The 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred Retrospective & Ford's Attempt To Remarket It As The Taurus 

Back in 2011 I needed a car and my credit was not good so I went to a buy here pay here lot. They had one on the lot and it was a 2006 with very low miles not even close to 20 thousand miles being almost 6 years old already. I test drove it and I knew I wanted it that day. Well they approved me for it and at the time I was 24 years old. When I drove that car off the lot I felt like I had just won the lottery and brought a new Bentley. That car drove like the king of the road with pure luxury. I will always remember that day because I knew I was rich and no one could tell me nothing lol .I was supposed to go to work that same day and I called out sick because I did not want to get out of that car at all lol

My first car was a 2007 Five Hundred SEL. When I was a freshman/sophomore in HS one of my teachers had one he would park out back behind his classroom and I always thought it was a good looking car, and 2 years later passed up an Audi A4, Hyundai Elantra, and Chevy Malibu Wagon to get myself one. Beige interior and exterior. Was an excellent car. Very comfortable, tons of space, zero reliability issues. Only gripe I had was the 6-disk player liked to not give back my CDs occasionally. Owned it for a year and a half until I sold it in late 2020 to buy a '13 Taurus SHO, which I consider to be the best sedan Ford ever made. The girl I sold it to still has it to this day, and if she ever decides to get rid of it I may buy it right back from her.

The criticism you laid out with these was valid. Didn't help that the Chrysler 300 launched the same time either, as it seemed to be the opposite of all the 500s gripes ( and had a starting price only about a grand more). My biggest memories of these and Freestyles, was the CVT was a expensive accident waiting to happen. That and they looked like VW Passats. Fantastic vid Rob!

Best car Ford put out in the 2000s. Mine made it to 385k without no problems. Smooth ride and good transmission

Ford should've spent the money in updating and improving the Crown Victoria. Made it with a independent rear end and lengthing the wheelbase for more room and putting a better quality material inside. Some of this extra cost could've been recouped by cutting the bean counters who have ruined more cars then improved them.

I really like the dashboard and interior overall. Looks sophisticated.

I drive a 500 and I love it!

I was working for a Ford-Mercury dealer when the Five Hundred came out. The car was met with zero interest from our rural customer base, who (if craving a big sedan) would go for Crown Vic and Grand Marquis for their relative plushness and isolation. Funny how we all love that higher "H-point" seating position nowadays, as SUVs and crossovers are the best sellers. But that raised seating position felt out of place with sedan packaging, and served as another turnoff.

I bought my 2007 Five Hundred Limited brand new and I am happily still driving it today, with currently 127,000 miles on the odometer. It is by far the best car I have ever had! Just routine maintenance and it always starts, even in the coldest weather. I've had one power steering repair, but that's it, other than the routine stuff like oil changes, batteries and tires. It rides great and has enough power for my needs. I really enjoy the seating height and the beige leather interior still looks great. The moon-roof still functions and has never leaked and the Audiophile sound system is definitely the best I have ever had in any car I've owned over the years. Passengers always remark about the spaciousness, especially in the back seat. Is it the prettiest car I've ever had? No. But there's more to a car than a pretty face...and that works for me any day!

When I was a kid I'd love taking a ride in my aunt's Five Hundred, it's actually one of the nicest memories from my childhood that's why I have a soft spot for this car.

Bought a 2006 Five Hundred AWD Limited with CVT in fall 2022 as my first car. Absolutely loving it despite being the complete opposite of what I envisioned my first car to be lol. I get compliments on its looks all the time despite having minor rust and pre-curbed rims. Perfect for highway cruising (+500km weekly commutes), and I occasionally did Calgary-Fort Mac (750km) on a single tank. Put 35,000km on it since purchase and it's still very happy at 250k. My one gripe is power, as it can barely move out of its own way, and there is no aftermarket scene for it so what I have is what I have.

You are really good at giving the historical context of these 'mundane' vehicles and how they fit into the car market in their time.

2005 Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD. Bouth 10 years ago. Runs great haven't put a thin dime into it.

Ford did a fantastic job of alienating its loyal Taurus customers and fan base, after X-ing the iconic nameplate for “five hundred.” Add to that the bulbous styling and continued lackadaisical powertrains, and by the time the Taurus was reintroduced- the majority of Taurus owners had already jumped ship to other manufacturers- mainly Japanese imports. Didn’t help that the 2010- models were far too heavy and sloppy feeling, to compete even against the domestic rivals in Daimler Chrysler and GM. Anyway, another great vid! Always look forward to the new ones.

A channel dedicated to Obscure but completely normal 80’s-2000’s normal cars?! Sign me up!

Another great video AT, keep at it. You're getting better with every upload and growing the channel. Got somewhat close on the drink this time at least - was drinking a canned Brisk ice tea 👍

We’ve had a ford five hundred in the family since 2005, it’s got close to half a million miles and has been a wonderful car, it’s been put through the paces and has been tried and true all along.

We bought a new 05 Fivehundred Limited with the 6 speed auto. when the came out. My wife loved the back seat and trunk room. The power was fine. It's not a muscle car, but it does fine. we have 130,000 miles on it now and she won't let go of it. She still likes the car and doesn't want to pay for a new car. It still runs great, has given us very few problems, and will be getting a paint job in the near future. I figure if she's happy with it, spending $5000 on it is better than $40 or 50k on a new vehicle.

My family's bought one brand new in 05 . Absolutely great for Manitoba winters . The all wheel drive is great . Great leg room . Tons of space . Kinda bubbly looking and too round . But other then the styling . Its perfect

You're doing a good job young man! Its hard to believe that cars like the 500 is 20 years old! Seems like yesterday. In one video you talked about the 1979 Ford Ranchero being based off the Ford LTD II. We owned a beautiful black Brougham 78 with a white vinyl top. My grandfather had a beige 1977 Cougar XR7 with rust colored vinyl top and my uncle had a 79 Ford Thunderbird. All gold colored. The 1977-1979 LTD II, the Mercury Cougar XR7 and the Ford Thunderbird were the exact same cars. Even the dashboards were exact copys. If you ever drive one its like a flying mattress that you can steer with a finger! Enjoying the videos. I'm 50 and grew up in a garage with my uncle. Reminds me of all the cars we fixed and drove.

Bought my 2007 Limited in 2016 with 182k on the odometer. Very first issue with it was in 2022 with 248k on the odometer and that was just an alternator. I've owned many good cars, but never had one be trouble free for that many miles and that late in it's life. I got an AMAZING deal on a 2007 Lincoln MKZ a few years ago, so my 500 sees less use as I'm trying to keep the miles down a bit on it, but I 100% trust it on my 70 miles commute despite the 252k on the odometer. Best car I've ever owned (I'm 54)

We own a 06 SEL and love it I wouldn’t buy anything but a Ford and I’m a retired mechanic of 25 years they’re very economical and cheap for parts and most parts stores have the parts in stock for them well most parts

I love these cars. This era was very interesting, especially for the domestic manufacturers. I’d love to drive a Five Hundred one day, seems like such a nice car. Great video!

Best car I have ever owned. Plan to drive it 'til it stops running. I have owned the car for 19 years, maintained it by the book, and it still get 26 mpg on the highway. Current mileage is 159,000 miles. Minimal repairs: air conditioning compressor, front struts , and throttle body are the three items that failed and were replaced. If you can find a low mileage one, buy it.

I currently own a ford five hundred 2007 sel, 172k miles ive had it for 3 years now. Honestly theres no huge problems with it. The engine isnt as under powered as the critics say off the factory line yes, but there is some easy and cheap mods you can do to the car. New air filter, better tires, less restrictive exhaust and a tune. You have yourself a fun and comfortable sleeper.

I am 6 foot 4 and I have a 2008 Mercury Sable and I love it because of the seat and the heater that warms up very fast and the nice radio .I have the larger engine and I drive the car 12 miles a day and fill the tank every other week .the rear seats fold down to make a large storage area. I bought mine from the GSA auction it had been driven by an DEA agent in downtown LA . My only complaint about the car is that sometimes for no reason the shifts are harsh and kind of make a thud noise and I guess that is a common problem. I had a p71 crown vic and it was less comfortable but it felt like a more durable car.

Lots of people don't know the 500's from passenger seat folds forward. So that, combined with rear seats folded down and you can get like 12ft lumber in there no problem!

People always said that the 3.0 was underpowered, but I never felt that way. It wasn't fast, but perfectly adequate. Rather, the later 3.5 felt extra-powered to me. The AISIN 6-speed Auto in the FWD models certainly helped a lot.

It was our first grown up purchase after we were married. I was newly pregnant and we needed a safe car for the baby. The baby is 18 now, and she drives it.

Great car! The 3.0 engine is awesome 🔩

I've always thought these 2005-2009 ford five hundred Tauruses were futuristic when they first came out. I hated the 2010 redesign. I think ford should've continued with this five hundred Taurus through the 2012 model year.

It may look boring, but I actually liked the 2005-07 Five Hundred(later renamed 2008-09 Taurus). It was very roomy and comfortable. The redesigned 2010 Taurus was also nice, but compared to the Five Hundred, the 2010 Taurus felt smaller on the inside.

"You can never look too much like an Audi." J Mays.

I had the pleasure of driving a Ford Freestyle as a loaner vehicle. Big, comfy car that rode nice and had tons of room. I liked the tan interior too. AWD with the CVT. Took it for a cruise through Chicago and into Michigan. It was rusty, and mechanically it was starting to fall apart, flashing check engine light and some strange noises, but the warm, green glow of the gauge cluster and comfortable seats harkened back to older land yachts while still handling like a modern car. It was a family car that grandpa could still enjoy driving from time to time.

I remember all the E and F named Ford's appearing, the Escape, The Five Hundred, The fusion all came out around 2005-2007

I bought a low mileage '07 Five Hundred in 2012. I loved it. It was roomy, comfortable, smooth riding and relatively trouble free. My dad, well into his 80s, preferred riding in my car over Mom's Lincoln Town Car. Drove it until December '23 after putting about 100,000 miles on it. Sold it to a young couple, now she loves it, too.

I owned a Red Five-Hundred for a couple of years. It was a fantastic car. I really enjoyed driving it. Only sold it because we needed a bigger car for our growing family.

Good video. Thank you

I remember the first time I sat in one at the dealership. The textured surface of the cheap plastic on the interior door handles actually abraded my skin when I had the misfortune of allowing my knuckles to brush against it. Seriously...it was like sandpaper.

Interior space in these cars was no joke. Not only was this like being in a much larger car, the trunk was huge and it was bank vault quiet and rode really well. My Dad bought a 2008 Taurus and it was a great car for him. Never any issues. Unfortunately at about the 10 year mark, the car developed issues and had to be sold.

I owned a 2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD. It was a good car - very reliable and nearly trouble free. It was underpowered for sure, but the CVT seemed to make the best of what power was available. I like the seating position and room of the interior. But as the car aged, that tightly controlled, vibration free ride deteriorated and became really noisy inside. Ultimately at 183K miles, the transmission went out and I junked it. The engine had a misfire that could not be fixed and the car was rusting out badly. But overall it was a good car and owed me nothing when I let it go.

Hard to believe how long ago that was, these cars were new when i worked at the ford dealership. I didn't care for the CVT transmissions since they seemed very underpowered but the car was very comfortable to drive. If i would've ever gotten one it would've had the 6 speed automatic.

I rented a Five Hundred to drive from the airport in San Francisco to my final destination in the Sierra foothills, about 2 1/2 hours away. To this day I remember the V6 struggling to keep up the pace driving through the Altamont Pass and the whiny CVT that loudly protested when it was summoned to do an upshift. To this day I have sworn to never buy a vehicle with a CVT.

I read somewhere that Mays told them to make the Five Hundred look like the Passat/A6. At the time, that design was already 8 years old! That being said, I think that the previous Taurus/Sable have aged far better than I ever expected them to. Especially the wagon.

My friend have a 2005 Five Hundred SEL, FWD. Awesome and very cheap/reliable car! I love it! P. S. My dream car is 2008-2009 Ford Taurus/Taurus X!

My mom had a Freestyle, the crossover variant of the Five Hundred, for years. It was a good looking, good driving car, spacious too; did well for her for years. Unfortunately, the CVT was having too many issues for it to be trusted anymore. She did love that car though. I never found the 3.0 to be underpowered, the CVT despite its many failings got the most out of the power that it had. Car could do 60 mph in less than 9 seconds.

You hit all the important points. I recall when the Five Hundred came out people thought it looked like a 1986 Ford Taurus and made joke and modified images.. Ford moved quick to fix that issue. Then we got Taurus and Sable back because they did have name recognition and then when they really redesigned the car we got Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS and then the Taurus and Continental. Taurus lives in China and the Middle East in 2024. It was so obvious they used a Volvo platform because J Mays said it... there were too many short comings. I think they wanted this car to replace Crown Victoria. It did not work out that way. I recall the Lincoln MKT they said it replaced town Car. Ford got indeed. Now it is all trucks, suvs and crossovers. The say is true. You become a victim of your success. Thank you for the video and the information.

Awesome episode. I recently became interested in volvo. Also, I am a Ford fan boy. I never knew about the 500's connection to volvo. The worst part about this is how ford made a low rent version of the s80. When these 500's came out I was in my early 20's. I liked the idea of them and 'wanted' to love the car but just couldn't. I felt like this car would have been refined in the second version and then it just got canceled 😞

I always looked at these as being an example of how the blandness of styling prevented looking further into the car to see it's positive attributes. Looking back, and examining this video, I may have misjudged the car, and apparently many others did as well. And I never knew that AWD was even available.

I drove one as a work vehicle. Wonderful car

I bought a 2006 Ford 500 in 2016 with 42k miles on it. It's now my daughter's car and still drives very well. Great interior space, decent performance for its size, and very good reliability. The drawback is that unique parts like the door handle is getting hard to find. Back in 2006, I chose the G6 because the backseat was still very confortable, performance and fuel economy was better, and it was cheaper. Between the 500, the Impala, and the 300, I probably would have gone with the 500.

Just got my second one a few weeks bac. Not a Ford fan,but these ones are nice

Oh man I had a 2007 just like the one in the thumbnail. I miss that car.

Great show. I never owned one, but I always thought the styling was lack luster, though the overall shape was appealing. Quite a paradigm. Never realized how big it was, and they did a great job hiding its roots. Whenever I glanced one on the road, I first thought it was a Passat turn thought Ford must've been sharing a platform with VW. Where they could've helped the project out was with a halo AWD "SHO" version. Instead, people could only aspire to underperforming mediocrity.

I actually liked the styling, but then I'm an old guy (57), so I guess it fits, though in '06 I was only 40. I went and test drove one in '06, and I loved the way it drove and felt. It was very comfortable and handled decently. That 3.0 Liter V-6 was a dog though, and that's what actually kept me from getting one. I was later very glad I didn't get one when I started hearing about all the transmission problems in them, with both the 6-Speed and CVT's. I felt like I'd dodged a bullet.

I honestly always liked the car, and thought it was decently handsome, if not the boldest design. But of course, everyone downplayed it for the Dodge charger and Chrysler 300 because those cars were not only more extreme looking, but also had more extreme performance with their optional HEMI V8 engines, as well as being on rear wheel drive architecture. Nonetheless, if you are going for comfort over sporty aesthetics, I still think the 500 / Taurus is a better choice, because those cars are extremely comfortable and roomy on the inside

2024. The 06 ford 500 is the most reliable car i owned. My favorite by far

Still do, most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned.

Ford initially intended to replace its aging full-sized Crown Victoria sedan. However, the Crown was still successful despite declining sales overall and eliminating options later in its run. For 2007, Ford sold over 60k Crown Vics whilst moving only about 35k units of the newer, more technologically advanced Five Hundred. Ford shouldn't have gone with their unwise naming scheme when this car debuted, trying to have all vehicle names starting with the letter F. They should've gone with the name that brought them success in the midsized segment, Taurus.

Could you do a video on the 3rd or 4th gen Explorer?

Have an 05 with over 200 thousand on it and enjoy very much. Always thought they were great looking cars when they first czme out. Maybe it could use a little more hp, but it's fine and it's not a race car

The Fivehundred looked a lot like the 2000 Ford Mondeo sedan from Europe

Mondeo front end Passat side view Merc backlights

Definitely would pick a 300 charger or maxima.

My cuzzin use to own one of these and she had to get rid of it because of the transmission could you make a video about the pontiac Aztek

I've always liked the overall styling of the original D3 cars but felt that Ford could have put more money into the details. The interiors look great but the quality of the materials are far from premium. The satin-silver trim pieces on the outside of my '08 Sable have at least 3 different finishes, none of which are very good. However, these cars have enormous, comfortable interiors, cavernous trunk space and a sleep-inducing highway ride.

That Ford dropped the Taurus nameplate initially was a move that has always baffled me. The Taurus was literally one of the best selling cars, and they discontinued it. I think the return to the name was too little too late.

I had a 500. It was a great car.

Ford tried to play it safe in design after the fiasco of the mid 90s Taurus design.

Those were a pos,had a CVT that went out a lot which was also used in the Freestyle and the Mercury cousin.The duratec v6 was a Mazda engine built for Ford

My mom had one of these when i was a kid. The car ran like a top but unfortunately it's frame rusted in half, thanks Pennsylvania

When I first saw the 500 I thought it was a bloated v w my brother in law bought a 2008 Taurus I thought it was an old man car My brother in law passed away and my daughter inherited it I must say it had the roomiest back seat excellent front seats and a high seating position quiet The styling is the letdown on this car + the internal water pump that I paid almost 2,k to replace

I would’ve liked the car if they had fun bench seating like the Taurus

I miss these light colored interiors. These days it’s black unless you go to the really high end of the market.

I'm buying a Ford 500 limited. Good buy?

what Lincoln is that at 9:04 ? that face only went on a MKT... was that a car that never came out?

My parents had a Montego. They had come from a '96 Sable and had just wanted something similar. That Montego was a straaaaaannnnggggeee car. Yeah, VERY roomy, with an open, airy feel, but being so underpowered along with the weird CVT, it just made for an odd experience overall. I'd even say not Ford-like at all. Plus, theirs had this strange plasticky smell too. I don't know if that was typical though.

The ford five hundred should've had a police interceptor package

The original Taurus looked like a off brand Audi 5000

Glad I chose the Chevy impala over this. This was bigger but the impala was the better buy imo

I could never figure out the Freestyle. To me it's too similar to an Explorer and I'm not sure why I'd choose one over the other.

I worked at a Ford dealership when this car was brought out.. it's styling was very conservative even boring and yes a car for senior citizens most people thought.. for such a large car the 3 l engine was a slug especially with more people in it just not enough grit.. Ford was making so much money out their SUVs that these kind of vehicles were ash caned..

In recent years, Fords biggest failure has been a lack of reliability. Sadly, Toyota and Honda continue their dominance for that very reason...

I always thought that the Five Hundred/Taurus was always a full size car, even the First Gen model. The Tempo/Contour/Fusion was the mid size that went against the Accord/Camery in it's day. And the Escort/Focus would be the Civic and Corolla equal. I mean Toyota had the bigger Avalon that would compete with the Taurus in size.

Similarly sad ending to the Mitsubishi 380 here in Australia. It was a better car than the 'Falcodores' (Ford/GM) [when new], but tanked & killed local Mitsubishi manufacture in March 2008. Not many left now. Cheers.

I sent my cuzzin the video

Had the Ford 500 come out with slightly better styling and the 3.5L Duratec V6 with enough power to get out of it's own way, it would have been fine. But it just didn't have enough power and looked like a bloated VW Passat. When crosstown rival Chrysler also debuted the 300 at the same time you just felt that Ford ran on the mantra of good enough and dropped the ball.

My previous car was an 06 Five Hundred with AWD. Bought it used with 135k miles. The AC compressor failed twice in 11 months, the front struts were worn out and causing a creaking noise going over bumps, all 4 sway bar links had play in them and needed to be replaced, the alternator began to fail 3 days after it's purchase, it had an ongoing oil leak, going through about two quarts every 3k miles, the driver side window motor was failing, the front and rear pads and rotors had to be replaced due to excessive shaking while braking at highway speeds, and once the thermostat began to fail, I've had enough. This was all in a span of 4 years. But hey, the AWD was great. It felt unstoppable in the snow.

Five Hundred, in letters, lands like concrete bricks with *none* of the cachet or 'visual rhythm' of long-ago Galaxie 500 or Fairlane 500, the 500 in numbers following a car-line name.

See in Europe that looks like a MK3 Ford Mondeo but americanised 🧐

Ford should have used Volvos engines instead. The turbo five and turbo six would have been unique for Ford in that price range. 😊

500 awd might be ok.

We didn’t appreciate these nice sedans at the time. Now we’re stuck with boring crossovers and oversized trucks that aren’t even used for work, but used to boost egos 🙄

the 3.0 DuraTec was probably the best V6 Ford ever made in terms of reliable durability. the 2008 3.5 u mentioned may have had more power, but also switched to an internal water pump, which ruins the entire engine when it fails. terrible design

Beeeeker 2024

Ford shouldve replaced the the crown victoria with the five hundred.

These cars have a modest fan base. I don't get it. It's shocking the Taurus name had any success after these.

The BA Falcon /Fairmont might have been a better car

The “rebranding” of the Ford 500 as a Taurus is about as cynical and insulting to the American automobile potential buyer as the “rebranding” of the Chevy Citation as the Chevy Citation II. In the case of the Ford, however, those vehicles were not deeply flawed.

As usual it was an issue with greed. Ford dragged out the Taurus longer than they should have as a fleet queen. They dumbed down Volvo’s design and while the interior looked nice the plastics were just garbage. Then some idiot in marketing thought let’s change everything to names starting with an F. Throwing out all brand recognition from the Taurus. So they tried to reboot it as a new car.