The
Ford Five Hundred (code name
D258) is a full-size sedan that was produced by the
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
during the 2005 to 2007 model years in North America. In North America, the name evoked the classic
Fairlane 500- Automobiles :* Ford Fairlane , a mid-size car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1967 to 2008...
and
Galaxie 500The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961. In 1962, the Galaxie name was assigned to the lowest-priced full-size Ford. The Galaxie...
models of the 1950s through 1970s.
The Five Hundred was introduced at the 2004
North American International Auto ShowThe North American International Auto Show , is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
in
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
. It entered production on July 12, 2004 in Chicago, which previously produced the fourth-generation midsize Taurus, and it became available to the public in September 2004.
The
Ford Five Hundred (code name
D258) is a full-size sedan that was produced by the
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
during the 2005 to 2007 model years in North America. In North America, the name evoked the classic
Fairlane 500- Automobiles :* Ford Fairlane , a mid-size car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1967 to 2008...
and
Galaxie 500The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961. In 1962, the Galaxie name was assigned to the lowest-priced full-size Ford. The Galaxie...
models of the 1950s through 1970s.
The Five Hundred was introduced at the 2004
North American International Auto ShowThe North American International Auto Show , is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
in
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
. It entered production on July 12, 2004 in Chicago, which previously produced the fourth-generation midsize Taurus, and it became available to the public in September 2004. While the Taurus's direct replacement in the midsize classification was the Ford Fusion, introduced in 2005, the Five Hundred was also considered by some to be a successor as well, since it replaced the Taurus on the
Chicago AssemblyChicago Assembly is Ford Motor Company's oldest continually-operated automobile manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the South Deering community area of Chicago, Illinois. Production started on March 3, 1924 as an alternative production site for the Model T...
line.
The Five Hundred, along with the Ford Freestyle and the Mercury Montego, ended production in April 2007. The mid-generational refresh for the 2008 model year debuted during the 2007
North American International Auto ShowThe North American International Auto Show , is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
, with the Five Hundred being rebranded as the 2008 Ford Taurus, which returned that name to the Ford retail lineup after a short absence. The previous Taurus—which used a different chassis and was slotted in the smaller category of midsize cars—was available in the 2007 model year for private fleet sale and in Canada.
The facelifted Five Hundred newly entered the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
market under that name starting from the 2008 model year.
Design
The fullsize Five Hundred and the midsize Ford Fusion were part of Ford's initiatives of developing all-new passenger cars. This was a segment long neglected by the company, as their direct predecessors, the
Ford Crown VictoriaThe Ford Crown Victoria is a rear-wheel drive full-size car first produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market in the mid-1950s. Its current incarnation has been in production since 1992 at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant....
and
Ford TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
had not seen a platform change for nearly a decade, relying instead on
cosmeticThe automotive facelift comprises changes to a car's styling during its production run — often including new sheetmetal and/or interior design) with minimal changes to its underlying mechanicals — allowing a carmaker to freshen a model without complete redesign.A facelift retains the...
and mechanical changes, and as such were no longer competitive with Japanese rivals whose offerings were updated more frequently. During the preceding ten years, Ford had relied too much on SUVs and light trucks, whose sales had dropped as a result of rising crude oil prices. In particular, the Taurus was planned to be discontinued as the company believed that the nameplate's brand equity had declined with a lack of development, though the Crown Victoria would remain in production for fleet sales.
The Five Hundred is based on the
Ford D3 platformThe Ford D3 platform is a Ford global full-size car automobile platform. The platform is designed for either front- or all wheel drive with an extended wheelbase option.-Overview:...
(also known as the Volvo P2 platform), which also supports the
Volvo S60The Volvo S60 is a compact executive sedan produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo. An all-new S60 is expected for the 2011 model year.-First generation:...
,
S80The Volvo S80 is an mid-size executive sedan from Swedish automaker Volvo and was introduced in 1998 as a replacement for the rear-wheel drive Volvo 960/S90 sedan. The Volvo S80 was built at the Torslanda Plant in Gothenburg, Sweden. Unlike most Volvo models, it did not have a station wagon...
, XC70, and
XC90The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by Volvo Cars since it was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show 2002. It is based on the P2 platform, shared with the first generation Volvo S80 and other large Volvo cars...
SUVs. This platform underpins the similar
Mercury MontegoThe Mercury Montego, was a mid-size vehicle in Ford's Mercury line from 1968-76. The name had first been used in 1967 on the Meteor Montego, the top trim level in the Mercury-derived Canadian Meteor line...
and is also the basis for the Ford Freestyle
crossover SUVCrossover describes a vehicle that derives from a car platform while borrowing features from a traditional Sport Utility Vehicle .While body on frame construction and light truck platforms are used to build traditional SUVs, crossovers use a car's monocoque/unibody platform construction...
. Befitting its Volvo roots, the Five Hundred has garnered class leading results in crash tests conducted by the IIHS as well as NHTSA.
The Five Hundred is classified as a full-sized passenger car. It is longer than its competitors (such as the
Chevrolet ImpalaThe Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. One of America's most successful nameplates, the early Impala became the best-selling automobile when full-sized cars dominated sales, though the name was eventually revived in 2000 for a full-size...
and
Toyota AvalonThe Toyota Avalon is a full-size car produced by Toyota in the United States, and is the flagship sedan of Toyota in the United States, Canada, and the Middle East. It was also produced in Australia until July 2005 when it was replaced in November 2006 by the Toyota Aurion. It is a front-wheel...
) but still a foot shorter than the
Crown VictoriaThe Ford Crown Victoria is a rear-wheel drive full-size car first produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market in the mid-1950s. Its current incarnation has been in production since 1992 at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant....
, Five Hundred was designed to match the large car interior volume, but at the same time still have manageable outside dimensions, while delivering a lower than average fuel use. Its design is also notably tall for a sedan, giving drivers an SUV or
minivanA minivan, multi-purpose vehicle , people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle is a type of automobile similar in shape to a van that is designed for personal use...
-like command of the road. The Five Hundred's trunk is also larger than those of its competitors, so it can hold 8 full-sized loaded golf bags.
Interior room was emphasized in the Five Hundred's development, and interior materials include imitation carbon fiber as well as traditional woodgrain.
Reception and sales
The Five Hundred was praised for its interior volume, design functionality, amenities for its price point, and safety features. However, it was criticized for its bland styling (which was similar in basic appearance to the 1986-1995 Taurus and 1992-1997
Crown VictoriaThe Ford Crown Victoria is a rear-wheel drive full-size car first produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market in the mid-1950s. Its current incarnation has been in production since 1992 at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant....
) and weak engine. These deficiencies are considered by the automotive press to have hurt the Five Hundred's potential appeal, especially in comparison to the Chrysler 300, another new large sedan introducted around the same time, though the 300 is more upmarket and designed to be more sporty.
Consequently, the Five Hundred received a lukewarm reception from customers. Sales of the Five Hundred were very slow in Canada, with many Ford dealerships not even stocking the car on their lots. August 2006 sales were down by half compared to 2005, with the Taurus outselling the Five Hundred by two to one. 2006 sales were down month over month since its launch including 22% in 2006 over 2005 as a whole. (The 2006 Taurus was produced primarily for the fleet market.)
Trim Lines and Engines
Three trim lines were offered:
SE,
SEL, and
Limited. An all wheel drive system was available across the range. Base prices start at US$22,795 (
AU$Aud might refer to*Australian dollar *American University in Dubai *Doctor of Audiology *Auðr, the son of Nótt and Naglfari in Norse mythology*Aud the Deep-Minded , the wife of Olaf the White of Dublin, "King" of Ireland...
28,883) (for a front-wheel drive
SE) and range to US$28,495 (AUD$36,106) (for an all-wheel drive
Limited).
Available
powertrainIn a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, driveshafts, differentials, and the final drive...
s consist of a 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6 engine, and the choice of a
continuously variable transmissionA continuously variable transmission is a transmission which can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that only allow a few different distinct gear ratios to be selected...
or six-speed
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. The
HaldexHaldex Traction AB is a division of the Swedish manufacturing company Haldex AB. It specialises in the development and manufacture of All-Wheel Drive systems. Haldex is currently producing their fourth generation AWD system called, by Saab, XWD . The first generation of Haldex’s four-wheel drive...
AWD (All Wheel Drive) system is based on that use in the
Volvo S80The Volvo S80 is an mid-size executive sedan from Swedish automaker Volvo and was introduced in 1998 as a replacement for the rear-wheel drive Volvo 960/S90 sedan. The Volvo S80 was built at the Torslanda Plant in Gothenburg, Sweden. Unlike most Volvo models, it did not have a station wagon...
and
Volvo XC90The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by Volvo Cars since it was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show 2002. It is based on the P2 platform, shared with the first generation Volvo S80 and other large Volvo cars...
.
2006
The 2006 Five Hundred carried over relatively unchanged: a new Navigation Radio made by Pioneer for Ford featuring
Sirius Satellite RadioSirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in the United States and Canada, owned by Sirius XM Radio. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and...
became an option, and Traction Control was no longer standard on front wheel drive models as it was in the 2005 model year. A mid-year running change removed the exterior doorside trim molding on all trim levels in favor of a small sill molding at the bottom edge of the door.
2007
The 2007 Five Hundred remained basically unchanged. There were no substantial styling changes and no new powertrain options, but the SE model was discontinued because of the development of the new Ford Taurus in 2008.
A new Chrome Package became available, which included 18-inch eight-spoke chrome wheels (chromed-over plastic spokes) and a chrome mesh grille. Also new for 2007 was a 5-year / powertrain warranty, and models built after September 4, 2006 have standard front-seat-mounted side air bags, as well as Ford's innovative Safety Canopy side air curtain system.
Discontinuation
The restyled Five Hundred sedan, which was first shown at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, was renamed
TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
for the 2008 model year. The rebadging announcement was made at the 2007
Chicago Auto ShowThe Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Placeconvention complex. At , with over 1,000 vehicles on display, it is the largest auto show in North America and the third largest in the world .The event, first produced in 1901, has been staged more times than any other...
. The updated Five Hundred / Taurus included a new 3.5 L V6 and new front and rear styling. The CVT transmission, used with the AWD powertrain, as well as the Aisin 6-speed, were replaced by a new Ford-assembled 6-speed. The related Freestyle crossover became
Taurus XThe Ford Taurus X is a 6- or 7-passenger full-size crossover SUV that was produced by Ford Motor Company in the United States. It was originally introduced in 2005 as the Ford Freestyle, before being renamed Taurus X for the 2008 model year. In Ford's lineup, it replaced the Ford Taurus station wagon...
and the
Mercury MontegoThe Mercury Montego, was a mid-size vehicle in Ford's Mercury line from 1968-76. The name had first been used in 1967 on the Meteor Montego, the top trim level in the Mercury-derived Canadian Meteor line...
was renamed
SableThe Mercury Sable is a mid-size or full-size luxury sedan car model created by the Ford Motor Company and sold under the Mercury brand...
as well.
External links