$22,795 for front wheel drive.
$24,495 for All Wheel Drive.

If you want a Mercury, the Montego is $24,995 for a fwd model and $26,695 for the AWD model.

Ford's new crossover based on these cars, the Freestyle, will start at $25,595 for fwd and $27,295 for AWD.

Production started last month at the Chicago plant that used to make Taurus & Sables, and expect incentives to be limited.

The cars are based on Volvo's "D3" platform.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=100587
http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosins...a01-239332.htm

 

Not bad, not bad at all. Maybe they are starting to get the fact that cars are way over priced.

 

That's alot of car for the money.

 

wow, very not bad at all, and i wouldnt say the prices are over priced.....their 2005 ford taurus are 21k and they are pretty descent cars.
saw pics of the new 500 on ford's site, very sexy.

 

Ford one doesnt sound bad, but why am I spending more for the Merc? Its teh same car with a different grill?
What options does the 500 offer? What is standard? Right now, they are giving away Taurus for 15k.

 

The 500 has it's own fan website already (believe it or not) that might answer any questions.

http://www.myford500.com/

 

Is this the same montego platform that is used here in Europe? (Haven't seen a pic yet)

 

These are excellent cars for the money. Some of the enthusiasts will argue that they are not rwd (although awd is available), but they can wait a year or 2 until the svt comes out. I won't start the rumor here, but the sports sedan crowd is in for a treat...

edit: look at the epa #'s!!

EPA Fuel Economy and Emissions

Two-wheel drive (mpg) All-wheel drive (mpg) Emissions
Ford Freestyle 27 hwy/20 city 24 hwy/19 city Tier 2 Bin 5
Buick Rend. (3.4-liter) 26 hwy/19 city 24 hwy/18 city Tier 2 Bin 9
Toyota Highlander (3.3-liter) 25 hwy/19 city 24 hwy/18 city Tier 2 Bin 5*
Chrysler Pacifica 23 hwy/17 city 22 hwy/17 city Tier 2 Bin 9


Ford Five Hundred (6-sp.) 29 hwy/21 city Tier 2 Bin 5
Ford Five Hundred (CVT) 27 hwy/20 city 26 hwy/19 city Tier 2 Bin 5
Toyota Camry (3.0-liter) 29 hwy/21 city AWD not available Tier 2 Bin 9*
Chrysler 300 (2.7-liter) 28 hwy/21 city AWD not available Tier 2 Bin 8
Chrysler 300 (3.5-liter) 27 hwy/19 city 24 hwy/18 city (est.) Tier 2 Bin 8

 

Why again do we need CVTs? Or, more appropriately, why for this vehicle are they offering a CVT and a six speed that betters the CVT in mileage?

 

I guess Ford wants to keep going with the Taurii's infamous recalls and stick with CVT's?

 

and the tagline goes, "one new platform, 3 new cars and boundless recalls to follow. the 2005 Fords are coming.'

 

So the Taurus is being phased out? What part of the market is this going after? Pontiac sedans?

 

GM's been the recall king of 04.

 

Just because GM can't get CVT's right doesn't mean no one else can. In fact, many other manufacturers sucessfully build and sell cars with CVTs.

 

That 200hp 3.0 Dura-tech V6 is a joke. People won't buy this car for power but many still might be disapointed in its lackluster performance. I personally think its sad to launch an all new car with an old engine (just like GM and the 3400 Equinox!

Mazda and Jaguar have managed to get some more power out of it but Ford just plods along.

I see the Buick Allure (Lacrosse in the USA) as a main competitor. However it has GM HF 3.6L

I loved the first gen Taurus SHO--that car invented the family sports sedan and what do they have now? Sqaut