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Comments
K's daddy ;O)
I have the Audiophile System in our Limited and it is a thumpin system for a stock stereo cd player. Hands down the best stock system I ever had, blows away the Mustang & Expedition Stereos I had.
Not exactly sure of the upgrade differences but I guarantee you won't be disapointed.
My Only dispointment is that I can't hook my iPod up to it.
But, you can burn your playlists to CD's and load 6 discs right in the front unit.
Was Blasting U2 all the way down highway and Bono never sounded better in a Ford!
K's Daddy :O)
If you keep your third row seat down and would like to protect the carpeting without spending 100+ dollars on a Huky thick rubber liner I found a solution.
I was at our local Musclemag Health Food Shop and they sell a nice 4x6 rubber mat for putting under a stationary trainer bike for $19.95, it fits great in the back of the Freestyle.
It is not real heavy and rols up nice for when you need the 3rd row seat. It is a textured rubber, soft but not too thick, perfect for protecting our Freebies!
It is thicker than a yoga mat, and looks like it was suppose to come with the vehicle.
Just check out any Shop that sells stationary excercise bikes and see if they have a mat. Got ours in Scranton, Pa at Musclemag, nice price!
Next stop, Window Tint Shop
K's Daddy :O)
Jet Black AWD Limited Loaded
I agree with ya, didn't see any other Freestyles on the road today on our trip from Pa to Delaware, pretty cool, I have the feeling that this isn't going to last long once everyone gets wind of how great the Freebie is.
p.s Hoot your horn if you see my buddy Lance Armstrong training on his road bike with the Discovery Channel Cycling Team.
God Bless Texas, Lance & The Freestyle Community!
K's Daddy :O)
If you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay on your fully loaded Freestyle? $5,000 under the sticker? Was the car marked up? We are having ours built right now fully loaded (every option)
AWD Limited Freestyle for 32K + tax/ license out the door. Is that a good price? I'm still awaiting to see/ hear if there is that $500 customer rebate for the X- Plan here in CA/ USA yet. I know there in one in Canada. Anyone know or hear anything about that yet??? Let me know PLEEEAAASSSE!!
Been a freestyle owner since Dec. 28. Love the car! But been wondering where the other freebies are. Since we bought it, we've only seen a grand total of 2 freestyles.
Last week, I was stopped at a light and I saw across me a car that looked like exactly what I was driving! I guess the passenger was checking me out too and started waving at me. I waved back and we were both happy to have found each other. As they drove away, he gave me a thumbs up and I did the same. That makes it a 3 for me in Socal.
My dealer didn't notice that rebate until the day after I'd bought my vehicle . . so, I got a check in the mail from Ford instead of getting it taken off the purchase price.
It seems to me like Ford is trying hard to reduce those problems with the Freestyle--the evidence is the slow rollout of the car and the subsequent shipping holds to make sure cars with potential defects were not delivered to customers--but that doesn't mean that something bad won't show up next week. People haven't had these cars long enough for a lot of stuff to show up. It could turn out that the transmissions start breaking at 20,000 miles--I doubt it, but it is possible, as very few Freestyles can have been driven that far yet.
If that is the kind of thing that you worry about, that is a strong reason not to look at a first-year model.
I have no idea when/if Ford will start offering rebates. Based upon what I have read, it sounds as if it is more likely they would offer rebates on the FWD than the AWD models, because it seems like they underestimated demand for the AWD models and may be having problems getting enough of the AWD parts. But the ways of automobile marketers are inscrutable, so who can say. Who would have thought there would be rebates for Quarter Horse afficionados?
Those of you who have been on the post for a little while may remember that my car would pull a little to the right when I took off from a dead stop and the steering wheel moves a good 4-5" to the right also. The service manager told me to hold the wheel tighter. They said Ford would give me one free alignment but that he didn't think it was out of alignment. He told me told me it wasn't a safety issue after test-driving it, but the salesman has called me twice to see if it was still doing it because he seemed to think that it was a weird thing for the car to be doing. I've kind of gotten used to it, but it still does it. I've been checking the front tire, but can't see any weird tire wear yet (5,000 miles). I took off fast from dead stop (not my normal pattern), but the guy in a car behind me was talking on his cell phone and saw the light had turned green, but I didn't get the feeling he saw me based on the very high speed he was traveling so I thought I'd better haul out and fast. The car's front end had unexpected side to side movement for the first couple of seconds that really startled me. When I'm at freeway speeds, the car feels aligned and all is well. Anyone else experienced this? Is it time for me to insist on a better look? The good news was that the car did move out pretty good and the guy did have to brake but I was out of the way and I'm pretty sure he dropped his cell phone....
Yes, you may have to hang on to the steering wheel a bit. But you shouldn't have to put much effort into it.
Good Luck with the mat, they work great. You should definitely take your car to a different Ford Dealer or Contact Customer Service about the vehicle pulling. Doesn't sound right at all, I would be persistent and even take another Freestyle for a test ride to make sure this problem is real.
Good Luck, Hope evrything is taken care of for you.
K's Daddy
The sticker on my AWD Limited included the Safety Pkg. (Full Canopy Airbag for all 3 rows) The Heated Leather Seats, Family Ent. (DVD) Audiophile stereo, etc, basically every single option except for the adjustable gas and brake pedals which neither my wife or I needed since were both taller at 6'1 & 5'8.
The sticker on the window with all the options was 33,900. We went with the Red Carpet Lease for 2 years so we could feel the Freestyle out without getting locked into it if we were unhappy. After rebates, our Cap cost was 29,000.
Couldn't be more happy and my inlaws were impressed (an impossible task unless I had a winning powerball ticket in my hand) with the Lexus like ride and couldn't believe all the features and technolgy wrapped into this vehicle at this price.
Sure some worry about a new model vehicle being introduced to the market, but anyone who knows about Volvo engineering & Safety can attest that this vehicle is designed and equipped to put Ford above and beyond any of the competiion in it's class.
The car is under ful warrant for 3 years, we will be in another new Freestyle before this even comes close to expiring. Like I mentioned before, we felt robbed after riding in a gas guzzling Expedition with no bells & whistles for 5 years.
I would be more nervous about buying a new Explorer or Expedition than I would the New Freestyle.
Even if I paid full sticker I would have been happy...the ride is unbelievable compared to our old Expedition.
My advice is, Shop around, because we went to 3 Ford dealers and one was 3,000 more for the same vehicle and would not budge. Find a dealer who has 10 to 20 in inventory and they will be happy to get you in one at a great price.
K's Daddy
The pull to the right is weird. Though the dealer says it is not a safety issue, in snow country here, it could be a big problem. If it is not an alignment issue, and assuming one of your drive half shafts is not broken, that only leaves loose suspension part, bad bearing, damaged or missing bushing on engine mount, or a dragging brake shoe - that's all.
When you brake, does it also pull to the right? Funny noises? The dealer may need to try harder IMHO. Have you had that "one free" alignment yet? Might be worth it anyway.
A big part of my decision on the Freestyle was for my biking. Glad to hear that Thule has a fit. Anyone hear about Yakima?
Also would like any info on a 2" receiver. I had no luck with the forum search engine.
Odd story, while I was waiting for my car to be built, I would notice nice looking cars at stop lights. My thought was, I should check that model out. Got up close and saw the name plate - "Freestyle". Honest, happened to me three times.
Short version, I like the car. Seems to do all that I wanted in a car, including decent MPG.
Now my big decision is, should I drive the new Freestyle in Mondays snow or the old car that doesn't matter any more?
Yeah, a serious oversight on my part! It's FWD and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so no snow. I didn't get the stealth mode either, so when I find myself going over 80 on the freeway, I suppose I could get at ticket...The car is smooth and quiet at freeway speeds and it's kind of surprising when I look at the speedometer :-0 re: the steering wheel/slight pull to the right, I thought it might be a FWD-in-combination-with-the CVT-kind of thing. It brakes straight, no funny noises, and I didn't have the free alignment because I was afraid they might screw something else up; I have obvious issues with dealership car repair shops but when the car is under warranty, you kind of have no choice. I kind of wonder about the dragging brake thing. Whenever the car has been sitting overnight after getting wet, being washed, etc., the brakes do make noise for a little while--maybe 5 minutes or so. I just thought that there was some rust or something on the rotor (since it's exposed) and it was making a friction noise until the system was clean/dry. Does that make any sense?
Those of you looking for Cargo liners, I just found a custom made cargo liner made especially for the Freestyle. (it's not made by ford) but it does the job and folds up neatly. It folds out all the way to the second row (just in case you need to haul something bigger) without worrying about your interior. I just bought it on ebay for $46.00+ shipping of $15.00. (Good investment)AND a free dash mat cover (I'm not going to use that, but it's a good deal) considering how much you would pay purchasing it directly from The Ford Dealer later. I have not found any Freestyle accessories on Ford's accessories website yet. The one I purchased on ebay is listing# 7954503075 if anyone wants to take a look. It's made of good durable rubber and is custom fitted per Ford's specs. The best thing is that it folds up nicely too!! Got to keep this baby clean!
The brake noise for "5 minutes or so" in the morning is not normal, in my book. The ABS will pulse the brakes briefly (~5 seconds) when you first start moving, but not 5 minutes. If a caliper is sticking (or misaligned), you may get noise until it pulls the brake pad back like it should from vibration or whatever. When you make a "dead stop", the applied brakes are extended again, and the caliper may again stick - waiting for you to start moving again - dragging. Weak caliper spring, scratched caliper slides, rust?
I think the factory rack is a Yakima based unit so they may be available from Ford (at least the racks they have on the Ford site look like Yakima's)
So far I have only found Reese and Curt have receiver hitches for the Freestyle. They are both 1-1/4" but this is pretty standard for a Class II hitch. I had the same size on my last van and have a bike rack that fits the 1-1/4" so I will be getting this size for my Freestyle once spring arrives.
There are adapters you can get 1-1/4" to 2" which add about 6" in length not sure if this would meet your needs or are you looking for a Class III hitch (not sure you could get one)?
Good luck to you! Let me know how it goes...
They should make good, and if you go w/the sunroof, cover the cost.
Also, you could try to find the one they located on your own by searching and go straight to them.
I would be leery of doing business w/a dealer that is giving you the too bad attitude. Bet Ford corp would not have the attitude they are saying. Trying calling a regional person yourself.
The car is great, but get it they way you want it!
greater rotating force applied then the other wheel. It is epecially prevalent in FWD vehicles. This may be due to the length of the half shafts or "drive shafts". If one is longer than the other, it may "twist" more than the shorter one. This extra "twist" causes that wheel to start rotating slightly behind the other wheel. Therefore, if the wheels don't start rotating at the same time, the vehicle will tend to "steer" towards the driving wheel. Sorry, if the explanation appears confusing.
That being said, engineering can compensate by balancing half shaft weight, length, alignment, stiffer components or bushings - but engineering is a game of compromise.
So, torque steer is a force you feel on a steering wheel when you apply a lot of torque (gas pedal down). It always pulls the car in the same direction.
A well engineered vehicle should not require a lot of steering compensation when torque steer occurs. Your "5 inches" of steering wheel twist sounds much worse than any torque steer I am familiar with. I don't feel any such thing with my AWD SEL. I hope that helps.
K's Daddy :O)
p.s.
Just got back from a 480 mile roundtrip,
23.8 mpg, it's getting better & better as the engine "breaks in"
Thumpin up the Turnpike at 83mph trying to beat the snowstorm (for the wife & babies sake) and I only had the gas pedal pressed down a quarter of the way...this car glides man! very smooth ride.
Thanks,
Elliot
Hiya eps105: Yup, they sure are--very easy to see. I wish they had a few more itty-bitty lights, like in the glove compartment, etc., but that's a minor thing.
If no one answered this, the answer is YES, they are backlit in green.
K's Daddy
The adjustable gas/brake pedals are an optional add on. The remote car starter is nice, but just so you know, it voids the warranty according to Ford.
You want the Freebie 6 inches wider? A Expedition is only 4" wider than a Freebie (thats 2" on each side) You women always want more LOL.
Jus Kiddin Ladies (ducking)
K's Daddy :O)
If I can get a contact, I can't post name/number here. Did you post at email in your profie? If so, I can forward what I can get. I've asked for help from a dealer friend.
If she buys it from Ford, it shouldn't negate her warranty.
I am amaze about all the good things I heard for the crossover Ford Freestyle
Currently I am in the market for a new car and I am focusing in the Freestyle. For several reasons, nice looking car, reasonable price, nice option, but the main one is that it uses Volvo technology.
My last 5 cars has been Volvo, currently I owned two Volvos a 2004 S60 which I love it, and a 1994 Volvo 945 Turbo Wagon brought new with 17 miles which now is close to retirement and I am planning to donate to a Charity and most likely will be replaced for the Freestyle.
I am not considering the 2 SUV’s Volvos because to me, they are overpriced and why I should consider another Volvo when Ford is offering almost the same car (I believe the Freestyle are built on a Volvo Chassis and also uses Volvo Suspension and Volvo’s Safety Technology) for 15K-20K less.
I am considering the LIMITED, loaded with the Safety Package (This is a MUST), DVD, Auxiliary Climate Control, and Adjustable Foot Pedals with Memory, Reverse Sensing System, and Second Row 60/40 for 7 passengers. But here is my dilemma, I heard all about good things for the FWDs and AWDs but I don’t know which will be best option for my needs and if I can save the 2k which is the price difference between AWD and FWD without sacrifice safety it will be great.
I am live in Southern California, so there is not snow unless I travel to the mountains which we never do. But as every one knows lately rains a lot and I am wondering on a raining condition which is safer and which one will be the best choice.
My Volvo S-60 has a feature that you can use under the winter or a wet condition and you just press a W which enhances the traction of the car without been truly AWD and it works great.
I would like to hear from the experts on their recommendations.
Thanks!
I choose the Freestyle for the same reasons you mentioned. The Volvo chassis, safety system, Volvo inspired Haldex AWD, etc.
We live in the Valley surrounded by Mountains in Pa. and Lots of snow comes with it. The AWD was my only choice. I would think that in Sunny Southern California a FWD would work with ease.
Here's a funny quick story about Ford Front Wheel Drive. A few years ago a lady hit the front of my Mustang and my Insurance Company was so kind to give me a Ford Aspire to use. I laughed at this little front wheel drive car which resembled an Easter egg. I filled the tank (a whopping 7 dollars to fill it) and it happened to snow pretty good the following day. Well I decided to have some "fun" with this rental car since I never had a FWD. Let me tell you, I found the steepest snow covered hill and went up and down about 10 times hooting and hollering with each climb.....Front wheel drive alone will get you through any snow that falls in Southern California I guarantee.....and I using Fords cheapest model car in my example...do they even make an Aspire anymore? LOL
With the New technology fed into the Freestyle I think FWD will work above and beyond your needs. IMHO.
K's Daddy :O)
I think the wife has Freebie envy
K's Daddy
I'm a Freestyle FWD owner and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. For good, deep, horrendous snow, we jump in my husband's 4-wheel drive F-150. The FWD Freestyle does have traction control that's "on" all the time and I'm sure you will hear from lots of other really smart people on this forum about that. On our rainy roads, I think the best and safest option is to slow down--which of course many people don't do--and that won't cost you any extra.
That would be so cool, K's Daddy--tell your wife I totally support her. But try not to get the same color--that would just confuse the neighbors too much!
I guess FWD will be my choice, now I have to find the dealer that wants to sell it to me at Invoice Price -
Based on all the recommendations the best choice will be the FWD.. Now I have to find the dealer that are willing to sell the car at Invoice Price -
VicSan