2007 Ford Five Hundred Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by gunnyjack

Fuel economy

Fuel mpg: daily - 24-27; short trips (100-200 mi.) - 26-28; winter daily - 21-26 (lot of idling); and, long trips - 5000 mi in Mar. 08 was 27-32 depending on the leg. On the open country interstates the mpg eould start to drop if I exceeded 69 mph

Cargo capacity

In one word - outstanding! I chose the 500 over the Freestyle because of this inconjunction with the better fuel economy. Everyone is impressed with the huge trunck space and the fact the rear seat backs can be folded down for more room.

Reliability & durability

The only real problem with the car of any concern has been the rear brake problem and the dealer replaced them following the TSB guidance. One minor problem is the fixed plastic splash guards - no clearance for snow/ice buildup and they rub occasionally.

Ride smoothness

I felt the ride was a little harsh for a full sized sedan. I had to replace the Contis at 22K with BS and the ride improved to an acceptable level. It is still a little rough on bumpy road, but I guess that is the Euro influence.

Powertrain performance

Big one - the inability to manual downshift the 6 speed transmission out of 4/5/6th gears and having to use excessive braking on mountain roads. The one downshift is basically useless even when driving in wintery conditions to slow down for a stop.

Quietness

The car has more road noise then I expected. The noise level from road water/snow on the plastic wheelwell panels is bad. The wind noise generated by the sunroof deflector is an example of one safety idea generating another problem, redesign needed.