Ford Freestyle News...
Road Test: 2005
Ford Freestyle (Freestyle has a fun name but gives a less-than-fun ride)
The new Ford Freestyle is less a
free spirit than its name would suggest - with an engine that's strained and
noisy. But this tall wagon-SUV cross is eminently practical, with three rows of
comfortable seating, lots of cargo room and an excellent safety rating from the
federal government.
The Freestyle is available with all-wheel drive and is priced in a friendly
neighborhood, beginning at a little less than $26,000. It offers the high
seating position of a minivan without the "soccer mom" look of a minibus, if
that makes a difference to you.
Some of the interior looks less than rich, but overall the cabin is well thought
out, with plenty of storage, clear gauges and easy-to-use controls.
The Freestyle is just no fun to drive, though, and even with just the driver
aboard it takes (Car and Driver estimated) nine seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph.
And it's not available with two increasingly popular items: stability control
and a navigation system.
The 3.0-liter V-6 engine that's adequate in the Freestyle's sedan cousin, the
Ford Five Hundred, is overtaxed and drones annoyingly in the heavier Freestyle
when asked to do anything but steady cruising. At a little less than 4,000
pounds without 4-wheel drive, the Freestyle outweighs its sedan counterpart by
about 340 pounds.
The Freestyle's stepless "continuously variable" transmission seems to
accentuate the unpleasant noise by reducing the variation in engine speed and
sound.
The Freestyle's suspension is fully independent, though, and the tires stay in
contact with the pavement over the worst of bumps. The setup is on the soft
side; this is no sport wagon, and body lean is ample in hard cornering.
But the steering seems just right for this type of vehicle, with a heavy assist
for parking maneuvers and a light assist with good feedback at highway speeds.
On sale since September, Ford's second crossover SUV after the Escape replaces
the Taurus wagon, which went out of production earlier this year. (The Taurus
sedan remains with us for an unspecified while longer mostly for fleet use.)
Sharing basics with the XC90 and S80 sold by Ford's Volvo unit, the Freestyle is
to be joined later by an as yet unamed Mercury version.
The Freestyle offers seating in three rows for six or seven depending upon
whether one orders the three-place second-row bench or the two buckets.
The second-row seat backs fold flat, and the entire second-row seat units flip
forward to ease access to the third row. The third-row units fold and disappear
minivan-style into the load floor when not needed. Headroom is generous for
third seaters, but legroom is limited, and the seat back is somewhat
uncomfortably upright.
Just one complaint inside: The tester's beige dashboard produced an annoying
reflection in the windshield.
The Freestyle comes in three progressively pricier equipment levels, SE, SEL and
Limited. Standard in the least expensive one are air-conditioning, four-wheel
disc brakes with antilock and traction control, six-way power driver's seat,
power windows, locks and mirrors, cruise control and seating for six - two in
each of three rows.
Opting for the SEL adds fog lamps and an assortment of aesthetic and convenience
items. The Limited, beginning at $29,195 with freight but without all-wheel
drive, adds larger, 18-inch, wheels, perforated leather seating, an eight-way
power driver's seat with memory, power passenger seat, heat for both front
seats, an upgraded stereo and interior fake wood appliques.
The Limited also comes standard with the 50-50 split third-row bench seat, which
folds into the load floor. The seat is a $115 option in the two lesser versions.
Optional is a safety package ($695 in the SEL and Limited, $795 in the SE) that
includes curtain air bags covering all three rows of seating and side-impact air
bags for front-seat passengers; an alarm system; and in the SE perimeter
lighting and heated exterior mirrors, which are standard on the SEL and Limited.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the Freestyle a perfect
five-star rating for its protection of occupants in frontal and side-impact
crashes, based on the agency's crash tests. No data yet for its rollover
resistance.
The Freestyle begins about $2,100 above the slightly longer, wider and higher
Ford Freestar minivan. So the Freestar would seem the more practical choice for
those seeking the most interior space. The Freestar minivan offers less
horsepower; it's available with either of two V-6s delivering 193 and 201hp.,
respectively. But the Freestar's engines deliver 240 and 263 pounds feet of
torque, respectively, compared to 207 pounds feet for the Freestyle's engine.
Non-Ford competitors to consider include the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota
Highlander, Honda Pilot, Dodge Magnum and General Motors new Chevrolet Uplander
minivan/SUV crossover, versions of which also are sold by Saturn, Pontiac and
Buick dealers.
All but the Magnum are available with three rows of seating. Note, however, that
as in the Freestyle, access to the Pacifica's and Highlander's rumble seat is
awkward; there are no sliding doors. One flips one of the second row seats out
of the way and then climbs in.
I haven't sampled the new GM vans yet. The Pacifica and Highlander I drove were
as unimpressive driving machines as the Freestyle. The Magnum I sampled was a
delight, with rear-wheel drive, an available V-8 and touring suspension. But the
Magnum is more car than truck, holding about 13 cubic feet less cargo than the
Freestyle.
There is no objective reliability info available yet for the Freestyle from
either Consumer Reports or J.D. Power and Associates. The consumer magazine
rates other Ford vehicles average or worse than average in reliability, while
Power rates Ford vehicles and dealers about average in customer satisfaction in
the first three years of ownership.
2005 Ford Freestyle (vehicle tested)
Engine: 203-hp., 3.0-liter V-6.
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic, all-wheel drive.
Safety: Dual front, side and curtain-type air bags; 4-wheel disc brakes with
antilock; fog lamps.
Place of assembly: Chicago, Ill.
Weight: 4,112 pounds
Cargo room: Seats in place / folded, cubic feet: 22.5 / 85.2
EPA fuel economy rating: 19 mpg city, 24 highway.
Price as driven: $29,505, including destination charge.
-
Tom Incantalupo, Newsday, Friday, February 25, 2005
This page was last updated on
02/26/05
.
