My kids love Nana's Green Machine

Last summer, my mother (known to my four kids as Nana) traded in her beloved but well-worn 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited Edition and bought her first Ford product, a 2006 Ford Freestyle SEL.

Needless to say, I was shocked, but Mom insisted that she have enough room for all of her grandkids, which the Cruiser didn't have. I couldn't argue with that. I also couldn't argue with the deal she got; it was as if the dealer was throwing money at her to seal the deal. Not only did she get a large rebate, she got an outstanding price for her trade-in, which made her total outlay just a hair over $19,500 for a $30,000 crossover.

The Freestyle has an amazing amount of room inside; it's as comfortable as a minivan without the minivan "stigma" I hear so much about. The only difference inside between the two types is that there is not quite as much storage space, but families will find it just fine for most trips.

I can't recall the EPA mileage ratings for the Freestyle, but I do know Mom reports that she gets better than 25 MPG on road trips. I drove it on one such trip and nearly hit 30 according to the trip minder. For a car of this size, that is nothing short of impressive.

And that economy isn't achieved at the cost of power, either. I can't get over the "buff books" complaining about the "weak" 3.0-liter V6 engine and the CVT transmission. True, it's no hot rod, but when you plant your foot in the gas pedal, she goes with a lot more authority than I was prepared for. I like the smooth, seamless driving of the CVT, too. It is a little strange at first to not hear the sound of gears shifting, but after a few minutes, you forget about it. The best thing about the CVT is its ability to keep the engine in the peak of its power band, which a lot of automatics have trouble with. It makes up-and-down-hill driving a lot more fun than it ought to be, given what this car is.

And speaking of fun, I love taking on winding roads in the Freestyle! The wide Continental tires keep a firm grip on the road, but aren't too noisy. The suspension is firm but not harsh, so the outstanding handling doesn't punish you with a hard ride. Your spouse and kids will complain long before the car reaches its handling limit, too.

About the only thing that has been a problem was a persistent water leak that was eventually traced to a bad seal around the windshield. The selling dealer (located 30 miles from Mom) refused (!) to fix it, so Mom took it to her local dealer, whose personnel spent as much time as it took to make it right, even though she hadn't bought the car there. She has promised them her business when the time comes to trade the Freestyle.

All in all, it's been a good car over the past year, and aside from the water leak, it's been trouble-free. You'd do well to buy a Freestyle for yourself and your family; I just hope that in the transition to the new Taurus X, they don't mess too much with what makes the Freestyle so good!

UPDATE JANUARY 2, 2008: Mom now has about 35,000 miles on the Freestyle, and recently had to have the local dealer replace the rear brakes. Evidently, excessive noise is a problem on Freestyles. However, they did the job under warranty AND took care of a recall in less than two hours.

Mom's still happy with the car, despite the water leak problem early on and the brake noise issue. I'm hopeful she'll hang on to it until I'm ready to buy my next car, because I'd LOVE to have that Freestyle!

UPDATE APRIL 13, 2008: The water leak is back. We've been among the unfortunate folks to experience well more than our average rainfall this spring, and Mom reports that the interior has been flooded again, for no apparent reason. The dealer is once again stumped, but they plan to take care of it. I have a feeling the extended warranty she purchased from Ford is going to be worth the money in this case.

I'm going to chalk this up to the rainy season, but Mom also reports that the rear brakes are becoming noisy again, too. I have heard rumors of a technical service bulletin (TSB) from Ford that is intended to remedy the problem, but I've thus far been unable to nail down a copy for myself. Hopefully there is a permanent repair, because she says it's driving her nuts. I don't hear it, but maybe that's because I don't hear too well.