2006 Ford Five Hundred - What's In A Name?

Let's give Ford the benefit of the doubt they did some perceptual research on "Taurus" and found it lacked proper mojo back about a decade or so ago, but they ditched twenty years of brand equity in "Taurus" when they rolled out this car as its replacement late in 2004 as a 2005 model. They called it, "Five Hundred". Just goes to show how subjective taste is; I thought this car quite good looking. Most people, apparently, did not.  

"Five Hundred" was a harmless, albeit grand sounding update of Ford "500's" of yore  - the Galaxie and Fairlane. The 2005-2007 Ford "Five Hundred" was a great example of the name of something sounding greater than whatever it's attached to. We all know ordinary people with regal sounding names. Ordinary, though, with regards to automobiles, is an ever moving target. Had this car been introduced ten years prior it would have been a watershed. As a 2005 model, though, it was just another car. Just another car in a market that had begun it's slow but steady shift away from sedans towards cross overs. 

To its credit, the "Five Hundred" was about as good as a car can get ten years ago. Spacious, airy, comfortable, with available all wheel drive and thrifty on fuel especially when equipped with the 3.0 liter V-6. The Five Hundred also rode, handled and performed with sparkling aplomb compared to what it replaced. 

Again, even by 2004/2005, the market was filled with intelligently designed, well built cars like this. So, when everything around you is great, how do you stand out? Do something different or better. In the new car market, that usually means stand out styling. That's were, apparently, Ford fell down on itself with this car. 

At least that 's what clinics revealed to Ford since the disappointing sales had to be explained somehow. From a high of of almost 108,000 "Five Hundred's sold in 2005, that's not a number to exactly crow about, to a low of 35,000 just two years later, it was obvious Ford had a dud on their hands. To put sales figures in perspective, not five years prior, Ford was selling more than 300,000 Taurus' a year. That Taurus, incidentally, couldn't hold a candle to this car but it was far less expensive. A well equipped 2000 Taurus went out the door for around $20,000. A 2005 "Five Hundred"? About $28,000. 

Ford ditched the "Five Hundred" moniker for "Taurus" for the last two years of this car's production run of 2008 and 2009. Sales remained stagnant.

I, for one, really like this car and wouldn't have a problem having one. This a lot of car that you can get these days for relatively little money.