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Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego

3623 messages,  Last post on Feb 13, 2011 at 9:08 AM

You are in the Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, Sedan

Messages Page 250 of 363

#2490 of 3623 2005 Full-Size Comparison Test by lexusrocks

Mar 29, 2005 (2:05 pm)

Finally! I was waiting for another comparison test to appear on this website. I'm glad that my comparison test idea (see above) actually happened. Not surprisingly for me, the Buick took fourth and the Avalon took first.
 
The Ford Five Hundred has been criticized by many for bland styling and a weak engine. The styling is great! Nothing offensive, quite conservative the perfect vehicle for those who don't want to stick out in a crowd. The Chrysler 300 really sticks out in a good way, because of it's killer styling. Yes, the engine performance is weak. Ford will probably offer a new engine with about 250+ horsepower a year from now. In light of all this I take issue with a certain comment derived from the Second Opinions section of the test.
 
"While the three other vehicles could learn a lesson from the Avalon's functional and consistent package, Ford's Five Hundred lags far behind the rest."
 
The Ford Five Hundred lags far behind the rest? Then why did it finish third and not fourth? A car that has the largest interior, the largest trunk, loads of value and a balance of ride and handling lags far behind the rest? How is that possible?
 
The only car that lags far behind the rest is the Buick Lacrosse. It offers nothing special over the other competitors. The Avalonn offers good engine performance and tons of luxury, the 300 has great driving dynamics and tons of exterior style. Get a 300C with a HEMI and you'll have killer engine performance as well. The Ford Five Hundred has a spacious and comfortable interior, a huge trunk, value as well as uncompromising safety. The Lacrosse is a typical GM product - mediocre. It has a few cheap bits, a high price tag, a small interior compared to the other cars. It's handling, braking and performance are nothing special either.
 
I don't if the editors comment was a mistake, but I sure hope it was. The Five Hundred is a great car, even the comparison test says so. If you can get over the lack of engine performance, the cra has a lot to offer. Again, it has the largest trunk of any current sedan, a low price, a spacious interior and good handling a nice highway ride. I can get over the engine performance, and I would have no hesitation buying or recommending this car. The way I see it, only the Buick lags far behind the rest.

#2491 of 3623 Re: 2005 Full-Size Comparison Test [lexusrocks] by pat

Mar 29, 2005 (4:46 pm)

Replying to: lexusrocks (Mar 29, 2005 2:05 pm)
I agree that is curious - I hope you will submit your comments to the editors via the Feedback link at the top of the page. (It's very unlikely they will see them here.)

#2492 of 3623 Comparing 2 Lover's, Ends in a Fight... by ANT14

Mar 29, 2005 (5:35 pm)

Something about comparison tests...It's important to read the objective over the particular test taken. If the goal/objective is "We are comparing vehicles that offer the best interior package...."We are comparing vehicles that offer the best performance...."we are comparing vehicles that offer the best flexibility for a large family..." etc.
 
Some people just jump to the end results to find a summary of the test taken, instead of reading between the lines as to the goal.
 
In fact, one "game" I play with friends upon receiving one of the car rags claiming they did a comparison test, is just read the first page, and we can already guess who the winner is based on their criteria. Then we list them on a piece of paper, then advance to the end and see what they had selected. And we have it down to a science already.
 
Sometimes I believe the car rags just one to point out a specific vehicle they like, and work AROUND the comparison to make sure it's mission is accomplished of which message they would like to send.
 
In the end, just take the information they share, and compare it with yours, experiences of others, etc. Don't take it too seriously... What you might find as a positive, someone else might find as a negative, and vice versa.

#2493 of 3623 huh? by johnclineii

Mar 29, 2005 (6:51 pm)

I have a question. When the larger engine becomes available for the Five Hundred (2007 MY), can we assume it will be available with AWD as well as FWD?
 
I ask only because a rep at the New York International Auto Show told me it would NOT be. I was aghast, to say the least....
 
Say it ain't so!

#2494 of 3623 The Comparo by danielj6

Mar 29, 2005 (7:21 pm)

Why is it that every Edmunds review is not compelling, and this one is also really brief. Considering the people that tested these cars logged hundred of miles on each, they should' ve elaborated more, but instead they seem to be evaluations a la Consumer Reports.
 
Otherwise, it was interesting to see the comparo test. Nothing new from the old GM, just the same lack of ideas and soon to be placed in number 2 spot after Toyota. Ford 500 (I have great interest in this car) seems to have potential with good amenities and an affordable price.
My dentist just bought a Chrysler 300 with the Hemi engine. He loves it and especially because of its speed capabilities. Don't know where he finds a span of highway to floor it though. Really nice car, indeed. Avalon superb, especially in the power department. How can Toyota put a 265 hp engine under the hood of its Avalon and Ford just gives a 200 hp motor to a brand new model with Ford's high hopes that it'll be a hit?? It's beyond me Ford's and GM's, for that matter, lack of vision and attention to detail.
 
At almost $39,000, I'd still buy the 500 and decide what to do with the rest of the dough. I don't need to get from 0 to 60 in 5 milliseconds and have a cop catch me speeding.
 
These are my reactions and immediate thoughts after reading Edmunds' evaluations.

#2495 of 3623 John by ANT14

Mar 29, 2005 (7:29 pm)

What exactly did he tell you instead? ... This I find amusing since A) the majority of the representatives there do not know much beyond a 4 months period. B) The exact month of phasing in the vehicle has YET to be annouced.

#2496 of 3623 ANT by johnclineii

Mar 29, 2005 (7:35 pm)

The gentleman wasn't talking to me, but rather to a nicely dressed older woman who said she was from Queens. She had told him she was delaying her purchase of a Five Hundred AWD until the larger engine became available in 2007. (She mentioned the date). His reply, which was almost instantaneous, was that the current AWD system would not handle the larger engine, and that she should not assume the new engine would come with AWD, as it probably would not.
 
I doubted he knew what he was talking about, but as I have thought about it longer, even I am beginning to wonder.
 
That was a real nice red F150 4x4 on the first level, by the way!

#2498 of 3623 Magazine article....... by fdcapt2

Mar 30, 2005 (12:01 am)

While checking out the new Motor Trend, or it might have been Automobile magazine, I was reading both, there was an article about a 2006 Lincoln vehicle that would be getting the 3.5 engine in the fall. I was floored because we've all been told here that the engine is years away. If that would happen, I would hope and pray that one might fall into a Montego. I can dream, can't I?

#2499 of 3623 Raindrops keep falling on my head by johnclineii

Mar 30, 2005 (5:25 am)

Yeah, you can. I sure hope it also falls into the AWD models!

Messages Page 250 of 363

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