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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Never buy a Ford Five Hundred! - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
By smac315 - April 21 - 3:40 amI bought this car with just under 35k miles on it. The car just hit 68k miles and I had to replace the transmission already. Ive heard from the transmission repair shop the the Ford five hundreds are having this problem. I contacted Ford and they said they wouldnt do anything about it and to simply take it to my "local Ford dealership repair shop" and they could fix it for me. Yeah they could fix it, at the tune of $1700.00. Its funny how we support an American company that wont even back up there product when there is clearly a wide spread problem with the transmission on this car. I am now looking to buy a Toyota or Honda!
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Personal Experience - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
By Mitchell - September 2 - 1:26 pmPurchased for wife new. Car is underpowered, power steering is unsually stiff. I drove others and the steering is the same, stiff. Takes more effort to turn. Transmission went out at 37000 miles, heated seats stopped working twice shortly after purchase, repaired under warranty. Stopped working again past warranty, still dont work. Front wheel bearing went out at 39000, air conditioner quit at 71000, rear brakes and rotors replaced under recall, engine extremely noisy when down shifting/acelerating to pass on highway. Also had to replace bulbs in front fog lamps and rear tail lights.
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Transmission Issues - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
By karent4 - July 8 - 6:31 pm2006 Ford 500 transmission bushing shot $1,200; that hurts!
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transmission clunking - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
By jmlws - July 2 - 11:17 pmBought car used with 128k miles, shortly transmission started clunking loudly in lower gears between 2 & 3 on the CVT tranny. I guess Im not the only one with tranny problems on these cars. If Ford made a lemon you would thing they would do the right thing and announce a recall to keep their people happy. It would actually bring them more new business. This will be my last Ford unless they fix it.
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Warning: for city use only! - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
By carlota - June 17 - 12:56 pmWhen I first drove the 500, it was a pleasant experience. My first impression was that it was a nice, large sedan that handles well, despite the "plain brown wrapper" design. Then I drove back home. I live in a rural area on a dirt road. All the roads in my area are dirt. Dirt turns to mud, and thats when the 500 starts to slip and slide. It is terrifying to drive this car on anything other than smooth, dry pavement. Big problems in the handling. Yikes! Also, my knees bump the dash. Im short, so by the time the seat is up far enough, there is no leg room left.
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NEVER BUY THIS CAR!!! - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
By cjculster - May 30 - 6:11 pmBought mine used with only 100,000 on it and before 3 months had passed, the transmission computer was fried and I was getting an average of 15.5 mpg. Also the tires wear out really fast, the ones that came with the car had about 10,000 miles on them and one blew out in the first 5,000 miles I drove it, this may have been a lemon tire though so I dont know if its actually the car or not. The brakes clog up and dont work on gravel and/or snow.
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Bad Brakes - Ford Wont Fix Rear Pads - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
By jim - November 16 - 8:33 amWe drove our new Ford 500 home; after driving 400 miles the brakes were pulsing and making a loud grinding noise. We took it in to the dealer and it needed new rotors and pads. Now we cant go 1000 miles before our wheels are totally black with brake dust in the rear only. I am told that Ford is going to develop new pads this quarter to fix the problem. This is a nice car but we have had all these brake problems and we cant get an answer if our car is even safe to drive. 400 miles for a set of rotors and is not normal and I dont think its too safe either.
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Rear End Scrapes! - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
By Robert K Weidner - November 8 - 9:23 pmThe 500 is a disaster for Ford. The rear end on my car even when unloaded, scrapes pavement on every speed bump and rain gutter road indentation. I am always wary of high centering this car. The huge trunk is oversized at the expense of basic sound engineering. This is very disappointing!
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LACKS POWER - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
By STANNY - June 23 - 11:36 amThe car seems to have a hugh hesitation when weather is warm or cold and a lot of pull on the motor. It seems to have no 0-30mph get up and go.
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Could be better - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
By vocomchris - March 12 - 9:50 amEverything about this car yells Granpa or Granma. The truth is it has every safety feature out there that you want for your kids. That is why I got one. The problem is design flaws that allow for road trash to rip the fuel line off the bottom of the car. This happened to me. Some other annoying things are that it tends to accelerate while at a complete stop. It is akin to the Toyota problem. Then there are the brakes that dont seem to last more than 15k miles. I find the car has potential but just shy of four years the problems are starting to come out of hiding. It has soured me to Ford.
