Ford Freestyle - Taurus X

ottav

I currently have a a 2005 Mountaineer (my second) but would definitely consider the Magellan when my lease is up in 2008. I want the 7-passenger seating, but don't need the towing capabilities. I've always liked the Mountaineer for its styling and the third seat room. I would be more comfortable with a conventional transmission as opposed to the CVT.

freealfas

There is no reason not to like the CVT, after 6k miles I can say the CVT is the perfect choice for this rig. All of this rigamarole about CVT vs traditional tranny is crap. The technology is here, it works, and most importantly it is quite a bit smoother than a traditional trans. If towing is not an issue this combination is the best of the bunch. The bad press about 203hp is also crap. After wandering the hills of the PA turnpike loaded with a full FS, the noise people complain about is for not, the CVT was fantastic and power was more than adequate for this type of vehicle. I cruised at 70-80 all day with NO problem, had more than enough power to get around anyone I wanted to. I just cannot understand all the consternation about the techology in this fantastic rig. It is a great value with the VOLVO safety architecture, the CVT and the proven motor. The only thing I would like more is better interior material selection and if our dealer was a bit better at treating customers... If people do not need to tow but need to carry people and stuff and DO NOT want the dreaded mini van stigma, there is no better rig at this price and combination of features. And by the way its faster than the pacifica it competes against and is a good bit more comfortable and more than a few of the SUVS in its size.

northlakes

Well stated. Rumors of CVT/3.0 L engine weaknesses have been greatly exaggerated. My Freestyle AWD SEL just turned one year old yesterday. In that year, I have added gas to the tank, air to the tires, washer fluid, and changed the oil every 3 months. I added cargo nets to the rear area. NO REPAIRS needed. NO PROBLEMS. NO WORRIES. What a great driving experience! :shades:

volfangary

Couldn't have stated it any better! Our SEL FWD does great in the mountains of East Tennessee with a full load. CVT and engine combination work smoothly together and maintains speed even on the steepest climbs.

nitromax

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051202/ap_on_bi_ge/ford_plant_closures

"On Thursday, Ford said its car sales slid 6 percent despite strong demand for the company's new Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr sedans and a 46 percent increase in sales of the Ford Freestyle crossover. Sales of Ford trucks and sport utility vehicles slipped 22 percent, led by a 52 percent decline in sales of the newly redesigned Ford Explorer SUV."

hmmmm....46% increase in sales is impressive. Maybe they'll decide to keep it after all. Who knows what could happen if they decide to advertise the Freestyle.
:-)

bobw3

"Like" or "dislike" is an opinion, so there's nothing wrong with disliking the CVT, just like there's nothing wrong with disliking an automatic. But you're right in that the power is more than adequate for this car. And I didn't buy it because of a minivan "stigma" but because it handled better and was a better value for my needs.

freestylegal

I thought I would weigh in about my Freestyle, too. I've got 28,000 miles on it and have had it just short of a year. I'm loving it still, my family loves it, and my big Ford Truck Drivin' man is always finding any excuse to drive it. My granddaughter loves it, and when my second grandchild comes along (in July--whoopeee!), I'm betting he or she will love it, too.

I have a couple of nitpicky things: fragile paint on the cladding that scratches and dings really easily, a little rattle around that rubber cowling thing on the top of steering column (it squeaks when I turn the steering wheel, too), the latch on the rear seat is so hard to release that I can't do it, and the lever that lowers and raises the steering wheel is so stiff that I have to use two thumbs to release it.

I usually get a new car every two years (Explorer, Expedition) and I'm always ready to move on after one year. Nope, not this time. I still love my car. I think it's the smartest car I've ever purchased. She's kind of a Plain Jane (Silver SEL, shale leather), but I see Muranos running around and I'm real okay with my car. That edgy styling gets kind of old quick I think. Looks kind of like the Passat wagon or the MDX. Works for me.

bruneau1

You are right about most of it being crap. Americans are obsessed with 0-60 acceleration figures, and with the Freudian mine is bigger than yours.

tidester

Americans are obsessed with 0-60 acceleration figures

I think to call it an obsession is a bit of an overstatement. You seem to be implying that, e.g. Europeans, Japanese and others have no interest in power, torque and performance. That would be a stretch as well.

tidester, host

willie19

Yeah, sign me in too to join the mutual admiration club.
Looking optimistically with my crystal ball since the Freestyle is such a solidly engineered vehicle and that because it's too cost-prohibitive to sell at an attractive price then we can all rejoice in being part of that rare number of owners.
Not to worry folks, say within 20 years from now you can sell your collector's item on e-Bay for at least 3 times the price you paid for it. Well maybe!
Cheers!

explorerx4

Americans are obsessed with 0-60 acceleration figures.

the rest of the world is more concerned with 0-62.

freealfas

While people are entitled to their opinions I find it a little strange about different comments regarding acceptance of the CVT, having to get used to the CVT, not sure about the CVT, etc.. At the end of the day it is still 2 pedal driving. Having kept up with this forum since our purchase in August and having more than a few miles in any number of vehicles I can say the CVT is superior to the traditional trans for smoothness primarily and operation. It is almost like driving a electric vehicle as there is just seamless acceleration, its quite a nice improvement on gearboxes. I have always owned manuals and certainly would have liked one in the FS, in light of that not being possible I really have turned into a proponent of this gearbox and unknowingly would have missed out on the benefits of it had a manual been available. The pairing of this gearbox and this type of crossover is a fantastic combination... bottom line. As for the "stigma" comment I made, I recognize mini-vans have their place on the roads as a lot of people buy them. I think a lot of FS buyers wanted an alternative to the predictable/banal mini-van and large/extra large/gas guzzler SUV that never goes off road. Ford took the highpoints of both and made great rig in the FS, great space, good economy relative to its capabilities to haul people and stuff, safe, and resonably stylish. I wanted to avoid the mini-van stigma, I don't think I'm the only one who wouldn't on a bet buy/own a mini-van, Thanks to Ford for making a great Crossover that solved all of my families needs to haul our new little one, grandparents, and stuff that little one's needs safely.

passat_2002

Well said and "Amen" brother. I've owned my Freestyle SEL for seven months and I grow more attached to it everyday. The CVT is a remarkable engineering feat that truly sets the Freestyle apart from most vehicles. It's my favorite feature amongst many favorite features on the Freestyle.

mwarren

With all the talk about Ford discontinuing the Freestyle; I found the following news clip interesting. Maybe they will rethink their decision!

On Thursday, Ford said its car sales slid 6 percent despite strong demand for the company’s new Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr sedans and a 46 percent increase in sales of the Ford Freestyle crossover. Sales of Ford trucks and sport utility vehicles slipped 22 percent, led by a 52 percent decline in sales of the newly redesigned Ford Explorer SUV.

ottav

With the Ford Edge to debut for the 2007 model year, does that mean that the Freestyle is discontinued for MY2007 and the Magellan takes over, or will there be some overlap? Maybe Ford hopes that they can boost Mercury sales if people who like the Freestyle (and the size of it) would buy the Magellan.

bruneau1

Mercury needs all the help it can get, even though their versions of the Fords are usually more desirable. The problem is that there aren't enough Mercury dealers around.

kjnorman

There is no reason not to like the CVT, after 6k miles I can say the CVT is the perfect choice for this rig. All of this rigamarole about CVT vs traditional tranny is crap. The technology is here, it works, and most importantly it is quite a bit smoother than a traditional trans. If towing is not an issue this combination is the best of the bunch. The bad press about 203hp is also crap. After wandering the hills of the PA turnpike loaded with a full FS, the noise people complain about is for not, the CVT was fantastic and power was more than adequate for this type of vehicle. I cruised at 70-80 all day with NO problem, had more than enough power to get around anyone I wanted to. I just cannot understand all the consternation about the techology in this fantastic rig. It is a great value with the VOLVO safety architecture, the CVT and the proven motor. The only thing I would like more is better interior material selection and if our dealer was a bit better at treating customers... If people do not need to tow but need to carry people and stuff and DO NOT want the dreaded mini van stigma, there is no better rig at this price and combination of features. And by the way its faster than the pacifica it competes against and is a good bit more comfortable and more than a few of the SUVS in its size.

Ditto what he said!

jschreiber

Well I agree as well--CVT is a pleasure and all my passengers have commented on how smooth the ride is. The car has great driveability--tight feel, control despite it's size and it is reasonably economical, great AWD--today's drive for me at 6am was with half an inch of new slippery snow at 5 degrees F--no problem and tight control on the interstate and ramps at all times--let's hope the sales rate continues to climb--the engineers and factory that built the thing deserve it.

yzassandy82

I just purchased a new 05 Freestyle SE two Fridays ago. I love it! While I will admit that a big part of me wanted either the costlier SEL or Limited, I couldn't resist the markdown price of the SE they had. I paid $21680.00 plus tax, title, etc. Considering I found the upgraded stereo (6 disc mp3) on ebay along with a set of new "SEL" wheels, I have not one complaint now. Not mention the stereo installation was quite easy.

To offer my opinion on the the production halt of the Freestyle and moving it over to Mercury as the Magellan, I can only say this, Smart! While I think that the Freestyle is great, it does kind of intrude a bit on Explorer sales. Ford sees this and I'm sure is not very happy about it. While the Edge is an alternative to the truck based Explorer, it doesn't (so I've heard) offer a third row seat. So there won't be as much consideration of one over the other for consumers. It makes the line much more clearly drawn.

Furthermore, Mercury has been on the verge of near extinction for years. While I admit that I do tend to favor Mercury styling (on the rebadges) over Ford, they have never really distinguished their vehicles in any other way than styling. With the Magellan (clever name no?), they finally have a vehicle that can compete in a segment that no other Ford badged vehicle can. If they can spend some money on marketing and advertising, they may finally have something to offer consumers with an identity all it's own.

defjet

Greetings All,

Just purchased a 2005 FWD SEL Freestyle (demo) as the family hauler up here in Ottawa, Canada. Was originally gunning for the AWD but the market was pricing the AWD versions much higher than the option itself. Very excited about the vehicle...until today when I tried to get winter tires...

Was planning on going down to 16 inch rims (less expensive, less width and higher profile) , dealer seemed to have no info? Also talked to a tire specialist in the area and he seemed to feel that since his little book had nothing about the 16 inch rims as well (not even from the Freestar) there was probably an issue related to caliper sizing or something. Has anyone been able to get 16 inch rims to work?

Then tried getting 215/65R17 winter tires and availability was pretty null and pricey too....

Noticed from an earlier post this year that there were NO winter tires for the vehicle. I was hoping that FORD may have pushed for a solution from a tire manufacturer by now... Any information on 16 inch rims if someones tried them or a 17 inch package would be very helpful.

Cheers,

Defjet

kb540ia

Well, today we took delivery on our 06 Freebie and 20 miles into it we love it. The CVT does take getting use to but I am sure it will be only a matter of time. the wife lowed the CVT and said it felt real smooth and quiet.

Tonight I installed our kids (1 yr and 3 yr) car seats. We have 2nd row buckets. The car seats are both Britax brand which I noticed are larger then most. With the headrest in place the car seats tilt forward and the rear bottom of the car seat does not touch the seat bottom. I tried every adjustment to the car seat and could not get it to sit right. I ended up removing the head rest and reclining the seat one notch and that seemed to better level out the car seat. Anyone else have this issue? We are using the latch system on both.

Thanks!

kb540ia

I picked my 06 up today and the dealer said that the sales of the Freestyle at his dealership has really taken off lately. He had another one being delivered tonight. He said people are coming to him asking about the car when they are looking at other models. Once they drive it they are sold (like I was).

So tonight I am reading the owners manual and found the rear wiper is heated, how does that work?? I can not find aything on it anywhere. Sounds like a nice feature if it is truely there.

skier

I have a 2005 limited with 18 inch wheels. I bought 17 inch steel rims and Toyo Open Country GO-2 plus tires. They are winter tires for SUV's. The 17 inch size was the same size as the 18 inch OEM. Expensive but they work great! There would not be enough clearence for your brake calipers if you went to 16 inch rims.

xnappo

Tonight I installed our kids (1 yr and 3 yr) car seats. We have 2nd row buckets. The car seats are both Britax brand which I noticed are larger then most. With the headrest in place the car seats tilt forward and the rear bottom of the car seat does not touch the seat bottom. I tried every adjustment to the car seat and could not get it to sit right. I ended up removing the head rest and reclining the seat one notch and that seemed to better level out the car seat. Anyone else have this issue? We are using the latch system on both.

We had this problem as well, just turn the headrest around backwards - it will go in that way as well. Just make sure to turn it back around if you remove the car seat and have an adult sit there as the headrest helps prevent whiplash.

xnappo

stmss

Are you sure it is the wiper? Or is it just the fluid or fluid jet nozzle that is heated? Or neither. I must admit I haven't checked my manual on this one.

jfargo2

Did anyone notice this week that the Ford 500 topped the insurance safety ratings. As its sibling, doesn't that also apply to the Freestyle?

nitromax

Yeah I saw that also. And technically, it should apply to the Freestyle as well as the 500.

I believe the test that IIHS ran was for cars only though so the Freestyle would not qualify.

bongo3

The message I get is that some want the options on the Ltd. I did too so I went with the full load and have used them all. Thus the unit is more enjoyable. Did anyone notice C.R. says the fwd is 6 spd. and the recomend the 500 but not Freestyle although they could not find anything wrong except the hazard button was too low.

branty

You are correct that there is a limited selection of winter tires that fit the Freestyle. Since the original equipment SE/SEL is 17 inch and LTD is 18 inch you cannot go any lower than 17 (due to brake clearance issues).
I opted to go with 18 inch Pirelli Sottozero winter tires for our Ltd AWD. Yes they are pricey ($276 ea installed) but they are fantastic so far.
There are more options for the 17 inch size range. Try a site like Tire Trends (www.tiretrends.com) for options (Canadian site). Of the six tire models posted on their site 3 are 'sold out' and the remaining tires are relatively expensive,
Good luck in your search.

northlakes

One factor I hadn't thought of until recently is the role of the "throttle by wire" in the Freestyle. Obviously, the engine rpm is not directly related to throttle position in the Freestyle - it is the magic of electronics. The Ford engineers did a nice job of keeping the feel of a traditional throttle pedal while doing its smooth engine/transmission magic. :shades:

tozier4

I read CR yesterday and thought their review of the Freestyle was very positive - They seldom have much nice to say about domestics. What really frosted me was that they say the AWD has below average reliability and the FWD has average reliability, but in the "circle ratings" give a "Poor" for projected reliability. Since that is one of the first things a potential buyer looks at, I think they should have given it an average or slightly below average rating, if not offer a separate rating for the AWD and FWD versions. For the record, my 05 SEL FWD rolled over 10000 last night. We have had it since April and absolutely LOVE it. Two minor gripes, though - the mirror control is a stretch, and Ford dropped the disc shuffle feature from the CD changer - my '01 Windstar did it, but this one does not...Is this feature on the nicer stereo the Limited gets?

renew

A picture posted in local paper today showed a women adding a plastic wheel opening flare on the rear wheel opening of a Freestyle on the assy line. Maybe this is the fix Ford has been promising. My 06 Limited is scheduled for build next week. I hope it will have the fix on it.
Won't know until first week in Jan.

passat_2002

What "fix" are you refering to? My '05 SEL has molded plastic wheel opening flares. So does everyone else's as far as I know.

renew

Supossedly the present plastic on the wheel wells is not working well and several vehicles have been repainted. Ford was going to solve the problem with changes starting in late Nov on Ford 500 and late Dec on Freestyle. Not sure what the fix is, but I thought it was going to be improved flares on wheel openings..

bobw3

I read that too. I take CR with a grain of salt and to agree with you, my SE FWD now has 21,000 miles and zero problems. BTW, on my single CD player is does have the shuffle feature by pressing buttons number 4 or 5, I think. It seems like the two biggest problems are with the AWD transmission and 6 CD players. I'm glad I have the FWD & single CD player!

One of the problems is that it's hard to rank the Freestyle and compare it with other cars, and when they do it's looked at negatively. Compared to a minivan it's not spacious enough. Compared to an SUV it lacks the offroad capability. And there are no car-based wagons of this size to compare it too. So that's why I think the Freestyle gets the short end of the stick.

bongo3

I never tried shuffle on my 01 Windstar but I will try it on my FS LTD and let you Know.

damianinpa

I love my freestyle, but, I thought with a 19 gallon tank I would get close to 400 Miles on a tank. I noticed that at 15 gallons used, my Low Fuel went off. And around 16 gallons used my Miles to Empty were around 0. If it is a 19 gallon tank why is this the case? I pushed one tank to 17.2 gallons used before I got gas. I was on 0 miles to E for awhile. This makes no sense. I am getting about 19 MGP which is not a good as I had hoped, but, I do alot of city driving. Anyone else have this issue? I hate having to fill up at 325 Miles. Just makes no sense having a 19 gallon tank that get treated like a 15 gallon one.

barnstormer64

I have the LTD with AWD, and I also average about 19 to 20 mpg (this has a lot of stop/n/go rush-hour type traffic included in it).

I've never seen "0 miles to E" before, but I tend to fill up when the gas gage reads 1/2 (and definitely try to do so before it reaches 1/4 left).

One thing to consider: I assume that the fuel pump on the Freestyle is in the gas tank (like it is on many other vehicles). The fuel pump is relying on the gasoline in the tank to cool it down. If you routinely try to run the tank to within only a gallon or so of empty, you're putting undue wear and tear on that fuel pump. You're much better off filling it up a bit more frequently to avoid this problem.

I should also add that I can easily "top off" the tank with an extra gallon (or more) each time I fill up. I don't know if the 19 gallon rating for the tank includes having to top it off like that or not.

passat_2002

Why pay any attention to "miles-to-empty"? Your Freestyle has a fuel gauge doesn't it? "Gallons Used" is also very useful assuming you remember to reset it after filling-up.

bobw3

I hate wasting time filling up when I don't have to, so I've always run cars to the point of vapors before filling up. I've heard people say that you end up getting more dirt or water in your fuel system because of this (of course then I'm cleaning my tank all the time then!), but your theory on wearing down the fuel pump is a new one to me. All of my previous and current cars have gone well beyone 100K miles without ever having fuel pump problems. I'm probably taking a risk for no reason! But on highway road trips I can easily go 400 miles between fillups, but not in city traffic.

damianinpa

I was using the gallons used also. It was around 16.XX when I was at 0 to E. I ran it to 17.2 used before I got scarred that I would run out and filled it. I put 17.6 in. I wonder if I could have drivin to 18.5 without running out. I still say if it a 19 gallon tank, there is no reason to be 'low on fuel' at 15 gallons used.

freealfas

I can attest personally to the 19 gal tank, On a holiday roadtrip to the east coast from chicago on the way back I filled our LTD FS with 19.2 gal, albeit doing the illegal topping up thing while gas was cheap outside of Chicago. On the way back after zeroing out the trip comp. indicated 22mpg @ 70-75mph that included a loaded FS and miles on the PA turnpike, hilly and wet. Not sure what to make of the trip computer either, I have had it tell me zero miles only then to fill it with 16 or so gallons as well. It seems my experience when manually checking the mpg on the computer it seems to be reasonably accurate though hence I just do the mental math with that one. Our FS now has 6k miles and mileage hovers in the 18-22 range with mixed city/hwy, city driving the mileage seems to drop to 16-18 even with a light foot. On one trip back from Indiana with 5adults/2 kids/carseats I had to keep it around 65mph and that returned 26mpg hwy. It seems this cars mpg is especially sensitive to cruising speed.

Still quite happy with the comfort and reliability of our purchase, just moderately happy with the actual mileage we are seeing. Only issues that we will be talking to the dealer about are fit/finish issues with the hood, passenger door gap, cladding gaps where it meets sheetmetal, and an C pillar interior trim piece. Mechanically the rig is a gem and has been perfect like many of the others out there. I will be talking to the dealer about the TSB for the CVT to see if our car is current and will then review the mileage situation again.

sandy_j

It's nice to see someone with more miles on their FreeStyle than I have on mine (25K miles), bought in Jan, 12, 05.

I am also having a problem with the rear seat release-the "second row" seat, driver's side. Which seat are you having problems with?

barnstormer64

" It seems my experience when manually checking the mpg on the computer it seems to be reasonably accurate"

Mine's a bit optimistic. I can usually put in a bit more gasoline than it says I've used.

mwarren

With yesterday's six inch snowfall I had my first real chance to see how the AWD in my 2006 Limited handled and I was pleased. It was solid, predictable, and steady through the unplowed roads. I will have to wait to test in snows that are near the ground clearance later this year, but so far so good.

Mike

frieberg44

Anybody here know if the new 3.5 Duratec (being developed for the 2007 Edge) will be dropped into the Freestyle ? I'd love the Freestyle, but won't buy one with the dinky 3.0 IF it will be available next year with the larger (much more torque) motor. On another board, a poster claimed that Ford was considering dropping the 3.5 with a 6 speed auto into the Freestyle; I have not been able to confirm this, however.

frieberg44

http://www.escape-central.com/1forum/showthread.php?s=f0602e0d56ef6886242ba807b9- ba34d0&threadid=8919

frieberg44

http://www.ford-trucks.com/news/idx/10/196/2003/article/07152003__Allnew_35liter- _V6_Engine.html

exploder750

I'm hearing that Ford brand is doing away with the Freestyle soon, giving the platform to Mercury. I'd be fairly certain the 3.5 will be available in at least the Mercury. Have you test driven the Freestyle with 3.0 and CVT transmission? I have. It takes a little getting used to, but it's GREAT!! FABULOUS accleration and fuel economy to boot!! The CVT design appears to be very robust as well.

freealfas

Keep watching the press releases for the availability of the 3.5, Ford is keeping this close to chest in regards to freestyle. The Freestyle in is current state of 3.0/CVT is a great package of mileage, capability, and performance. For the performance minded its faster than its competitor as it sits at a dealer right now, it gets great mileage for its size and capabilite, and it's safety features and price point are hard to match. With some wise shopping it only makes this rig better and more attractive. As I noted in a previous post, all of the stigma with the CVT and 3.0 not being good enough or undepowered are just crap. This car can get the job done, can get around anyone it wants on the highway and does it safely and securely. There is nothing to be disappointed about in buying this rig in its current configuration and enjoying the hell out of it. I have raced, enjoyed fast cars, etc, for what this rig is and can do it is a great package that is better than others like it out there. My one criticism that is one to all US car manufacturers is in material selection for interiors, they continue to be pretty poor. Our 98 VW passat wagon continues 7 years later to have better materials included and we bought a gls, no leather etc.. This LTD FS while I reccommend to anyone who asks about it, I would have really liked better plastics in the interior, its out there and available, VW proves it with every car they put out, why can't the US manufacturers realize this fact....