Overview & Reviews

After years of focusing most of its attention on light trucks, Ford realized it needed a stronger lineup of passenger cars. In particular, the company needed a car that would appeal to families of four and five. The Ford Five Hundred was the result, a large sedan designed to appeal both to ex-SUV owners and traditional full-size-car buyers.

The Ford Five Hundred's biggest advantage was space, as it offered more than 40 inches of legroom front and rear as well as a massive 21-cubic-foot trunk. In addition, the seating position up front was higher than normal to provide a commanding view of the road.

Sales were never particularly strong, however, and Ford decided to rename the Five Hundred as the Taurus starting with the 2008 model year.

Most Recent Ford Five Hundred

Introduced for 2005, the Ford Five Hundred received minimal changes during its brief three-year run. This sedan is based on the previous-generation Volvo S80 platform, and made use of that car's all-wheel drive and safety technology. The Five Hundred's Swedish origins were immediately apparent when you drove it, as it provided both a comfortable ride and competent handling, with nicely weighted steering. Braking performance was mediocre, though, and Volvo's stability control system wasn't included in the package.

Passive safety was excellent in this large sedan. Originally optional, front seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags became standard for 2007. Additionally, the Ford Five Hundred aced crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, earning the highest possible rating in every category.

Three trim levels -- SE, SEL and Limited -- were offered initially, though for its last year the SE was dropped. Front-wheel drive was standard on both trims, with all-wheel drive available as an option. Choosing a front-drive Five Hundred paired the 203-horsepower V6 engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, while opting for AWD mandated a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Key options included rear parking sensors, a navigation system and a rear DVD entertainment system, the latter a rarity in a mid-priced sedan.

Mediocre acceleration was the main drawback to the Five Hundred. Its standard 3.0-liter Duratec V6 was not as powerful or refined as most competitors' engines. Still, the Five Hundred's low pricing and top-notch crash test scores made it a reasonable family car pick. Consumers should know that the Ford Five Hundred was revamped and renamed the Taurus for 2008, and boasted a number of key improvements. The latter included much stronger performance courtesy of a potent new V6, upgraded cabin trim and available stability control.

User Reviews:

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  Just Right - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By ccredbull - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This car hits the mark in every category-it has loads of room, its fun to drive, and looks sharp.

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  Sold cars for 18 years and love the 500 - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
  By retired dealer - December 20 - 6:26 am

  I am thrilled with the dependability, comfort, safety, and storage capacity of this vehicle. The present mileage is at 51,000 and have had no problems. Braking system is excellent, Needed new pads at 40K with no other parts needed. I use Mobil 1 for oil changes and the car runs excellent. I recently drove another ford 500 with 12,000 miles and found no noticeable difference in the drive of my vehicle. The only issue is that I am 64 and the leg room could be about 3" longer for my left leg. I can live with this because many of the vehicles that Ive sold over the years would be non dependable and I would be walking rather than driving. Average mpg is 23.6 since car was new. WOW. LOVE IT.

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  Judging the Ford 500 - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By Hartman - December 18 - 6:16 pm

  Comfortable, excellent seating, very good economy, roomy interior. A very nice car to drive. The ride could be a little softer. We like the car a little better each time we drive it. Excellent on the interstate highway.

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  Ford 500 - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By WK - December 10 - 12:06 am

  I drive the Ford 500 to work and I just love the reliability, and comfort of this vehicle. However, with the gas prices so high, it does make traveling expensive.

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  just bought and drove to California - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By darci - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I love the car but would like to know if anyone has had a problem with the windsheild? Never heard anything hit the glass but have a pinsize inpact point that caused a 6 inch crack way down by pas.wiperblade,now its going to cost $4oo.00 to fix and I havent even made my first payment..also Parking brake ligth doesnt work..

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  great vacation auto - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By vanwyk5 - October 29 - 1:10 pm

  We just completed a family vacation with our new 500 - what a great car! We averaged 28.5 mpg and the kids (3) were comfortable considering we were in the car for 38 hours. The seats were very comfortable; I drove for eleven hours one day and did not have any aches and pains. We had three large suit cases and a full size cooler in the trunk and room to spare. The only complaint was driving in the mountains - the lack of lower gears was a problem because I was riding the brakes a lot. Otherwise this would make an excellent replacement for a minivan.

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  My review by Phil - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By Philip Pfannenstiel - October 12 - 3:13 pm

  Since we purchase the 500 there have only been two others in our community. We have been stopped several times so people can check it out and get our comments, which are very favorable. The only thing bad about buying a new model is the insurance rating. On our trade in Buick Le Sabre Limited it was rated (11) $281 every 6 months. Our Ford Explorer (11) $281 every 6 months and the 500 (17) $465 every 6 months and that is with 5 agencies that we checked with. Another thing is when we were looking of the 500 Limited it seems 80% of them had a moon roof that was a $900 option we didnt want and it took close to a week for our dealer to find one without. Other then that we love the 500.

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  Love the room and ride - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By steve - September 26 - 3:53 pm

  Replaced a Dodge intrepid 94 with the new 500. Many new features and love the large seating and trunk. Picked the AWD, due to high speed stability. 2WD was twitchy on back roads. First tank of gas was 27.5 mpg. The body is tight and very good craftsmanship. The trunk can be rented out for an apartment.

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  Great Car - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By Miller - September 19 - 4:56 pm

  Only had it for about a month, can see it will be a great car that will help with the budget due to gas mileage. Pretty sporty inside and out. Enjoy driving it.

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  My view from the Ivy Tower - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Marion E. Hall - September 17 - 8:46 am

  This is our first all wheel drive and our first CVT. This makes for some interesting situations when the car is in the cruse mode and you are in hilly areas. Overall, the car performed quite well.