Ford Freestyle - Taurus X

14647495152146

Comments

  • kenopkenop Member Posts: 5
    To freestyle gal - I agree that my 2 questions were pretty basic. I was starting to feel a little left out over the weekend. I was able (through a dealer) to get the traction control question answered... It is active at all speeds in the FWD models.

     

    To petea - I too am in SE Penna. and have been struggling with the hard line pricing here. I travel quite a bit and have seen walk up pricing in Birmingham,AL at $3,800 off MSRP and the Boston globe add for $4,500 off. AL dealer said his pricing was into his dealer holdbacks. I don't know how the Boston dealer gets to their price.

     

    Bottom line is that I have been in a very active holding pattern since Thanksgiving. Very nice car though and I am very patient. I will buy one shortly......kenop
  • anotherwagonanotherwagon Member Posts: 301
    Keep seeing more & more here in Hotlanta. Still, lots of the SELs/SEs FWD sitting on lots. Mine is the only one I have seen w/AWD & the only LTD.

     

    Did hear a goofy radio commercial this am.

     

    All rebates in paper ads are for the SEs.

     

    X Plan/Trade - They won't show an overage on the Xplans/Zplans for trades. The price is what it is with those programs. Consider a private sale or CarMax maybe. (We are finally getting some calls on ours)

     

    Can't help with the snow questions in ATL but we did leave pavement at the circus parking lot this weekend and didn't have any problems getting out. Very muddy & hilly. :)

     

    RE:Price reduction since ordering, renegotiate - they should apply any discounts/rebates that are good at the time of delivery.

     

    X Plan rebate - it is my understanding they can change daily.....
  • kenopkenop Member Posts: 5
    I almost forgot -

     

    I still would appreciate real world feedback on the snow handling capability of the Front wheel drive models in the snow?

     

    kenop
  • anotherwagonanotherwagon Member Posts: 301
    They LIVE!!! :)
  • lumber2lumber2 Member Posts: 184
    One dealer locally is running a Subaru owners rebate. Still seeing the FMCC rebate and the lo interest rates.

    Businessweek ran a bad sales of 500/Freestyles/Montego article last week. Unfair IMHO as very few vehicles are on dealers lots.

    I'd rather Ford ramped up sales slowly and were assured quality not lemons reached owners.

    Bad reputations are real tough to shake.
  • sac ltd awdsac ltd awd Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for the tip lumber2. I just read the Businessweek article--people aren't buying because the 500 and Freestyle are "dull" according to one industry "expert". "Ford now has 122 days' supply of Freestyles on hand -- about twice the level carmakers typically like to have in stock." (sounds like there are deals to be had out there!)

     

    Personally, I appreciate the appearance of the Freestyle---friends all think it's a Volvo at first glance (which is a compliment in my book!) My Freestyle interior reminds me of my old SAAB for fit, finish and quality of materials and the exterior attracted me from the git-go. I'm not a "stuffy old fart" either who is looking for a conservative vehicle.

     

    Yes, the new Chrysler 300 and Magnum will sell big, but that "cool retro" design will get old fast and will not endure the test of "timeless" subdued design. I think Ford went in the right direction getting away from that funny Taurus look and going for a more non-dated design with a hint of European elegance.

     

    Hey Ford---wanna sell more Freestyles? Try a heavy advertising campaign. I have yet to see a Freestlye TV ad here in N. Calif...and we Californians love to buy new cars!!

     

    Just my 2 cents.
  • freestyle galfreestyle gal Member Posts: 79
    I'm surprised that the Freestyles don't seem to be selling and while they aren't flashy ala Murano, etc., what's wrong with looking like an Acura MDX, Volvo, or Audi wagon? It's okay with me! I have seen adverts on TV--the Freestyle was the "official car of Squaw Valley" in ads run earlier in the winter, as well as a few other TV ads. People magazine also had a huge print ad right up front a couple of weeks ago. I went to San Francisco this week and on the way up there, I saw three new Chrysler Pacificas with the paper plates still on them. I kind of see the point about the 500--it isn't that much different than a Crown Vic and people really love the Chrysler 300s and that car is getting tons of good press. Oh well. Still lovin' my Freebie.
  • sparcatsparcat Member Posts: 6
    I've had my gold ltd for 3 weeks now...traded in my '99 Windstar, it was time for a change. Car has been great...except for one minor problem, the power door locks keep locking while the car is in motion and the doors are already locked.

     

    Anyone else experiencing this? It's not a door ajar issue, all five doors are closed.

     

    I am also interested in hearing more about playing MP3's.
  • northlakesnorthlakes Member Posts: 368
    The challenge of any business article, IMHO, is to take the data and then draw a conclusion that is related to the data.

     

    I think the Freestyle design is a classic. No glued on body parts to make it look "hip. No swooping rooflines that remove any semblance of useful space inside. No glittery nameplate that puts it high on the most frequently stolen list. Functional, Cray designed (???), nice handling, innovative SUV/car/wagon/truck.

     

    Regarding sales, there can be many causes, but from reading more than 2400 posts here, it sounds like the number of cars on the lots is small, and the ones that are there don't have the options that many of us want.

     

    OK, the first things the uninitiated look at are eye-catching looks, pretty colors, number of cup holders, and envy factor. Psychological factors. Add recent favorites of DVD players, navigation systems, satellite radio.

     

    So, to get someone's attention, you have to put the product in front of people. It has to grow on them (it's a lot of money). In Minnesota, they have been playing Freestyle ads on TV quite a bit lately. That's Step 1. Step 2, put Freestyles on the streets, car shows, malls, sports events, reintroduce the test drive now that you can buy a Freestyle - so that people see they are real. Step 3, Hold clinics/educate the public about the new features/technologies inside/fit and finish. Some may be skiddish because of the new transmission, engine size, layout, etc. Make people comfortable with the new features. To me, the ease of "flattening the seats", visibility out the sides and rear, and tight handling don't show up on the radar - but helped me to pick the Freestyle.

     

    This is only my two cents worth, but something I have been thinking about. Now, don't worry about the sales too much yet.

     

    The BusinessWeek article said, "Analysts also fretted that sales for the trio of new family cars Ford launched last fall -- the Ford Five Hundred and Freestyle, and the Mercury Montego -- haven't been picking up momentum." I read elsewhere (don't remember where) that the expectation for the Freestyle/500/Montego was 200,000 and they reached 167,000. With the slow delivery - no surprise.

     

    And Ford said this week, "- Demand for well-equipped, all-wheel-drive (AWD) models outstrips supply in first months. - Sales mix of AWD versions of the Ford Five Hundred, Ford Freestyle and Mercury Montego has exceeded expectations. - Ford Motor Company sees continued growth in AWD, expects to sell more than 500,000 AWD-equipped vehicles by 2007, including more than 400,000 car-based products." (Feb. biz.yahoo.com)

     

    No posts for two days, then a burst of them. Go figure...
  • northlakesnorthlakes Member Posts: 368
    When you say keep locking, do you mean once when you are over 10 mph, or more than once? Once is normal, even if locked, to let you know the feature is still functioning. More than once and I would get it fixed.
  • northlakesnorthlakes Member Posts: 368
    One more thing in the Yahoo article, Ford is stating their cost advantage case:

     

    "Ford's Affordability Advantage

     

    Affordability is a key driver in Ford's growth in AWD vehicles sales. AWD models of the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego are priced as much as $5,400 less than the least expensive AWD-powered large sedan, while the Ford Freestyle is more than $3,100 less than the closest AWD-equipped crossover utility vehicle.

     

         Ford Five Hundred SE AWD $24,595

         Chrysler 300 Touring AWD $29,995 +$5,400

         Volkswagen Passat GLX 4Motion $33,190 +$8,595

     

         Mercury Montego Luxury AWD $26,795

         Audi A6 3.2 Quattro $41,074 +$14,279

         Infiniti M35 3.5 AWD $43,010 +$16,215

         Acura RL 3.5 SH-AWD $49,470 +$22,675

     

         Ford Freestyle SE AWD $27,470

         Buick Rendezvous CX AWD $30,655 +$3,185

         Chrysler Pacifica Touring AWD $31,605 +$4,135

     

    "
  • freestyle galfreestyle gal Member Posts: 79
    "Don't give up yet fsg. One of these days you're going to look in the rear view mirror and there we will be! I guess we will have to cruise over to HMB...maybe Barbara's Fish Trap."

    Hey, sj freebie--I'll be watching out for you and the Fish Trap is the best! Awfully crowded on the weekends, though. I feel kind of lucky; it's a five- minute walk from our house so we go in the middle of the week.

    I didn't buy any warranty--I'm just hoping the 36/36 that came with it will suffice. I've already had my first oil change and it wasn't low at all--I didn't you even really had to check the oil levels on newer cars... I'm such a girl! Of course, I have my oil changed every 4-5K religiously. I had mine done at Jiffy Lube and with sythetic oil, it was $67--might have to rethink that.
  • oldgwtholdgwth Member Posts: 25
    Been reading posts for over month now and decided to sign up so hi everybody. Got my SEL AWD the first of Jan and love it - no problems so far.
  • sj freebiesj freebie Member Posts: 22
    Welcome aboard oldgwth. Lots of satisfied customers here. And friendly too!
  • rcsrcs Member Posts: 1
    Re: the hard line pricing. One of the larger dealers in Birmingham usually has 15-20 Freestyles on the lot marked to invoice on the windshield. They've adopted the no haggle policy. Our red SEL was supposed to have been built yesterday. . .
  • jjayjjay Member Posts: 28
    I have yet to see another Freestyle on the road -live in the north suburbs of Chicago - Lake County. Still loving mine after two and a half weeks.
  • pnewbypnewby Member Posts: 277
    I haven't seen another in KY either, but the dealers around here all say they can't get enough in stock, especially AWD and higher trim models. I don't know where the mags get the info for these articles, but it's obviously not a universal problem. The SELs and LTDs with AWD don't last long.
  • michfstylermichfstyler Member Posts: 1
    I bought an SEL FWD w/TC just before Christmas, and up here in Michigan we had a lot of snow in January. AWD would probably get through unplowed snow a little easier, and it would also be a help on inclines, but the FWD is fine. Just have to be a little patient and use basic snow-driving techniques and you can get through most anything. I didn't want to sacrifice the highway mileage all year for the handful of times I'd need the feature. Plus one less assembly to break down the road.

     

    Just finished first road trip, have about 1,900 on the car, and it performed nicely. Mileage seems to be coming up; the Ford Duratecs are pretty tight when new, so don't expect peak mileage for the first 5K miles or so.

    Pros:

    -Cargo space and versatility. Hauled 5 and all our luggage for a week to the airport. Tight inside, but it all fit. 1st and 2nd row storage consoles are big, split fold 3rd row is great. Swallowed a new dishwasher without lowering 2nd row seats.

    -Love the room, cupholder amount and variety (in the doors even).

    -DVD player w/wireless headphones is great and integrated nicely into the main audio, but takes a little practice to get used to all the features.

    -Nicely laid out dash. 6 CD-in-dash and steering wheel controls are cool.

    -The 3.0L gets along OK. Not great, but OK. Need the new 3.5L motor that's coming in a few years.

    Minor annoyances:

    -Floormats have gotten cheaper over the years, now the driver's side doesn't even have a grommet in the retainer hole. No plastic insert on the high-wear carpet section in front of the pedals.

    -Slope in cargo floor takes a little getting used to after having a wagon with a flat floor. I know why they did this, so the load works its way to the back so you don't have to reach, but still different.

    -Wind noise from the metal roof rails at 75+ mph. Glad they're metal, but kind of annoying. Copilot will know when you're going too fast, though. Also, no standard crossrails; have to get them from Yakima aftermarket (or the Ford accessories catalogue).

    -Loud gear whine when backing up.

    -Slight suspension clunk releasing steering wheel from full lock. Most noticeable backing up.
  • sparcatsparcat Member Posts: 6
    It happens more than once. It will go on 15-20 times and then just stop - and it doesn't happen all the time, maybe 30% of the time I'm driving the car.

     

    I brought the car into the dealer and they are going to replace something in the electrical system once the part comes in.
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Hello everyone! I've inquired to three dealers now regarding towing capacity on Freestyle and no one seems to have a clue what this vehicle will tow. I have a 2500 lb boat and trailer that I presently drag behind an older Suburban.

     

    Do any of you owners tow? Any idea what the capacity is for this vehicle??

     

    Thanks for the input and best wishes for great ownership experiences with your Freestyles.
  • preferbicyclespreferbicycles Member Posts: 33
    How the dealers could not know this is hard to imagine, but the answer is 2000 lbs.
  • lumber2lumber2 Member Posts: 184
    2500lbs is too much. You'd be better off with an explorer or expedition. Great rebates, poor gas mileage
  • lumber2lumber2 Member Posts: 184
    "Slight suspension clunk releasing steering wheel from full lock. Most noticeable backing up"

     

    I think our XC70 does the same thing. I just don't drive it enough but it does it when I back out of the garage, and put it on full lock. Might just be part of the Haldex system and the way it works. Ie Normal.
  • freestyle galfreestyle gal Member Posts: 79
    "One of the larger dealers in Birmingham usually has 15-20 Freestyles on the lot marked to invoice on the windshield."

    I have a question that perhaps you or another brilliant person from this forum might be able to answer. You mentioned the large inventory in your area. I live in a heavily populated area (San Francisco Bay Area) and Freestyles are fairly scarce. My local dealer had one, sold it and doesn't have any more. Does the dealer order them or are they allocated? Can a dealer order more if they want them? Hayward Ford, where I bought mine, only has a couple, but they say they sell them fast. Is the ability to order them online cutting down on what we see on the lots? The Freestyle is such a smart car, safe, right price, decent mileage, etc. (although my husband thinks they are overpriced--he thinks that a car with a 6 cyl. 3.0 Duratec engine should be cheaper). Several people have asked me if I was worried about buying a "new model." I have to admit, I was nervous about the tranny at first, but everything else is pretty tried-and-true. I figure if the transmission is going to go, it will go before my 36/36 is up (and I'm crossing my fingers as I type this). I have a lot of confidence in the car and the only things that bug me are the transient rattles in the dash/front somewhere and the CD player, which is awfully finicky and skips a lot (I don't have the Audiophile system). But it's no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Even high-end cars have their little buggy things. You ought to hear the problems my friend is having with his Jaguar and his Corvette!
  • kenopkenop Member Posts: 5
    Thanks - I am familiar with the dealer in your post. I am not due back in the Birmingham area until May. I am looking for a similar deal in Pennsylvania. Right now you need to go to about 3 dealers to see 15 Freestyles. We were out this weekend to look at a Redfire SEL - No luck. It appears that inventory searches will also reveal cars that are enroute from the factory. Best of luck with your new Freestyle when it arrives. Tx - kenop
  • kenopkenop Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the data point. The 27 mpg is certainly attractive. It's good to hear that the FWD is handling your Michigan winter. I agree that driving technique is an important element. One of the reasons I am leaning toward the FWD version w/ TC is that I have been to Vermont in heavy snow with several vehicles. On separate occasions, I've been in a rear wheel driver as well as front wheel driver in heavy snows (I ski). Can't travel more than 35 mph since that is what the person ahead of you is doing. Also, you can't see well enough to go any faster. Never had a problem.

     

    Thanks for the post and best of luck with your new wheels - kenop
  • sac ltd awdsac ltd awd Member Posts: 12
    Gee, I guess I was lucky---Jan 14th went to dealer down the street from work who had the loaded Limited AWD I was looking to drive. Checked another dealer in Sacramento that evening who also had 2 loaded the way I wanted it. (all Merlot ext.) I offered them $100 over the X-plan price. They accepted with little discussion. (I think the one I bought had been sitting a while on the lot since it was manufactured last Aug and had almost 100 miles on it from test drives. They seemed very eager to move it.) I suppose they made their $$ on the ext. warranty I bought(?)

     

    Those of you looking for just the right equipped Freestyle in areas of limited availability might try on-line car brokers who can locate vehicles fairly quickly in a wide area and get them to your location for a pre-negotiated price. I used their services before and got a very good deal on my 2002 Expedition.
  • northlakesnorthlakes Member Posts: 368
    Well fsg, when I ordered my Freebie, the dealer said they had a number of Freestyle orders allocated to them based on overall car sales in the past. The salesman reportedly included my order in their dealer allotment, indicating that it would take longer if he didn't. They can order/reorder outside of their allotment, but the priority lowers (more time - perhaps). I think they view the dealer order as a marketing priority, and a customer order as important, but you are on the hook anyway. My interpretation.

     

    So, when a dealer says they have no more, it could be that the shipping rate is still slow in general for the Freebie. It could also mean that it is a convenient excuse because it used to be true and they may be reluctant to order more until there is a "rush" of people asking for the Freestyle.
  • sportymonksportymonk Member Posts: 258
    Crossroads Ford of Raleigh NC just announced $4000 off on Freestyles. Wow, can't believe the deep cuts are this early, it just came out! Wish Honda would drop price on Odyssey, instead they raised it $200.
  • anotherwagonanotherwagon Member Posts: 301
    Deep cuts?

     

    Did it mention models? Here it is only on SEs nothing else (advertised anyway)
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    How can they without a rebate? On a SE, that would be $2300 under invoice or $4000 off sticker. Does not seem possible without a rebate. Probably fine print with a $2300 dollar trade in allowance.

     

    The Odyssey price increase is on MSRP. Ford will probably have a similar increase. I have noticed a lot of dealers on certain models are giving near invoice prices on the Odyssey just 6 months after intro. The prices are not holding up nearly as well as the last generation. Discounts are not much different than the Freestyle.
  • mas23mas23 Member Posts: 38
    "Crossroads Ford of Raleigh NC just announced $4000 off on Freestyles."

     

    WOW, that's a better discount than my A-Plan price. I don't see discounts like that anywhere in my area.
  • pnewbypnewby Member Posts: 277
    Just looked at the inventory- 47 Freestyles listed, but- 1 Limited AWD, 8 SEL AWD (only 1 loaded), and 4 SE AWD. Rest were FWD, mostly SE. I guess the Ford releases about upscale and AWD selling better than expected are true. Oh, and no mention of Specials on the Freestyle. Must have had some fine print on the ad.
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    Definately a print in the add, probably a demo, who knows. So far there's no substantiated rebate that is worth $4K at this time. Maybe if you add military, college graduate, every other possible discount and a few prayer's, but highly doubt it.
  • barnstormer64barnstormer64 Member Posts: 1,106
    Speaking of these "Great Deals", I think some of that may be Ford trying to "dump" cars on dealers that want more Mustangs.

     

    My local dealer (according to a friend) is selling loaded 2005 T'birds at 7k under sticker. There is a 1k rebate going on, but nothing that could conceivably get the price down to 35k on a 42k car.

     

    The explanation given to him is that Ford was forcing them to buy more T'birds than they wanted in order to get more allocations on the Mustang.

     

    So, if anybody wants a good deal on a T'bird, look up Gullo Ford/Mercury of Conroe, TX on the internet, and see what kind of deal they can make you.

     

    I love the new T'bird, but it's just too impractical. I'd probably rather get a Dodge Magnum instead of it, anyway. Or maybe a Pontiac GTO?

     

    Just got my windows tinted today . . gotta run to pick up the car now.
  • ANT14ANT14 Member Posts: 2,687
    That is common, where the manufacturer pushes a certain vehicle, for them to receive allocation of another one. It's a Catch22, you might not make much money off the Tbird, but you get the Mustang which you can sell at cost, or maybe over sticker. The Mustang will draw in customer's and get them in the showroom, and even if they can't afford, or see the vehicle isn't best suited for them, there's a good chance they'll come out with something.

     

    Then the Tbird languishes in the lot, taking up space, THAT could be used for something that might move.
  • freestyle galfreestyle gal Member Posts: 79
    "My local dealer (according to a friend) is selling loaded 2005 T'birds at 7k under sticker"

    I remember when those T'Birds first came out; you could't get your hands on one even if you wanted to. We rented one a while back: fun, but they are impractical. I guess if you want a cool looking car to drive around on the weekends and have the extra garage space (and oh yeah, the extra money), it would be okay. They have a certain retro chic about them.
  • barnstormer64barnstormer64 Member Posts: 1,106
    I thought I had heard that when the new T-Bird came out in 2001 that very quickly ALL vehicles had been sold, for the entire production run. (Wasn't that 5 years, so this is the last year?)

     

    In other words, people had supposedly paid for the rights to buy ALL of the vehicles that would be produced.

     

    I don't know if that was true, but if it was, something sure happened in the interim to change that.

     

    I wonder if something like that is happening to the low-end Freestyles: some dealers are forced to take them to get allocations of the Mustang, so those vehicles get extremely discounted.

     

    It'd be a shame to pay X-plan or A-plan for one, and then find out you could've saved another 3 grand!
  • pnewbypnewby Member Posts: 277
    Wonder what the difference in TBirds, Miata's Vettes and Vipers? Is any one more pratical than the other? Shortened the list, but many low volume vehicles successfully survive. Wonder what happened to the 'Bird? Kinda neglected like the Lincoln LS I suspect.
  • lumber2lumber2 Member Posts: 184
    Bird was a project that distracted Ford from the need to develop high volume cars like the Freestyle.
  • mas23mas23 Member Posts: 38
    "Just got my windows tinted today . . gotta run to pick up the car now. "

    Let us know how you like the tinting. I was thinking about doing that myself.
  • sassyfreestylesassyfreestyle Member Posts: 8
    I can't believe so many people are having a hard time finding a AWD Freestyle. My husband and I live in Northern CA. towards Placerville (somewhat near Sacramento/ Folsom) We found 2 freestyles (AWD) when we were looking in Folsom and one in Placerville. Once we have test drove it and was sure we wanted it, we had them order us one to purchase. It is still being built right now but, the dealer didn't even mind if we purchased it or not after they have ordered it/ once they get it in. They just wanted one as a demo to have there anyways whether we decide later we want it or not. So my main point to this is: If you are looking for an AWD, look towards/ near the higher elevations where AWD is a necessity (where there is snow near). They will be sure to have one and will be more than happy to order you one the way you want. We ordered ours (fully loaded.) We should have it by early March. (I can't wait!) After everything we've seen and researched out there the Freestyle sounds like our best bet for all the luxuries we want without paying about 10K-15K more. The Duratec CVT transmission has been proven in other vehicles, therefore I am not worried too much. I had a Lexus before ordering the Freestyle. I was not happy with other SUV's because they did not have all the goodies I wanted and at the right price I wanted. This has it all and drives just as wonderful and smooth as my Lexus sedan. I soon will have the best of both worlds. You can't go wrong with the Freestyle when you want it all: Safety, performance, luxuries, drives like a sedan yet has AWD and the practicalities in storage space as the SUV all in one; for the RIGHT PRICE! I'll tell you guys how much I love it even more when I get it. So far I'm happy and satisfied knowing I'm getting a great quality car!
  • freestyle galfreestyle gal Member Posts: 79
    WooHoo sassyfreestyle! Glad to hear from another satisfied customer and welcome to the Freebie Forum!! I've had my FWD SEL since Jan 3 and I'm sooooo happy with it. I still can't believe how comfortable and flexible it is, and fun to drive as well. And every time I fill up the gas tank, I'm really happy all over again; much cheaper to drive than my Expedition was. You sure can get some amazing deals on those about now. I wasn't sure how long it would be before people had finally had enough, but I think that time is near. There will always be a need for the ginormous UTEs, I think, but there are other options out there and I'm sure glad I found the Freestyle.
  • simonsnanisimonsnani Member Posts: 6
    picked up my freestyle on jan/4/04 from dealer in santa fe new mexico.x plan,31016,msrp-33615,LTD.loaded.no dvd.13week waiting on order to come in.i live up in the mountians in los alamos a lot of snow an ice.awd is the best i ever had.traded in 03 expedition 4x4 it was good but no where near as good as the freestyle,i got the moon roof,no leaks,looks and works great.the cvt is the best trans on any car/suv/truck i haved ever own.at 70 years old i have owen a lot of vehicles i dont know why every one dont have one.they are that good. any questions e mail me at simonsnani@aol.com
  • sac ltd awdsac ltd awd Member Posts: 12
    Hi sassy---nice to see another Sacramento area (soon to be) owner in the forum--I love my Limited AWD, also fully "loaded"---don't miss my 2002 Expedition at all! You will really enjoy the ride and performance of your new Freestyle. If you're down in Sac and see a Merlot Limited pass you by--be sure and honk! :-)
  • sassyfreestylesassyfreestyle Member Posts: 8
    I'm so happy to hear everyone is so satisfied and happy with their new Freestyle!! I'll make sure to honk at you Merlot Ltd if I pass you up in Sac! : )

    Has anyone heard of their Cash Rebate offer of $500.00 if you purchased your freestyle under the
    X-Plan? Do we have that now here in the USA yet? My friend lives in Canada and they are already offering it. Any other new incentives besides the 1.9% financing for 36 mo?

    Come on Ford, I know it's still new, but lets get people in the door to take advantage of this wonderful car!!
  • styliestylie Member Posts: 4
    HI Eveyone,
    Austin TX here..I picked up a new AWD FreeStyle limited on Feb 1. It's loaded with everything except the DVD player Black ext, Black int. ( is there any other color?) -( insert funny gothic comment here)
    Any way.. This could be my favorite car ever. I am coming off a 95 Ford explorer limited and way back a Subaru wagon. I am amazed at the ride and smoothness of this car. The engine seems to completely purr.
    I am still not quite over the gigantic body roll my old explorer had, and I find myself bracing for body roll that just never happens in the FreeStyle. It truly drives like a pretty tight car. I feel totally safe inside as well... the thing is built like a tank.
    I just got the plates and I have about 900 miles on the car.
    I haven't seen any FreeStyles on the road, or even an advertisement around town. To be honest I am kinda diggin it..
    It's like I have this "innocuous car" that is totally unique.
    Every day I drive this car I am more and more impressed.
    It's a sweet ride.
    Stylie
  • brantybranty Member Posts: 53
    Just found that Thule now has a fit solution for the Freestyle factory rack.
    The 450 Crossroad Railing Foot fits on the rails. If you have the Thule cross bars from previous vehicle you're all set.
    Now I can use the rack for something more than just look'in (but still have to watch the total weight). Now if I can just get a trailer hitch (for my bike rack) I'll be happy.
  • daddykdaddyk Member Posts: 4
    Hi Everyone,
    I just wanted to add my impressions of this awesome new crossover vehicle. I had just came back from a 250 mile round trip to visit the inlaws and I will honestly tell you that the Freestyle has PLENTY of POWER. I think the negative reviews are not even close.
    I had to backoff the gas pedal a few dozen times because the Freestyle had creeped up to 87MPH without even noticing or any effort.

    The Car rides very smooth and is super quiet, I will say, do not change lanes without peeking over your shoulder...More than once a car had been alongside and I did not even hear it, it is that smooth and quiet.

    The Gas Mileage is great, the Cargo room is awesome, I had a Cannondale Road Bike inside and 6 XL duffel bags with the wife and babies clothing and still had room. The Baby was in Heaven watching the Shrek and Nemo DVD's in back, the heated leather seats made the quick pitstops very comforting upon returning from the 25 degree weather outside.

    The suv/car handles amazing, we had a Expedition that cannot compare to this vehicle. The Expedition cost us 120.00 in gas roundtrip, this vehicle cost us $48.00 roundtrip...it saves us 72 dollars a trip right there and we visit once a month.

    The Freestyle turns a lot of heads since it is new (ours was made January 25th) we were driving it 3 weeks later on Valentines Day.

    And for those wondering if the Ford Incentives and rebates were for real, Believe it, because we got our FULLY LOADED for 5,000 off the sticker price.
    If you want a SAFE, ROOMY Vehicle that is Great on Gas, Tons of Bells and Whistles, and Fun to drive, the Freestyle will not disapoint you.

    The Power is there fellas, take one on the Highway and see for yourself, the reviews are not accurate, unless your looking for a Nascar Family vehicle.

    To Ford, Nice Job
    K's Daddy
  • daddykdaddyk Member Posts: 4
    Thats good News, I contacted Thule a few days ago and they said they were working on a rack for the vehicle and it was too new at the time. I transported my road bike in the back with the wheels in wheel bags and the bike laying on its side.

    I am afraid to put it on the roof, I would hate to see my Carbon fiber frame take a shot from a rock or pebble from a tractor trailer.

    Looks like I am going to be shopping for a hitch, anyone have a bike hitch on their Freestyle?

    K's Daddy
    Livestrong
Sign In or Register to comment.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.