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Do a test drive. Play with the fold-flat seats. Check out the ergonomics. Look at the options. Read the posted comments on this site for pluses and minuses. Good luck deciding! :shades:
Just to set the record straight on as far as the other post on my selection of cars. I did not say I had 10 cars in 15 years. We are a two car family and one my cars is for business and rolled over on lease every 3 yrs. We also had a two year overseas stint thrown in which changed out vehicles. None of the cars I have owned have ever been changed out due to quality of the product (except plymouth). We have also gone from a family of 2 to family of 5 with kids approaching teenage now - so needs change. I have lots of experience with recent domestics as I rent a few times a month for work and drive these rentals 600-1000 km per time. I have rented excursion, expedition, explorer, trailblazer, jeep, freestar, mazda, kia, grand prix , envoy, F150, list goes on and all but a few I couldn't wait to give back.
All I am asking here is how the Freestyle holds up after some mileage - still rattle free, no minor irritants cropping up, still exceeding quality expectations, what about Ford warranty service? Not really concerned with 'reliability' as all cars on all boards here have these issues. We drive our vehicles, don't live in them and have high expectations.
Odd, I don't get any RDS info in either my Freestyle or Five Hundred, and both are Limiteds.
Did you have to do anything to enable it?
I live near Houston, so I would figure that the stations around here broadcast RDS station identification info.
So far we have 16,000 miles on our SE FWD and no problems. Lots of roadtrips filled with stuff and the HWY mileage runs about 24-26 depending on if we use the A/C and if I'm driving 70 or 75+mph.
The vacant spots at the bottom of the panel sounds like a brilliant idea! When you pull off the panel you'll be able to get at those covers at the bottom of the panel. I'm not sure how you'd go about installing a clip to hold the RCA jacks in place, though.
Not all stations broadcast RDS data. The closest thing I've seen to a comprehensive list is at RDSList, but you can't use it to search for stations.
The rest of the world has been left in the dark. If you don't need the towing capacity of the Explorer, the Freestyle is by far the better choice; much better fuel economy, more flexible cargo room, and I could go on and on about the features that this car excels in. I have seen one Freestyle in my area, twice, and that was months ago. Maybe the rising fuel costs will prompt people to check it out. A lot of my neighbors drive hybrid cars, and I really didn't want to get an H3 and have them glaring at me all the time (even though that gets better gas mileage than a lot of popular cars around here)
After being broadsided by a Tahoe that totalled our car (you have not lived until you have had a Tahoe bumper coming at your face!), anything less than a 5 star rating was out of the question. BTW, the 96 Sable I was in did its job and the interior of the door didn't even buckle. For most cars we looked at, it was like pulling teeth trying to dig up full safety information. The Freestyle has it all right up front, and proudly brags of it's 5 star rating WITHOUT side airbags. 5 stars on a tiny car doesn't mean much, but it sure does on the weighty and high riding Freestyle. With so many SUVs around here, I wasn't about to get back into a sedan.
Parked next to the Volvo yesterday, and shockingly, my Freestyle dwarfed it. All the same, the Freestyle is not a big beast. I found the Volvo's interior seemed like it was built for a tall man, and being a short woman everything was just out of my reach. That plus the back feeling cramped nixed the Volvo off my list right away. The fact that the Freestyle shares so much of the Volvo design was one of the big things that drew me to check it out more thoroughly, since Volvo has had such a great reputation for safety.
I did find your original posting (#3383). The only thing I could remember was "Crutchfield". I searched on that an there it was.
As you may or may not remember, I had the Check Transmission/Engine warnings. Brought it in, they replaced the Metatronic (or whatever), drove it away, same problem, brought it back, complete transmission change. All the meanwhile, I've been driving a 2004 Taurus.
As an aside, let me tell you that for some strange reason, I feel exhausted after having driven the Taurus for any length of time. Is that because the Freestyle is such a joy to drive, or is the Taurus just a dismal car to drive? Oh, I'm happy to report that the Freestyle is much more fuel efficient than the Taurus. Then again, that may be because I'm always stomping the gas in frustration every time I think about having to drive a Taurus.
They had to keep it an extra day because the mechanic was having problems. I hope his problems were personal and had nothing to do with installing the new tranny.
Wish me luck.
BRJ
It's mainly the former. I've had several Tauri. When I got my Freestyle in January, it became harder and harder for me to drive my 2001 Taurus that I still owed on.
When the employee pricing came out, I jumped on the opportunity to trade in the Taurus and get a Five Hundred to replace it (complete with AWD and CVT . . so it would be just like my Freestyle).
That's the first (and hopefully last) time I've kept a vehicle for such a short time.
I do think Ford has underpromoted it, but I have seen a fair number of them around here.
So, you should be fine.
I'm actually installing this into my Five Hundred (as my Freestyle has the RSE already installed, and I can just use those RCA inputs).
So, I guess I'll have to wait.
I'm still interested, though, in how yours turns out. PS: you CAN use the cigarette lighter as your source for power/ground. Early on, people thought this was the issue, but it's not. It's the RSE option thing.
Would love to see your final results (with those RCA jacks where I suggested), along with part numbers for everything you used. Also interested in how you mount the device to keep it from rattling, etc.
PS: You can leave the 16-pin connector hooked up. It only needed to be disconnected as a quick-fix for the Mustang/Five Hundred issue.
PPS: You DO have to do this part (not in the documentation that came with the adapter), though:
"During the installation, you need to leave the factory 16-pin plug (if present) disconnected from the FRD04-AUX at this critical stage of the installation. With the FRD04-AUX installed into your factory radio and the factory 16-pin connector disconnected, turn the ignition key to the 'ignition' position, watch the radio turn ON. When the radio comes on, you should see the headset icon light up. Once the icon lights up, you can reconnect the factory 16-pin plug to the FRD04-AUX and everything will work as described"
When I purchased my SEL AWD last month the dealer wanted over $2000 for the extended warranty (I choose 5 year 75,000 powertrain only). I offered him $1000 and he countered with $1600. I declined and next day went online with Ford ESP.
http://www.fordwarrantys.com/
After I registered they sent me a promotional code good for $185 off any warranty. The two I considered was the BasicCare plan (one step up from Powertrain only) for $870 ($685 after discount) and the ExtraCare plan for $960 ($775 after discount). I purchased the ExtraCare plan for less than half of what the dealer wanted for the Powertrain only!!! I'm happy.
BTW I love my Freestyle..... even more than my 93 Explorer!
Regards,
Webbcam
The 05 Taurus we had for a rental before getting the Freestyle was dismal. Our old 96 Sable was lovely. The 05 Taurus (Hertz rental) had cloth seats that were akin to velcro and hard as a rock, we were constantly filling up the tank, and it was exhausting and nerve wracking to drive. Very puzzling car, but I got a bolt in the tire and traded it a week later for a Buick LaCrosse. The LaCrosse put me off GM cars for good -it seemed nice, but the new 05 was just like my great aunt's old Buick from the 80's only polished up. If my family hadn't owned tons of Fords before, that Taurus would've put me off Fords for ever. Maybe you should run over a nail too ;D
The Freestyle is easily the most safe, comfortable, and practical car I've ever driven. It's rather like Shirley Temple; not the best dancer, not the best singer, not the best actress but the whole package is a shining star
The only model I can get is the SE. The company will include the safety package and because I live in NJ AWD. Anything else I want is an out of pocket expense (I "splurged" and for $250 paid for the conv. package, I am spoiled by the set and forget climate control and autolights on my Sable).
The question for the group is: Since the dealer did not have the SE AWD, how much different are they from the Limited (besides the obvious leather, 6 CD, message center etc.). The brochures like many here say are useless except for one picture of the SE and that is basically a front shot. It's tough to see what the "painted wheels" look like on the car. Are they nice looking?
I will choose the second row buckets but not the console ($80 option). Should I pay for the console? Can I add it later or is it factory installed?
Anyone get the bluetooth dealer installed? Is it worth it? Could I do it myself?
The other question I have is I get to choose the color. I am leaning toward black only because the one SE pictured in the brochure was black and it looked nice. Also after reading comments on the pebble sand reflections, I'm leaning toward shale interior. I really like the pebble but with a 1 and 3 yr old think it will show it's age quickly. How is the light color holding up for the group? Any comment on black? Does a big car like the Freestyle look good in black?
Sorry for all of the questions, yeah I'm a newbie, but an excited soon to be Freebie newbie!
Thanks!
KB540ia
I got a warranty on both new cars this year, and they matched the Fordwarrantys.com price (after the promo code).
And, no, it shouldn't make any difference in service.
As I understand it, your VIN is simply entered into a database somewhere, so no matter which Ford dealer you take your vehicle to, they'll know you have the warranty.
At least I sure *hope* that's how it works, as I haven't received any kind of warranty card in the mail. LOL
I guess I should call Ford (what number?) to verify that my VIN has a warranty associated with it.
Go for the shale interior. My old Sable had shale leather and it still looked like new 8 years later. The tan in the Freestyles I test drove was filthy, seemed like it would need to be detailed all the time. My dog made me get black interior
I have seen every color except black, though it does look elegant in the 360 view on Ford's site. I was going to have them get a black one from another dealer, then saw a filthy black Explorer when I was out for my last test drive and realized I never would wash my car once a week. Ended up with the pearl blue which doesn't show the dirt even though it's quite a dark color. Perhaps it's the sparkle in that sort of paint that obscures the dust particles? It's funny, most cars only look fantastic in a couple of the colors, but the Freestyle looks great in all the colors. I hate beige cars, and loved the Freestyle in beige. The Five Hundred is gorgeous in black - if it's the same paint, it's very mirror like and dressy.
The second row console is available in their accessories catalog.
The SE with the safety package is a steal. We were debating between just that and the Limited, and went with the Limited because a. no SE w/safety were available and we couldn't wait, and b. the power seats, leather, and adjustable pedals are almost a necessity for us. I believe the adjustable pedals are available on all models in 06, which is terrific. You can't beat the price on the SE when it comes to safety and flexibility.
That said, if you like black, buy black. Just bear in mind that it does take more work to keep it looking great. A Lot! Weekly washings, as someone pointed out, are common at our house. No, I don't take it to car washes because that black paint will show any little scapes you may get from the brushes. It seems if you just look crosseyed at that black finish and some blemish will apprear. Yes, all those rumors you heard about how hard it is to take care of a black car are true but when it's clean......it just doesn't get any better than that!
Oh, we have tan (pebble) interior. I wanted that combination. It looks great but there is significant glare from the dash top. Buy a pair of good polarized driving or sun glasses and you'll never notice the glare.
As for the tan carpet. I have a 6 year old who can be pretty tough on that back seat. Some good aftermarket mats took care of that but I know that tan is going to show a lot more than black would. I had grey carpet and seats in my last vehicle. The carpet was just as hard to take care of as this tan is. And, yes, I was a fanatic about keeping that car clean also.
- The lower cladding is body color on the LTD. Some people like the monocolor, some people don't care, some people say body color cladding scratches more easily.
- "Bright" 5-spoke alloy wheels on the LTD vs not as bright 7-spoke alloy wheels on the SE. The bright wheels do look brighter and in my opinion nicer, but for my part that's not something I'd ever pay extra for.
I think the exterior differences really just serve to make the LTD look different from the other models. It's the interior features that you're paying for.
We have black with shale interior. It looks very nice but if there's one thing I would do differently, it would be changing the exterior color, only because I think the brighter colors stand out more -- I think the car looks a bit more generic in black. I particularly like the looks of the dark blue exterior.
The bright wheels are apparently not bright enough for some people. Just check out eBay.
Dark colors are sharp, but trust me, you wouldn't want it in the deep south. I would have bought a white Limited if the made one but settled on the gold.
Greybaby
My 6 year 60k Premium Care warranty for my Freestyle was $950, not $2000. I also used fordwarranty.com web site to negotiate the same price with my dealer. Each of the three new cars I had the past 10 years needed some type of non-maintenance work before they reached the end of their fifth year. (Plymouth, Nissan and Ranger) I even have a slightly used Hyundai and have used their 5 year bumper to bumper warranty also. With a small AC leak and with the cheapest part in that closed system being replaced costing $300 to repair anymore, I feel the warranty is a steal.
I agree $2000 is not worth the ESP but at a price a little under $1000, it is. You can also take your car to the dealer network for issues and have piece of mind that it won't cost you an arm and a leg. In addition the dealer network has all those TSBs to reference.
'fordwarrantys.com' is a ford dealership, not too far from where i live.
the service department won't care where you bought it. they didn't make any money on it, either way.
I went with the black when I ordered it this afternoon and of couse on my ride home tonight I sat in traffic for 1/2 hour next to a silver SE and the color looked REAL nice! The entire time I found myself looking it over debating if I made the right choice. I think the driver thought I was some wacko because she caught me looking a few times. When the traffic opened up she raced out of there!! If you are on this board, sorry, I was only looking at the car!!
Thanks again!!
If the moon roof deflector is anything like on my RSX, it has clips that hook underneath an edge on the roof of the Freestyle and then get fastened to the deflector with screws. Kind of tricky because there are no actual mounting holes going into the roof (good thing) but until all of the screws are tightened and put in tension, the deflector "floats" around on the roof a little and the brackets can dis-lodge slightly while it is floating.
Taking your time and checking the brackets often during the screw tightening and alignment of the deflector is important.
I've had my deflector on my RSX now for about 4 years and have had no problems.
I'm looking forward to getting the deflector for the Freestyle soon.
Dear kb540ia,
I had to laugh when I read your post. I have a silver FWD SE with shale leather, but it was't me in traffic that day. I've had my Freestyle since Jan 3 and have 24,000 miles on it and I still love it. While I still don't see many around, I'm seeing more and more of them--maybe 1 or 2 a week--still not many considering I'm running all over the San Francisco Bay Area everyday, up to Truckee every few weeks, and down to L.A. every few weeks.
I've had quite a few people walk up to me while I'm getting gas and ask me about the car. They always see all of my toys and equipment that I use for my job as an adapted P.E. teacher and are amazed at the space in the car. I give them the sales pitch and the nickel tour. My favorite was a guy that rented a Freestyle on on the Internet for a trip to a Las Vegas Karaoke competition. He had never seen one and was relieved to see how much space it had and how comfortable it would be for his three friends and all of their costumes, etc. I keep wondering how it went for them...
I've seen all of the colors and I think they all look great and the black is just beautiful. I'm simply too lazy to do what it takes to keep a black car looking sharp. The area in which I work gets hot in the summer and I feel like the black gets hotter inside, so that's a consideration for me, also.
The only slight bummer I've had with the car (aside from wishing that I could get a little better mileage, but I have to remember that it is a big car) is trying to get my tires rotated. I take my car in to the oil changer places and they often have great deals on rotating tires. However, the lifts they use don't work on the Freestyle because of the location of the gas tank, apparently. It sure would be convenient to get the oil and tires done at the same time without having to take it different places. Oh well. Not a deal breaker, that's for sure.
The Freestyle is my favorite of all the cars we've owned. Everyone in my family loves driving it and its versatility, comfort, and driveability have impressed everyone.
Have fun with whatever color you get!
1] Freestyle: Whats with the center Mirror? Did not see anyone mention this. The console on the roof next to the mirror blocks the top portion of the mirror. My wife also noticed this.
Really blocked viewing out the rear window. Surprised by this we were.
2] Freestyle: The seats. Hard. Very so in that 3rd row. Did not seem to have much side support.
3] Freestyle: The outside window control. Why is it all the way up on the drivers side door frame.
4] Freestyle: Power seemed to us to be more then enough. Took off fine from standstill into trafic lane.
5] FreeStyle: CVT seemed very good to us. My wife liked it much better then the Pacificas auto. But then she drives a Mini most of the time.
6] FreeStyle: The back cargo area with the 3rd seat down looks to us to be a bit bigger then in the Pacifica. This is important for us as we need to transport 2 very large dogs back there. Bernese Mountain dog and a Irish Wolfhound.
7] Pacifica: Seemed a more finished product. Rode better I think. Cabin seemed not to be as Cavernous as the Freestyle.
8] Pacifica: The DVD player in it, would anyone know if its a DVD-Audio player too?
Overall:
Without our dogs requirement I think both of us would go for the Pacifica.
With the dogs I believe we will end up with the Freestyle AWD with as many options as we can put in it
Thanks for all the help in the past month as we get closer to purchasing.
Deasun
The 3rd row seats are not plush, and they are vinyl, but they won out over the Pacifica because I can sit upright in them at 5'6". In the Pacifica my head was crunched against the roof. They also flip backwards, so you can sit in them with the tailgate opened. You can shove a lot of stuff in the back well with the seats up, while the Pacifica has a very shallow covered compartment back there.
The Pacifica seemed to have all the attention put into bells and whistles and wow! factor, the Freestyle seemed to have it all in safety and practicality. We've had ours a week now and can't find anything that makes us wish we'd gotten something else. It's handles like a dream and all controls are consolidated so you don't have to take your eyes off the road. The brakes are excellent, there's no body roll, and it absorbs the jolt from speedbumps and potholes fabulously.
Whichever you get, tirnaog1, you'll be happy as they're both really nice and each has their strongpoints. I have a dog, but she's only about 2 inches off the ground so I can't comment on which car would be better for large dogs
BTW, anyone with a Freestyle have a ramp for their dog? My corgi-mutt is too hefty for me to lift every time
The Freebie has more room in back than the Pacifica (10% more according to Consumer Reports), and as I'm sure you noticed the Pacifica has basically nothing behind the 3rd row, whereas the Freestyle has room for groceries, stroller, etc.
It is shorter by 10 inches, has "on demand" AWD, 12 cubic feet less cargo space behind the second row of seats. It's V6 is a 3.4 liter engine that produces 185 H.P. (compared to the Freebie's 203 H.P. at 3.0 liters). It is about 300 pounds lighter than the Freebie and it is less money - though you need to add more options like cruise control to approach a standard Freestyle. It appears to be the latest in the crossover category. It does look better than the Aztek.
Just thought you would want to know. :shades:
What doesn't look better than an Aztek?
LOL! The only vehicle on the road uglier than an Aztek is the Element!