Freestar Family Fun

We've owned several mini-vans over the last 10 years. All were GM-Chevy or Pontiac. Almost two years ago, we purchased a new Ford Freestar. We wanted the most room possible, a good ride, and a DVD system for our four kids.

The Freestar overall has been wonderful. The kids love the DVD system. The ride on it is very smooth. There is plenty of power and there is space for everything.

We travel once in a while with our kids so the size of the van was important. We can very comfortably seat seven. The middle row features a bucket seats with a step through to the back. As long as the kids don't step on these seats with their muddy or snowy shoes - all is good! We previously had a van with three seats in the middle and had to remove one for this to work. That only left us with six seats - we still have seven since there is room for three in the back bench seat.

As for storage - there are cupholders everywhere. You'll never worry about drinks spilling. The back features a recessed storage area that is huge. My wife is a photographer so she feels very safe having her gear back there, not rolling around. If we need to carry more, we can drop any combination of the seats to add more storage area. The back bench folds into the recessed area if needed. On top, we have the rails to throw more in our travel storage bag for long trips to the lake or vacations.

The DVD - we've had the van nearly two years and have had zero problems with the DVD system. The kids seem to watch it all the time too so it has had a good workout. The only complaint I've had is that you are supposed to be able to run the radio in front and the DVD to the back speakers. I'm a little slow and can't figure that out.

My only complaint - the sliding doors on both sides were one of the reasons we purchased this van. It allows my wife to pick up and drop off the kids at school without getting out and helping for the smaller ones. One of the doors has been out of whack since we purchased it. It actually hits the glass just a bit as it opens for the back window. The other door has recently decided to not open or not close all the way every time. Sometimes it gets in a loop and you have to hold it to get it shut. We took it to the dealer for the first door but haven't yet for the second one because the first door problem returned.

Overall, we do recommend the van for families. Just watch those doors - especially on a used purchase.