Great=Super-Versatile, Fuel-Efficient and Comfortable Ford Freestyle

With 2 kids and another one on the way, my wife and I were faced with a dilemma. We HATE minivans, but we simply didn’t have enough room in our cars for strollers, diaper bags, etc., and still be able to fit the kids. And although there have been SUVs with 3rd row seating for a few years now, most of those are not, at least for our little family of soon-to-be 5, affordably priced. Then along came the Ford Freestyle.


Outside
The Freestyle is slightly shorter in stature, longer in length and has a differently styled front end than an Explorer. I can’t remember whether there is a width difference, but I’ve driven both and I’d bet the Freestyle is just about as wide as the Explorer. The Explorer probably has a little more cargo space than the Freestyle, but it has nowhere near the versatility, flexibility and practicality of the Freestyle.

Getting in and out of the Freestyle is easier than most SUVs, since the vehicle sits a little lower to the ground. Getting a baby in and out of a car seat is a lot easier too, since you are basically standing level to it instead of higher or lower than it. No more reaching up or down into the vehicle, which is much easier on the back. I cannot relate to you how happy this made me.

A luggage rack is standard on all trims, which adds a nice look and extra hauling capacity at the same time. The back opens far enough to allow ample room for loading, but it's still low enough to allow my 5' 5" wife to close it easily. Ford should have made the back window in a way that allows it to open separately from the rest of the back, as anyone needing to haul a long load of 2x4’s, etc., can tell you how convenient that is. But will it be a big issue for most families? Probably not.


Inside
The interior is where the Freestyle really shines. You can tell Ford’s engineers tried to put themselves in the shoes of a minivan buyer when they designed it. All seats except the driver's seat fold flat, giving you some serious stuff-hauling capability. I brought an 8-foot stepladder home in it and still had room for 4 people – each in their own seat without crowding. Even with the 3rd row up, there is still enough room behind it for a good-sized stroller (folded of course) and a lot of grocery bags. The 2nd row seats (ours has 2 captain's chairs, but a bench is available at no extra cost) flip easily to provide access to the 3rd row. The 2nd row seats are as comfortable as the front seats, which is to say they’re very comfortable even on long trips, and there is plenty of legroom even for folks taller than 6'0. The theater-style seating arrangement gives everyone a good view and offers that feeling of safety you can only get when you sit above traffic.

The dashboard in our SE does look a bit Spartan, but it by no means looks bad and the functionality is fine. The dashboard in other trims definitely has a bit more pizzazz, though.

Creature comforts abound. Reading/map lights. Remote-access keyfob. Keypad on the driver’s door unlocks all doors if you lock your keys in it. Power windows/locks. Accessory outlets in all 3 rows. Tinted windows by the 2nd and 3rd row seats. Good sound out of the CD player. Cup holders are literally everywhere, although I think Ford went a little overboard in this area. The front and 2nd row center consoles (2nd row console optional) have room for a lot of stuff, including some fairly large items like umbrellas.


Performance
I've read other reviews talking about a lack of power in the Freestyle’s 3.0-liter V6 engine. If you are driving up the side of a mountain, well, yes, you may wish it had more power. If you’re using it to haul people and groceries, and the roughest area you’ll be driving through is a mall parking lot around the holidays, it has all the power you need. Merging onto busy highways is no problem, and its acceleration-in-a-pinch offers a good sense of confidence. We don’t have any mountains here in western Pennsylvania, but almost every road has a pretty steep incline or crazy, winding bend to it. Our Freestyle powers through all of it with ease. And I have to admit, I was most surprised at its handling, which is crisp and car-like even on roads with some really treacherous bends.

The fuel economy the Freestyle gets is terrific compared to other SUVs. Our FWD version gets almost 27 mpg on the highway and around 19 or 20 mpg around town. When we were shopping, fuel economy was a big key. With the way gas prices have risen over the last few years (and will probably continue to rise), we didn’t want to be stuck with a car we couldn’t afford to drive. None of the other SUVs we looked at came close to the Freestyle.


Things to be aware of
The CVT transmission is great once you get used to it, but it takes a little time. Very smooth gear shifts, but it's strange to not feel a harder shift on some hills and merging onto highways. Also, the 3rd row seats aren't very comfortable at all for most adults. The seats themselves are ok, but they made me feel like I was leaning forward the entire time. Legroom and headroom aren't horrible, but I'd hate to have to sit there through a long road trip. Most kids should be fine though.


Gee Whiz things to look for
The radio has a setting that adjusts volume for road noise. You may have already seen a car with that, but it's pretty cool to me. A message center tells you when the oil needs changed (not a trip computer- that was a separate option we didn’t get). A handy-dandy standard kid mirror folds down so you can keep an eye on the kids without buying a mirror that clips to your sun visor and gets in the way constantly. The passenger-side air bag turns off if the passenger weighs less than 70 lb.


Summary
We bought the SE FWD version of the Freestyle, which Ford probably considers the "base" model. That being said, it still has tons of great standard features that would be considered options on other vehicles. The 2001 Toyota Corolla LE we traded in had all the options we could get at the time and it still didn't have everything our Freestyle has. Plus, it was less expensive than the Explorers, Pathfinders, Highlanders and all the other 3rd row-available SUVs we found – by a lot in some cases. Even new Ford Escapes (which we briefly considered during our “we don’t need no stinking 3rd row” phase) were at least $1000 more than the Freestyle. All told, the Freestyle is a very versatile, comfortable and stylish car at a great price.