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2006 Ford Five Hundred

New for 2006 - Silver Birch added to paint choices
New for 2006 - Family Entertainment System available on SEL and Limited
New for 2006 - Leather-trimmed seats available on SE
New for 2006 - Navigation system available on Limited

Overview
The new-for-2005 Ford Five Hundred reinvented the family car by marrying the body of a contemporary sedan to an all-new crossover vehicle architecture. The unique combination results in an upscale four-door sedan with upright Comm and Seating™, flexible storage space and all-wheel-drive capability. It seats five.

This year, a new hue joins the Five Hundred color selection and several options are newly available on certain trim levels.

Five Hundred is available in three levels of comfort: the value-leading SE, the midlevel SEL and the top-of-the-line Limited.

Design and Equipment
Five Hundred's authoritative exterior design, with its clean geometric lines and stately proportions, displays confidence and luxury. Classic Ford design cues include the trapezoidal, diamond-patterned grille, the window graphic with elegant chrome surround and, of course, the blue oval Ford badge centered along the rear of the trunk lid.

Premium features include 17-inch wheels (18-inch wheels are standard on Limited), entry keypad, one-touch up/down front power windows, plus a host of options like all-wheel drive, leather-trimmed seating with power adjustments (including power recline for the driver), fold-flat front passenger seat, reverse parking assist and moonroof.

Five Hundred is about 3 inches longer than a Taurus but roughly a foot shorter than the Crown Victoria. Its seating is one of the car's most impressive elements. The vehicle's interior brings SUV-like Comm and Seating to the premium sedan segment, giving drivers and passengers a clear view of the road, but with the low step-in height of a car. Occupants sit up to 4 inches higher than in other midsize sedans. Overall legroom is best-in-class for both front and rear occupants.

Fold-flat rear and front passenger seats on SEL and Limited models translate to ample cargo space from bumper to dashboard. Furthermore, Five Hundred's efficient packaging provides more trunk space than any sedan on the market. With more than 21 cubic feet of trunk space, Five Hundred can accommodate eight full-size golf bags.

Other touches include a front-row center console storage bin large enough for a small purse and CDs, an instrument panel storage bin for cell phones and PDAs, front- and back-seat map pockets, rear-seat armrest storage, eight beverage holders and door panel storage on each door for umbrellas and other slim items.

The interior styling includes inviting materials and surface treatments – from smooth metal-plated door handles to soft-touch paint finishes and high-quality fabrics or leather surfaces. SEL and Limited models have burled wood-pattern appliqués on the instrument panel, while the SE edition features appliqués that resemble metal mesh.

Safety and Security
Ford Five Hundred has earned top five-star ratings for front- and side-impact performance in government testing, as well as a "Best Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for frontal crash performance.

 These excellent test results stem from a well-designed structure and dozens of innovative safety designs including a patent-pending steering column that tailors its rate of collapse to the driver's size and safety-belt use. A cross-car beam under the front seats reinforces the structure between the B-pillars while directing energy away from passengers to an engineered failure point under the center console.

Ford's Personal Safety System is standard, and the available two-row Safety Canopy™ system with rollover sensor and air curtain bags provides protection not only in certain side collisions, but in rollover events as well.

 







Major Features and Options
SE includes: Continuously variable transmission, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, 17-inch painted aluminum wheels, chrome trim on fascia and grille surround, power folding exterior mirrors, interval wipers, keyless entry keypad, power windows and locks, six-way power driver's seat, split fold-flat rear bench seat, rear-seat arm rest with cup holders, two 12-volt power points, AM/FM stereo with CD player, air conditioning, carpeted front and rear floor mats, seatback map pockets, tilt steering wheel with speed control, driver and passenger front air bags, occupant classification system and passive anti-theft system.

SEL adds: Six-speed automatic transmission (FWD only), 17-inch aluminum wheels, automatic headlamps, fog lamps, heated exterior mirrors, air-conditioning ducts in rear of front console, AM/FM stereo with six-disc in-dash CD changer, eight-way power driver's seat, two-way power front passenger seat, automatic dimming rearview mirror, fold-flat front passenger seat, leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel with audio controls, message center with electronic compass, wood-grain appliqué on center stack and console, anti-theft perimeter alarm and remote perimeter lighting.

Limited adds: 18-inch bright aluminum wheels, chrome exterior mirrors, bright grille, Audiophile audio system with six-CD changer and subwoofer, analog clock, heated driver and passenger seats with leather seating surfaces, cargo net, universal garage door opener, memory function for driver's seat and exterior mirrors and four-way power passenger seat.

Options include the Family Entertainment System, leather seating surfaces, power-adjustable pedals, moonroof, navigation system, Reverse Sensing System and traction control.

 

Powertrain and Chassis
Five Hundred combines technology under the hood to create a dynamic driving experience. A 3.0-liter Duratec 30 V-6 engine works in concert with its continuously variable transmission (CVT) or six-speed automatic transmission to optimize both performance and fuel economy.

The CVT is standard on all-wheel-drive and some front-drive versions of the Five Hundred. It uses two variable-size pulleys – one for input from the engine, the other for output to the drive wheels – connected by a steel link belt. It varies the effective sizes of the two pulleys to meet the driving dem ands of the moment. Electronic powertrain controls, including a sensor on the electronic throttle, constantly monitor the dem and for power. When more torque is needed for acceleration or maintaining speed up a steep hill, the transmission seamlessly responds by creating the right drive ratio from an infinite number of possibilities, allowing the Duratec 30 engine to operate at optimum performance.

Both transmissions offer wide spans from the lowest to the highest drive ratios. That translates into strong off-the-line acceleration, as well as high fuel efficiency on the highway.

The available all-wheel drive system, currently used by Volvo, delivers power to the wheels, creating a capable, smooth ride in a variety of conditions, such as uneven pavement, potholes, slippery surfaces and anything that compromises traction.

On all-wheel-drive models, innovative, self-leveling shocks sense ride height and use energy from the vehicle's motion to raise the shock to the optimal ride level.

Dual-piston aluminum front brake calipers and large front and rear brake rotors provide strong stopping power and fade-free performance. Five Hundred's fully independent suspension, stiff body structure and precise rack- and-pinion steering further contribute to confident ride and h andling.

 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

BODY

Construction

Steel unibody

Final Assembly Location

Chicago Assembly Plant

POWERTRAIN AND CHASSIS

ENGINE

Type

3.0-liter V-6

Configuration

Aluminum block and heads

Intake Manifold

Composite integrated air-fuel module

Exhaust Manifolds

Cast iron

Valvetrain

DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder

Ignition

Coil on plug

Bore x stroke

3.5 x 3.1 in. / 88.9 x 78.7 mm

Displacement

181 cu. in. / 2,967 cc

Compression ratio

10.0:1

Horsepower

203 @ 5,750 rpm

Horsepower per liter

67.7

Torque

207 lbs.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm

Recommended fuel

87 octane unleaded

Fuel capacity

20 gallons

Fuel Injection

Sequential multi-port fuel injection

Oil Capacity

6 quarts with filter

Recommended Oil

 

DRIVETRAIN

Layout

Front-wheel drive and All-Wheel drive

TRANSMISSION

Standard

6-speed automatic overdrive

Gear Ratios

 

1st

4.15:1

2nd

2.37:1

3rd

1.56:1

4th

1.16:1

5th

0.86:1

6th

0.69:1

Reverse

3:39:1

Final Drive

3.46:1

Optional

Continuously variable transmission

Ratio range

2.46-0.41:1

Final drive ratio

 

FWD

4.98:1

AWD

5:19:1

SUSPENSION

Front

Independent, MacPherson strut, rearward-facing lower L-arms and stabilizer bar

Rear

Independent, multilink coil over shock and stabilizer bar

STEERING

Type

Power rack and pinion

Ratio

15.8:1

Turning circle curb-to-curb

39.7 ft

BRAKES

Type

Four wheel power disc brakes with standard 4-sensor, 4-channel anti lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD)

Front

12-in ventilated, dual-piston aluminum calipers

Rear

11.5-in ventilated

Power assist

Vacuum, ABS and EBD

WHEELS AND TIRES

SE

17-in, seven-spoke painted aluminum, P215/60R17

SEL

17-in, seven-spoke bright aluminum, P215/60R17

Largest (Limited)

18-in, eight-spoke bright aluminum, P225/55R18

DIMENSIONS (inches unless otherwise noted)

EXTERIOR

Wheelbase

112.9

Overall length

200.7

Overall width

74.5

Overall height

60.1

Track width, front/rear

64.6 / 65.0

INTERIOR

Seating capacity

5 passenger

Headroom

Front row

39.4

Second row

38.6

Legroom

Front row

41.2

Second row

41.9

Shoulder room

Front row

57.8

Second row

57.6

Hip room

Front row

53.7

Second row

53.6

H-point height

 

Front row

22.7

WEIGHTS AND CAPACITIES (pounds unless otherwise noted)

SAE passenger volume

108.3 cu. ft.

Cargo Volume

21.2 cu. ft.

Maximum towing capacity (properly equipped)

1,000

Base curb weight

 

FWD

3,649

AWD, CVT

3,825

Power-to-weight ratio (lbs/hp)

 

FWD

17.98

AWD, CVT

18.84

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Warranty

3-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper

Milestones

2005 - Ford introduces its flagship Five Hundred sedan as one of six new nameplates during the company's exciting "Year of the Car"

2005 - IIHS - Top Safety Picks.. Five Hundred earns Best Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for offset frontal crash performance and five-star ratings for front- and side-impact performance in government testing





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