The Five Hundred's long wheelbase, independent front and rear suspension and stiff chassis work well together. Steering is nicely weighted and provides good feedback. The disc brakes are impressively effective. The Five Hundred comes standard with anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, which optimizes front/rear brake bias to shorten stopping distances. Also helping to reduce stopping distances is the size of the brakes: 12.5-inch discs with double-piston calipers on the front wheels and 13.0-inch discs in the rear.
While we spent most our time in the front-wheel-drive version, we did take time to try an all-wheel-drive Five Hundred on a dirt hill in a rock quarry, where Ford had set up a comparison demonstration between its Freestyle crossover and some of its competitors. While one of the competitor crossovers spun its wheels and struggled mightily to climb the slippery hill, the all-wheel-drive Five Hundred sedan went right up and over. While you may not need to tear through rock quarries, you may need to drive through snow, and the Five Hundred should handle winter travel well. All-wheel drive also helps in the rain, where it stabilizes the handling of the car. Next Page