[Shotimes] First look at the new 500

[kerbyh@netzero.net]

Personally, I think they should have taken all the things they did to the Mustang to cheapen the manufacture of the DEW98 chassis and build a sedan out of that.  Dad's LS is still the best put together car we have ever bought.  It just cost too much to be sold as a Ford, but with the Mustang parts, and those would be amortized over even more production, it would have been much cheaper to build.  And much more fun to drive, than an underpowered Passat copy built on a Volvo chassis.

Kerby

-- Tom Smith <tjsmith@monmouth.com> wrote:
I saw one at the dealer this weekend (did not drive) I agree,
it looks big from the outside. The roofline was very tall and
I could not help think Ford built a nice copy of a Passat from
the side with Mercedes looking rear lights. The nose seems pushed
in to fit the tallness of the rest of the car. The one I saw had
a sticker of over $30k and had 18 inch rims. Shame the car will
"only" have 200HP.  I went to look at the 500 at the Ford dealer
after driving 8 different Mercedes at a local beat the cars and
drive event. Drove the SL500 conv. 6 times around the course. Fun
sliding a $90k car around some cones, so I was spoiled when I went
to look at Fords ;)

Tom 91+ 95MB MTX

On Tue, 5 Oct 2004, Donald Mallinson wrote:

> Replacement for the Taurus?
>
> Huge step forward from the Taurus?
>
> Well my first look up close at the new 500 was underwhelming
> to say the least.
>
> At first impression the car seems HUGE!  Very tall, long and
> wide.
>
> First impression at getting into the car is "where did they
> hide all the extra room?".
>
> Less headroom by far than in the Gen III SHO at least, seats
> in front are very narrow compared to any year SHO, and
> positively skinny by typical Taurus or any other mid/full
> size car I can think of.
>
> Overall fit/finish inside is not a big step forward, but it
> does seem at least as good as my '96.
>
> Outside, my '96 has much better fit/finish than the 500.
> Usually after 2-3 years of stamping you start to see waves
> in the bodies as the dies get wear/tear.  If that is so,
> then the new 500 will look like a lake surface on a windy
> day after a year or two.  Rear quarter panels have massive
> waves (compared to the quality you would expect today).
>
> Paint quality was iffy, with much more orange peel than I
> remember in any Gen III Taurus (I am not that familiar with
> the Gen IV Taurus, or gen III if you count they way Ford does).
>
> The trunk was huge, and if I could play 8 games of golf at
> once, I would love the new car.
>
> For now I am waiting to see what else Ford comes up with,
> because this isn't the big step forward that I was led to
> believe.
>
> Didn't get a chance to drive the new one today, so I will
> have to reserve that evaluation for later.
>
> Others get a chance to see this car yet?
>
> Don Mallinson
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