2005 Ford Review

Specifications

Deceivingly Large and Unexpectedly Good

Exactly where the new Ford Five Hundred fits into the North American full-size sedan scene is not yet known. When the car was in its planning stages, no doubt the specifications chosen for overall size, features and performance, as well as its styling theme, were on target with the best in the entry-level luxury business, but now that the mid- to large-size segment has been successfully upended by Chrysler and its new 300-series sedan, will the more conservative Five Hundred put up a good fight or languish in obscurity?

Of course, I cant answer that question, only you can, and that with your wallet. I can, however, attempt to draw some similarities between the two new entries, as well as some very clear differences. But in doing such its important to bring to light additional competitors in this segment, so as not to get caught up in the epic battle-of-titans scenario thats being played out by auto writers across the nation.

Why the big comparo? Cmon, pitting the two most important cars to come down the respective pikes of two of the worlds largest automakers, both on the road back from financial hardship is a no brainer. The 300 was a make-it-or-break-it car for Chrysler - and I say “was” as there is no doubt it has made it, at least over the short term. Ford, with an entirely different approach to the same market segment, is relying on the loyalties of traditionally conservative blue oval buyers and hoping to reach beyond into import territory by scooping up a few disenfranchised Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota owners. More likely it will lure in Hyundai XG 350 and Mitsubishi Diamante customers, plus what could be a sizeable Volkswagen Passat ownership base, one of the most troubled automakers with regards to reliability, but one that has already bought into the J Mays arcing approach to automotive design (more on that in a minute).

Now dont get me wrong, its not that the Five Hundred isnt good enough to convert Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota owners if they ever stepped out of their cars long enough to drive one, its just that the overwhelming majority wont. To this end Chrysler scores a solid victory. Like it or not, the 300 is daring, bold, and extroverted. That striking in-your-face styling created immediate curiosity when it debuted, and resultantly has spurred on a great deal of showroom traffic. How much curiosity will the Five Hundred garner? My guess is if it wasnt for all the excitement stirred up over the 300 vs. 500 feud, not a heck of a lot.

Thats not saying that its unattractive. Actually, the Five Hundred looks pretty fine, even better on the road. I particularly like its tasteful grille treatment and large Euro headlight clusters, while its rear end styling is pleasant with Mercedes-like triangular taillights. But there was more than one joke among journalists present at the Milwaukee-Chicago launch that Fords head of design J Mays can only draw one sedan profile, the arc. And like most humor, theres usually some reality behind the jab. After all, the big Ford sedan looks a heck of a lot like a larger-than-life VW Passat in profile, not a bad car to be influenced by of course, but hardly cutting-edge design-language either. Its not a copy of the VW, mind you, because the man who penned it, or at least the man who oversaw the penmanship being that George Bucher is credited as chief designer, is the same guy who drew up the German sedan. That makes the similarities OK in my books.

So, the Five Hundred might not be particularly aspirational from a design perspective, but neither are a lot of rival cars in this category, and they do fairly well. Some would put buyers of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and the rest of the midsize group in the Five Hundreds targets as well, and due to the Fords strong value proposition some will no doubt take the bait, but for the purposes of this review size and price will be the determining factor in deciding which cars compete.

Take the Toyota Avalon for example. While not a giant seller in large metropolitan areas, take a trip to Palm Springs or just about anywhere in Florida - OK what Im trying to say is any retirement community - and theyre as plentiful as Ford Focuses in the heart of big cities. Is it due to the cars stellar styling? Not in the slightest! From a design perspective, the Av looks like a pudgy octogenarian sporting a bad toupee. The Five Hundred looks like an M-B S-Class in comparison. How about the Hyundai XG 350 or Korean competitor Kia Amanti? In my view neither knows what it wants to be. The XG gets mistaken for that Lincoln no-ones ever seen, and the Amanti just leaves people confused with its deep Lancia-style grille, circular Mercedes-Benz headlamps, and Lincoln Town Car-like formal profile. While these are large cars, neither performs particularly well either.

While the Five Hundred might have critics who dont think Ford went far enough with its design, I for one am glad they kept it simple and to the point. After all, not everyone wants something as visually outspoken as the Chrysler 300. Some prefer the understated approach to life, and I dont just mean FBI agents and ghost car-equipped undercover police.

On that thought, I was driving an all-black limited model through the outlying Chicago area, following another all-black Ford with a black Expedition pulling up the rear. Little did I know that the Expedition was filled with North American regional president Joe Padillas security guards, who seemed a little antsy about having a car between them and their joint chief of staff. I pulled over to the shoulder without losing speed and the Expedition sped past, at which moment I snuck in behind without dropping my place. I couldnt help thinking what it must have looked like to the guy behind me in his Honda Accord, to see a black Ford sedan make way for a black Expedition, so that it could speed up and catch another black Ford sedan. Heh, its kind of fun playing feds.

Thinking about the Five Hundreds nondescript nature and combining that with its tremendous functionality, I find it difficult to believe that Ford will be able to keep sales restricted to retail only. At least thats the automakers plan, a business model seen as important for bolstering resale values and changing peoples perceptions that large Ford sedans are primarily for taxi cab and police car duties. Im not saying that retail customers wont pay heed to how good the car really is, and trade up from their Tauruses when the leases run out, but itll be hard for fleet managers to say to the countless corporations that have always bought cars like the Crown Vic and Taurus en masse for tremendous discount to populate their respective vehicle pools, that “you sir cant purchase the 376 Five Hundreds needed for your national sales staff, but rather youll have to go and buy them from an individual dealer one at a time because the car isnt going to be sold that way.” Get real. I cant see it happening.

Besides, all that makes the Five Hundred an excellent family car or businesspersons conveyance are the same attributes that will cause fleet buyers to want to purchase them. It offers a great price, first and foremost, quick acceleration for the segment, great handling, front- or all-wheel drive powertrain choices, excellent fuel economy, major improvements in interior quality, massive interior dimensions, especially when seated in the rear, and a gargantuan trunk.

Yeah, Ford is still touting the eight golf bag capability of the Five Hundreds 21.0 cubic foot hold, despite the fact that only five individuals can legally ride inside the car. A few snickering journalists from the back of the presentation room stuck a few jabs in about “eight golf bags or four perps,” cop-speak for criminals. Or how about the “eight golf bags or four wheelchairs” jibe, a stab at what some analysts consider will be the most likely age group to buy into the big sedan.

Even if these analysts are right, and the median age for the Five Hundred buyer is close to or past retirement age, who really cares? Theyve got the money, at least more on average than Mitsubishis younger set, and we all know how that turned out, plus theres a lot more boomers out their than any other generation. Automakers such as Toyota celebrate the fact that their Avalon has a median age of about 70 years. Hey, maybe thats why the Japanese automaker designed a car that looks like the automotive equivalent of a comb-over.

The fact is that both companies are targeting different audiences with each entry, much in the same way BMW dupes it out with Mercedes-Benz. Reality is, few BMW customers walk across the road and purchase a Mercedes-Benz, at least until they mature in years, as the two companies are fundamentally different at the core. Likewise, Fords Five Hundred and Chryslers 300 arent direct rivals at all, getting back to the epic comparison.

But interestingly enough each car took a similar root in development. The Chrysler, and its Dodge Magnum wagon and upcoming Charger sedan LX siblings, is the direct result of Chrysler Groups marriage with then Daimler-Benz, a company now called DaimlerChrysler. Much of the cars general architecture, including its suspension components, steering rack and 5-speed transmission, are sourced from the very competent Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Likewise, the Five Hundred team took advantage of its relationship with Swedens Volvo, a sibling nameplate thats also part of the Ford Motor Company umbrella through its Premier Auto Group (PAG) parent. The new sedan sports chassis architecture from Volvos flagship S80 sedan, including its sophisticated Haldex all-wheel drive system.

Like the 300, the Five Hundred boasts American iron under the hood, albeit the 2.7-, 3.5-liter V6s and 5.7-liter HEMI V8 are only beginning to enter European Chrysler dealerships while the 3.0-liter Duratec 30 can be found in everything from Fords domestic Taurus, Ford of Europes Mondeo, Englands Jaguar X-Type and some miles away Japans Mazda6, in different stages of tuning and refinement.

In Five Hundred trim the engine makes very little intrusive noise at all, which is ideal for this segment which values comfort over sport nine times out of ten. I mentioned this to Paul Mascarenas, Fords Executive Director of Medium and Large Front-Wheel Drive Vehicles, who was on the ride with me and my co-driver, and he said the engine has gone through many stages of refinement to make it as smooth and quiet as it is. At its core are most of the trappings of top-tier powerplants, such as dual-overhead cam and 4-valve per cylinder architecture, but all the same theres nothing particularly outstanding with its final output numbers of 203 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 207 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm.

Then how does it sprint to 100 km/h quicker than a 250 horsepower V6-powered Chrysler 300? While theres a slight edge in curb weight, with the Ford fitter than the Chrysler by 57 pounds in base trim, but that wouldnt make much of a difference when factoring in the Chrysler 3.5-liter engines 43 lb-ft torque advantage. No, it comes down to the fact Ford chose a sophisticated European-source ZF-Batavia continuously variable transmission (CVT), or in upper models a 6-speed automatic, compared to Chryslers rather archaic 4-speed gearbox. The CVT is optimal, keeping the engines sweet spot constant while it adjusts the gearing ratio to increase speed. While theres a touch of slip at takeoff, or at least it feels like there is as it doesnt lock up like a conventional automatic, theres no mistaking the CVTs benefit during acceleration. I liked the way the 6-speed felt at takeoff better than the CVT, due to its initial punch, but the engineers made it clear the CVT is slightly quicker. The 6-speed benefits the Five Hundred in much the same way as the CVT, being that its shorter intervals allow the V6 to maintain optimal power. Chryslers 4-speed unit hunts up and down noticeably, trying its best to find the best ratio to do the job but missing at least one in the process. Chrysler engineers recently confided in me that the reason V6 300s dont feature the 5-speed automatic that HEMI V8-powered 300Cs do, merely comes down to the inability for production to keep up. A 5-speed for V6-powered cars was promised to be on the way.

So, if its beginning to sound like Fords Five Hundred is a bit more sophisticated than the current Chrysler 300, youre right. Not only does its V6 offer dual-overhead cam technology, and its transmission two additional forward gears, but in all-wheel drive trim its electronic Haldex system, the same that Volvo incorporates into its AWD models, has few equals if any.

Ford showed us just how capable its best-in-class all-wheel drive system is by renting out the corner of a Wisconsin gravel pit and pointing us up a 35 percent grade of fine dirt and loose gravel. To be clear, this particular test was set up for us to compare its new Freestyle crossover SUV to the Chrysler Pacifica AWD and Buick Rendezvous AWD. To make a long story short, even the Five Hundred sedan walked away from the SUV-like Pacifica when starting from standstill halfway up the steep embankment. The Rendezvous couldnt even get off the mark from that location at all, but rather had to back down again, only making it to the top from a running start. Impressive.

As was the Ford sedans abilities to maneuver around a well laid out autocross course. I have to admit that the 300 handled the course well too, but the Five Hundred felt lighter on its feet and resultantly quicker in transitional response, important during emergency lane changes. The comparative Camry was much better than I expected, actually feeling fairly feisty on Fords makeshift track. It also offered a very comfortable ride. But did it perform as well as the Five Hundred in combined ride and handling? No, the much bigger Ford has the edge in both categories.

I cant speculate on how important at-the-limit handling will be to Five Hundred buyers, despite those that understand the importance of a nimble chassis for accident avoidance. I suspect most will be drawn to the car because of its accommodating interior space and attractively understated interior design. The dash layout looks nice, while ergonomics are excellent. The Five Hundred also boasts good fit and finish and decent plastics quality, especially on the dash and upper door trim. If youre used to Volkswagen or BMW perceived quality, though, you might be disappointed as the new Ford exposes a little more plastic than average. The 300 delivers nicer tactile quality on most surfaces as well, but at slightly higher surcharge.

And the money issue might be one of the most important aspects of Fords Five Hundred story. It is quite inexpensive considering all it brings to the table. Starting at only $22,795, with the AWD variant costing $24,495, it should attract the attention of price sensitive buyers. Factor in the clear fuel economy advantage currently in Fords court, those looking to reduce monthly budgets without sacrificing interior roominess may want to consider the Five Hundred.