2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited from North America - Comments

There was a recall for the fuel tank strap. Had the replacement done during a regular interval LOF {lube, oil, filter} visit.

Had the dashboard storage compartment replaced. It would get an air bubble in it whenever it got hot outside. There was a TSB {technical service bulletin} that had been issued thus replacement was hassle free. Also had this completed during a regular LOF visit to the dealership.

The lack of attention to the Five Hundred and the lack of advertising.

Acceleration is more than adequate for my needs. Living in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex I need to be able to get up to speed quickly most times to get on the local highways or get onto a street with a small opening in traffic. The Five Hundred is a sedan and not a muscle car or sports car. I have had no problems with acceleration or keeping up with the sometimes high speeds of the flow of traffic.

Braking is outstanding. Living in a metroplex area comes with metroplex traffic. There is a lot of congestion with speed up and brake, speed up and brake, speed up and slam on brakes. The brakes have also proved worthy in our little neighborhood where children playing will suddenly show up in the street chasing a pet or ball. A squirrel will suddenly cross my path or someone's dog who got out of the fence or off the leash.

"Command Seating" is one of those things that is hard to explain and best understood if experienced. For me the "Command Seating" is a definite advantage. I do not sit as low to the ground in the Five Hundred as I do with most other sedans. Though it certainly is not the drive height of a full size pick-up truck or sports utility vehicle. Comparing it strictly to other sedans though, I have a better viewpoint of the road and other vehicles. I do not have to stoop down to get in the Five Hundred. When it's time to get out I don't feel as though I’m having to climb to make my exit.

Seating comfort is something that is subjective. I prefer the Limited with the leather seats. They are a bit on the firm side. During test driving I did drive some of the models with cloth seats. The cloth seats did have a noticeably different feel in comfort. For someone who doesn't want the firmness of the leather seating the cloth seats are another option. If I were going to change things about the seats I would prefer the lumbar support was not a manual lever for adjusting. I would also have air conditioned seats and not just heated seats.

The power adjustable seats and power adjustable pedals make it easy for me to find a comfortable ride position. I am not the only one who drives the Five Hundred. It is wonderful that when my seat has been moved, the seats, side view mirrors and pedals will return to my preset positions when I unlock the doors.

Blind spots are a big concern for me when choosing a new vehicle or when driving any vehicle. I test drove no less than a dozen vehicles when I was in my purchasing process. The Five Hundred with its design, big windows, large side view mirrors, and Command Seating virtually eliminate any blind spots. If there are any, I haven't found them yet.

With recent fuel prices having been so high for a while it was an even bigger concern than when I was first in the market and comparing vehicles. Lately I have been averaging about 23 mpg in the metroplex area with mostly city driving. Recently took a trip to Tulsa. With a mix of driving that was about 70% highway and 30% city and I averaged 29 mpg. What makes it all the better is that the Five Hundred runs on regular unleaded and not mid-grade or premium.

There is LOADS of space in the Ford Five Hundred. I packed up everything we needed to take on our recent trip. We have a small at home business and attend shows as craft vendors from time to time. I had everything boxed up and sitting in the living room the night before. I know not all of that fit in my previous car. The big pile of boxes, light poles, tool boxes, luggage and other supplies looked a bit intimidating. The 21.2 cubic feet truck gobbled it up. Even after a year all the space in the Five Hundred still amazes me. As a driver or a passenger I always have plenty of room as well. At 5'3" that probably isn't saying a lot. But a close friend of mine who is 6'3" always has plenty of leg room as well. The Five Hundred comfortably seats 5 grown adults. I have some poles that are used to hold up a bar for lights. Put down one of the rear seats and the poles fit in the trunk, across the back seat and plenty of room not even coming near the back of the front seats. It is an added benefit though that if I need to haul anything really long that the front passenger seat also folds down. Folding down the front passenger seat has come in handy for loading the back seat area without fear of hitting the back of the front seat. Then sit the seat back up for a passenger to ride up front after the back seat area is loaded.

On the topic of space there is plenty of room for storage. The glove compartment is not overly large, but it holds everything I have needed to put in there thus far. The arm rest storage compartment is larger than in a lot of other vehicles I test drove. The rear seat armrest also has a storage area. There is also the dashboard storage compartment area. I use that a lot for toll road tickets /slips. When I'm out shopping, I'll throw receipts in there when I get in the car, so they're easy to find when I get home, without digging through my pocketbook. It's also handy to put keys in there, cell phone, or anything that is small that I might need to get my hands on in a hurry. There are also seat back pockets and door pockets.

There are 4 cup holders in the front seat and another 4 in the rear seating area. One in each door, 2 in the rear armrest and 2 in the front armrest. I have had instances where 2 of us in the front seat would already have a bottle of water or soda. We would stop to get something for dinner on the way home and have the doors to hold another set of something to drink.

With other vehicles, I have always had to have a little magnetic box to keep a spare set of keys. I am a total space cadet at times and will lock my keys in the car or even the trunk. The digital keypad on the door makes this no longer necessary. Already this has saved my butt on a couple of occasions. No more crawling under the car to find a spare key, worrying that someone will find the spare key, or being stuck because I used the spare key and didn't put it back or the box fell off. Nor do I have to worry that I am not in a coverage area where I can't call someone to open it remotely.

Steering wheel controls are something new to me with the Five Hundred as well. Never having to take my hands off the steering wheel to change the volume of the radio, change radio channels, go from radio to CD/MP3 player, check the fluids, view my current MPG, setting cruise control, or muting the radio. Never thought much about it previous to owning the Five Hundred. In no time at all I knew what to touch without looking. Now I cannot imagine going back to constantly having to fumble all over the dash to do all these things. It not only keeps my hands on the steering wheel, but it also keeps my eyes on the road.

The 5 Star safety ratings for the Five Hundred are a big advantage. I would like to hope I never need to have the safety advantages. It is always comforting to know it is there if I need it. Some added safety measures are not only in how the Five Hundred is built, but in the driver air bag, passenger air bag, and the side safety curtain.

The radio is good. I get good reception and good sound. Of course it's not a Bose, Alpine, Eclipse, Kenwood or other big name. I had an Alpine system back in the late 80's. I had it a year and a half before it was stolen. At least with the Ford Five Hundred sound system I do not constantly worry about someone breaking a window and ripping out my radio. I do not have the satellite option, but with AM/FM, 6 disc CD player and the ability to play MP3's I have plenty of entertainment without the additional charges of satellite. If I were going to change anything about the radio I would have added an integrated navigation system.

Overall the Five Hundred handles well, is easy to drive, comfortable and spacious. It is classic, elegant and at the same time understated. It came with a lot of amenities for the money. I feel like I got more bang for my buck in comparison with other vehicles I researched and test drove. I have been and am most pleased with my Ford Five Hundred and hope that I have many more years of enjoyment and reliability.

For those who complain about the Five Hundred? Most did not take the time to research, test drive or test drive adequately. I understand the Five Hundred will not be appealing to everyone. But I do not want anyone to completely discount it without having never given it a chance and taking it for a test drive. Do not take my word or someone else’s word. Do the research and take a test drive.

Excellently written survey. I have been looking at the Ford Five-Hundreds in terms of customer satisfaction and reliability and your review was very helpful. Thank you.

This car looks to much like an extra Large focus to be considered to have a "classic" look. Besides I am sure you can get this car cheap if you buy an 05 model as they lose a lot of value.

I have had a Five Hundred on several occasions as a rental car and it does perform well. However, the reviewer's comments about adding air-cooled seats and navigation systems, etc. is a little misleading since they are not part of the family car market in large respect at this time. Since this is a family car and not a luxury marque, such features usually are not available for comparison with primary competiton. In time, they will trickle down, but for now it's the luxury market that has the air cooled seats, though navigation systems are becoming more commonplace.