At first glance, many people mistake the 2005 Ford Five Hundred for a Volkswagen or an Audi. And there's a good reason for the confusion - the same designer who helped usher in the latest Volkswagen Passat and Audi A4 is now in charge of design at Ford. So it looks like Ford "borrowed" some styling cues from a few fine-looking German competitors. Unfortunately, the Five Hundred's front end has been Fordified with large headlights and an oversized grille, albeit with a sharp looking honeycomb insert. Even the lower foglights are big, and the result is a face that's rather generic. But, it does grow on you, and the overall look is helped by an understated front airdam. Move beyond the front end and it is easy to see that the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, with a 113-inch wheelbase and 200 inches of length, is a large car. In fact, it's basically a crossover vehicle disguised in sedan garb. While it shares a platform with the Volvo S80, it also shares that platform with Ford's new crossover vehicle, the Freestyle. But, sometimes big is beautiful and, indeed, the Five Hundred carries its size and weight with grace and subtlety. Our Limited tester included an added touch of class thanks to eight-spoke alloy wheels and chrome trim on the mirrors and window frames. While the design may not be striking, a dressed up Five Hundred does border on attractive…especially if that nondescript face is ignored. While the design has its pros and cons, comments on the exterior craftsmanship of our test vehicle were mostly positive. There were minor gaps around the front bumper, the trunk lid was slightly misaligned, and quite a few of the plastic pieces had lines visible from where they had been cast in molds at the factory, giving them an unfinished look. These are all relatively insignificant concerns, but as a whole, they make the 2005 Ford Five Hundred look like it should've spent a few more minutes with the quality control guys.
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