Road testing the Ford Five Hundred

To accomplish that goal, Ford reasoned that it had to offer a sedan that delivered a command-of-the-road feel that many drivers say they get from an SUV. Translated, that means a sedan that positions the driver and passengers higher than they might be in a regular sedan.

Ford also reasoned, it seems, that its new sedan had to look more like an import, since Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords are the segment sales leaders. But rather than go with generic styling that hints at being Japanese, Ford looked across the Atlantic for inspiration, perhaps because the Five Hundred rides on the same basic chassis as the S60 and S80 sedans at Volvo, which Ford owns.

Lastly, this new sedan had to be very competitively priced, which meant most models would have to carry sticker prices of about $25,000 or less.

All of this added up to the Ford Five Hundred, a five-passenger sedan that looks and drives like no other Ford before it, although the name harkens back to the Fairlane 500s and Galaxie 500s of the 1950s and 1960s.

The Five Hundred is available in two chassis configurations, front-wheel drive and full-time all-wheel drive. It comes in three trim levels. The base SE includes air-conditioning, power driver's seat and the usual power assists on the windows and door locks. The SEL adds a power passenger seat -- though only powered fore and aft, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlamps and a six-disc CD changer, as well as other amenities. The top-of-the-line LTD includes more power adjustments to the passenger seat, leather front bucket seats that are also heated, and aluminum wheels.

Prices start at $22,795 for a front-wheel-drive SE and run to $26,730 for an all-wheel-drive LTD.

The model tested by Bankrate.com was an SEL model with all-wheel-drive.

Like all Five Hundred models, it came with a 203-horsepower V6, the only engine offered. It was coupled to a continuously variable automatic transmission, which is what the all-wheel-drive models come with. Front-wheel-drive models get a new six-speed automatic.

The first thing any really car-conscious buyer will notice about the Five Hundred is that it looks very much like a taller Volkswagen Passat. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's unfortunate that Ford didn't strike out in a new styling direction, as it did with the first Taurus. Overall, the Five Hundred looks way too conservative.

Open the door and sit in the driver's seat, and you get an idea of what Ford was going for: The entry and seating position are not unlike a minivan in terms of how high one sits. With plenty of glass all around, outward visibility is excellent.

The cabin is very roomy, particularly at this price point, and is quite attractive. The downside is that the basic materials used in the dash and door panels, even on the SEL model, lack the richer look of what you'll find in a Toyota Camry.

Driving the Five Hundred is a no-fuss, no-muss experience. The Duratec V6 is neither peppy nor sluggish, and is helped at all speeds by the continuously variable ratio transmission, which helps the engine respond to demands at all speeds.

The all-wheel-drive system, which moves power from the front wheels to the back when more traction is needed, worked invisibly.

The ride is not as pillowy as big American sedans of yore, but neither is the handling as precise feeling as the Volvos on which the Five Hundred is based, or on a par with the VW Passat that inspired its styling. The steering tends to feel numb at freeway speeds, though at lower speeds and in tighter turns it responds well.

Passengers have room for legs and arms in all seating positions, and the trunk can hold more than 21 cubic feet of stuff. And on the SEL and LTD models, there's a trunk pass-through and folding front and rear seats on the passenger side. That means it will bring back that six-foot ladder from Home Depot.

As a family sedan, it's hard to argue with the Five Hundred. It's something of a jack of all trades, yet a master of none. And Ford already is finding that its new sedan is a tough sell on the showroom floor. It's providing dealers with $1,000 in incentives to help move them. By summer, don't be surprised to see more lucrative deals.

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-- Posted: Feb. 15, 2005