-octane unleaded regular gasoline Tires P225/55 TR18 Pirelli P6 Brakes, front/rear vented disc / solid disc Suspension, front/rear independent MacPherson strut / independent multilink Drivetrain front engine, all-wheel drive PERFORMANCE EPA Fuel Economy - miles per gallon city / highway / observed 19 / 26 / 21 0 to 60 mph 8.8 sec OPTIONS AND CHARGES Universal garage door opener $ 115 Power moonroof $ 895 Safety package - includes: driver & front passenger side airbags, side curtain airbags $ 595 Reverse sensing system $ 250 Memory adjustable pedals $ 175 Destination charge $ 650