If only they had put a more powerful engine in the thing. Then it would truly be a vehicle destined for success. As it is, the 2005 Ford Five Hundred suffers from a lack of power that some will find hard to overlook. The numbers illustrate the lack of oomph: 203 hp is available at 5,750 rpm, and torque registers 207 lb.-ft. at 4,500 rpm. With the weight of the all-wheel drive CVT model at 3,815 lbs., plus the CVT transmission and the 203 horses, the available power and acceleration seems a little neutralized. And though Ford officials say that the car's power is adequate for the target market, you can see it in their eyes - they also wish it had more, at least for the top-shelf Limited version. Surely there's a more powerful engine somewhere in Ford's future, one that would fit a nicely designed sedan. To its credit, the Duratec 30 3.0-liter V6 engine that comes in all Five Hundreds and Freestyles is designed to be efficient - and should meet California Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) II standards, which calls for 55 percent less smog-forming pollutants than California Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) rules. Most people who buy the 2005 Ford Five Hundred will want that kind of efficiency, including fuel economy sure to be rated in the 20s per gallon. Unfortunately, efficiency usually always comes at the cost of performance, and when the dent to performance is noticeable it may get in the way of the sale - especially between 0-30 mph, where the 2005 Ford Five Hundred needs to be at its most sprightly. For urban and suburban driving, acceleration from a stop or slow speeds is critical, and though Ford claims excellent off-the-line acceleration, a drive on the streets and freeways of Chicago provided a different picture - the Five Hundred, when equipped with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), comes off the line more sluggishly than would be ideal. Other aspects of the ride are pleasant: handling is accurate, though steering feel is a bit numb given the fact that the Five Hundred isn't built for sport driving. It's a spacious commuter car, and it handles that assignment with aplomb. In order to get the best possible acceleration, test drive both the CVT and the six-speed automatic.- You may well wind up choosing the six-speed automatic. It's better at doing 0-15, but not quite as quiet or civilized as the CVT. The CVT will likely also deliver better fuel economy - though how much better is not initially clear. Ford engineers claim almost identical fuel savings between CVT and six-speed auto, but the CVT transmission - standard on all-wheel-drive and some front-drive versions of the Five Hundred - will probably offer slightly better fuel economy than the six-speed. Though initial ratings indicate that the six-speed posts a two-mpg fuel efficiency advantage, look for the CVT to do better in real world, mash the accelerator, stop and start type of driving.
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