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Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego

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Comments

  • I was, John. I've had many new vehicles over the years. Since the late 80's, most of them (GM products excepted) have been trouble-free. All my Fords have been great. So my point, if I'm allowed to have one ;), is you don't have to go with a 500 to get that sort of reliability. Still, glad you like it. Wish they'd give it some flair too.
  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    my mileage is better than I anticipated.

    I took a ~700 mile trip this last weekend and got 24.1 on the first 450 or so miles (say about 300 hwy and 150 city) and 28.6 on the 250 back home (all 60 mph hwy).
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    Has anyone had troubles with the CVT? I note some on the Freestyle site. Of course, all FS have the CVT, but not all 500 or Montegos.
  • barnstormer64barnstormer64 Member Posts: 1,106
    No problems here, on either my 2005 Five Hundred or my 2005 Freestyle (each with about 10k miles on them).
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
  • The award is for the Montego. Oh, wait, they are the same car, aren't they?
  • jimmymack1jimmymack1 Member Posts: 8
    i was gong to wait for the o7's to go for the 0 % financing because there was no 06s with my desired color but GM beat ford to the draw with their 0%.plus employes pricing. sorry ford.i'd of liked the montego but value first.
  • hotprops2hotprops2 Member Posts: 1
    Value cant be found in any gm product i know because when i bought the 500 no dealer wanted my olds or chev; buying a car based on financing only is a fools game.byw the 06 500 with cvt is a gas to drive lets get this thread up and Running {go check out the olds intrigue site it is still going strong and is a valuable info source}saved me tons of money on service issues of which the general has many
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    Starting 2007, powertrain warranties for Ford/Mercury's will be stretched to 5 years, 60K miles, and 6 years, 70K miles for Lincoln.

    I've been at pushing this for years if some of you have remembered from earlier posts.
  • fsmmcsifsmmcsi Member Posts: 792
    ANT14 - Yes, increasing the warranty coverage is a very intelligent action. It confonts the quality concerns of buyers, and occurs just when Toyota is issuing more and more recalls, Nissan sales are falling, and the Chrysler 300 is given a surprising low mark for side wreck test performance by the IIHS.

    By the way, anyone who has not seen the IIHS video on the large car side wreck tests will enjoy this:

    http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr061806.html

    When will we see "spy" photos of the 2008 interior? Will the 2008 models be at dealerships in January, or will it be February or March?
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    I like that it resembles a large VW. The styling of the Fusion is original but never appealed to me. I think the VW look works because the 500 is more luxury than sporty, more classy than flashy.

    With the new Duratech engine, will it change the gas mileage better or worse? Also will it change the invoice and MSRP? Since the front end changes, will it affect the frontal crash test results? Bye CVT! Your originality was nice while you lasted!
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    The styling of the Fusion is original but never appealed to me.

    I liked the current styling of the 500 too...in fact I like the base non-chrome grille best. But it seems we may be the only ones that would like the fusion to look more like the 500, rather than visa-versa :( .
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    Do you like 2006 or 2007 and why?
  • I have no problem with the styling genre Ford was going after with the 500. If only Ford would have gotten the "European" styling down a bit better. Set an Audi A6 and a 500 together and you can see the derivative nature of the 500's styling. But it is not as graceful nor as well integrated. And unfortunately, it borrows from the worst angle (rear three quarters) of the previous (98-05) Passat. It will be interesting to see if a grafted Fusion front end makes it all that much better in the metal.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Do you like 2006 or 2007 and why?

    I have not seen a 2007, so I guess I'd say the 2006 (with black grille). It's not that I think the 500 is a great looking car, but I think it looks okay and the appearance would not keep me from buying. I like the looks of the of 98-05 Passat...so I guess I like the aspects of the 500 that are similar.

    The Fusion looks are just not for me (I like the appearance of the Mazda6 and the Mercury Milan, though) and and soon no Ford will be appealing to me, since they are apparently putting the Fusion style grille on everything.
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    Ford acts to rev up stalled turnaround

    Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

    Advertisement


    GET FREE HEADLINES BY E-MAIL

    Ford Motor Co.

    Ford's generous warranty could boost sales and lift resale values, some analysts say. See full image
    Warranties at a glance
    While some warranties may vary within a company, here's a quick look at what warranties automakers are offering.
    DaimlerChrysler AG
    Drivetrain: 3 years/36,000 miles
    Basic: 3 years/36,000 miles
    Roadside service: 3 years/36,000 miles
    Ford Motor Co.
    Drivetrain: From 5 years/60,000 miles to 6 years/70,000 miles
    Basic: 3 years/36,000 miles to 4 years/50,000 miles
    Roadside service: Up to 6 years/70,000 miles
    General Motors Corp.
    Drivetrain: From 3 years/36,000 miles to 5 years/60,000 miles
    Basic: 3 years/36,000 miles to 4 years/50,000 miles
    Roadside service: Up to 4 years/50,000 miles
    Honda Motor Co.
    Drivetrain: 5 years/60,000 miles
    Basic: 3 years/36,000 miles
    Roadside service: Not offered
    Nissan Motor Co.
    Drivetrain: 5 years/60,000 miles
    Basic: 3 years/36,000 miles
    Roadside service: 3 years/36,000 miles
    Toyota Motor Corp.
    Drivetrain: 5 years/60,000 miles
    Basic: 3 years/36,000 miles
    Roadside service: Not offered
    Source: Edmunds.com

    Ford is increasing the warranty on all of its 2007 Ford and Mercury vehicles to five years or 60,000 miles. In addition, Ford will offer free roadside assistance for the entire warranty period. How important are these benefits when you're shopping for a car?
    Click here to vote


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    Ford Motor Co., struggling to gain traction with its North American turnaround effort, announced a series of moves Thursday aimed at cutting costs and boosting sales.

    Ford's Board of Directors voted to cut the company's quarterly dividend in half, from 10 cents to 5 cents a share, beginning in the third quarter. The dividend is now at its lowest point since Ford eliminated payments altogether in 1982 and mirrors a 50 percent dividend reduction at General Motors Corp. in February.

    Ford's directors also cut their own $200,000-a-year compensation by half. Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. said the moves were necessary to maintain strong liquidity.

    Also Thursday, Ford announced that it is extending the standard powertrain warranty on all Ford and Mercury vehicles from three years or 36,000 miles to five years or 60,000 miles. Lincoln's four-year or 50,000-mile standard powertrain warranty is being extended to six years or 70,000 miles. In addition, Ford said it will offer free roadside assistance for the entire warranty period and allow customers to transfer their warranties if they sell their car or truck before the warranty expires.

    That makes Ford's warranty package the most generous of any full-line automaker -- a fact it hopes will bring more customers into Ford dealerships, which have seen retail sales drop 9 percent so far this year.

    "The headwinds we faced at the beginning of 2006 have only become stronger, as consistently higher gasoline prices in the U.S. have caused consumer purchase preferences to shift away from SUVs and large trucks to smaller cars and crossover vehicles," Bill Ford said in a statement issued after Thursday's board meeting. "While this shift plays positively to our new vehicle offerings, we must still get our costs in line in response to segment adjustments and higher commodity prices that are affecting the company."

    But Wall Street said the decision to cut dividends signals bad news ahead as Ford prepares to release its second-quarter financial results next week.

    "This certainly suggests that second-quarter earnings are going to be uglier than expected," said Bradley Rubin, vice president of credit research at BNP Paribas in New York. "People are finally realizing at Ford that this turnaround is a little more difficult than they anticipated."

    Ford shares closed down 32 cents Thursday to $6.56, a 4.6 percent decline.

    "The dividend cut telegraphs the board's mounting concern about the company's performance," said John Casesa of New York's Casesa Shapiro Group LLC. "It's a very pessimistic signal."

    The dividend cut is expected to save Ford about $375 million annually.

    "Strong liquidity is an important enabler of our ongoing turnaround efforts and this action will make an important contribution," Bill Ford said.

    But credit analysts said the move will not change the company's balance sheet enough to boost Ford's weak credit ratings, which have already fallen into junk-bond territory.

    "The cash savings are relatively marginal," said Robert Schulz, who follows the company for Standard & Poor's in New York.

    Craig Hutson, an analyst with Gimme Credit, said he expects Ford's ratings to sink even deeper.

    "It is a sign that the company is acting to shore up its liquidity amid greater headwinds in the industry than it originally anticipated," he said. "A dividend cut is never good news."

    But Ford's decision to extend warranties may be good news, at least for consumers.

    The five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty being offered on Ford and Mercury cars and trucks is substantially better than the three-year or 36,000-mile warranty offered on all of DaimlerChrysler AG's domestic nameplates and most of General Motors Corp.'s brands. More importantly, it matches the warranties offered by Ford's leading Japanese rivals: Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., neither of which includes roadside assistance as part of their standard packages.

    "Ford is setting its own path," said Cisco Codina, head of North American marketing, sales and service for Ford. "All of this is part of our strategy to become America's car company."

    The new warranties, which are effective today, will be applied retroactively to customers who have already purchased 2007 cars and trucks. Moreover, the company said it will offer extended warranties to customers who buy 2006 models. The new warranties apply to all Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles, except for those like Ford's diesel pickups and hybrid SUVs that already featured more attractive terms.

    "It definitely gives consumers another reason to look at Ford," said Mike Jackson, an analyst with CSM Worldwide in Farmington Hills.

    Boosting warranties addresses one of Ford's biggest product problems -- the resale value of its vehicles. However, the move could increase the company's warranty costs substantially.

    Ford's second quarter warranty data shows that 2006 model year per-unit warranty costs are 24 percent less than those for 2005 model vehicles.

    "I'm glad that we're leading instead of following," said Kenny Shreve, owner of Kenny Shreve Ford Mercury in McLeansboro, Ill.

    "I feel better about Ford today than I have in years."
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    Going to see a dealer today. I'd like to know how it is selling. Figured it could help during negotiation. Thanks!
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    The gaps between body panels are said to be fairly large. What does this mean in laymans terms?
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    it means thegap between say the hood, and the side metal, or say between the doors (when closed) and the front sides of the car.

    The smaller these gaps the more the car looks like its a singe piece of metal rather than a oversized lego set. I have seen many of the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr and I do not know were C&D gets off saying the gaps are large.

    On anohter note, gaps in cars like the Camry are indeed very small, but you will find them if you look hard enough. It also depends on the way the car was put together, sometimes one side of the car is made up of to omany pieces, and no matter how close the gaps are it looks bad.

    It all depends on the car.
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    My two cents is that the size of panel gaps is far less important than uniformity.
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    Which means? :confuse:
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    My two cents is that the size of panel gaps is far less important than uniformity.

    Up to a point, but if the gaps are all uniformly huge it does not look good. Would you be happy with uniform gaps of 1 inch, for example? ;)
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    To me it reflects the degree of care with which the vehicle was designed and, more importantly, assembled.
  • hotpropshotprops Member Posts: 9
    Gaps what are you guys nuts? car is put together as well or better as any i now have in garage an olds chevy and benz! whats next a discussion on TOONING! and yes it does have four doors
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    I've read some reviews on the Five Hundred and gaps is mentioned often. Personally, I wouldn't determine to buy a car on how big its gaps are but the critics seem to think it's important.

    I did a test drive the other day with the Five Hundred, Sonata, and Malibu Maxx. Ruled out the Maxx because I felt the driver's seat was the least comfortable. I also had 2 kids and wife in back, one kid in child seat. She said she was least comfortable in the Maxx, also.

    The Five Hundred had the most room by far, but I think the Sonata had a little better ride. I can't dissmiss the $2,500 incentive for the Sonata. I couuld get the GLS V6 for under $18,000! If the Five Hundred could compete with that I would choose it, but airbags aren't standard yet. I read on IIHS.org that the airbags will be standard in Sept. 2006, if I remember correctly. That would help!
  • barnstormer64barnstormer64 Member Posts: 1,106
    "I've read some reviews on the Five Hundred and gaps is mentioned often. Personally, I wouldn't determine to buy a car on how big its gaps are but the critics seem to think it's important"

    The funny thing is that after reading about the "gap issue" last year, I went out and started looking at other cars (foreign, domestic, etc). I couldn't see ANY difference in my 500/Freestyle vs. the allegedly superior foreign jobs. It's all a bunch of BS, if you ask me.
  • hotpropshotprops Member Posts: 9
    critics what do they know? and you GAP guys should buy some other auto and muck up the thread for that auto with senseless chatter. the 06 500 is a fine auto and i just came out of a benz .i have had the car for 3 weeks and still get a blast driving it. the cvt trans is great after you get used to the smooth ride it gives
  • evandroevandro Member Posts: 1,108
    Body gaps are very similar nowadays and it matters more to the trade press than to consumers.

    I care more about dashboard gaps, where there's still room for improvement, in both Japanese and domestic brands.
  • bargainsformebargainsforme Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone received this mailing and then went into the dealership with it? I just received this "Celebration Clearance" brochure because I currently own a 2000 Sable. In the brochure it says you get $1,000 Lincoln Mercury Owner Loyalty AND 0% APR financing until 8/31/06. I also know from doing my research and calling the 1-800 number in the brochure that there is $1,000 retail rebate cash on until 10/2/06 and $1,000 gas card until 7/31/06. However, when I went to the car dealership yesterday they tried to tell me that the 0% financing is in lieu of either the $1,000 gas card or retail rebate. I was really annoyed because no where on the brochure does it say it is one or the other. The brochure gives the impression that this is EXTRA over what anyone else would get coming into the dealership. And quite frankly, these sales managers in these dealerships don't seem to know much about the programs out there! When I showed them the brochure, all in the dealership seemed puzzled and confused by it. Is it the dealerships or is Ford/Lincoln/Mercury confusing the heck out of these people? My frustration is in the fact that the Sales Mgr. wouldn't even call district and find out more about it. He just said you either get $3,000 off of the car or $2,000 and 0% APR for 3 years. And when I said I'd walk, he was O.K. with that.
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    I guess you walked then, right?

    What options, exterior, interior colors, are you looking for? AWD or 2WD? Would you consider the Ford? What city and state do you live in?
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    I'm sorry you went to a dealer where they explained the program very poorly.

    First, anybody who walks in off the street can choose one of the 4 following programs right now on a Montego:

    1. 1000 rebate and 1000 gas card.
    2. 1000 rebate and 1000 cash in lieu of gas card
    3. 1000 gas card and 0% for 36 months.
    4. 1000 cash in lieu of gas chard and 0% for 36 months.

    Now your Loyalty cash is in addition to one of the 4 above choices. So you are getting something extra.

    The jerk sales manager that you spoke to was correct, you can have option 2, plus loyalty which would be $3,000 total rebate, or option 4, plus loyalty which is $2000 total rebate + 0% for 36 months.

    As dealership employees, we are not responsible for what Ford prints or does not print in its mailers, we only care about want we can give a customer.

    If you don't like how you were treated at a dealership, go to a different one.

    Don't expect huge rebates on a Montego. If you care about rebates, buy a GMQ there is $6,000 available in rebates. Just expect STEEP depreciation.

    The benefit to you for buying a Montego with low rebate is that even now at the end of the model year, residuals for leases on Montegos is near 50% for a 36 mo/12k per year lease.

    For comparison,a GMQ LS has a 38% residual for the same lease.

    The low rebate is possible because Ford is doing a better job controlling the inventory on the Montego thanks to the Flexible Manufacturing plant it is built at.
  • Which also means they aren't selling many of them at all. Granted, it is better to admit it is not a car many people want, and stop trying to push it beyond that. But, heck, it just hurts a Ford loyalist to see how far Ford (and Mercury) have fallen under the six year reign of boring Mr. Ford.
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    If your looking to save money with this car your best bet, I believe, you should go with the Ford Five Hundred SE. Going with the Montego, your spending more money for the same exact car. I could see if you were getting a different engine by buying a Montego but fact is your not. The only difference is looks and it's not a big difference.

    All options are offered with both cars. Even if there was different options, why pay more for a car to get an option you have to pay for on top of that and I'm sure you could live without anyway.

    The SE your getting the better trany. You can get the 2WD or AWD version, which I wouldn't buy the AWD unless I lived in an mountainous or snowy area. You can get it with Leather seats, moonroof, safety and security package, and traction. Personally, I rather have cloth because it burns up in the summer and freezes up in the winter.

    The options you would be sacrificing is the Nav. (use a map), Family Entertainment (buy a portable DVD, much cheaper), Reverse Sensing (stop being lazy and turn your head), Power adj. Pedals (unless your short and if you are you probably wouldn't like the Five Hundred/Montego), and Homelink (if you have a cell phone it's the same thing).

    Se invoice starts at $20,507. Power moonroof invoice is $779. Safety and Security Package invoice is $692. Traction Control invoice is $170. Destination charge is $700. Total invoice is $22,848 minus the $1,000 rebate $21,848. If your a good negotiator, don't mention the rebate and negotiate below invoice first then mention the rebate. Go the last day of July or August and they just might be desperate enough to make a last sale.
  • hotpropshotprops Member Posts: 9
    dont forget if you have a family member in service ,My Marine son saved me $500
  • fsmmcsifsmmcsi Member Posts: 792
    Homelink has nothing at all to do with phones, cellular or otherwise. It is a transmitter to open garage doors, gates, and such. You can buy an aftermarket rear view mirror with Homelink, a compass, and automatic dimming.

    I certainly agree that cloth is best in warm seasons, although cooled leatrher seats (offered on several Ford and GM vehicles as well as some foreign brands) may be better, since the leather is easier to keep clean. Perforated leather is a step below those, and the worst (for a vehicle in a warm climate/season)is solid leather.

    Mercurys are not always more expensive than Fords. My 2002 Mountaineer was $1,200 less than the identically equipped Explorer.
  • luvmbootyluvmbooty Member Posts: 271
    I was only referring to the Five Hundred price to Montego.

    Thought Homelink was some kind of calling device for emergencies.

    My point is, for this particular sedan you might save yourself some $$$ if you buy the 2006 SE while supplies, which I think are in numbers, and rebates last.

    As a family man, affordability, ergonomic, and safety is exactly what I and my family needs.
  • buckwheatbuckwheat Member Posts: 396
    From the last paragraph of 7/31/06 Automotive News:

    "Ford is dropping the continuously variable transmission offered in the Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego at the end of the 2007 model year."
  • grandmarquisgrandmarquis Member Posts: 17
    Will there be stability control on the 2008 model?
  • hotpropshotprops Member Posts: 9
    the cvt will still be aval on the high end awd limited.it is a great trans and a blast to drive and has the better 0 to 60 mph times over the 6auto.try to get some of the last ones left .ford is saving $700 to $800 per unit going to the six speed!!
  • buckwheatbuckwheat Member Posts: 396
    Since the CVT is made by Ford at its Batavia Ohio plant which is scheduled to close in 2008 I strongly doubt that the CVT will be avaialble for any model as the article eludes to.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Also the $500 military offer and the loyalty cash are both considered private offers and cannot be combined.

    Mark.
  • hotpropshotprops Member Posts: 9
    I got all sort of discounts rebates ect who cares whatthey are called ,also the cvt will go into awd 500 FOREVER.. cant link up to 6 speed.also the plant has not closed yet and they most likely have a few on the shelf. bill
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    No...the next AWD will not have the cvt.

    Nice try, though.
  • hotpropshotprops Member Posts: 9
    NEXT awd define next? 2010!
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    It is my understanding that the 08 Five Hundred, due less than a year from now, will come with the 3.5L engine, and that the current CVT cannot handle the torque or horsepower. There will not be a CVT available...it will come with the GM/Ford Joint Venture Six Speed. The plant where the current CVT is built, in Batavia, Ohio, is slated for closure, and soon.

    This does not even take into account the most recent financial news at Ford, which may further impact this situation.
  • hotpropshotprops Member Posts: 9
    torque not hp breaks things and how do you know that the 3.5 will be offered in the awd ,also how do you know the 3.5 if ever offered will have more torque? also both gm and ford are tanking maby ending this new venture!!
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    The 3.5L will be offered in AWD trim. The 3.5L will also have much more torque, so far 255HP from preliminary specs. As it is, the AWD system will be an improved Haldex version as well...GM/Fords current state of affair won't affect the joint venture product. They both have rights to use/alter the transmission, if there's a desolution of partnership pertaining to that product.
  • buckwheatbuckwheat Member Posts: 396
    Ford's Five Hundred platform will underpin four new vehicles http://tinyurl.com/s862n
  • biscuit1941biscuit1941 Member Posts: 31
    Ride height is my "holy grail as I am 6'1", 240 lbs with a spinal fusion. Are there another SEDANS (not suv or minivans) that have the high seat one can sit up in. besides the ford/mercury?
  • slider7slider7 Member Posts: 33
    FYI to all, the Volvo XC-90 uses the same platform as the Five Hundred. The XC-90 has AWD combined with the old Taurus SHO Yamaha 8 banger putting out 315HP. Ford already had the right set up all along. They just didn't want to upset the buyers that paid $37,000 to $55,000!
This discussion has been closed.