Five Hundred rides on Volvo platform

When my long-awaited appointment to test-drive the new Ford Five Hundred finally arrived, the sun was hidden behind ominous rain clouds. I thought about rescheduling, but that would have disappointed three buddies I was meeting for breakfast who were as excited as I was about being the first on the block to ride in the new replacement for the midsize Taurus.

I did my initial walk-around inspection in the rain, and was eager to push the trunk release button on the remote fob. Ford is bragging that the Five Hundred's trunk is bigger than the gargantuan Lincoln Town Car's, making it the largest standard-production car trunk in the world. Sure enough, it's big. Big enough to hold eight golf bags, says Ford. Since this sedan is much smaller than a Town Car, I supposed the engineers created trunk volume by stealing legroom from the rear seat. But when I opened a rear door, my jaw dropped -- the car had more legroom than a Ford Crown Victoria! It appeared the Ford boys had been playing around with the laws of physics. "You ain't seen nothing yet," a salesman said, grinning. "Wait till you drive her."

I knew the Five Hundred was equipped with all-wheel-drive (AWD), a V-6 engine, and a new CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), and that it was based on a Volvo platform, so I was looking forward to a new driving experience. Sliding into the driver's seat, I noticed a higher seating position -- not as high as an SUV's, but higher than the typical sedan's. The seats perch on a beam connecting the sides of the car for crashworthiness, and front and rear passengers benefit from a roomy, chair-like seating position.

It was raining hard and the traffic was heavy when I pulled away from the dealership, and that's when I got my third revelation -- no tire slippage. The car accelerated briskly despite the slippery pavement, and merged effortlessly with the traffic. The Five Hundred came up to 50 miles per hour as if it was being propelled by a powerful, electric motor, thanks to the CVT's stepless shifting.

A little history

You may remember that when the Taurus was brand-new in 1986 it was immediately popular, and after a revision or two it was the best-selling family sedan in the U.S. from 1992 through 1996. Ford has sold 6.5 million of them-- no small accomplishment in view of the slick competition from the Japanese. But Ford wants -- no, needs -- to reclaim the best-selling sedan title from Toyota, so a lot is riding on the Five Hundred. But Ford is hedging its bet, as the current Taurus will be sold side by side with this new Five Hundred.

Ford plucked the Five Hundred's platform from Volvo, whom Ford has had a controlling interest in since 1999. Five Hundred uses the same front-wheel-drive, transverse-engine layout with struts up front and a multilink setup in the back that's used in all the bigger Volvos, and the Ford folks aren't a bit shy in mentioning the Swedish family relationship when talking about safety features. It's the same successful tactic that the Lincoln division uses when describing their relationship with another Ford division, Jaguar. Who wouldn't want to carry their family around in a car based upon an ultra-safe Volvo that can be serviced at their local Ford dealer?

The CVT is standard on AWD models, and a new six-speed automatic comes on the base and on higher-line Five Hundreds. The AWD system is the same electronically controlled Haldex unit used in Volvos. It normally powers the front wheels only to maximize fuel economy. Electronic traction control is standard on all Five Hundreds, and when used on AWD models, it allows for side-to-side and front-to-rear power transfer. That means power will always go to the tires with the most traction.

After breakfast I loaded my three friends into the Five Hundred and we took it for a spin in the pouring rain. Actually, that's not quiet accurate -- try as hard as we might, we couldn't make the tires spin. The Haldex system and the electronically controlled engine and transmission always knew where to send the power, and the Five Hundred always rocketed away under complete control. Ford says that with a zero-to-sixty time of 7.45 seconds it will out-accelerate some more powerful cars, such as the 250-horsepower Chrysler 300, the 210-horsepower Toyota Avalon and the Chevy Impala LS, thanks to its advanced powertrain technology. Indeed, its real-world performance on the slippery highways was an eye-opener.

Not only did the Five Hundred feel quick, it was also competent, quiet and smooth. The stepless transmission allowed the engine to come up to high RPMs quickly, then brought the engine speed down as the accelerator was released. In the passenger cabin, my tallest passenger, at over six feet, had ample room to stretch out in the back seat, and when in the front seat his head easily cleared the moon roof. Power-adjustable foot pedals enabled every test driver to find a comfortable driving position, and we were pleased that the designers scattered eight drink holders throughout the cabin. I noted that with the rear and front passenger seats folded flat the new sedan could even accommodate my 9-foot kayak.

Prices start at around $22,795 for the Five Hundred, and even the base model is very well-equipped. Ford is hoping to sell 125,000 of them in the first year, and if safety, sure-footedness, and having the biggest trunk in the neighborhood are important to you, they'll probably succeed.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at sjr1@robertsonphotography.com.