FORD Freestyle : opinions

[Bruce Wayne]

Just bought a 2005 Freestyle Limited at auction, does anyone here have any info, or past experience with these vehicles?

[ctrlraven]

I am sorry to hear about your new purchase. j/k I've heard the CVT can be wonky which is why Ford dropped the use of it in 2008 when they brought back the Taurus name and made the Freedstyle into the Taurus X.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/ford-freestyle-sel-awd-road-test

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus_X


The Ford Freestyle and Ford Taurus X was a 6- or 7-passenger full-size crossover SUV [1] manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in the United States. Together, the Freestyle (2005-2007) and Taurus X (2008-2009) superseded the Ford Taurus station wagon. The Ford Freestyle Was A Crossover Sold By Ford From 2005-2007 To Replace The Ford Taurus Wagon.The Freestyle was previewed at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show with a Freestyle Concept before entering production for the 2005 model year. The vehicle was originally going to be called the Ford CrossTrainer, but had been renamed the Freestyle by the time the concept was released, due to Ford adopting an ill-fated naming scheme in which all Ford-branded passenger cars except the Mustang and Thunderbird would have a name start with the letter "F".[2] The vehicle used the Ford D3 platform, which it shared with the Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, and various Volvos including the XC90. Although it shared its platform with the XC90, the two vehicles were significantly different. The Freestyle had three rows of seats with seating for seven, like many large SUVs (e.g. Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition) and minivans. The Freestyle featured what Ford describes as "command seating," seating with a higher H-point, to increase driver visibility and ease of entry and exit. Power came from a 3.0 L (181 cu in) Duratec V6, with an output of 203 hp (151 kW) at 5750 rpm.[3] The Freestyle, along with the Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, and the Ford Escape Hybrid, were the first American Ford vehicles to use a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Five Hundred and Montego used a belt type CVT, while the Escape Hybrid used a CVT transaxle that utilized a planetary gearset controlled by the electric generator, similar to the Toyota Prius. All Freestyles were equipped with the CVT, but only all-wheel drive (AWD) Five Hundred and Montego models used the CVT (FWD versions used an Aisin F21++ six speed automatic). 55% of buyers selected the Haldex Traction-equipped all-wheel drive model rather than the expected 40%.

[Bluerauder]

Just bought a 2005 Freestyle Limited at auction, does anyone here have any info, or past experience with these vehicles?

My wife has had a 2006 Ford Freestyle Limited as a daily driver for the past 9 years. She loves it. The Freestyle only has about 50K miles on it since it only sees short haul local mileage. No real problems so far with ownership with a regular maintenance schedule. The original brakes were replaced under recall warranty in the first 18 months because the pads absorbed moisture and were wearing badly. Roof drains have plugged up with debris and had to be cleaned out. The upper motor mount was replaced at about the 6 year point because of "chunking". No problems with the CVT to date.

Her Limited came with a Moonroof, Navigation System and a Rear Entertainment System (flip-down DVD screen). The entertainment system hasn't been used in years since there is rarely anyone in the rear seats anymore. The Nav system crapped out after about 5 years. Since the wife never used it, we just said the heck with it since Ford wanted to replace the entire unit "out of warranty".

The Freestyle has a surprising amount of cargo space and the 7-seat configuration converts easily to a flat space with the Flip and Fold seats. The design is very reminiscent of a Station Wagon. Visibility is excellent with the "command seating" view. The driver sits a bit higher than in a typical car. Each row is just a little higher behind the driver.

I've driven the Freestyle on a few long trips and like it. The 3.0 Duratec coupled with the CVT provides more than enough power and acceleration even with a full load.

The Freestyle had an identity problem even within Ford itself. When I would take it in for service, it was always getting confused with the Freestar mini-van or some other "F" named vehicle. It didn't really garner a big production base I think because of the "station wagon" styling and the public's preference for SUVs and Mini-Vans. Personally, I think that it is a great and versatile vehicle that just never caught on with public. Even re-branding it as the Taurus X had little impact on sales from what I could see.

Basically, the wife really likes the Freestyle ... so that means I do too. :D

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/3/BlueMMandFS2.jpg (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1384/title/2703-blue-mm-and-2706-blue-freestyle/cat/3)

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/3/BlueMMandFS3.jpg (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1385/title/2703-blue-mm-and-2706-blue-freestyle/cat/3)

[lji372]

Junk if you like to lay into the throttle.

Sell it quick IMHO

[Green96]

The CVT is basically a Volvo CVT with a good track record. My personal opinion is that any issues with it are probably from Ford's inability to tune it correctly. I think that you will be fine.

[Ken]

We bought a DBP one when I was still married, Ex got custody of it. She recently got rid of it because the CVT was going. She did spend a fortune on the maintenance, she went to a good shop that I had recommended that got the alignment right for the my MM and FastMerc's, and the Stealership couldn't get right and kept prematurely wearing out her tires. They earned her trust. Last fall, the CVT wouldn't shift. She left it parked while exploring options, went back a week later and it worked long enough to get it to the Stealership, since research showed unless you could find a good shop, that was qualified to do it, they just guess and start replacing parts and may not get it fixed. it can get very expensive. Local shops confirmed that. With 150k +/- on it, she traded it in. The vehicle sat in he back of the lot (not for sale) for at least a couple months.

[RoyLPita]

PM me the VIN for an OASIS report.

[lji372]

Sell it quick IMHO



What ^^^^^^ he said :D

[RoyLPita]

They like to wear out rear brake pads first. Go figure.

[MGDriver]

I've never seen a Freestyle in person as they never made it over to Europe but it strongly reminds me of the Australian Territory which is based on the Falcon. Please post more pictures when you can!

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/IMG_1925.jpg