Ford revamps entire lineup

The new Mustang has recaptured the excitement of the original 1965 Mustang like no other Mustang in the car's 40-year history. Styled in a way to evoke the muscular look of the 1967-68 fastback model made famous by Steve McQueen in the movie "Bullitt," the new Mustang is thoroughly modern.

The chassis, although still using a solid rear axle, is the first all-new Mustang chassis since 1979. Power comes from a base 202-horsepower 4-liter V6, but fans will covet the 300-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 in the GT model. A convertible version will debut this spring. With prices starting below $20,000 -- and less than $25,000 for the GT -- the new Mustang is one of Bankrate's 10 most exciting cars of 2005. Read our full road test.

The Ford Five Hundred -- could there be a more uninspiring name? -- is an effort to capture the room and affordability of the Volkswagen Passat and Toyota Camry in a high-riding sedan that will give people the driving experience of an SUV.

That's a tall order -- no pun intended -- and so far the Ford Five Hundred is off to a slow sales start. Nonetheless, the Five Hundred has a lot of modern touches, from an optional continuously variable automatic transmission to optional all-wheel-drive. That's offset by bland styling that won't offend -- or impress -- many buyers. Because this is the car that will determine Ford's immediate future, it's one of Bankrate's 10 most exciting cars of 2005. Read our full road test.

The other big news at Ford is the arrival -- at last -- of the hybrid gas-electric version of the Escape compact SUV. Using an electric motor coupled to a four-cylinder gasoline engine, the hybrid Escape promises city fuel economy of more than 30 miles per gallon with the performance of a V6. With a price approaching $30,000, the hybrid, which will be made in limited numbers this year, will likely appeal to buyers interested in the technology or conserving natural resources.

More mainstream SUV buyers will look to the Ford Freestyle, which is a crossover vehicle that uses a car chassis with a truck-sized cargo and passenger capacity. Power comes from a 200-horsepower V6, and is available in front-wheel and all-wheel-drive versions. There's a wide range of luxury options to push the base price of about $25,000 to more than $30,000.

On the pickup truck side, Ford introduces the Super Duty F250/350 models to go along with the all-new F150 that debuted last year.

-- Posted: Feb. 15, 2005