Ford Freestyle - Taurus X

cdndriver2

Archie ... regarding windshield glare ... I could have told you about that (lol).
That was a big reason for me buying an SEL instead of a Limited. As you know the Limited gets only pebble or black interior. From my perspective, pebble has way too much windshield glare and I didn't want black so I went with an SEL. SEL also has shale colour interior which seems to have a little less glare. Then I had to pick the exterior colour that is offered with shale and white worked.
Since you only get to drive the Limited 5% of the time, you can get an SEL for yourself ... with shale interior.
Happy Civic Holiday.

hedden

Anyone know if some dealers are putting armor-all or some similar glossy protectant on the dash? The owner's guide specifically says not to do this due to glare. Just wondering since it seems to be a problem for some but not all -- even with the same interior color.

428cj

My Black interior AWD LTD does not have a glare problem. I am sensitive to this because I drive so many rental cars in different cities where I need to navigate.

Dash color must be a factor.

bobnu75

Armor all makes a non-glossy version that I have used on my pebble dash and it doesn't increase the glare at all.

kjnorman

We have a Limited with black interior and in all honesty, windshield glare has not been an issue at all. Now I wear polarized sunglasses so perhaps that cuts it down. In fact I have driven several vehicles where glare has been an issue and polarized sunglasses always help.

bruneau1

My FWD Limited is very smooth- no vibrations. I took my brother for a test drive yesterday. He drives an Acura. He was impressed with the Freebie, but like me, didn't care for the glare from the dash on the windshield. Am contemplating a dash mat. Has anyone bought one? Today is the last day for the employee discounts. I wonder how deep the hole is that GM and Ford have dug for themselves.

globecanvas

I have the shale interior and have never noticed glare, even when specifically looking for it. However, I also have polarized sunglasses glued to my face whenever it's even a little hbit sunny.

jackief

I'd like to hear feedback from anyone who has purchased a warranty through www.fordwarrantys.com which I saw referenced in this forum. Our dealer wouldn't match the coupon or the price on the warranty we wanted. Just want to make sure this is a genuine warranty from ford and that people haven't had problems using it at dealers other than the CT one which seems to be selling it.

Thanks, picking up the new AWD Limited tomorrow.
Jackie

hedden

I was wondering the same thing about the Ford warranties. I'm sure they're fine, though.

Personally, I'm looking at 3rd party warranties -- namely warrantydirect.com. Better coverage for less cost.

jackief

I've had bad luck with a 3rd party warranty company in the past and want to deal only with the real mccoy. Any info on the legitimacy of the fordwarrantys.com (besides the fact that they can't spell) appreciated.

Thanks

anotherwagon

Could be - it did come on before the tire was replaced. 70 (or whatever) must have been a magic number...dunno. It has behaved since then.

Brakes are squeaking now though -

bruneau1

I purchased a Premium Care plan from the CT dealer. Customer Service in Dearborn has verified that I have the warranty. Obviously I haven't used up the basic warranty yet, but if Ford tells me I have the extended plan, that's good enough.

hedden

Mind telling us the company you had trouble with? If they're still around.

barnstormer64

I bought a 500 and Freestyle this year, and both dealers matched the price at FordWarrantys.com

My understanding is that the website is simply a Ford dealer willing to offer a good price.

I had a 3rd party warranty once (warrantygold.com). They went out of business (bankruptcy) about the time that my warranty had expired. So now I stick to Ford warranties.

Polarized sunglasses definitely reduce the glare . . but only if you have them in the right orientation (the common one for driving, but opposite of how a lot of pilots have their's done). Try rotating the glasses some time 90 degrees, and you'll note tha the glare is still there. Amazing.

The glare is definitely more of a problem with the pebble interior.

jschreiber

the glare issue is interesting--I have a champagne colored exterior and tan interior AWD SE and don't really notice any glare--a little bit of reflection now that I read these notices but I wouldn't have really gone after it without reading this page--I wonder if it is actually the glass--i mean lots of cars have various interior colors -- do dark interior cars elsewhere have this problem?

jackief

Thanks for the info everyone, we are going to go with the CT warranty. Calling Ford (what lead time did you give for it to be processed) is an excellent idea.

I don't remember the company with the extended warranty, it was my first car in the 80's I didn't have a clue what I was doing through the whole process, I think the company went bankrupt.

Picking up the car today!

Here in New England, the inventory is getting pretty slim. Let's see what the extra month of the family plan does to the dealers.

Jackie

northlakes

Found this in a news article about the new August discounts from Ford and GM. :shades:

" Analyst Maryann Keller said cutting sticker prices was important because a vehicle's depreciation, or what it is worth for resale after three years, is often calculated by starting with the original sticker price, also known as manufacturer's suggested retail price.

By cutting sticker prices, GM and Ford can make the residual values of their cars begin to look a lot more like those of Japanese cars, Keller said. "

frosty5

Good morning, all- Curb Weight?
So yesterday I filled the tank and went to a local quarry where they weigh the trucks going in, and weigh the trucks going out to determine what the load weight is. Heavy duty scale! The guy was amused when I told him I wanted to weigh my new car, but waved me through and told me to get in line. The accuracy of the scale is to the nearest 20#. The scale indicated 4140#, shifting intermittantly to 4160#, but mostly stayed at the first reading. I weigh about 170# and I had miscellaneous things in the car, a brief case, a small water bottle, a sleeping bag from a recent trip etc., so if you figure that at around 5# , it works out to 3965#. Subtracting 40# for the drawtite hitch, you get 3925# as the curb weight with a (nearly) full tank of gas. Probably a half gallon was used between the filling station and the scale. Just how close do we cut it? Just kidding....

I have enjoyed the topic centered discussions on the board and will soon be making my 5K report.

van8

My wife and a deer collided yesterday. The deer ran into the right side of the vehicle and died on the spot. The police and my wife could not believe that there was not a dent or scratch on the car. I washed the car and then checked the car and could find nothing. My wife said the head of the deer had been completely flattened from the impact.

hedden

Male or female deer? And how big? If there were no antlers, I can believe it. If there were antlers, then you and your wife are quite lucky!

Be very glad it hit the side and not the front.

tomekk

Does anybody know (with some certainty) if 2006 Freestyle will have stability control?

bruneau1

There are only two additions: a navigation system and a new color. If you have AWD and/or drive reasonably, a stability system is really not needed. The more technology they make available, the more we think we need it. Let's have a more powerful optional engine for those who need it. And put some color variation into the interior. The dash of the pebble interior should be a darker brown and the panels on the doors could use some color variation, too.

tomekk

"a stability system is really not needed" - I disagree, I think this is a key safety feature, that helps prevent spinouts. Much more significant than ABS, according to Car and Driver. (Not to be confused with anti-rollover systems.)
It's a must-have for me...

fizzyhair

Just test drove a Freestyle SEL AWD. The engine was kind of loud on acceleration, but quiet at idle. There wasn't much vibration when accelerating or idling. The ride seemed mixed, on potholes it did well, but on cracked pavement, it did OK but not what I expected. What really turned me off was the build quality (on this particular one). The right hand second row bucket was broken, it couldn't latch down onto the anchor. When I was driving, it flipped up and hit the passenger seat hard, not the best way to win over a customer. Road noise was minimal, but wind noise was moderate. The interior is roomy and comfortable, but the switches and dials feel cheap for a vehicle in this price class. To top it off, I almost ran out of fuel. The information display said I had 76 kms of fuel left, but after 7 kms, it said "Low Fuel". The flexibility is quite good however. Styling is nice as well. Overall I'd give it a 7.5/10. It's good, but not good enough to justify it's price tag (at least up here in Canada). Mind you, I'd take it over a Freestar any day (horrid 3'rd seats). Hopefully the Saturn Relay is better!

van8

My wife said the deer was a full sized female. She was very lucky!

428cj

Van8, the people at PETA want to have a talk with you about killing the deer. They may try to get a ban imposed on Freestyles for the damage they cause to this species.

The automotive press does not want anything to do with you since your American-made vehicle did not roll over in the accident.

The UAW is cool with it as long as it was not a union deer.

nitromax

What really turned me off was the build quality (on this particular one). The right hand second row bucket was broken, it couldn't latch down onto the anchor. When I was driving, it flipped up and hit the passenger seat hard, not the best way to win over a customer.

I originally thought I had the same problem with mine. Come to find out all I had to do was lean a little on the back side of the seat to push it into it's latching mechanism. You'll hear a click when it latches. It takes about 10 -20 lbs of force to latch it (guestimate)

In my eyes I would rather have it a little tight than a little loose.

:-)

The information display said I had 76 kms of fuel left, but after 7 kms, it said "Low Fuel".

The Low fuel warning comes on when there are 2-3 gallons left in the tank. That would equate to about 40-50 miles or approx 70 km.
You were'nt about to run oput of fuel.

fizzyhair

Ahhh, so I wasn't just about to run out of fuel. Maybe I shouldn't have turned off the A/C on a 40C day . But regarding the rear seat not latching, I almost sat on it and it didn't go in. The salesperson couldn't even do it. That's why when she took me into "The Box", I told her I wasn't ready to buy today, even though she pressured me because of the Family Plan. Of course, surprise, surprise. Ford and GM extended it, so I can do more comparison shopping. Don't know is dodge did though :confuse:

nitromax

But regarding the rear seat not latching, I almost sat on it and it didn't go in. The salesperson couldn't even do it.

Yeah , that is too tight. When I first noticed mine like that, I contemplated finding a way to loosen it some and I seem to recall there was talk on this forum a few months back about doing something to that bracket to make it looser.

For now though, it is not an issue for me since I'm not flipping it around that often.

I'm going to do a search right now and report back if I dig up the info.

globecanvas

Why are there so many Canadians on this message board? Just wondering.

xnappo

I think the Freestyle's combination of handling in snow, space and fuel efficiency become very attractive in a place with snowy winters and gas at US$3.25/gallon.

Just a guess...

xnappo

bigred13

I find it amusing that in the May issue of Automobile Magazine it lists the 2005 Freestyle as one of the top 6 SUV's of the more than 70 vehicles available with the SUV nameplate. Under the title: "The Best SUV's Whatever the Need".

The Freestyle keeps company with the Honda Pilot, Range Rover, Cadillac SRX, Jeep Wrangler, and Chevy Suburban. Not bad company!

But when you look up "Freestyle" in the same magazine for a review of the vehicle, it's listed as a "Wagon"....Same magazine, different classifications. Here's the link!

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/0505_favsuv/index.html

bigred13

Could it be that their just smarter for purchasing a quality, value based vehicle?

Doesn't that qualify me as being smarter for marrying a Canadian? LOL

But seriously, I'm guessing that because the advertising campaign is much greater in Canada, Their selling more, thus more people are feeling good enough to post their experiences.....

428cj

Once again, they don't know where to put a new class of vehicle. The Freestyle is an SUV on a car frame which is the definition is a Crossover. Although that car frame is a stretched and modified version of a Volvo SUV frame. The stadium seating and CVT are exclusive features of the Freestyle.

428cj

Funny story. I tried to rent a Freestyle from Hertz in Buffalo yesterday for my drive into Canada. I was told none were available. They gave me a Mustang which is a lot of fun to drive, but I cant hold the speed under 160 km on the highway. I asked the border guard if there are delays driving to Toronto because of the Airbus crash.

He said 'I if you are driving down the highway and see a plane burning next to the road, would you slow down and look?"

I answered, "yes." He then said "I bet the other 150,000 cars will too."

naffy

we are in the process of test driving freestyles, but I have a couple of questions. I do not want AWD because of the added expense and gas mileage--just wondering if we will regret not getting AWD later. Also, I do not want the 7 passenger. I think the bucket seats in the back look more comfortable, but I haven't ever sat in them. Will we regret not getting the 7 passenger? One last question. Has anyone seen how much the navigational system will cost in the Limited?

pnewby

AWD is more a matter of preference (and location) I have it in Ky, and for the few days a year of winter road conditions, it is great. The difference in 6 and 7 passenger depends on how many you need to have in the car at 1 time. I believe the buckets in the middle are more comfortable if you have the center console to use as an arm rest. Without that, probably not a great deal of difference. Haven't seen the nav prices, but they are typically 2-3k. I went with a garmin portable unit when I bought my LS, and haven't regretted it. I can take it to use in rental cars as well as in either personal Veh.

hedden

Only you can answer these questions for yourself. But here is my input:

I opted not to get AWD for the same reasons you cite after I discovered that the AWD is not active all the time. Compare to a Subaru where it has constantly active AWD. Of course, I live in South Carolina and never see snow or ice. It would be nice to have on rainy days, but if you're a careful driver you'll have little worry.

You will only regret not having the seven passenger if sometime you desperately need to carry seven. This is a choice only you can make. The 2nd row bucket seats are more comfortable in my opinion -- especially with the center console option. If you're hauling around older kids or adults in that second row, the captain's chairs are nice.

magdad

Here's a question for you guys - I have a relative who owns an Infiniti G35x with AWD on which I do the maintneance and I have noted that the rear tires wear faster than the front! :confuse: Have any of you had your Freestyles long enough to note this? I measure hers with a tread depth gauge every time I rotate them and the backs consistently wear down to 1/32" less than the front tires. (Granted I've only rotated them a couple of times)

This was one reason I did not get AWD, along with the gas mileage and the lack of snow here on the TN/GA border.

naffy

thanks for your input--would you have any concern about this possibly being the last year they make the freestyle?

elibruno

you bet! my '98 SVT Contour was a 22K BMW 3 series with smooth tranny, short throw, great brakes and I miss it terribly- had they replace it with another I would not need the 330i.

DK

hedden

thanks for your input--would you have any concern about this possibly being the last year they make the freestyle?

Nope. I don't worry with that kind of stuff. I always plan to keep my cars a long time -- 100k miles or more.

The current rumor is that the Freestyle will be redesigned in '07 (does this mean the '07 model or '08 model? no one knows). It will keep the name, but Ford is interested in lowering production costs (again, per the rumor). What makes the Freestyle expensive to make? The Volvo frame? The CVT? I dunno, but if Ford is redesigning the Freestyle in order to lower costs, I know which model I'd rather get.

bruneau1

I have FWD , and have driven several AWD and FWD in making that decision. If you have to go to work in snowy conditions, AWD is better, although I always managed with FWD in my climate. The FWD is a little faster- less weight and no added friction from the AWD coupler; it roars less under heavy acceleration and gets better mileage. It is far less complex and therefore potentially more trouble-free. It also costs less. I have a Limited, but FWD in the Limited is hard to get. Go for a SEL. Good luck. We love ours.

explorerx4

for future models, from what i have read, the freestyle, as known today, will move upscale to mercury. it's a cost issue. i think 'hedden's post has the correct reasons.

bizarroronj

Darn it to heck!

I just noticed that someone scraped by rear passenger side bumper either pulling into a parking space or pulling out.

Unfortunately, I only noticed it a few hours after the fact.

The bumper is not cracked or bent, but the paint and plastic is scratched pretty deeply.

I'm leasing my FS and as much as I'd really like to repair it, I'm figuring on waiting until my lease is up if ever it gets re-dinged.

Anyhoo, my question is: Could this be repaired without actually replacing the bumper? Like I said, it's deeply scratched but not cracked. Can this plastic material be repaired?

What would any of you do? Repair it now or wait until the lease is up?

BRJ

pafreestyle

Get your wallet out. With only owning my limited for 12 hours and having 200 miles on it the rear bumper got bumped. No cracks or dents but some deep scratches in the paint. Went to dealership and got a bill for 575 dollars. They have to remove the bumper backup censers etc. and they would need the car for three days.

bizarroronj

Ok, so what you're saying is that deep scratches are repairable without having to replace the bumper?

Similar thing happened on my Focus (but it was cracked) and the bill was about 1,200$ plus since the bumper needed to be replaced.

So, here's my question again: With a lease arrangement, should I wait to get it repaired right before my lease is up? My feeling is yes, since there's always a chance I'll get dinged again and end up having to repair it again. However, it is sort of drag to drive around with damaged goods. Does it ever suck to be vain.

Upon closer inspection, I see that there is a plastic bracket which was broken on the underside. The bracket is there to make sure that the bumber and the peice around the wheel are flush. Maybe I'll just get that part fixed and forget about the aesthetics.

Thanks all!
BRJ

nitromax

Well, here's another wrench being thrown into the "discussion" on what to call the Freestyle. (SUV, wagon...)

My insurance company labels it a SPT VAN

hmmm sport van...that's a new one.

northlakes

Mine calls the Freebie a Ford Truck. :shades:

jjay

I have four kids and took a test drive with them when deciding the best configuration. We went with the second row buckets without the console. Reason - the two younger kids who sit in the back easily get in and walk between the two second row seats to the third row. No need to lift the seat to get in and out. The other reason was the third row seemed roomier and less confining with the second row captains chairs according to the kids.