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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  Awesome - Highly Underrated - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By mike w - March 25 - 10:43 am

  This car is definintly not for racing, but for a luxurious ride with the family, this is it. This has the largest trunk I have ever seen and the ride is so smooth. The 500 sits higher than other cars so you feel like youre driving a SUV but youre really in a car. I love it.

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  My Company Car - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By John Berg - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Fords got a winner. Fun to drive, comfortable, good mileage (25.6 mph, city and highway, for first 2500 miles [its my company car],lots of positive comments from others on the street as well as passengers.

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  Excellent Car - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Philly - March 5 - 10:13 am

  My husband and I just purchased the Limited FWD and we love it. We traded in our Pathfinder suv. This car blows away any car I have ever owned. I have two car seats in the back and have more room than I had with the suv. The interior is beautiful and the outside looks both strong and elegant. My husband loves the 18 inch Pirelli tires; they look good on this sedan. The command seating is great, especially if previous car was an suv. This is a great family car. It has tons of space inside and out. Ford did a great job. Now there really is no reason to buy a foreign car.

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  We love it. - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By George B - January 27 - 7:56 am

  After hearing about this car on the internet,this was a planned purchase. In NC, sonetimes AWD sure is nice to have. We have had AWD for years in another car, but it is nice to get back to a sedan and nice to get back to Ford. No complaints.

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  2006s Most Underrated Car - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Unfamous - January 19 - 1:43 am

  This car is really fun to drive, and is roomy beyond belief. Sort of feels like youre driving an SUV, but its a sedan. Great on gas too!

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  So far so good - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
  By WilliamVegas - January 11 - 5:26 pm

  Bought the car as a family sedan. We have been delighted with its comfort, performance, build quality, and safety. The 3.0, while not a screamer so to speak, does provide enough oompf to get motoring on the surrounding super highways. Have nearly 10K miles and not experienced any problems to date. The only down side is we expected the fuel economy to be a little better, but being a car of this size, its not really that disappointing. Overall we would buy it again.

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  Great Car - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By James - December 29 - 2:36 am

  I eagerly awaited the Five Hundreds release after I saw it at the Chicago Auto show. I love it. Im glad Ford is finally taking advantage of Volvos engineering.

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  Love This Car - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Gerald - December 9 - 12:10 pm

  Traded an 03 Acura TL which was a great car on the highway, but was not ergonomically suited to less than agile youngsters entering and exiting. And even youth found the back seat less than comfortable. The 500 is just the opposite, and while the 6-speed hunts a lot at around 45-55, it is a a good driving car that is, for a sedan, very responsive.

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  Great Family Car - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
  By Geo - December 7 - 3:34 pm

  Mpg 30 highway, 25 around town, really nice for a comfortable family car

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  Great Car - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By Dave M. - December 3 - 4:36 pm

  Being new parents, we were attracted to this model for really three reasons; safety, reliability, and the roomy interior. The high roofline really is nice when loading the baby in and out of the back seat. In July, we took a 9-hour car trip through the mountains and it was impressive. I dont understand the "lack of power" issue this car climbed those hill effortlessly. I think many are thrown off by the smooth transmission and mistake that for a lack of power. It doesnt feel like you are travelig that fast, then you glance down at the speedometer and say whoa. This is a great vehicle and we are so impressed that when we replace our other vehicle, well be replacing it with a Freestyle.