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Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego

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Comments

  • tincup47tincup47 Member Posts: 1,508
    The Five Hundred seats are very comfortable and supportive. I had my vehicle in for service last week and had a Taurus loaner, the Five Hundred's seats are much better, with good support and comfort.
  • nedc2nedc2 Member Posts: 192
    They're not quite as nicely contoured as the Volvo seats, a bit flatter but similar in firmness, more like 1980's Volvo seating. I found them extremely comfortable on about a 90 minute test drive. Better than the current generation Tauraus/Sable seating. The Five Hundred/Montego cloth is OK, on a par with the Japanese and domestic competition but not up to Volvo standards, I wish they would use the Freestyle's cloth, a sort of brushed canvas, on all the vehicles, that is comparable to the Volvo's cloth upholstery.

    Volvo seats would be much more expensive to use, the Montego, Five Hundred, and Freestyle all use the same seats up front, which will probably excedd Volvo's current sales volume on the S80 et al.

    If you've got little kids spilling stuff, I'd seriously suggest looking at investing in a set of seat covers. Much easier to clean.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,304
    sat in a 500 in the showroom last weekend while in for vehicle service. am pretty close to you in size\weight.
    noticed the seat was high, but there was no power so i couldn't adjust it. seemed like plenty for room to me; front and back.
    it's a bigger car than i thought it would be.
    the freestyle seems smaller(interior) than i though it would be.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    As Mercury (Mountaineer) owner I would like to say the following: don't worry about reliability that much - it is there. I own Honda Accord and Mountainerr at the same time - Accord - in 7 month 4 (in total) replaced transmittions; Mountaineer - so far nothing really important (minor sunroof leak - it's nearly a year since I got the car, and only tomorrow I'll put it in the shop - shows how minor it is; also, CD player heat up CD's a bit, and the thinnest of them can not be played for too long). I am seriously considering Montego and Zephyr as next cars for me and my wife. I would buy 100,000 miles bumper-to-bumper though (I did that for Mountaineer) - but I do it for every car I own. Montego lloks like a great car. 4L V6 will make it more fun, but don't forget - gas ain't cheap nowadays...
  • fdcapt2fdcapt2 Member Posts: 122
    I was checking another 500 Forum, and someone there posted that a Ford dealer near Boston was giving $2600 back on a Limited, and $1905 back on SE and SEL's. Anyone else hear of similar price cuts??
  • damann_codamann_co Member Posts: 1
    This past weekend drove a 500 on the REALLY STEEP & CURVY outside of Boulder, Colorado. As an ex-Chryler 300M driver I can assure you that the 500 w/ AWD & CVT has plenty of get up & go. IT IS NOT a Cadillac STS w/ Northstar V8 or an BMW M5. 0 to 75mph times on the steep were impressive enough for me. For those of you who insist on something from beyond the sea - this will never be snobby enough but for those who wany a really good sedan at an afforable price this fits the bill. I think it will beat the 300M 0-60 (best case) or at least give it a strong run for the money. FOR LESS MONEY. Ordered one for my wife last night.
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    The advantage of the CVT is when hitting inclines instead of needing to downshift, or changing the shifting algorithum to seek power, the CVT will keep you at the proper torque/revolution to attain maximum power. Some vehicles with less advanced capable electronics will be more prone to hunting in minimal inclines, and take awhile to downshift while their sensors detect their is some sort of incline they need to prepare and conquer.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,304
    in central ct, saw published discounts, but not as much.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • fsmmcsifsmmcsi Member Posts: 792
    damann_co: Thanks for your comments. I thought I had adjusted to how the CVT works, but am willing to think that I did not correctly perceive the behaviour of the car. The car is perfect for my needs, unless it is too slow and unless I can not get comfortable with the front foot well. Talking about it with my wife reminded me that I had found a good position in one in a showroom, so maybe I just need time with the car to find the right position (and perhaps a sledge hammer for the bump in the floor to the left of the dead pedal ;).

    I really need need to drive one AWD Montego car for longer distances on the bad LA concrete freeways, or if that is not possible, to bother several scattered dealers and drive several different cars until I have a better feel for it.

    Looking at the Honda Pilot, upon which the new Honda car-trunk will be based, it seems that the Ford cars should not be much worse than the 7.4 zero to sixty of the Pilot (255HP /250 Ft.-Lbs. and 4,431 Lbs. for the Pilot, 203 HP / 207 Ft.-Lbs. and 3,930 for the Montego AWD with a CVT). Ford does claim 7.45 0-60 for the base Five Hundred. If Motor Trend says 8.6 seconds, maybe they made a mistake or had a defective test car.
  • avenger1avenger1 Member Posts: 90
    perhaps they were not used to driving the cvt and let off of the gas as the rpm's shot up at first. Perhaps they were waiting for a downshift before applying more juice?

    Could be that the cvt is more suited to a running start that a streetlight race, especially if there's no need to hunt for a gear when the pedal is stomped.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,304
    if the car can't make the published by ford 0-60 number, it seems like it could be a bad mistake. it's not unheard of to have a manufacturer to supply a car magazine a ' ringer' for testing, but to not make their own number, doesn't seem too good. maybe it will turn out to be a 'publishing error'. :)
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    MT tested the 6 speed auto, in Limited trim, I believe. Fords published information is for the CVT FWD, which means it would be base SE trim, probably no options, therefore, the quickest combo possible.

    ~alpha
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    The initial 7.35 sec stated by Ford was according to independent research testing AMCI, with that information, Ford has used in their brochures and such.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    My dealer brought a gold Montego Premier by today for me to take to lunch today. I was very favorably impressed with the car overall. I was surprised and favorably surprised with the comfort of the seats, the handling, the smoothness of the transmission, quietness of the cabin, room in the cabin, ease of the controls, and the quality of the materials used. The HVAC was extraordinary, but what I usually expect from Ford Factory Air. Power was more than adequate. I loved the tall seating position and easy ingress & egress. Great space in the car and trunk. Gripes? A few. Didn't like the antenna mast, hate the prop rod for the hood, but generally, I'm interested in a Lincoln version of the car. I'm familiar with the Volvo S-80, and love that car. This is a nice variant on that platform, and worth a look. Especially for the money.... Nice job, Bill.
  • carnuts1carnuts1 Member Posts: 7
    Car and Drive review

    When questioned about CVT durability—that issue killed GM's CVT—Ford engineers assured us that has been adequately addressed, and they expressed no additional concerns about having a CVT with all-wheel drive. The engineers point to the belt in GM's unit as the weak point and claim the Luk chain (the same supplier of Audi's chains) used in Ford's version will not cause problems. We hope they're right, because with every all-wheel-drive Five Hundred and all Freestyles teamed with the gearless box, Ford will soon be building more CVTs than anyone else. Any problems could turn off the public's acceptance of the CVT and spell disaster for Ford

    On the plus side, the CVT (and the six-speed) has a broad ratio span (highest gear ratio divided by lowest gear ratio, which is six for both transmissions), which can offset the lack of power. But we're not sure the driving public is prepared to accept wringing this engine out at its noisy power peak to achieve the so-so performance we experienced behind the wheel in a brief drive at the preview

    Transmissions: 6-speed automatic, continuously variable automatic
    Wheelbase: 112.9 in
    Length/width/height: 200.7/74.5/60.1 in
    Curb weight: 3650-3850 lb
    C/D-estimated performance:
    Zero to 60 mph: 8.6-8.8 sec
    Standing 1/4-mile: 16.7-16.9 sec
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Carnuts, you need to post a link to that article, please.
  • buckwheatbuckwheat Member Posts: 396
    carnuts1, before you get asked by our host for a link to the info: you provided here it is:

    http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=19&article- _id=8533
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Thanks buckwheat - that keeps us out of copyright hotwater. ;-)
  • fdcapt2fdcapt2 Member Posts: 122
    I drove the 6 speed , and a CVT. The 6 speed wasn't as high revving as the CVT, and I didn't feel like the engine was coming apart when I really pushed the 6 speed. Is this the normal feeling you get when you drive the CVT, and push it? I'm almost afraid to jump on the CVT because of how much noise the engine makes, and the whine of the CVT. Has anyone else had the same feeling? Also, I know there are a few other cars out that are using a CVT. Most of those have a bigger or more powerful engine. Has anyone tested one of the other cars, and was the noise and whine something that bothered you as much as with the 500/Montego?
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    A few posts back, it was suggested that those concerned about the perforated leather seats in the Montego (and kids dropping stuff that ends up in the holes) install seat covers.

    PLEASE be aware that if the car has side airbags (and MOST of the ones with perforated leather seats will), there is a warning NOT to use seat covers, as their use could interfere with the air bags or even cause injury.

    Just a note...
  • skcooperskcooper Member Posts: 1
    I've been driving a CVT Mini Cooper for the past year -- my only stoplight drag races are with dump trucks. Around town or even accelerating onto the highway, the revs stay in a relatively narrow band unless you really step on it. I felt much the same during my brief Five Hundred test drive (joked to the salesman, "I can't get it over 3000 no matter how I try"), but it certainly felt adequate if a bit noisy. Ordered a Limited AWD to be built after Thanksgiving for mid-Dec. delivery (had to special order to get one without the sunroof for an extra inch or two of headroom).

    With my Mini CVT, you have to unlearn old gas-pedal habits, much like having to learn to keep your foot down instead of pumping the brakes with ABS -- try easing up or "feathering" the throttle, and it bogs and stumbles like mad. Also jerks and stumbles when crawling along at single-digit speeds in traffic or looking for a parking space; the problem didn't seem as noticeable in the 500.
  • nedc2nedc2 Member Posts: 192
    If they are little kids, or infants, they should be in the back seat anyway, a seat cover for the rear bench won't interfere with the airbags because the car has no seat mounted rear airbags, but rather an air curtain which deploys from the roof.
  • ravenoneravenone Member Posts: 20
    Is Hertz going to acquire and rent the 500? If so, what class of rental...Full-size, Intermediate?
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    Taurus/Crown Vic will be aimed for rental fleet after the respective segments are replaced with the 500 and Fusion, this is to increase the resale value of the 500. You might have a few being introduced so people can test them out if need be, but don't expect that for quite awhile.

    As it is, there's over 50K orders for the 500 that need to be filled before you see that happen. Almost 40K for the Freestyle.
  • buckwheatbuckwheat Member Posts: 396
    90K in orders I have not seen any link regarding that, but with regard to the
    Five Hundred/Freestyle/Montego for the month of Oct. a combined total of 5,787 were sold, at that rate it appears there will be long waits.

    http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=19488&ma- ke_id=trust

    As for the Five Hundred in Hertz rental fleets it is just a matter of time. I recall James Rogers, then VP of Lincoln stating that the Lincoln LS would not make its way to the rental fleets, well, thats hstory they are quite prevalent.
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    That information was stated in an interview with a reporter from Forbes.
  • buckwheatbuckwheat Member Posts: 396
    With regard to your post 1728, I'm confident you did not take my post 1729 as a challenge to the veracity of the information you posted when I said "I had not seen a link regarding the 90K orders", and as an LS owner I'm sure you remember Jim Rogers. It appears I ruffled a recent newcomer.
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    Not at all, you were just sharing what you knew. I have no issues with what you stated, someone else did.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Periodically, I think its necessary to say "Thank you", because too often we as a society forget to do so. ANT, your contributions are many and obvious, and Id really appreciate all that you provide. Though we see differently on many issues, its always fun to have an educated and constructive argument with you.

    So thanks!

    ~alpha
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    A magazine reporter would like to hear from buyers of Ford's new vehicles - specifically, the Five Hundred, Freestyle and Mercury Montego.

    He'd like to know why you chose to buy your vehicle, what other vehicles you comparison shopped, and your impressions so far. Please e-mail jfallon@edmunds.com, or call Jon at 212-367-4872 no later than November 17, 2004.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    Alpha,

    Thanks, this site has been beneficial in many ways to many people.
  • bac111bac111 Member Posts: 9
    Well, I do not know how well they are selling, but here in Utah, I've seen ZERO of the FH/FS/Mon.
  • carnutscarnuts Member Posts: 12
    700-800 over invoice

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1- &item=2497668842&category=6238
  • smith1smith1 Member Posts: 283
    ...and the highest bid was $12,101. Not exactly a bidding frenzy.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,304
    a base model without even 1 option. pictures were worth a look though.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    in Las Vegas - there were no 500's, Freestyles, or Montegos going through, but surprise, surprise, there were 2 05 Mustang GT's, identical Silver going through from the Power group. First one brought $35,000, the second brought $29,000. Haven't seen one on a lot here yet. They both had 48 miles on them and had been titled. Don't know the story......
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,304
    ditto! Ant14 provides great posts in many ford discussions.
    (edit)
    i just skipped over to the freestyle thread and he was being quoted over there, too!
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I still think he's really Bill Ford.... :)
  • samnoesamnoe Member Posts: 731
    Does he really have all the extra time to answer all our questions?...

    And why not follow our advice on how to improve your vehicles???......

    Just kidding....
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    If ANT was Bill, it may not be as easy to turn the good ship Ford as one may think. She's awfully big, and though not as large as GM, she's got lots of inertia of her own nonetheless, and she's gotta make a profit first. In America, you gotta make money first, product second, or you're gone and it doesn't matter anymore how good your product may become. You no longer have a chance to prove it. Ask Preston Tucker.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,304
    if you have a good idea, post it. maybe ant14 will pass it up the ladder. doesn't hurt to try. not kidding. maybe bill will send you a thankyou note :)
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    That is true, profit first as well as quality, if not you won't exist. Then grow the products and concentrate on each specific vehicle. And that is what you will be seeing more of.

    If I were in the helm, I would concentrate a bit more on Lincoln. Possibly import other Ford vehicles not found here, and introduce them as Mercury or Lincolns. (Next generation Mondeo, Fusion/Ecosport as Mercury's...Co-develop next generation Falcon and Territory along with Ford AU, and offer them as Lincoln vehicles. Import the Fiesta as a Ford entry vehicle and push the Focus a step up where it can be made a bit more prodittable.

    What I'm quite excited over, is the availability of AWD on numerous sedans that will debut in the next coming years, let alone the Haldex AWD system which is superb. And the possibility of diesel offerings.

    But like everything, it takes time...That's quite some turn-around from those bleeding red ink days of 3 years ago, to now. And the product onslaught which has been none stop and will continue.

    Unfortunately I lack something called "Political Correctness", therefore I would not make a good CEO.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    "Unfortunately I lack something called "Political Correctness", therefore I would not make a good CEO."

    Are you just kidding? I would say that you handle everything, at least on this forum, with significant finesse.

    PS- I know this isnt a Fusion forum, but when is that car debuting again?

    ~alpha
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    Fusion will debut at the next round of Auto shows coming up, and should be available later next year as a 2006 model.
  • coug2coug2 Member Posts: 34
    So the wife wants a new car - and would prefer a larger, and softer (i.e., not a sports sedan) sedan. We test drove the 500 yesterday and its nice. I wasn't wild about the interior material - a lot of plastic.

    How do you folks think it compares to the chrysler 300? I worry about reliability with any American car - but expecially the chrysler relative to the ford. The 300, IMO, is a much nicer looking car - at the very least it is "less standard." I am also waiting for the new avalon - but would really prefer AWD (snow country and a steep driveway).

    I'm also a little concerned about all three models being new - and as yet, untested. In the Ford's case, I worry a bit about the cvt transmission.

    Any thoughts?
  • fsmmcsifsmmcsi Member Posts: 792
    ANT14: Political correctness means being wishy-washy and placing attempts to avoid offending people above principles and success, so political correctness seems to me to be a big negative for someone who needs to be a leader.

    Talking of money and power, it occurs to me that I, and probably many others, would have no problem whatsoever paying $500 more for a Five Hundred / Montego / Freestyle with a 3.0 with higher compression, and a more aggressive camshaft profile, even though it would require premium fuel. The cost to Ford - A dollar more aluminum per engine, plus a dollar or so per engine for emissions certification of the engine. The profit - big.

    coug2: I and others have commented extensively above regarding the 300/Magnum (and upcoming Charger). I would not worry about reliability with any of the vehicles you mentionned. The 300 is mechanically excellent, and is available with AWD. If you are of average or shorter height, you may be able to see out the front of the 300, but the view out the sides may be a problem. For a taller person, the view out the sides is better, but the view out the front is bad - you would have to be way away from traffic lights to see them, although one solution is to buy one of those prisms they made for the '55 - '57 Chevy's from Danchuk.
  • dave2222dave2222 Member Posts: 78
    The Milan, Zephyr, and Fusion will all be debuting at this years International Auto Show. Expect the Zephyr to look similar to the concept shown earlier in 04. Ford hasnt finalized the plans on the fusion yet. There isnt any working production prototypes theyre still fixing all the mistakes before they start making the first production prototypes that'll show up at the auto show.
  • dave2222dave2222 Member Posts: 78
    Its a great idea to build a more powerful 3.0L duratec. Just add a few things and you're set, but theyve already been developing the 3.5L that will go into the refreshed 07 MY five hundred. So from a business point of view itd be hard to justify spending money on developing a Sportier 500 that would only be out for a year.
  • dave2222dave2222 Member Posts: 78
    I agree about the Tucker analogy, but Tuckers demise was more based on the big 3's ties to the government politicians then him not setting up his buisness right. He offered a lot of state of the art things almost like a fore-father to Volvo in my opinion. I would argue that a quality product NEEDS to be made before you focus on the profits. In the short term you may produce a loss, but if your product is superior and you market it properly the consumers will choose your product. When Toyota first came to america they sold only 2 cars in their first year and were in a loss situation. Over time though people began to realize that it was a quality product and begun to buy it. I think Bill Ford feels the same way that even though the car business is in a loss situation he's finally making good cars that CAN compete with the competition. It just takes time for people to get past their brand loyalty to see this. I talk to the people who engineer cars at Ford and I really see a new company. While Nasser was still here people like Padilla and even my father were shot down for wanting to build higher quality products at Ford because it costed to much. You cant just focus on profits and theres no better way to stress that then to look at Fords past. When they focused on quality products they made huge profits, but when they lost their way and focused on profits their quality was gone and so were their custoomers. I wish all of you could come talk to the Fusion, Five Hundred, Escape, etc.. teams and really see how hard they are working to make sure everythings going smooth. Theres a great article this weekend in the detroit news on Mr.Padilla that really embodies the new ford thinking. The short term losses are better for the long term gains. Just my 2 cents thanks for reading :)
  • dave2222dave2222 Member Posts: 78
    The person we designed the Montego/Five Hundred based on is a 150lb man thats 5,8. Although being 6,2 I found myself perfectly comfortable. It all comes down to level of comfort wanted. T
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