Ford Freestyle - Taurus X

stmss

I have found the Pirelli P6 are not great winter tires. I have them on my 06 FS ltd and our Volvo V70. However, we run winter snow tires on both my Volvo and my Saab. Both are FWD. The winter handling - especially stopping - of both these cars is far better than the FS with the P6s.

I have not experienced anything like you have with FS other than I have slid into a few intersections on the ice which would not have happened with winter tires. I may go winter tires on the FS but so far this winter have not had much snow or ice - plus I have two other cars with snows if I get in a jam.

stmss

My thoughts and experience are generally that a FWD with a good set of winter tires will perform quite well. Unlikely as well as an AWD with winter tires but better than an AWD with all season or summer tires - especially in the braking. Therefore, you need to assess your winter conditions and whether you want added complexity, weight, cost of AWD or switch out tires twice a year.

Having said that, some models I think suffer poor resale in areas if not equipped with AWD - despite whether it is really necessary or not.

When, I bought our Volvo, we went FWD vs AWD for exactly the reasons you state. With the FS, the FWD was very short supply and dealers were stocking any where I live - especially with Ltd trim (I'm not sure if Ford even offers the FWD Ltd in Canada).

bruneau1

The plant at Batavia, Ohio is the only plant building the CVT in the Freestyle. It also builds transmissions for the Escape group. This plant will be closed. That makes things pretty clear for the CVT.

bruneau1

If you live in the snow belt. AWD will certainly be better. We live in the Bremerton, Wa area and have no real need for AWD. The FWD is more reliable, gets better mileage, is a little faster, makes less noise under hard acceleration, and costs less.

jnlmom

We bought our 2005 SE freestlye in September brand new, and we already have 5,300 miles on it! We drive it everywhere, and it drives like a dream! The transmission is the greatest. I don't like to hear the shifting all the time so it is great! You won't believe how beautifully it shifts cause you can't hear or feel it!!!!!

xnappo

Geez do I feel dumb. For the last 1.5 years whenever someone said Batavia I assumed the CVT was imported from some Austrian or German plant :O

CVT is great - I hope they are transferring it to another plant. Where does the hybrid Escape get it's transmission (similar to CVT right?)?

xnappo

ANT14

Just more and more testing, specifically with new 4x4 system with "Hill Decent" control.

bobw3

Plus you have to look at your experience with your previous vehicles. If you've always owned AWD vehicles, then you should go with the AWD Freestyle; however, if you've always owned FWD vehicles and felt comfortable driving them in your weather, then you can stick with the FWD and remain consistent with what you're used to, but if you currently have FWD and you don't feel so safe with them in your weather, then go with the AWD.

stritch242

There was a small sticker on our window of our 2005 SEL AWD that listed the parts as being 25% imported. The transmission from Germany, and (now I can't remember what) something from Canada. This FS was built in May or June 2005. We bought the FS in August.

If I had the $$ right now I would go and buy a second one, this is the best Ford we have owned, being a Ford owner for 27 years.
stritch242

jj2me

There was a poster in this forum who was from Northern Maine, with a FWD.

AWD does go better in snow, but doesn't stop better, which may be why I saw 4 SUVs in spinouts during the last snow, and no 2WDs. But I'm prejudiced, having learned to navigate snow in RWDs with a bag of sand in the trunk. For me, FWDs are amazing! Never had an AWD/4WD. If you are worrying about getting stuck and have no ability to get out and shovel, maybe AWD is for you. But note that many wheelchair-bound people have FWD vans, and they manage.

branty

I have the same vehicle as you (AWD LTD) and drove the first winter with the stock Pirelli's. I found them to be great. This winter I decided since I had about 15,000 km on the tires that the tread would not be as good through the second winter.
I purchased 18 inch Pirelli SottoZero winter tires($1300 cad). I am very pleased with the tires and to this point the snow/ice traction has been great.
You are correct there are very few 18 inch tires available but I purchased in mid-November. At that time, there were about 6 different tires available in the 18 inch size. I did not opt for the 17 inch size since I am leasing the vehicle and did not want to purchase extra rims.

xnappo

Right! That is where I made the Bativia/Germany connection Glad to know I am not totally nuts. So... Anyone know the story? Are the parts from Germany and assembled in Bativia or something?

xnappo

georginevj

"There was a poster in this forum who was from Northern Maine, with a FWD. "

That might be me. I have one. I LOVE my FS. I have been completely unsuccessful in obtaining WINTER tires for it, so I just went with the all seasons it came with.

I am used to winter driving though, and don't have any problems with mine. Braking is sometimes an issue - as far as I'm concerned, ABS should have an on/off switch. It's completely useless in the winter and takes about half of my control away from me. You have to drive according to road conditions. I don't drive in freezing rain if I absolutely don't have to.

That being said, I think this is an awesome car and hope that Ford plans to continue the line. I would love to trade in for new or buy another once this one is paid for. We've had it on 6-8 road trips (20k miles since June) and it's a great car. There are tiny interior design annoyances, and my radio is out on a recall right now, but overall it's a great car.

ellej

I have a 2006 Freestyle Limited AWD. After reading the manual, I am still unclear if this vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system. Anyone know?

bruneau1

The 4spd. transmissions produced at the Batavia, Ohio plant will be done in another plant. This leaves only the CVT at that plant using only half the space. That means death unless they do it elsewhere which I really doubt given Ford's difficulties. The new Ford-GM 6spd will be the big deal and probably used in every vehicle possible. We intend to keep our FS as long as possible, but wonder what would happen years down the road if there are transmission problems. Let's hope they create a stock of CVT parts for the future. I love ours, but I don't think I would buy it again given the transmission situation.

bruneau1

It does not.

northlakes

Since Ford has a number of European vehicles using a CVT, I imagine they may just consolidate CVT manufacture at one plant in the future. Though they use a different flavor of CVT, almost every hybrid vehicle uses a CVT transmission, so I expect there will be plenty of parts (at least certain parts) around. :shades:

xnappo

There have already been more Freestyles/500s with CVT sold in the US than were ever sold of my other car(1991 Nissan 300ZX). I have never had problems getting parts for my Z.

xnappo

tom_holsinger

I agree. Ford should improve the Freestyle's interior in the short term, as that requires minimal engineering changes, while engineering works on a new "tow-package" model with a more powerful engine and conventional transmission. I'm pitching the addition of a "tow-package" model, as opposed to it replacing one of the existing models.

This would use the Freestyle's reputation as a reliable and really safe family vehicle to attract a customer class it is presently missing, without losing the group (which includes me) who like its CVT-provided fuel economy compared to competing cross-over vehicles.

tom_holsinger

Aha! Someone else who feels Ford should add a new powertrain option instead of dropping the CVT.

xnappo

I agree too! I wonder if a 250hp cyclone w/Ford/GM 6-speed automatic would have a slower 0-60 than the current model?

xnappo

explorerx4

the 'tow-package' is a little scary because the 'style is fwd based. this is the opposite of what you need for towing.

figueroafamily

Theoretically, YES.

Before Freebie's debut at the dealers, Ford "Higher-ups" touted its benefits. When asked about differences between 6-spd and CVT, one of them said that they're close in performance. The former had just a slight edge over the latter.

Sam

figueroafamily

I'm not knowledgeable on the car dynamics for towing. :confuse: However, I bet the tow capability of a Cyclone Freebie would be 3,500 pounds. (Same as Escape & Freestar.)
Most family carrier vehicles ("people movers") have that towing limit.
It will differentiate it from the Explorer, which yields Ford more profit.

To me, Cyclone Freebies should have a slightly higher rating (4,000 to 4,500 pounds). It'll be an added plus against all other crossovers. Yet, not high enough to nullify Explorer's chances in a buyer's decision (5,000 and beyond).

Sam

figueroafamily

Just more and more testing, specifically with new 4x4 system with "Hill Decent" control.

-------------------

Interesting, that would be an excellent combination to introduce IVTs. It would also let Ford demand more from consumer's "wallet supply".

Is Freebie on the list of prospective users?

Sam

figueroafamily

Just more and more testing, specifically with new 4x4 system with "Hill Decent" control.

-------------------

Interesting, that would be an excellent combination to introduce IVTs. It would also let Ford demand more from consumer's "wallet supply".

Is Freebie on the list of prospective users?

Sam

bruneau1

I can't imagine why Ford would want to modify the Freebie to the extend speculated in recent messages. This is cost cutting time, folks, and they are introducing new CUVs. It would be rather dumb to have the Freestyle and the Edge competing and it would raise even more the cost of the Freestyle and reduce its sales. Turn the Freestyle into a Mercury as planned and make it more up scale. In any case the pleasant and unique powertrain of the Freestyle is going to disappear. it was bad planning in combination with a changing market.

tom_holsinger

I got the "tow" package on a Dodge Grand Caravan in 1995 because my brother's experience with overheating in his Grand Caravan convinced me to go for the tow package's extra cooling capability. It had other features - I basically wanted heavy-duty everything as my twin sons were both headed for 6' at that point, and I knew family trips would be heavily loaded. I had no intention of actually towing anything - I selected the Caravan because of its enormous internal capacity.

I expect a Freestyle "tow" package to serve the same market - people with large families who want extra horsepower and heavy-duty everything, but don't intend to to tow anything. The Freestyle too has greater internal capacity than any of its competitors.

A major complaint about the Freestyle is its perceived lack of power, so offering a larger engine as part of a special package would satisfy that market too.

ANT14

Post 5503 had a reply, but it was swallowed up somewhat...Hmm, wonder what I said. It was quite informative too...

freealfas

" It would be rather dumb to have the Freestyle and the Edge competing and it would raise even more the cost of the Freestyle and reduce its sales."

I Don't think they are competitor's in actuality considering the 5 vs 7 person capacity and dimensional differences. If you root around you will find talk of the freestar/windstar going away, the FS more than would fill the people mover void left by that mediocre attempt at the mini-van. It's quite capable in it's current guise and it would be wise for Ford to keep it in the fold and build on it's considerable strengths. The 3.5l implant is just a reaction to the "more is always better mentality" that permeates. An 8sec 0-60 time for a vehicle of this type is MORE than adequate, where does the hp "mine is bigger than yours" end?, a 500hp FS with a 3sec 0-60, grow up already folks, buy a sports car if you want that already.

tidester

but it was swallowed up somewhat...

I'm guessing it was posted just as the system went into read only mode Thursday and never made it to permanent storage.

tidester, host

kcomeford

I am about to order my Freestyle Ltd. Have read numerous posts about windshield glare from pebble interior. I really like the way the black leather looks so rich, but is it going to be 1) hot in the summer and 2)hard to keep the carpet clean looking and 3) will the black color fade over time??? I have 2 kids (9 and 13) and an australian shepherd. Sports traffic and my daughter competes in eventing at a local barn. So there will be dirt...

Karen C in NC

gpaynter

I have a 2004 Ford Freestyle and have nothing but problems with it. Most importantly the driver side power sliding door. Problems include-not opening or closing with any of the power buttons (no action at all), not closing- almost closes then reopens (and is not drivable) and opening when other doors are shut. The problems started right after I bought it new and they could never figure out the problem since it would never malfunction in front of them. In October 2005 the door stuck shut and the dealership fixed it. I am now having similer problems. Has anyone else experienced similer problems?

nitromax

I'm guessing that are talking about a Freestar and not a Freestyle.

You should probably re-post over there since this is the Freestyle forum.

kjnorman

I have the black interior on our Limited. I like it, personally I hated the look of the pebble. The car can get hot during the summer, but we also added the remote starter to ours, and that helps a lot on 95+F days when the car is parked in the sun. Give the car a couple of minutes (you can start up to 500ft away) and the a/c cools it down quite effectively. It also helps a lot in the winter to warm it up as well - remote starters - wonderful devices!!

We have a three year old and she crawls all over the back of our car. Yes the black shows the dirt - we have foot prints all over the back of the driver's seat and the door trim, but it cleans up well with a damp cloth.

I do not suffer from windscreen glare. Yes its there - its there on all cars to a certain extent, but I wear polarized sunglasses and that eliminates the glare.

Good like with you color choices.

kjnorman

You reposted to the wrong forum. Please remove this and your other post so as not to confuse the superior Freestyle with the worthless Freestar.

gpaynter

Sorry about that. You are right that the freestar is worthless.

digger11

I own a '05 SE. I have had my rear rotors cut at 100 miles. I have had both the front and rear cut at 3700 miles. I have an appointment for brake vibration on 2/2 at 10,300 miles. The dealer says Ford will not replace the rotors. The rear wheels are covered with an excessive amount of brake dust also. In forty years I have never seen this on the rear wheel. I wonder if this could be a lemon law issue?. I also have a problem with a (vibration) when I drive with the rear windows down.

digger11

My 05 SE has had the rotors cut twice already, 100 miles and 3700 miles. Now at 10300 has to be done again. Anyone with similar problems? Is this a lemon law issue?

bobw3

I do get a lot of brake dust buildup on the rear driver's side wheel, but I don't have any vibrations, pulling, or other problems, and the dealer checked it out and found no problems. He blamed it on the pad type.

Are you sure the "vibration" you hear when the rear windows are down is really a vibration, or just the sound of the air getting sucked in&out of the car. Previous posters have noticed (and so have I) that when you roll down just the rear window, you feel a pressure in your ears since the air is getting sucked in&out of the window. Just a thought.

bobw3

Qustion to the HOST...What happened to other Freestyle Forum topics?

tidester

Do you mean these?

Ford Freestyle Owners: Accessories

Ford Freestyle Owners: Care & Maintenance

Ford Freestyle Owners: Meet the Members

Ford Freestyle Owners: MPG-Real World Numbers

Ford Freestyle Owners: Problems & Solutions

Ford Freestyle: Lease Questions

Ford Freestyle: Prices Paid & Buying Experiences

They are there. Did I miss any?

tidester, host

bobw3

When I do a keyword search for "freestyle" or when I use the "Browse by Vehicle" drop-downs on the left and select "Ford" then "Freestyle," these are the only boards that are listed:

Ford Freestyle 1/30/06 5520
Ford Freestyle: Lease Questions 1/29/06 23
Ford Freestyle: Prices Paid & Buying Experiences

Maybe that's why these are the only 3 boards with new posts.

bobnu75

Same thing is occurring to me.

nitromax

Tidester is hogging all of the forums!

c'mon tides...let 'em loose :-)

As stated by Bobw3, I can only see three Freestyle forums also.

vicenac

Same here, only 3 lists appear!

tom_holsinger

I see only three threads too. Is the forum crashing again?

volfangary

I am able to see all of them now! Thanks Tidester!

tidester

When I use the "Go to" dropdowns at the top of the page (right side) I enter "Ford" for the make and "Freestyle" for the model and all of the discussions show up. I also get the same thing when I use the "Browse by Vehicle" dropdowns on the left.

Is anyone else still having trouble getting them to show up?

tidester, host

tidester

NOOOOOOOOO! One weekend like that was quite enough!

tidester, host