So Ford is going to have this 3 bar grille COrporate look for the USA and a completely different one for the rest of the world. Very Sensible Ford

WHO CARES, its a Ford Five Hundred. LOL

Love that grille, it looks like a Gillette razor. I wish they had introduced the 500 with the grille and engine itself. Who knows how many sales they lost to competitors.

Sales down 52%, it needs more than a face lift

Not many sales MM, no wants this car with or without the grille. I hate the grille by the way I think it shows how bereft of ideas FOrd NA is at the moment

Damage already done in terms of image. It should have come out like this 2 years ago..

Well, I hope it works out for them. They need every sale they can get.

Sales down, but is still outselling Avalon – or did as of July … we shall see how Avalon did last month, when Toyota finalyl releases their numbers.

Igor

I’m gonna buy a car because it looks like a razor! WHAT!!!

Igor they are both rubbish who cars which one sold more

Now I have 501 reasons not to buy one of these POSs.

They have the Gillette Razor look on the Fusion also and Gillette has a razor called the FUSION!!!!!!!!!! hahahahah lmfoa

Looks like a fusion to me

Nappy Head .. well the people who want near-luxury large FWD sedans care …

I was simply opinting out, that the segment is not very big .. and that looking at 4k sales and laughing at Ford is wrongheaded, as they are doing well in the segment.

Igor

this car looks like its 500 years old

Ford build a 4 door RWD car that we (your customers) actualy want. Why is that so difficult?

think 300C

Put the Yamaha V8 in this thing that is in the same chassis Volvo XC90.

Stupid not too.

So much potential wasted away. This could have been a great car for those turned off by the 300C. Reviews were great for the drive, lots of room inside, decent look to the dash, but underpowered and dull to look at. Now they finally have a bigger engine, but giving it that stupid Fusion grill is another huge mistake. They should try some of the Iosis front end.

Ugly as the new Chrysler Sebring is, at least DC had the sense not to just make a mini-300C. Ford should pick up on this and not just make the 500 a big Fusion.

The rear photo looks like it has a much larger exhaust pipe… Most likely the 3.5 but like Renton said, the Yamaha V8 would be a nice surprise.

The shape, the greenhouse the surfacing, it’s all just so boring. Lucerne or next Impala if you have to go full size. 300C too gimmicky and will date badly

As far as the 500 is concerned it’s just Lipstick on a pig gentlemen, and btw, the 300c will be one of the highlights of this decade’s automotive history, the car does not have to age well, that is what redesigns are for, but, I agree that conservatively styled cars age well too, all that time sitting on the dealer’s lot gives them a nice patina.

A pig with lipstick? Now you guys are just teasing me, don’t get me all excited and the pig aint got no Max Factor around her chops now

The problem is the roofline and character-less side panels. Forget about the grille!! Who cares it now looks like a Fusion clone?

Not putting the ford 427 and continental concepts in production was a very bad decision by ford, people may not want truck based SUVs but they don’t want fits and yarises either. They have a very competent mid sized sedan but the full sized V6 and V8 sedans are coming back along with these crossover cuvs. Ford has two parts of the equation, but they need the last one..

Actually, the 500 is a pretty good car, I think it’s not getting any attention because Ford can’t afford to advertise it, only the Car guys (and gals) know about it. The redesigned grille looks pretty good, it’s immediately recognizable as a modern Ford product. This is a big safe (Based upon Volvo S80) comfortable non-pretentious car that would make a great family car. I think Ford’s own Fusion stole most of the 500’s thunder. If they can get the power right – not crazy amounts but comperable to the Accord and Camry V6’s and the mileage right, and keep it priced like it is – it’s actually quite a bargin – they might be able to move the 500. by the way, a few people here have added subtle spoilers to the back and nice 18″ wheels and it’s amazing how good the 500 really looks with those minor changes, I think Ford is taking note!

Someone said that they should “decrease productivity to increase the exclusivity of Jaguar & LR”; I think it’s actually quite the opposite. Ford might call it their “Premier Group”, but Volvo, Jaguar & LR aren’t truly premier…at least not anymore. Aston Martin is, but that $150,000 threshold is pretty much the cutoff if you want to play in the Rolls/Bentley/Ferrari world. In my opinion, they would never be successful in bringing Jaguar up to that level and the bottom line in profit is sales. Jaguar, Volvo & LR are and always will be a very classy car, but they are for the mini-millionaire types and should be offered for sale with the same type of availability of Lexus. In case Ford stopped noticing, it’s Toyota/Lexus that they are trying to catch. They should take a page from their book and make a stronger effort to emulate the success they’ve had by increasing the number of available dealerships & available product.

Jaguar & LR have notoriously poor maintenance reputations that are well earned so increasing the available dealerships for service and sales is a must to attract more buyers.

That’s your idea of “sans disguise”?

I drive my mom’s ‘05 500 some times. (im not an adult, im still very young living at home, but have my own car) I gotta tell ya, its a decent car. Loaded and roomy and very nice smooth ride. I dont understand why peeps are complaining about the power. Its pretty preppy. Boost is on time when i wanna to pass a car.

I like the modern look to the taillight in that pic and the flashy headlights.

This new 2008 verison is gonna be good. Def my mom’s next 500 when the lease is up next spring.

I agree. The Five Hundred is a great car. Smooth and all. Power is good.

It says that it will go on sale in April ‘07, but they will offer it with the new 3.5L engine in July ‘07, UMMMM isnt the “weak” engine the reason why the sales are slow?? Nice move, Ford! The Edge will have 3.5L when it comes out this October, why the delay with the 500??? They’ve built all the new engines and ready to install in all cars and CUVs! Just lame!

The main problem with this car’s design is the roofline and rear side windows. They are too uniform and extremely plain. The side of the car is “all window” and no bodywork. This is where Ford screwed up. The jumbo SUV headlights don’t help much either. Modern Ford and GM sedans: always a day late and a dollar short.

the 500 is a copy of the model before last audi a6

::sigh::

Again I ask, how many people who knock the Montego/500 have actually ridden in or driven one?

It really is a nice car. Its styling is simple, clean, and elegant…like an Audi, but with better door handles. It doesn’t take you to 0-60 in 5 seconds, but it accelerates well enough for the people that Ford wants to sell this to. The interior is cavernous; my family of four (Dad is 6′5″, Mom is 5′11″, sister is 6′0″, and I’m 6′7″) fits in this car better than my Mom’s Mountaineer. The interior styling is nice…certainly not outdated.

After staring at a Montego in my backyard for awhile, I decided that the only thing I didn’t like was the front end, but they’re fixing that now, so it should be a nice looking car all around.

Montego Premier rims are really nice too

Why is it that if Ford makes conservative vehicles they suck and if Toyota makes a conservative vehicle it’s awesome? (as per public perception)

It stinks, the 300C is the way to go, if your into those kinds of cars anyway…

The 500 needs all the horsepower it can get.

Try selling 1 single 500 in Europe and you’ll get an idea of how good a car it is

2006300C— you have made some good posts on this thread. Ford farked it up, big time and continues to do so.

They should have built the 427 or some affordable version of it.

The 300C will be a modern legend no doubt. Great car.

/that is all.

I wish Ford would bring back evocative names like Granada and go for a sexier, brasher design. Its like they learned nothing from the 300C or Mustang.

As some have already noted, the car is ridiculously BLAND. It’s not the lights or grill that need attention, it’s the rest of the car. When you look at something like the 300, like it or not, there is a sense of style and character. Looking at this waste of raw materials, it makes you wonder what happened to days of design when Ford brought us the Taurus in the ’80s and the redesign in the 90s.

The other factor, unfortunately, is Ford’s reputation. I see only design as the way out of this mess … it’ll be hard to change the minds of those who turned their backs on Ford.

I completely agree with hal and Dean, we need designs with a presence. So what if a few people don’t like it? There’s many more that do and would be compelled to buy it because they love the design. Like the saying goes, you can’t win them ALL, so the “trying to please everyone with a bland design” appeases no one.

Some people are laughing at Japanese cars for frequenly face lift…I wonder who is laughing now.

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Ford needs to get back in shape and install a car guy like what Lutz did to GM because they are lost and made several unpopular decisions over their lineup. It is the products that will save Ford.
Recent Ford designs are too predictable just like this facelift of the 500 sedan. I think they should have launched this car with this face and then go for a more radical visage for the mid-cycle facelift.

I don’t like it. (pukes)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..(pukes)………………………………………………………..(pukes)

HAHAHAHA

The AWD Five-Hundred is a nice alternative to wean people off their SUV addiction. The styling is okay. If aggressive, memorable styling where key to selling family sedans would the Camry be the #1 selling car? Please…. There are four things hurting this car: engine, transmission, interior design and Ford’s reputation. The new 3.5L engine and 6 speed transmission should fix one and two. I haven’t seen the refreshed interior. If they don’t fix their reputation Ford is doomed no matter what they do.

“Dave”, the styling is NOT okay when one speaks of Ford. It’s okay with Toyota because of their reputation, something Ford needs to work on.

The only way to regain any position is to change the design dramatically, like the Taurus accomplished in the 80s and 90s, and at the same time build with a “QUALITY IS JOB 1″ mantra.

You’re wrong with your four point plan if the exterior is not addressed.

You can sell an old man a young mans car, but you can’t sell a young man an old mans car! Ford, please bring us the Reflex and iosis show cars a.s.a.p.

… as “Fleming” just added.

Hey Foster,

Are you in grade school? Because your writing level and thought processes are.

501 reasons would be just the start. If I didn’t want to think them up on my own all I would have to do is poll a small percentage of the thousands of folks who passed up Ford’s hunk of crap to buy a Camry instead.

[...] ## Source: Leftlane ## [...]

Don’t they teach spelling and english in schools anymore?? LOL!!

But seriously, I agree with 2006300C’s comment…. it was a big mistake for Ford not to put the Ford 427 and the Continental Concepts into production. The Five Hundred is simply BORING! And the upcoming Lincoln MKS is a yawner also.

Good luck, you’re really going to need it!

The overall comments here are more constructive criticism, if not down right supportive. A complete change of tone compare to any topic involving Honda or Toyota where all you hear are…boring, bland, fugly, and appliances. I did not know Honda and Toyota make appliances…

Actually, if you look at consumer data for the Fusion, you will notice that most people opt for the 4-cyl, which has slightly worse performance than the 500 with the 3.0L in return for better gas mileage. Something like 65% of buyers at the moment.

My guess is that in the 500, no more than 20% of buyers will actually get the 3.5L because they’ll find the 3.0L adequate. The only reason Ford needs that engine there is so that idiotic posters who post on message boards like this won’t bemoan the 500’s “weak” engine and “poor” performance having never been behind the wheel of the car. If you had been, you’d realize that the media thrives on talking points and all of us ignorant fools take those points at face value.

I’m pretty sure that George Pipas mentioned this on the sales call, but advertising for the 500 had stopped, which is always going to reduce awareness of a product. Right now, sales are driven by word of mouth and personal research. That along with the fact that the 500 sold a record 12,500 last year in August, translates into poor comps this year. The truth though is that fleet volumes have been drastically reduced, meaning that the vast majority of those sales are high value retail sales. Overall, though, the large car segment is softening a little as competition increases. You’ll notice that the Avalon’s sales were weak. In fact, I think only GM’s 50% fleet Impala had decent sales in August.

It looks like a clunky version of a Volkswagen with a chevy grille

They’re going to sell a lot of these.

Especially, if they put a telescopic steering wheel in it. (my biggest complaint with my Taurus)

What’s not to like? Big trunk, 5 star crash ratings all around + air curtains, available AWD, bullet-proof reliability and more power along with better fuel efficiency, should make this car a runaway hit.

Not to mention a 5-year warranty…This is a family sedan for people who don’t watch cartoons anymore.(and don’t like ‘climbing’ in and out of a vehicle)

For folks that can’t identify with the former…There’s a Chrysler/Dodge Hemi powered ’soul train’ looking truck, or ‘Rapper bling’ car, waiting to drain your pocketbook as you pass everything but the gas station and repair shop.

Or, there’s the Toyota/Honda/etc…For folks who couldn’t care less about keeping their legs in an accident as long as they only have to worry about gas and oil fill-ups…Or, USA made content for that matter.

Pay your money, take your choice.

Something to look at…http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx

New crash ratings show most vehicles do not protect REAR PASSENGERS from rear-end collisions.

Who cares about rear passengers anyway?

Certainly not folks who drive Toyota or Honda cars!

Ford should advertise the heck out of rear passenger safety!

Are you listening Mom?

This is a great car. I own one, and if any of you ignorant clueless fools who be little it , w/ o knowing the car and driving the car get a life and go back to myspace.com!