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| 2005 Ford Thunderbird Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Road Test | |||
For better or for worse, the Thunderbird succeeds in recalling an earlier automotive age. You and at most one other person roll down the road in 3,800 pounds of sheetmetal while casting a 15.5-foot shadow. While the wind blows through your hair, the car changes gears for you and a V8 under the hood purrs like a kitten.Not that Ford forgot to bring the Thunderbird up to 2002 engineering standards. 3,800 pounds is down from the original's two-and-a-half tons, that 3-speed Ford-o-matic is now a 5-speed SelectShift, and that V8 purr comes from a feline named Jaguar. In fact, the Thunderbird rides on a chopped-wheelbase version of the Jaguar S-Type and Lincoln LS - cars that compete in such company as BMW 5-series and Lexus GS. Not a bad start. The move to smaller and fewer doors usually spells an increase in excitement, but in this case, stiffness was dialed out of the chassis. The goal behind the Thunderbird was "relaxed sportiness," though what they meant by the second word isn't exactly clear. There's some sportiness in the 280-horsepower V8 if you don't mind it being more of a high-revving import flavor than the stump-pulling torque you'll find in an American V8. The transmission shifts smoothly in most routine driving, but the call for a downshift can arrive with a rude shove (is that sporty?) and it can sometimes get confused around town. The tires shout to your ears but only whisper to your hands, and the variable-assist steering's a little slow to respond in the parking lot as well as reluctant to self-center. The suspension is a little floaty; certain series of dips and rises can make it feel like it's hitting its bump stops. Lastly, this is a heavy car. But then, not all birds can fly. It's more successful at the "relaxed" part. Softer settings in the short-and-long-arm suspension give it a fairly calm ride. The steering's a cinch to turn. The quiet engine can only be heard at higher revolutions. Both throttle tip-in and brake applications are gradual and smooth. Oh, and the effortless manner in which you can zoom by other cars could be called relaxed - the blessing of eight cylinders. The body shudders a bit on bumps and a lot of noise penetrates the thin roof, but those are convertible quirks, not Thunderbird quirks. And if you want to give relaxation a rest and go racing, the 235 mm-wide tires do a good job of hanging on. But that's obviously not the idea. Remember, folks who were of driving age when the first Thunderbirds came out are now in their sixth decade of life. |
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