23rd Apr 2007, 19:01

My update on 2007 Five Hundred SEL.

Just back from my first real break in trip. Round trip from San Diego to Palo Alto (490+ miles each way). Great route up the coast, over the mountains, acoss the valley and then into the rain.

My car traveled great, did 80 all day and returned 29.5 mpg! Did 490 miles on 17 gallons of regular great gas.

Handling is top notch - seat comfort is fantastic, and the ride was both comfortable and not sloppy.

Watching the other cars on the route I realized again that the Five Hundred is really in a class of one - THE cross-over sedan.

Would buy another in a heart beat. Best feature for travel, the great oversized side-view mirrors.

The six speed did a great job in the mountains, and with the cruise set we were traveling in full "first class" comfort.

I bought a Lowrance I WAY 250 GPS, for the trip and I will never not have mapping GPS with me again. This device is fantastic and priced very well, the windshield mount works great on the 500 and, well, I not only didn't get lost, but my passangers were happy I wasn't asking them to read the map.

You can pick one of these up for about $180.00 US, and I like it better than the other sub-$200.00 models.

Lowrance is based in Oklahoma and make great boat electronics also, as I have them on all three boats.

One note, for all you real American car fans, I just cannot tell you anything wrong with my Five Hundred: and right now you can make an amazing deal on one - would personally rather have this than the new Taurus - as it has more class and exclusivity.

The guys building these cars in Chicago deserve credit, and Ford deserves praise for making this car the ultimate full size american car that simply does everthing right.

To my eye it is every-bit a good looking as the big german sedans, and it simply dusts the Avalon and 300's. Now, I am not saying it is better or worse, but the styling is so European and un-adorned that it is like the perfect automobile, looks fine outside, drives like a dream and is inexpensive to own and operate.

Good job Ford and to anyone interested in a true full size sedan - save your money on the over-rated Lexus, Mercedes and VW. You can save between $15,000 to $40,000.00 and get a car that is just as good - with enough change left over to operate the thing and go on a dozen or more major road trips with friends and family.

24th Apr 2007, 12:04

Just some good natured advice. Please keep things in perspective. In the American market, comparing a Ford 500 to a S Class/Lexus isn't really in range. The S Class comes with a 5 litre engine, and is targeted at a completely different group of people. Maybe in Europe where the cars are engines more comparable and the prices too. But then again the 500 isn't in Europe. Comparing a 500 to an S-Class is like a Geo Metro to a Corolla.

And please. People. Don't go bashing cars because of looks. How something looks is a perception, it's the same as taste or smell. Some people like spinach, some don't. The same for cars, some people like Five Hundreds, some would prefer an Avalon.

30th Apr 2007, 17:25

I do think it is very sad that this site gets hijacked by some unimaginative and combative car critics.

My Five Hundred is a great car. Does everything a car should and looks different. I can afford whatever I want, but I like Fords- they fit me and are, this one feels like a single block of finely machined steel.

In my real world I am an Lemon Law attorney and handle all types of "buy-backs" - no more Ford's than anyone. The Toyota is full of hype - the Honda does seem to have an slight edge in quality - but that is most likley because they sell such a low volume of cars compared to Toyota, Ford and GM.

The best car is the one you like and is put togeter well, which you cannot tell from the badge on the front.

The worst built cars tend to be Italian, French and English- but being out of the US market they are irrelevent on this board. Here in the US the worst are all

German - go figure, they are status and have 3 times as many defect when delivered than Fords.

The best? My five Hundred has been 100% trouble free and I am happy driving it.

Please do not waste time on this site just putting down stuff you don't really understand. No car is inherently good or bad and domestics are much better than most.

Note, I have not been brain washed by Ford, I take money from them all the time, just not as much as from Dodge and Toyota.

9th May 2007, 12:31

In late March and early April I was shopping for cars. I originally looking at Chevy Impalas, but due to the great Impala shortage in the Bay area at the time, I decided to check out the Ford Five Hundred. I stopped by the dealership, and they told me they were having a fantastic sale to clear them out, as they are being discontinued. They had 4 left. I looked at a beautiful black Five Hundred with grey leather interior. The thing was loaded with everything except navigation and moonroof. Asking price was $6k below MSRP, for $20k. My heart skipped a beat.

The salesman showed me all the features, a big roomy interior, a trunk big enough to throw 3 bodies in, moveable pedals, and all kinds of other stuff. I got in and noticed immediately how high you sit. The seat just swallowed me up. The interior was very stately looking. Then I took it for a test drive. What a disappointment. The thing was about as fun to drive as an oil tanker. Underpowered. The thing wallowed around. Still, I almost bought, simply because it was such a fantastic deal. If price comes down enough, you'll put up with a lot. At $20k, it provided a lot of value for the money.

In the end, I couldn't pull the trigger. I didn't want to drive an oil tanker. After I gave the sales manager my final "No," he said he agreed with me. He said "What was Ford thinking putting that small of an engine in that large of a car?"

I did notice walking out the door that the Fusion in the showroom was bigger than I expected. I had thought it was smaller. In the end, I did end up buying the Fusion, with the same engine as the Five Hundred. In the Fusion, it's not underpowered.

I'm glad the original reviewer is pleased with his purchase. The Five Hundred, especially right now, is a car with very interesting trade offs. Low price and packed with features, but not a very enjoyable drive.