Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego

ANT14 · April 2005

You have Navi system becoming optional. A new color "Silver birch" as well, and some option packages being thrown around, And that's pretty much the changes for '06.., which is starting off early in the year and will be a long production year... Now, as for the '07... you will see much more next year...

fdcapt2 · April 2005

ANT,
Any updates on the Montego for '06 ? I was so hoping to have a bunch of new things to be nuts about, like power tilt and scope wheel, upgraded sound system, power folding mirrors, power lumbar, cornering lights, nice 18" chrome wheels, Blue Tooth, VSA, turn signals on the mirrors, 280 horses, and so on. I think if these changes were implemented, there would be a massive charge to the dealers. And I know who would be one of them.....

. I know the 280 horses are not going to happen, but some of the others could be done without too much trouble.

ANT14 · April 2005

2007 Will be a much more productive year for changes... So far Ford is riding on the momentum of having a new vehicle, high demand for AWD versions, etc. Production of the new 3.5L begins at the end of the year as well.

samnoe · April 2005

These changes require a lot of time and re-engineering... But simple things, like a cabin air filter, lighted glove box, lighted controls for power window and door locks and audio volume control, and more simple controls for the automatic climate is not a big deal, and could be added on the 2006 models.

And very important: Stability control - (more important for marketing than safety, I think...)

gene_v · April 2005

I'll keep on driving the Windstar.

ANT14 · April 2005

Actually stability control is quite difficult to implement on a vehicle. It's not just one sensor, but numerous sensors spread out in different locations throughout the vehicle Then you have the argument that you could opt for AWD instead.

mevande · April 2005

Get a "grip" ford is gone by tiger10:
Its people like you that try and get other people to think like you. The host is right, This is not the topic area to "predict" the downfall of Ford. In reality the "Five Hundred is a pretty decent car. I have a BMW 740i and the Five Hundred rides as well, is comfortable and has SUV seating. :mad:

mevande · April 2005

It would have to be MUCH better than the XG350. I have 2 friends that have the XG350 and they have had nothing but problems.

canddmeyer · April 2005

I have a co-worker who obtained his 500 the day the first one was delivered to the dealer. He has a fully loaded 2wd model, and so far he loves it with no regrets about not having purchased the AWD. His wife, who is short, has trouble judging distance behind the vehicle when backing up. But he's the primary driver and is very happy with the purchase.

johnclineii · April 2005

Sounds like he should have gotten the reverse sensors. I have them on mine, and I LOVE them. I am very glad I bought them, and I had been hesitant at first to pay the couple of hundred dollars they cost. If even once they save me from an impact with something behind, they will more than pay for themselves. This is one "gimmick" I like!

fsmmcsi · April 2005

jrct9454 - Please understand that nobody is suggesting that some of the missing items (e.g. telescoping wheel, bigger engine) be made standard and that the price be increased for all buyers. The items just need to be options, or standard on the top level model. By the way, thank you to Ford for not forcing buyers to buy sunroofs to get other things. I much prefer the headroom, and have very little use for sunroofs. I have found at least one dealer who has the 2006 ordering guide for the Five Hundred online - just a few small changes..

nomoreford2 · April 2005

I test drove a SE FWD CVT and was impressed how well the car accelerated. It accelerates teh same or better than my 00 Taurus w/ duratec. Once over about 25 the car moves with ease. None of the major magazines will publish the 0-60 7.5sec test runs for the base model which is really good considering the car weighs near 3700, but slam the other models with 8.5 sec tests. The constant revving is as annoying as some reviews are saying & the engine is that nosiy either. The only downside to the car is the cramped front foot well for anyone over six feet, no adjustable pedals available for base model, and the amount of lean in taking corners.

Pros
-Acceleration
-Strong Brakes
-Smooth Ride

Cons
-Cramped Drivers foot well
-Body lean in turns
-No adjustable pedals, leather, or fog lamps avail for base model.

The SE FWD CVT is the best deal for the car considering they can be bought for aroung $19,000 in atlanta area. I cant see paying over 25-30k for the car when you can get a v6 atlima, accord, camry for that price although they dont have the same room as 500, but more powerful engines and will probably end up having better resal values.

avanti · April 2005

So what changes on the Montego for 2006?

lumber2 · April 2005

www.fordaxz.com/2006%20Ford%20Five%20Hundred.htm

samnoe · April 2005

http://www.fordaxz.com/2006%20Ford%20Five%20Hundred.htm

lumber2 · April 2005

http://www.fordaxz.com/2006%20Ford%20Five%20Hundred.htm

Thank you Samnoe

moparbad · May 2005

Five Hundred has plenty of power. This is a very nice car by Ford and it is selling well. I am very surprised by the complaining in earlier posts and in press articles.

quote FMC Amy MarenticMarentic also said the power of the Five Hundred's Duratec 30 V-6 engine is strong. Two new automatic transmissions, a CVT and 6-speed, make the 200-horsepower V-6 engine feel smooth and responsive.

"Our 0-60 miles per hour time of 7.45 seconds, as verified by an outside testing company, is even faster than the Chrysler 300 with a 250-horsepower engine. So we have nothing to be sorry about," said Marentic. "Plus, the Five Hundred gets up to 29 miles per gallon on the highway."

alpha01 · May 2005

There have been many many tests of other 500s by Edmunds.com, Motor Trend, Motor Week, Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, etc.... none has ever come remotely close to that seemingly fictional number of "7.45 seconds" to 60. Also note that that particular vehicle was an SE FWD CVT, I believe.... one of the most rare of combinations of powertrains and equipment. Finally, the times I've seen in the aforementioned publications range from 8 flat to 8.8 to sixty, given the different powertrains and trim levels.

Its not an underpowered vehicle, its just not as quick as its competitors.

~alpha

moparbad · May 2005

Car and Driver results for the AWD Limited were 8.0 seconds 0-60 mph.
If the 3975 lb AWD Limited will hit 60 mph in 8 seconds flat, then I find the result for the FWD Five Hundred weighing 200 lbs less to be credible at 7.45 seconds.

In addition, 7 to 9 seconds 0-60 is better than "adequate" for any family sedan.

IMHO. Of course, I think the HP wars are escalating out of control. :P

sverige · May 2005

The Montego CVT AWD is now four months old. It's what I expected and received. One of the better vehicles overall that I have owned. I noticed several lamenting the lack of some bells and whistles. They are available just shop around, Audis, Volvos, Lexus. I wanted AWD in a full size car but did not want to pay luxury prices. I've always had seat problems but the drivers seat fits and feels fine. It did not take long to learn to drive it, I remembered the Dynaflow I had in aniother life, and applied the same technique. Accord to my wife, (the principal driver darn it) the back sensor system was a must for the car. We had it on the TC.

johnclineii · May 2005

I've got 22,500 miles on my SEL AWD now, and I, too, am pleased. I have often gotten 31mpg on the highway, which I think is astounding for an AWD car this size and weight.

I am not sure what I will do when the new 3.5L is available. I suspect I will trade, but not if it means I have to give up my CVT. I love that thing. It's a hoot to drive!

donl1 · May 2005

I have only 3K on my LTD AWD. Struggling to get much over 20 mpg. Fairly conservative driving. Dealer says it will get better after 5 to 6K on it. Was this your experience or has yours always been good on gas? This and a few other quirks have me wondering if this car is what I wanted in an AWD sedan. :confuse:

johnclineii · May 2005

My mileage has steadily improved, it began at about 25mpg on the road.

The car definitely does NOT like cold weather. I get much better mileage when the weather does not go below 40 degrees F.

johnclineii · May 2005

http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/roadtest,view,Ford.spy?artid=40601

samnoe · May 2005

The review is new, but nothing new info there, just the plain old basics.

johnclineii · May 2005

Well, for those who have wanted/dreaded, here they are:

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0505/15/D01-181639.htm

johnclineii · May 2005

Interesting article about design philosophy at Ford, including the Five Hundred:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7856251/site/newsweek/

curt2005 · May 2005

Are there any functional differences between the 500 and the Montego?

The brochures imply that the only differences are cosmetic: LED taillights, waterfall grille, interior trim, and option packages.

Is anyone who has driven them both or who has access to service info able to comment on suspension, sound insulation, or any other differences?

(It is clear from the brochures that the Freestyle has a different rear suspension vs the 500.)

Thanks!

johnclineii · May 2005

The SEL and Limited versions of Five Hundred have the same level of insulation as Montego...the SE version has less. The Montego also has HID headlights, in addition to the things you mention. I consider that functional (or, disfunctional, depending on one's viewpoint...)

buckwheat · May 2005

May 13, 2005, 3:31 PM ET by Walter J Keegan Jr.
http://www.autoblog.com/

In some ways this is great news. The 3.5-liter Duratec engine is ready for the CD3 sedans next year. The 2007 versions of the Lincoln Zephyr, Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion will all have the 3.5 as optional engines.

Now heres the bad news: If Ford continues with these dates, the D3 Chicago cars: Five Hundred, Montego and Freestlye will not see a boost in horsepower until the 2008 model year when the cars get a face lift.

Personally we feel the three vehicles are just about right for the 3.0-liter engine, but a higher-powered option would be welcomed. We just hoped it would happen before 2008.

jcat707 · May 2005

In the article posted above, it said that the Taurus was being replaced with 3 different models. All I could think of were two models: the Five Hundred and the Fusion. What is the third model? Were they talking about the Fusion, Milan, and Zephyr?

ANT14 · May 2005

Survey respondants rated the 500, tied with the Maxima in the large car segment...

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0505/16/0auto-182558.htm

curt2005 · May 2005

I drove a Hertz rental SE in a hurry for about 30 miles on surface streets and freeway. Didn't notice anything odd or noisy about the transmission. Realized when I got to my destination that I had the CVT because it had only park, reverse, and drive on the shift plate!

Didn't find the engine noisy due to always running at high RPM, as some reviewers complain.

Didn't have trouble with acceleration getting on freeway, as most reviewers claim. (Test-drove a Lexus ES which hesitated. Test-drove a Cadillac CTS which was rather ponderous.)

The reviewers seem to copy each other and criticize or praise the same stuff. The "number of dead bodies in the trunk" gag, the supposedly tiny engine, the "dull exterior" refrain.

Saw this problem on reviews of many car makes and models.

However, the wood appliques on fancier models are tacky. The analog clock is nearly useless.

The Cadillac, did however, have better reception of hissy multipath FM stations -- maybe it has a diversity antenna.

curt2005 · May 2005

johnclineii said: "The SEL and Limited versions of Five Hundred have the
same level of insulation as Montego...the SE version has less."

Thank you very much!

That makes sense. There is certainly nothing in the Montego brochure to imply that it has more quieting. (Whereas the Buick Ranier makes a big deal of the quieting -- other GM versions of the same truck do not talk about it.)

Yes, I forgot the HID headlights, guess that is an advantage.

curt2005 · May 2005

Things that bugged me in Montego Premier test drive...

1. Radio control on the steering wheel does a scan rather than jumping to the next preset. Why would anyone want to jump to the next screaming rock station rather than to their next selected preset station? Designed for rental cars?

2. Sunroof causes domelight/sunglass holder assembly to be mounted lower, therefore blocking the top of the rear view mirror. Not a problem on the rental 500 with no sunroof.

3. Lumbar adjustment was uncomfortable in any position.

They seem to be particularly proud of the lumbar feature. It is listed twice on the specs on the website

8-way power drivers seat with manual lumbar
4-way power passengers seat
Audiophile Sound System with AM/FM stereo/6-disc in-dash CD changer with MP3 capability
Leather interior trim
Drivers seat with power recline and manual lumbar
Drivers seat with memory
Front passengers seat with manual lumbar

These three things are distinctly weird! What other weird things am I missing?

johnclineii · May 2005

I honestly wouldn't know what other "weird" things you are missing. I've been too busy driving and enjoying my AWD SEL Five Hundred. I now have 23,500 miles, with an upcoming trip to New Jersey then Alabama then Florida then back to West Virginia coming up next. Perhaps I will finally notice something weird then.

I certainly have not noticed any problems with the lumbar support.

The car comes with an FM radio? What's that for? Well, there was this thing that it didn't come with Sirius, but I had it installed and have lived happily ever after...

johnclineii · May 2005

http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102331

savetheland · May 2005

I do not know about 500, but on my Sable lumbar support designed wrong. Basically it is useless.

ANT14 · May 2005

JDPower rated the Ford 500, "runner up" in the large sedan segment, for initial quality.

http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/iqs2005069.asp

shocaser · May 2005

Has anyone heard if Ford is thinking of a 500 SHO version? I owned my '94 Taurus SHO for 10 years and it was one of the best cars I have owned.

badgerfan · May 2005

I really doubt it will ever come to pass. The market size is much too limited for large performance sedans and I doubt if Ford will consider it for this segment. I would bet once the novelty wears off, Chrysler's 300C Hemi and Dodge Magnum Hemi will also end up finding a pretty small market as well. Even in the long run it is questionable whether the bling of these two will sustain their sales once the novelty of the styling wears off.

It is very difficult to find a sustained mass market for a large performance sedan at a price that anyone can afford.

I could possibly see a SVT or ST version of Fusion when it comes out, but more likely the performance freaks will be more attracted to Mustang and Focus and perhaps some entry level Mercurys and Lincolns on the Horizon.

badgerfan · May 2005

Looks like at least on the JDP initial quality survey, 500 is right up there near the top of its class, which is a good sign, especially when considering that except for the proven engine, this is virtually a new design and a majorly reworked plant in Chicago.

In the past it has seemed many of the cars that rate towards the top have been those models that have at least 2-3 years (or sometimes much more like Buick Century/Regal) of stablized production under their belt so all the bugs are worked out.

Of course, this is just an initial quality survey and we will need a few years before the longer term numbers arrive from JDP and CR, but so far so good for 500.

jimlockey · May 2005

The 500 needs one thing. A diesel engine that would allow it to average 30 MPG. With this Ford would have the number one car on the market.

alpha01 · May 2005

I disagree. There's nothing about consumer behavior in the past 15-20 years that indicates today's buyers would favor a Five Hundred diesel enough to make it the "number one" car on the market. Diesel prices certainly arent low, and many gas stations still don't offer this fuel type. Its not like Ford is rolling in cash reserves, so I dont know that a diesel Five Hundred would be the best bet. I think the current track of offering the new 3.5L is about right, at least for now.

~alpha

buckwheat · May 2005

"I think the current track of offering the new 3.5L is about right, at least for now."

Alpha if the information in post 2610 is reliable/accurate MY2008 is still a good ways off and catch-up will be even more difficult..

ANT14 · May 2005

There won't be an SVT 500 as of this moment, those resources will be better used for the Ford Fusion. Plus it requires less engineering to do it on the Fusion, than the 500 which would require more extensive work totransform it's suspension for a viable SVT product one.

If you want an "SVT" 500, look for a Lincoln sedan instead, debuting in 2 years...

Also...

The IQS also shows that even if the 500 and Mustang, are new products, it puts down the "Don't buy on the first year because of all the glitches" myth. GM did well having numerous vehicles show up on those segments, but unfortunately for them... you would hope that a vehicle that have been produced for 5+ years, already have most of the bugs worked out.

Next month we'll see another reliability survey, from JDPower.

shocaser · May 2005

Is Lincoln coming out in 2 years with a sedan based on the 500? I am 6' 5" tall, so the size of the vehicle is very important to me, for leg room and head room. I think that the Fusion is going to be too small, as well as the Zephyr.

I would consider a new Cadillac, but the entire Cadillac line lacks head room. I have tried the CTS, SRX, Seville and even Deville. No head room! Very frustrating.

ANT14 · May 2005

There will be 2 sedans, a LS replacement and Town Car replacement, both built upon the 500's platform, be available with AWD and V8's of course. One will be much sportier than the other.

shocaser · May 2005

Would these come out in 2007 as 2008 model year vehicles? Sounds very intriguing. I like the LS, but do not fit because of the leg and hip room. I look forward to Lincoln coming out with some new and, hopefully, stylish sedans. Thanks for the info.

ANT14 · May 2005

In 07, as 08MY vehicles... You can try the LS forum, and scroll back and discuss more about it... here, I won't be able to say much since it's related to the 500.

Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego

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