We just picked this up over the weekend after doing much research. We really like the car so far. Our criteria was a min 6 passenger vehicle with 3 rows of seats that gets close to 30 MPG Highway. This criteria narrowed our choices down to the Mazda 5 (too small), Toyota Highlander Hybrid (too expensive) and the Freestyle FWD.
My commute to work is 70 miles each way in NH. About 5% in town, about 45% state highway (55 mph) and about 50% interstate (70 MPH). After 286 Miles, 27.8 MPG.
BTW you can use the US EPA site to track you mileage and see others for comparison.
That 27.8 mpg is right on the money. Your Freestyle must have the right internal engine/transmission tolerances with nothing causing friction inside. Strangely, some people report trouble getting decent mpg with the Freestyle, so some probably aren't right. It can't be explained by driving habits in the cases I've seen. Those people aren't doing anything unusual. Mine gets about 25-27 in various driving cycles.
I just started checking mileage readings (on dash readout). Our last commute (60 miles),mostly highway,60 - 70 mph, after re-setting, before hitting the road,the '05 SEL AWD came up with 25.6 mph . This made me very happy. The car has 13k miles on it .
I bought a year-end 2006 Freestyle SE FWD in August. The estimated gas mileage of 20 MPG city and 27 MPG highway sold the car. Just think, 500 miles to a tank of gas. What a BOLD move. What Bold BS! With just over 3,000 miles, I’m getting 21.6 MPG with about 90% highway driving. The best I have had is 23.9 MPG – all highway, and the worst was 19.6 MPG with about 80% highway. With the first oil change, I asked the dealer to check it out on the computer. They said they did an IDS test and it passed all codes. I have been driving at about the speed limit and check the tire pressure each week. I like the car, but the mileage is very disappointing. I encourage all of you who get poor gas mileage on the Freestyle to post your experience on the MPG Page. The Freestyle could be a good subject for a class-action suite. If Ford is going to advertise in the newspaper, internet and TV that the car gets 500 miles per tank of gas, then not just some of them, but ALL of them should get that mileage.
I got the 2005 AWD also but in February. For the first 1360 miles I got 17.7 MPG local. I then took a trip from San Jose to San Diego and was hard pressed to get 22mpg on highway.
On the 1050 mile trip (local/hwy) I got 20.3
At 5930 miles (3000 miles since trip) I was getting 18.8 MPG overall. and 25-26 MPG instantenous on highway 60-65mph clocked both directions, about 20 miles total.
Now at 10000 miles the local is the same and the highway is 24-25 at 65-70mph on same course.
Search for possible TSB on reflashing computer if you are getting 14 mpg. I heard one person say 13mpg.
My AWD took about 6000 miles to break in. I was running 17.7 mpg local and very hard pressed to get 22 on highway at 3000 miles.
Now I get 18.8 local (EPA rating is 19) and 24-26 mpg on a 20 mile highway course depending on speed; 60-70. I use it to monitor MPG. EPA rating is 24 highway.
I’m sure hoping that you are right and the mileage will improve as the engine gets run-in a little more. I am skeptical, however. My car came from the factory in Chicago with different colored outside door handles, and papers from a parts list were stuffed under the manifold. I found all of this after I brought the car home. Luckily I smelled the paper burning as I got out of the car in my garage. I wouldn’t be surprised if parts of Jimmy Hoffa are in the engine and transmission;)
"All should post even if you get good mileage to better reflect the full range of experience."
I agree. It would be great to get a good representation of what Ford has put on the road. I’ll bet that way less than 50% meet Ford’s claim of 500 miles per tank of gas.
I get about 19 when driving exclusively in the city, with the A/C on.
All highway driving is about 26-27 at 75 MPH.
Combined average is about 20.3 MPG cumulative for this vehicle. ">link title It will get considerably better MPG at 65 MPH. Take a look at the tach readings at 65 vs 75 - it is surprising.
"If Ford is going to advertise in the newspaper, internet and TV that the car gets 500 miles per tank of gas, then not just some of them, but ALL of them should get that mileage."
I think the advertisements have an asterisk indicating that this is based on the EPA 27 MPG highway MPG, actual results will vary. I suspect that if you drive a max of 65 MPH on fairly flat terrain, you will achieve 27 MPG.
"I think the advertisements have an asterisk indicating that this is based on the EPA 27 MPG highway MPG, actual results will vary. I suspect that if you drive a max of 65 MPH on fairly flat terrain, you will achieve 27 MPG."
Actually, I have been driving at about 65 MPH, but sometimes 70 MPH, on mostly flat ground, with the AC on, and tires inflated to factory spec. Still, I'm a long way from seeing that 27 MPG that you suspect I will get. Also, the asterisk you mention does not say that Ford's promise of "500 miles on a tank of gas" is based on an EPA estimate and results may vary. It mostly indicates that the great gas mileage is due to the Duratec engine and CVT. Almost as an after thought, it finally simply says: "*ESP estimated 20 city/27 hwy mpg in front-wheel drive model." It seems to me that to be correct, it should say "Based on ESP estimated etc."
I get 27 mpg on a FWD Freestyle with about 75% highway driving. I've said before that there may be something wrong with a small percentage of Freestyle engine/transmissions. Internal parts that don't quite fit together right will reduce gas mileage, as friction eats gas. I suspect that may be the case. A slightly dragging brake can also cause extra gas consumption. I've notice mechanical tolerance variations on jet aircraft engines, as some will have up to about a 2% variation in fuel consumption due to internal tolerances, and those are high quality precision components, so a Ford engine might be off even more, for all we know. Expensive race car engines are very carefully put together and tested for excessive fuel consumption, which also reduces peak power capability. Actually, one way to determine if your engine/transmission/brakes have too much internal friction is simply to time how long it takes to get to 60 mph. Its difficult to be accurate with this, but someone sitting in the back seat can try with a stopwatch as you floor it to 60 mph. The published 0-60 mph times are 8.3 seconds for the FWD model, and 8.6 seconds for an AWD model. You may impose another 0.4 seconds penalty for the extra person in the back seat, but don't carry any more weight (1/2 tank gas, too).
"Actually, one way to determine if your engine/transmission/brakes have too much internal friction is simply to time how long it takes to get to 60 mph."
Thanks for the comments and advice. I'll give it a try.
Ford's advertising campaign came through here -- Just checked 502/18.1 = 27 MPG, with 1 gallon to spare in the tank. Thats cutting it close, as the fuel gauge was exactly on the red empty line. That was with 80% highway driving.
You know, it would probably be tough to time it accurately enough with just a stopwatch. Maybe a bad idea. This would be great: What if you knew or had access to another Freestyle that could shadow you on a long trip, then compare fuel consumption at fill-ups, over the same roads. I'd love to do that with about 6 Freestyles and compare, but only in my mind, as you could only do that if a bunch were headed to a Freestyle convention out of town!
I gave it a try anyway. I came up with 0-60 MPH in 9.03 seconds in 3 out of 6 runs. I agree, however, that it is probably not accurate enough. :confuse:
My experience is that the 2006 Freestyle has a highway milage sweet spot of about 65-68 mph. Any faster and milage drops off significantly.
I tested freeway only milage once, in close to ideal conditions on a trip from Stanislaus County, California, to the San Jose airport and back, and got better than 30 mpg. The full test result is posted on this thread a ways back.
One report I saw said the FWD version of the Freestyle gets to 60 from a standstill in 8.3 seconds, with the AWD version doing it in 8.6 seconds. Still, when we measure it with a stopwatch, we can't be sure of the accuracy.
Finally tried checking mileage without my usual heavy foot all the time- Hilly area of I-75- Lexington Ky to Cincinatti. avg 70-75 26.0 mpg Limited AWD 2 passengers with A/C, return 75-80 mph 25.2 mpg, total trip 24.5 about 75% highway driving. The manual calculation and trip computer agreed on the 26.0 and 24.5 numbers, couldn't check the 25 mpg portion without resetting which would have eliminated the overall number. In the past in all highway, the best I got was 22, but that was with mostly 80-85 mph driving. I have 26k, purchase date 11/29/04, no reflash after 1/1/5.
I recommend all owners that are interested in trying to determine how close the FS is to the EPA numbers track their mileage on the EPA's MY MPG page. This site allows you to enter your numbers and plots your MPG over time. You can also see other owners numbers.
I just drove from Dayton to Detroit and back. 450 miles on the tank divided by 16.9 gal = 26.6mpg. Driving 70-75mph on flat highways for all but about 20 miles. I like it, but I still don't think I'll ever get 500 miles on a tank like in the TV ads!
If Detroit was just 25 miles further away from Dayton, you would of had your 500 miles on a tank of gas.. albeit with very little gas left over. IMO it's a pretty meaningless ad campaign that highlights how many miles a vehicle will go on one tank of gas. MPG is what counts.
But maybe just for fun we should start a "500 Mile Club" for those who have achieved this one tank of gas landmark with their Freestyle's. Any members out there?
mrdinmm, 29 MPG... in a 4,000 lb vehicle, thats good. I assume you have the FWD version, as the AWD one costs 1 or 2 MPG just to slush around the rear differential. I can't think of many SUVs or mini-vans anywhere near its size that can do better than the Freestyle. In fact, not one. You know, engineering is really all about doing something better. Energy efficiency is a core accomplishment in engineering. The Freestyle delivers.
I think if I kept the speed at 65mph I'd probably get 28mpg and then be able to go 504 miles on 18 gal, but I don't think I could drive at only 65mph that long!
These cars seem to do ok on gas mileage when driven slowly on a generally flat no-stops course with the windows up and the AC off. That’s going to a lot of trouble to make Ford’s gas mileage myth about this car come true. Without sacrificing time and comfort, people appear to get about 20.6 MPG according to Your MPG. Eight 2006 FWD Freestyle owners are currently reporting their mileage at www.fueleconomy.com/. It is what it is, and it sure isn’t the 500 miles per tank of gas advertised by Ford. :sick:
Actually cruise control was set at 67 mph - many Wisconsin state police with radar guns out.
No A/C helped, but we did open back windows a bit and I-94 through western Wisconsin has its share of hills to climb.
Ford's advertisement is technically true 27 mpg x 19 = 513. Nearly all ads have sales hype. I think it's remarkable the car is capable of getting EPA mileage, let alone exceed it under certain circumstances.
Miles per tank will be even greater in the future when Ford’s engineers put their latest innovation into production. It’s a 30-gallon tank that will promise MORE than 500 miles per tank!! Beam me up, Scottie.
not a freestyle, but we have an '04 escape. 3.0 engine also. just had a tank that got better than 10% over the epa highway estimate. a smooth driver really helps actual gas mileage. most of the miles were at about 75 mph.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
My FWD 2005 SE Freestyle averages 27 MPG over the long term, and I hit the gas hard at some green lights. I cruise steady, but haven't always driven smoothly. This Freestyle is for real. I think the key is the optimal RPM via the CVT, as it keeps the engine at peak efficiency. People who get less simply do a lot of city driving, for the most part.
My A/C is normally always on during road trips, because it keeps the air dryer and fresh. At 70-75mph with the A/C on I get between 25-27mpg, depending on if it's flat or hills.
I assume your Freestyle is a FWD model then.. correct? If so, that's exactly what I get on the highway at those speeds. Slowing to a 65MPH cruise can give you 30MPG easily if there is no wind to skew the results.
25 mpg with the a/c on and even a flat highway speed of 70 mph sounds a bit high. OTOH, my 2006 FWD got 30.2 mpg with a 150 mile freeway trip at 65 mph (flat except for Altamont Pass in Alameda County, California), so it might be possible.
Exactly...if you're getting 30.2mph at 65mph, then getting 25mpg at 70mph is reasonable. Plus I haven't found the A/C use to make that much of a difference with mpg. Funny thing is that when I search online to see the effects of A/C use on MPG, the research shows between a 10-25% reduction in MPG, but I haven't found that with any car I've owned. In my experience, driving in the winter, summer or spring doesn't matter. I get 25-26mpg in my Freestyle on the highway winter or summer. I'll have to check on my next roadtrip (Dayton to Chicago) I'll use the automatic climate control, which keeps the A/C on and adjusts the heat to keep the desired temp on the way to Chicago, and then drive back in the manual mode with the A/C off, and I'll see what happens.
There's a million studies on that and the general consensous is that at highway speeds it's better to use the A/C then roll the windows down because the drag on the car is what affects MPG most at high speeds, and at low speeds keeping the A/C off and windows open is the way to go.
That said, every car is different. A 4cyl engine with just enough power to drive the car will have a higher percentage of it's available energy sapped when using an A/C, but for a more powerful engine, the affect of the A/C is less.
It's sort of like if you put two 250lb people in the back of a Fit versus the back of a Explorer, you'd probably see a bigger drop in MPG in the Fit.
At above 45mph, it is actually more efficient to drive with the AC on than the windows open due to the drag from the open windows. Of course if you had the windows up and the AC off, your mileage would be better, but in the summer, who would want to do that just to save a few bucks?
My FreeStyle seems to have settled in at a disappointing 22 MPG. I did manage to hit that magic 27 MPG mark one time by driving at about 60-65 MPH on a flat service with no passengers, etc., etc. I sure wouldn’t want to go through life on the highway at that speed. Oh well, should have kept my Explorer or bought a Japanese designed car. Ford really misrepresented this car in their advertisements. Looks like it will take more than advertising spin and hype to keep them in business for more than a few years.
Perhaps you would care to share with us just how Ford has "..really misrepresented this car in their advertisements."?
People need to be realistic. Personal driving habits and the type driving that one does can account for a huge difference between the mileage that one owner observes and what another will get. It's pointless to compare numbers unless we all drove in exactly the same manner, on the same day, and over the exact same course. Bottom line is that the Freestyle gets very good mileage for a vehicle of it's size and weight.
Considering that the EPA rated mpg is 20/26 for the FWD, you're getting 27mpg driving 60-65 is pretty good. The EPA test their cars around 55mph, so if you're averaging 22mpg that doesn't seem too bad, depending on your type of driving. What were you averaging in your Explorer?
What was your Freestyle's most recent flash ROM upgrade? I got something like 30.2 or 32 mpg on a 150 mile roundtrip on flat freeways at 65mph with cruise control on in a 2006 FWD. My 30 mile daily freeway roundtrip commute milage was more like 23-24 mpg. My wife's guess on her 36 mile roundtrip commute on county roads (stop signs, etc.) is about 20 mpg.
My Explorer was a 1996 model. I got 18-20 MPG at 70-80 MPH. I thought that was great for a truck, but I was willing to give up some of the great features of the Explore for much better gas milage. 22 MPG, in my opinion, is not a great improvement.
"What was your Freestyle's most recent flash ROM upgrade?"
I'm not sure I understand the question. I have my own diagnostic scanner. I don't use the computer to check mileage because the scanner tells me that the computer reads the tank as 100% before I stop pumping. I guess it's not a big deal, but I would just rather do it manually.
You really get great mileage! I don't believe I'll ever see anything like that. I tried a 60-65 MPH trip and the best I could do was 27 MPG.
“Perhaps you would care to share with us just how Ford has "..really misrepresented this car in their advertisements."?”
I would be happy to share with you. Look at the top of this web page and you will see: “BOLD MOVES – 500 MILES ON A SINGLE TANK.* THE HIGH MILEAGE FORD FREESTYLE *EPA estimated 27 highway mpg FWD, 19 gallon tank”
They don’t say: ·Some cars only, ·When driven very slowly, ·Without passengers or cargo, ·On flat roads, ·With no head-wind, ·When all of the engine and brake parts are perfectly assembled, ·With AC off and windows up, ·With cruse control on, ·With no rapid acceleration, and ·Whatever else people do to squeeze an extra yard or two out of a gallon of gas.
Most people bought the Freestyle with the idea that they would get really good mileage – about 500 miles on a single tank. What they really get is about 400 miles on a tank. Maybe Ford’s advertisements would be more truthful if they used your comment: “Bottom line is that the Freestyle gets very good mileage for a vehicle of it's size and weight.” That sure wouldn’t sell a lot of cars.
27mpg x 19 = 513 miles. My problem isn't with the 27mpg, because I regularly get 26mpg on the highways driving 70-75mph, with the A/C on, passengers, luggage, etc, so I know I could easily get 27mpg just by dropping the speed to 60-65mph.
And when they list the highway mpg, they have to have some standard. They can't have one hwy mpg for those living in states where the speed limit is 70mph, another for those driving on urban highways, etc, so if they're estimating the hwy mpg based on a flat highway travelling at 60mph, that's fine with me because at least I can compare vehicles using the same standard.
But back to the Freestyle ad, yes I agree it's misleading but not for the mpg rating, but for the idea that someone can or will expend 18.5 gallons out of their 19gal tank to get over 500 miles. When my low fuel light comes on, and then I keep driving until the needle firmly rests on the last line, I can still only put in about 17.5gal into the tank. But I think you could reasonably say that you can go 450 miles on a tank of gas, and still have some reserve.
Wow, I would be happy with 26 mpg at 70-75 mph. It is clear, however, that I’m going to have to settle with 23-24 mpg, so I’m not going to spend anymore time thinking about it. I have to decide now what to get as a replacement for this Ford Free :lemon: .
Comments
My commute to work is 70 miles each way in NH. About 5% in town, about 45% state highway (55 mph) and about 50% interstate (70 MPH). After 286 Miles, 27.8 MPG.
BTW you can use the US EPA site to track you mileage and see others for comparison.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=browseList
2006 Freestyle MPG Page
On the 1050 mile trip (local/hwy) I got 20.3
At 5930 miles (3000 miles since trip) I was getting 18.8 MPG overall. and 25-26 MPG instantenous on highway 60-65mph clocked both directions, about 20 miles total.
Now at 10000 miles the local is the same and the highway is 24-25 at 65-70mph on same course.
Search for possible TSB on reflashing computer if you are getting 14 mpg. I heard one person say 13mpg.
Now I get 18.8 local (EPA rating is 19) and 24-26 mpg on a 20 mile highway course depending on speed; 60-70. I use it to monitor MPG. EPA rating is 24 highway.
This meets Fords spec.
All should post even if you get good mileage to better reflect the full range of experience.
tidester, host
I agree. It would be great to get a good representation of what Ford has put on the road. I’ll bet that way less than 50% meet Ford’s claim of 500 miles per tank of gas.
I get about 19 when driving exclusively in the city, with the A/C on.
All highway driving is about 26-27 at 75 MPH.
Combined average is about 20.3 MPG cumulative for this vehicle.
">link title
It will get considerably better MPG at 65 MPH. Take a look at the tach readings at 65 vs 75 - it is surprising.
I also notice that it is best on flat terrain.
I highly suggest that everyone click here to enter their FWD FS MPG in the DOT database! (My FS is entry "1" in the detailed listing.)
The DOT database has 6 vehicles, ranging from 15.1 MPG (all city driving) to 27.8 (90% highway driving).
Click here to veiw/enter your AWD FS
I think the advertisements have an asterisk indicating that this is based on the EPA 27 MPG highway MPG, actual results will vary. I suspect that if you drive a max of 65 MPH on fairly flat terrain, you will achieve 27 MPG.
Actually, I have been driving at about 65 MPH, but sometimes 70 MPH, on mostly flat ground, with the AC on, and tires inflated to factory spec. Still, I'm a long way from seeing that 27 MPG that you suspect I will get. Also, the asterisk you mention does not say that Ford's promise of "500 miles on a tank of gas" is based on an EPA estimate and results may vary. It mostly indicates that the great gas mileage is due to the Duratec engine and CVT. Almost as an after thought, it finally simply says: "*ESP estimated 20 city/27 hwy mpg in front-wheel drive model." It seems to me that to be correct, it should say "Based on ESP estimated etc."
Thanks for the comments and advice. I'll give it a try.
I gave it a try anyway. I came up with 0-60 MPH in 9.03 seconds in 3 out of 6 runs. I agree, however, that it is probably not accurate enough. :confuse:
Their numbers may have been from a "rolling start", though. More like a 5-60 time.
I tested freeway only milage once, in close to ideal conditions on a trip from Stanislaus County, California, to the San Jose airport and back, and got better than 30 mpg. The full test result is posted on this thread a ways back.
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=mpgData&vehicleID=22393&browser=tr- ue
But maybe just for fun we should start a "500 Mile Club" for those who have achieved this one tank of gas landmark with their Freestyle's. Any members out there?
29 MPG... in a 4,000 lb vehicle, thats good. I assume you have the FWD version, as the AWD one costs 1 or 2 MPG just to slush around the rear differential. I can't think of many SUVs or mini-vans anywhere near its size that can do better than the Freestyle. In fact, not one. You know, engineering is really all about doing something better. Energy efficiency is a core accomplishment in engineering. The Freestyle delivers.
No A/C helped, but we did open back windows a bit and I-94 through western Wisconsin has its share of hills to climb.
Ford's advertisement is technically true 27 mpg x 19 = 513. Nearly all ads have sales hype. I think it's remarkable the car is capable of getting EPA mileage, let alone exceed it under certain circumstances.
just had a tank that got better than 10% over the epa highway estimate. a smooth driver really helps actual gas mileage. most of the miles were at about 75 mph.
And then there's the question of whether the impact of increased drag with rolled down windows will offset any savings from turning off the A/C.
tidester, host
That said, every car is different. A 4cyl engine with just enough power to drive the car will have a higher percentage of it's available energy sapped when using an A/C, but for a more powerful engine, the affect of the A/C is less.
It's sort of like if you put two 250lb people in the back of a Fit versus the back of a Explorer, you'd probably see a bigger drop in MPG in the Fit.
People need to be realistic. Personal driving habits and the type driving that one does can account for a huge difference between the mileage that one owner observes and what another will get. It's pointless to compare numbers unless we all drove in exactly the same manner, on the same day, and over the exact same course. Bottom line is that the Freestyle gets very good mileage for a vehicle of it's size and weight.
My Explorer was a 1996 model. I got 18-20 MPG at 70-80 MPH. I thought that was great for a truck, but I was willing to give up some of the great features of the Explore for much better gas milage. 22 MPG, in my opinion, is not a great improvement.
I'm not sure I understand the question. I have my own diagnostic scanner. I don't use the computer to check mileage because the scanner tells me that the computer reads the tank as 100% before I stop pumping. I guess it's not a big deal, but I would just rather do it manually.
You really get great mileage! I don't believe I'll ever see anything like that. I tried a 60-65 MPH trip and the best I could do was 27 MPG.
I would be happy to share with you. Look at the top of this web page and you will see:
“BOLD MOVES – 500 MILES ON A SINGLE TANK.*
THE HIGH MILEAGE FORD FREESTYLE
*EPA estimated 27 highway mpg FWD, 19 gallon tank”
They don’t say:
·Some cars only,
·When driven very slowly,
·Without passengers or cargo,
·On flat roads,
·With no head-wind,
·When all of the engine and brake parts are perfectly assembled,
·With AC off and windows up,
·With cruse control on,
·With no rapid acceleration, and
·Whatever else people do to squeeze an extra yard or two out of a gallon of gas.
Most people bought the Freestyle with the idea that they would get really good mileage – about 500 miles on a single tank. What they really get is about 400 miles on a tank. Maybe Ford’s advertisements would be more truthful if they used your comment: “Bottom line is that the Freestyle gets very good mileage for a vehicle of it's size and weight.” That sure wouldn’t sell a lot of cars.
And when they list the highway mpg, they have to have some standard. They can't have one hwy mpg for those living in states where the speed limit is 70mph, another for those driving on urban highways, etc, so if they're estimating the hwy mpg based on a flat highway travelling at 60mph, that's fine with me because at least I can compare vehicles using the same standard.
But back to the Freestyle ad, yes I agree it's misleading but not for the mpg rating, but for the idea that someone can or will expend 18.5 gallons out of their 19gal tank to get over 500 miles. When my low fuel light comes on, and then I keep driving until the needle firmly rests on the last line, I can still only put in about 17.5gal into the tank. But I think you could reasonably say that you can go 450 miles on a tank of gas, and still have some reserve.