I'm interested in their performance when coupled with the 3.0 liter Duratec engine. I'm thinking of buying the new Five Hundred but here that its underpowered. I'm wondering if one of the transmissions would give it a little more oomph!

Test drives are free go take both for a spin.

If the CVT is belts, go with the gears. Better yet, go with a Prius. Its CVT uses hybrid technology and not belts. Gas will be $4/ gallon in a few months so pick wisely.

They are both great transmissions, but the CVT is the future. On the Five Hundred, the CVT gives the 500 mid 8 second 0-60 times with excellent fuel economy on the highway, which is remarkable for such a large car.The Five Hundred is actually based on the new D platform which was inherited from Volvo and also used on the Freestyle, and Volvo s60, V70, S80, and XC90 products. I would also recommend getting the awd option which has a minimal impact on efficiency while increasing the versatility of the car.

I recently bought a Ford Fusion with the 3.0 Duratec engine and the 6-speed slushbox. I love the car and the engine and tranny are a great combo in that model.The Five Hundred is too heavy for the 3.0 liter mill. I've rented a few and although they were very comfortable and had gobs of room in the back seat, the performance was barely adequate. They also handle rather lethargically.If you don't need the extra space in the Five Hundred's back seat, you might check out the Fusion. The ride is good, handling is great, performance with the 3.0 is very good and fuel economy is pretty decent -- I get up to 30 on the highway and low 20s around town. And, in red or black, the styling is awesome -- people are stunned to learn that it's a Ford. Until I bought the Fusion, my daily driver was a Benz; that should tell you something. It's that good.If you need the space, you might want to wait for the next model year. Ford is supposed to go with a larger engine -- possibly the new 3.5 liter. The Five Hundred really does need more oomph.

The 6 speed. There is less risk because the cvt's are new. CVT's have a seamless shift. You don't really feel it shift. It just glides along. It's not a bad thing, it's just that new technology ( at least to this model) might be less reliable until more experience is gained and applied. Thanks for shopping a Ford. Good luck