2005 Ford Five Hundred Review: Road Test

The engine lets you know it's there when you put your foot down, but the car is very quiet when cruising along, and we never had to raise our voices to carry on a conversation with those sitting beside, behind or in front of us. We did a stint in the back seat as well as the driver's and front passenger's seats. All seats were comfortable and supportive even after several hours in the car.

The Five Hundred's long wheelbase, independent front and rear suspension and stiff chassis work well together. Steering is nicely weighted and provides good feedback. The disc brakes are impressively effective. The Five Hundred comes standard with anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, which optimizes front/rear brake bias to shorten stopping distances. Also helping to reduce stopping distances is the size of the brakes: 12.5-inch discs with double-piston calipers on the front wheels and 13.0-inch discs in the rear.