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I thought this may be useful.
We store our "Sunday Bibles" in Freebie's trunk. We flattened the third row to haul the stuff while going to FL, leaving the Bibles under the flat seat. When we got there, it was very difficult to prop the seats back up. I barely could click the latch.
What I found out is the Bibles slid right below the backrest section of the seat.
The solution:
Press the backrest whole section down a bit. This re-aligns the release latch to an effortless position.
Sam
A cargo net is another idea but I never had much luck with them - I usually take cloth bags to the store and tie the handles together for the ride home.
Steve, Host
RE: Masters. I got mine a few years ago and now am considering a Ph.D. or Ed.D. Are you doing a thesis or some sort of comprehensives? I had to research 7 questions and write for 8 hours over two days and then each professor that submitted the research questions had to evaluate my responses and pass me or make me do it over again. The statistics/reserearch methods prof. made me redo twice. I get hives thinking about him to this day. I know this is crunch time so you can graduate this spring, so good luck to you!
Has anyone else had problems with the Freestyle's city gas mileage/
Thanks,
Geerod62
Have you tried confirming the mileage the old fashioned way for a tank or two? Have you checked all the fluid levels to make sure friction or heat aren't excessive?
Anyone else?
Car is very nice, the wind noise is pretty muffled, but there is a bit of engine and road noise.
I tried accelerating onto the highway with the pedal floored and I didn't notice any torque steer. Haven't been able to check out everything yet.
Interesting tidbit--there was a sticker on the car saying that it had been selected at random for an 61 mile road test at the factory. I don't know if that is good or bad, but I figure it probably means there is nothing grossly wrong with it.
An option is to reset the MPG counter every few fill-ups. However, you have full-enchilada warranty now, so don't hesitate.
Sam
On Master's: Thank you. No thesis. That'll be the Ph.D., which I dream to achieve. I love the idea of teaching others better ways to do X.
On your Ph.D.: Consider the return on investment. Even if your Company pays it, it's still a truckload of time, effort & roasted grey cells.
* If you would use it in your current job or even after retiring (teaching, volunteering, etc.), go for it.
* If you plan to retire and not employ it, why kill yourself?
* There's always a program somewhere to crunch all your math.
Back to the Freebie talk, I'm pleased that both babies (yours & mine) will ride our best and safest vehicle.
Sam
PS - We don't know what is the baby's sex. When you read "he", that's an "objective opinion" on my part.
I stopped packages from sliding under the back by buying a nonslip mat that is used under rugs and cut it to fit the back floor. Nothing slips under the seat now. About 6 bucks at Home Depot.
Bill
Very pleased....remember previous car was 12 mpg on a good day.
Hubby called it "his" car the other day - uh oh.
I like your suggestion about the non slip mat - stays flat when seats are down so don't have to cart around collapsible crates. Thanks!
Will be able to experiment more this week, as a snowstorm is on the way.
We have a local dealership, that every car on the lot is marked $2000.00 to $4000.00 below MSRP
This is NOT a fly-by-night dealership. They have been in business for many years.
The "catch" if you will, is that the price marked on the car is the price you pay. No haggle.
Yesterday I bought a front wheel drive SEL.
MSRP sticker was $27495.00 I paid 24895.00
Getting 20.2 MPG. Just broke 20..
www.hitch-web.com
**No problems at all, except when the baby is watching DVD's, makes the rear window obsolete, have to use the side mirrors.
**Front and second row windows are definitely getting a makeover at the tint shop. Sun made it tough to see the DVD player.
**Bonus storage space under the second row seats, you could fit a few backpacks underneath, wife is amazed at the cargo space and she drives a gas guzzling Expedition (not for long, she wants a Freestyle as well)
** AWD is beautiful in the snow, they are calling for 12" of snow tomorrow so I am sure will give it another good test.
**Freebie handles very smooth, you can drive it with much more confidence than a SUV.
** Acceleration is nice, the magazine reviews are way off. The freebie has plenty of power and it accelerates so nice that without even realizing, your doing 80 mph.
**Heated Seats are a nice luxury that we never had before, like a comforting heating pad on your lower back. Niiiiiice.
**And lastly, I think I might have the record for most car washes to a Freestyle, Black is tough, but Bad [non-permissible content removed] when it's all shined up.
**Back cargo area, we bought a textured rollable rubber mat that goes under a stationary excercise bike. Works nice, protects the interior nice, and rolls up and stores in the cargo well when you need to flip the 3rd row seat back up. 20 bucks at a Musclemag Health Food Store.
**Rear View Mirror adjusts to the lights of the car behind you so you don't get blinded, it's as if it tints the back window real dark, nice feature.
**Sunroof seals tight, no leaks, even after a good shot at the car wash.
**ABS braking does it's job nicely, tested them on the snow and icy roads the other day.
** Safety Canopy Airbag, nice to have it onboard, comforting to know all three rows have some protection besides the usual front driver and passenger bags.
** Only complaint, my Insurance Agent surprised me when he gave me the quote, it was like 100 dollars more than our Expedition. (the EXP is 5 years old but I still thought the Freebie would be cheaper)
I thought it would be less than our Expedition, especially since the Exp does not have a safety package like the Freestyle. Anyone else have any insurance stories about adding their Freestyle?
Have not seen a FS in PA or DE yet! Where you guys hiding?
K's Daddy :O)
Liability premiums may not have changed much (compare the numbers and tell us)
but on collision/comprehensive you have far more dollars at risk than with an old expedition transalating into more premium dollars to repair or replace if totalled
Yes, I live in the Poconos and the FS has handled everything I asked of it. Anyone who has regularly driven in snow will really enjoy the Freestyle, I had the opportunity to drive both the FWD and AWD in snow covered icy roads and didn't have any problems with either of them.
I bought the AWD and like the saying goes, it's there if you need it.
Msiman asked, "Do you live near the Poconos it sounded that way. If so how did the fs handle up in the mtns. We go up there once in a while so I was just curious."
Also, when will the 3.6 engine be released?
First one was the closest and getting calls back from him was spotty at best. Second was a flashy dealership on route one. Expansive showroom and quality furnished. I actually placed an order that he told me was really just giving me the right to first refusal. The order never came and did not look like it would any time soon. I needed a car, the dealer could have tied me into a deal by providing me some help with a loaner, but they may have held out little hope of getting a Freestyle LTD FWD build any time soon.
During Presidents day week end I spotted an LTD AWD 7 seating and all the options Merlot advertised for $4,500 under list. I went on line and and saw no car to match it in dealer two's inventory. Perhaps if I pushed I might have knocked it down more. Dealership number three was at the edge of a suburban town center, your basic lot with a brick and cinder block building and a rather stark interior. We closed in an hour, I got the ford 2.9 loan rate and two days later drove away with what I wanted. Price 30,200
Might evne be about Z-plan with the rebate.
Stability control is, for the most part, only found on vehicles that can benefit from it. In other words....tall vehicles that are prone to rollover, like SUVs, are more apt to have ESC than a lower profile vehicle like the Freestyle.
I'm sure Ford looked at it and knew the rollover stats for Freestyle were going to be great so why bother to add extra cost to a vehicle that wasn't really going to use ESC.
I thought I had too but I now believe I was being strung along because our agreed upon time frame was becoming impossible. It later did.
Would have liked the higher mileage FWD but needed a car before April. We have had three snow storms since I took delivery. The way it handles is very comforting.
My guess is std equipment in either the '06 or '07 model year, more likely 07. The 3.5L should be available in the '07 model year when the Mercury version comes out, along with the face lifted freestyle. Hopefully the 3.0L receives a bump in power as well that year to around 220hp with the 3.5 at 260hp. For ’06 I would guess that a navigation system joins the option list, and maybe a few color changes, and they find something to de decontent, they always manage to do that.
So now I found the dealer that is willing to sell me the Freestyle LIMITED FWD at invoice but now my other concern is based on the previous messages posted it seems like that Ford put a hold or ban on the Limited FWD...
So I will appreciate if any one knows or has an idea when they will be available or how long Ford is taking to deliver the Freestyle.
Also can someone explain to me what the "A"-Plan, "D"-Plan,"X"-Plan or "Z"-Plan means?
Thanks!
Z-plan is for current Ford retiress and their family.
X-plan is for employees of companies that have some sort of "partnership" with Ford (even if it's just leasing a certain amount of vehicles from them, as an example).
Now I just need to find out how long Ford is taking to deliver the LIMITED FWD ..
I also wanted to order the Freestyle Limited FWD, but don't hold your breath waiting.It is not going to happen for '05 model year. Yesterday I received a call from some higher source person at Ford Canada Customer Relations informing me about it in a very apologetic manner after I made a lot of noises over their order banks not accepting LTD FWDs.
Big disappointment!
Just made my third trip down I-5 (San Francisco to Pasadena, 900 miles round trip) and I'm so impressed with this car! Easy to drive, I don't feel fatigued at the end of the drive, and I feel safe around all those huge semi's. I'm constantly amazed at the acceleration you get for passing--it seems absolutely effortless.
My daughter finally had her baby (happy, healthy girl) and when I had to make the drive back home (that work thing, don'tcha know) she said "you aren't taking the car back with you I hope!" They fell in love with it. So, I'm driving all the way back down tomorrow and on Saturday, the Freestyle will be carrying the most precious cargo of all: my daughter and her new family.
I saw a recent posting inquiring about prices paid: I have an FWD SEL, leather, dual comfort package, safety package, rear climate control, etc. I don't qualify for any discount plans, so I paid $28,500 financed at 2.9% for 3 years and they took my 2003 Expedition for a trade-in at high Kelly Blue Book. They acted like I was killing them, but I really don't think so--everybody made the money they needed to...
I was kinda eyeing the T-birds that are selling for 10k off MSRP down here, but that still puts them north of 30k. For that price, you could get a loaded Five Hundred, complete with AWD and the CVT.
Hmmm, a matching Merlot Five Hundred. Goodbye Taurus! LOL . . Nah, I gotta get some more years outta that thing.
Not going to worry too much about it as a reasonable waiting time of another 2months,the warmer weather could cut down on AWD demand &/or some form of buying incentives will kick in, hopefully both will happen.
I didn't know the Five Hundred came with a CVT. T-Birds are cool if you don't need any space to carry anything, but you'd look so cool driving one, who cares, right?
However, we are interested in the Titanium Green and will be test driving a fully loaded limited with the black leather on Saturday at a local dealer.
Now, we're not in a hurry to buy and so may get a car built to order as this car has everything we want on it, plus the DVD system and the Aux climate controls that we do not want to pay for. I would rather save the $1600 by not ordering those.
I'll let you know what I think of the Titanium Green with Black leather after the weekend.
I too would like to have seen more options on the interior. I would like to have seen grey and taupe being offered in the leather as well.
Things this car needs:
- Aux input on the Audiophile system for an ipod.
- Twin tilting DVD system built into the headrest rather than from the roof - then I may have bought the car with the DVD.
- ESP (Electronic stability control)
- Bigger engine
Other than that the layout is great. One other thing, the Mercury MetaOne concept was at the Milwaukee auto show as well and I have to say that that car has some seriously sharp lines. I wish the FreeStyle had the MetaOne's exterior, and a 3.5l 280+Hp (my wish) engine, then critics would not be able to call it boring.
K.
I stand corrected! I went to the website and lurked in their forum for a bit and perused the specifications. They are nice, clean looking cars. My son-in-law really likes them (and this from a die-hard Toyota Matrix owner, no less). So, have the gas prices been skyrocketing in your area? I'm sure glad I'm not having to fill up the Expedition anymore! We gotta get going on those hybrids, Ford!
Of course, since I work for an oil company, the high prices don't bother me as much as they should.
The problem with the hybrids right now (besides unavailability due to battery supplies) is that it takes a LONG time or much higher gas prices to make them really pay out.
Any inside info out there?