Review of my Ford Freestyle, the wagon version of the Ford 500. (After 3,000 miles of driving.)
I begrudgingly write this mostly positive review for my 2005 Ford Freestyle. I say begrudgingly because I didn’t really like the car the day I bought it, didn’t really like the car in the weeks that followed, and was thought I might not ever like the car. To my surprise, the car is growing on me and on my family.
For most of the last 15 years, my wife and I have been driving Ford trucks (11 years of a Ford Aerostar and 7 years of a Ford Expedition). The Aerostar gave a problem-free 200,000 miles and the Expedition is now my wife’s grocery shopping vehicle at more that 125,000 miles. I loved both vehicles. I felt safe in both due to their weight and stability.
While shopping for a new (or recent year used) vehicle, I developed a six criteria to help narrow down the search. There criteria are in any order of importance as all were equally important to the purchase.
1. Safety.
First, the car needed to be safe not only for me, but in three years when I will be giving it to my oldest son for his first car. The car is intended to get him though two years of high school and at least four years of college. The pre-2005 SUVs still tend to roll over too easily (for new drivers) and so for the first time in twenty years I considered the world of passenger vehicles.
2. Fuel Efficiency.
Second, with gas prices fluctuating between two and three dollars a gallon, I wanted to upgrade from the real-life 15 MPG of both the Expedition and Aerostar to at least 20 MPG (and that number needed to be real-life).
3. Seating for 5 kids.
Third, the vehicle needed to comfortably sit at least 5 kids. We are still at a point in our lives where car pools are a reality. This requirement alone meant we needed a third seat.
4. $20,000 limit before frills and warranty.
New or used, I didn’t want to spend a nickel more on a depreciating asset than necessary. If I have more money, it needs to fund my 401k or my kids’ education.
5. $1,400 limit for the top of the line premium warranty.
Compared to the 1970’s and 1980’s, ALL car brands today are very reliable. There is no doubt that Toyotas, Nissans, and Hondas have better overall track records, but any given car from any given brand could have problems. That is why I bought the premium Ford extended warranty. No bull on the warranty price. This was the top dollar I would pay Ford (or any manufacturer) for their best 100,000 mile 7 year warranty that covers every blessed thing except tire, brake pads, gas, oil, and wipers.
6. AWD or 4WD.
Whatever vehicle I bought needed to have either all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive during rain or snow. All of our vehicles during the last twenty years have had one or the other and I can’t imagine ever buying a vehicle without this feature.
The search.
While on the web I looked at a great many vehicles, I visited dealers selling Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Honda, and Nissan. For a long time, it seemed like I could get everything I wanted for more money or less than I wanted for less money. The search was frustrating. I hate car shopping.
Toyotas (both mini-vans and SUVs) were wonderful, stylish, easy to drive, great acceleration and breaking, and had reasonable gas mileage. But the pricing would have broken the budget so with heavy heart, I continued my search. The same applied to the Honda CRV, and for most everything else I saw.
I was nearly ready to buy a three-year old Explorer or Toyota SUV, but was concerned that by the time I handed the car to my son, that it might have enough miles that it might not last him through college.
I test drove a Freestyle at the end of a long shopping trip almost on a whim. It was smaller than what I am used to. I didn’t feel as safe in it when stopped at an intersection surrounded by SUVs. I could only imagine how easily the car might crumple if rear ended by some drunk in a pickup truck. Even so, I knew I was being less than rational. While a rear-end accident might total the Freestyle, the front-seat passenger was probably pretty safe. In addition, the low center-of-gravity dramatically reduced the probability of a fatal roll-over.
The car met every one of my other criteria. The third row seating not only fit kids, but had enough leg room for adults as well. While the EPA MPG ratings were 19 (city) /24 (highway), various web reviews had the car delivering a real-life 20 MPG. The AWD was there. The low center of gravity gave it a very safe rating with regard to roll-overs. If I could get the price, it just might work.
I visited four Ford dealers who each gave me the choice of either discounting the vehicle from $28,000 to $24,000 or zero percent financing, but not both. In addition, all four dealers pulled the same crap where they sat me down, showed me a book listing the warranty I wanted (the best one) at $3,500 and then offered it to me for $2,400. This was the least pleasurable part of shopping and I almost bought a used SUV instead of the Freestyle.
Even so, there were two reasons I was willing to consider a new car. If I could get BOTH the discount and zero percent financing, my payments would be the same as buying a used car for $16,000 and paying conventional interest. Once the loan was paid off, I would be left with a car with between 35,000 and 40,000 LESS miles on the odometer, and therefore more likely to last through my son’s college years.
In other words, a $24,000 car with zero percent financing is really a car for about $20,000.
I visited a fifth Ford dealer. It took five hours, plus a lunch break in the middle, to negotiate first the price I wanted, then the zero percent financing, then the $1,400 warranty for 100,000 miles and 7 years, and lastly, for them to add the Sirius radio ($150 after rebate,) and the $500 Sirius life-time contract (no monthly charge for me, thank you), into the zero-percent financing package.
The process was exhausting and confirmed my every suspicion that the pricing process is designed to kill any goodwill an educated consumer may have toward any automotive manufacturer.
If the dealer was willing to meet all of my terms over five hours, then they could just have just as well as met the terms five minutes into my visit. I do not feel like I got a great deal. I feel like I had to endure five hours of abuse to arrive at a fair deal. This is not a slam at Ford. It is a slam at every dealer of every brand who will not lead with their best price.
First impressions.
So I pick up the car and drive home. I’m not an auto buff and don’t read car magazines on a regular basis. But compared to the trucks I’ve been driving for the last twenty years, the Freestyle is nimble, the CVT (continuous variable transmission) makes acceleration smooth and quick, and the cruise control works as expected. (I liked the buttons on the Expedition better than the “tabbed” buttons of the Freestyle, but that is a minor nit.) The brakes were more responsive that what I’ve become accustomed to. The steering was precise without being jumpy.
My wife likes that as a passenger, she can specify a different digital temperature than on my side.
The center cup holders are ok. The ones in the doors are barely usable. For cup-holder crazy consumers, an SUV is a better choice.
The third seat folds flat. Not into the floor, but flat none the less. (For into the floor, I guess you need to buy a real SUV or mini-van.) Even with the third seat up, there is a recessed well to place a half-dozen bags of groceries. Very convenient.
When the third seat is folded flat, best to buy a rubber mat from your local auto parts store. The carpeting on the back of the seat seems cheap. You don’t want to risk tearing, staining, or wearing the fabric with whatever you pick up from Home Depot.
Speaking of folding flat, the middle seat and the front passenger seat do as well. Nice for transport of lumber.
Less than a week later, I experience my first flat tire. Unlike my trucks where the full size spares were outside and under the vehicle, the Freestyle’s undersized donut tire in a recessed well under the third seat. Don’t even think of upgrading your spare to a full size tire. The recessed wheel well won’t fit a full sized tire. SOo….. you take off the flat tire, mount the donut, and the filthy, muddy, flat needs to go somewhere but NOT in the undersized wheel well where it won’t fit. Fold down that third seat (No, it won’t fit behind it,) and hope you didn’t stain the back of the carpet.
One piece of good news, as this is a car and not a truck, replacement tires cost less than half of what I pay for tires for my Expedition.
When I first drove the Freestyle, I felt cramped. I’m only five foot five inches tall, but (unlike the Expedition), I have to take off my hat while seated. (Until the car warms up on a winter morning, this is certainly annoying.) At this point, the family has taken trips as long as 260 miles round trip and everyone seemed comfortable even on multiple hour drives.
The second row of seats provide plenty of headroom and legroom for large adults.
I am getting exactly 20 miles per gallon.
The car is so responsive, my typical highway speed has increased from 65 to 70 miles per hour in good weather. It really is pleasant to drive.
The seats.
I am short and have a bad back and so am very critical in this area. The seats in the Freestyle have all the various adjustments and settings of more expensive cars. While I generally prefer the stiffness of many of the higher end Japanese and European cars, the Freestyle seat enable me to sit upright, almost as in an SUV, and pretty comfortably. If not great, they are at least very good.
Style.
This is a very personal issue and one I am least comfortable writing about. (As an engineer, I am even a little embarrassed that my opinion is influenced by looks and not 100% based on functionality.)
I love the looks of my Expedition, my old Aerostar, and almost everything that comes out of Chrysler today. I think the Toyota Sienna is beautiful. I love the current looks of the Ford 500 and Ford Explorer. I loved the looks of my 1976 and 1980 Volvos and my 1986 and 1989 Isuzu Trooper II’s. In other words, you don’t need to be a Corvette or Chrysler 300 to wow me.
But when I look at the Freestyle, all I can think of is “Chevy Vega Wagon.” Ouch. Yuchh.
But style is a very personal thing. My neighbor who just bought a convertible sports car came over to me, complimented the design, and asked if the car was SAAB. Two coworkers came up to me without prompting and said they really like the look of the car.
A dear friend who also owns an expensive sports car convertible test drove the Freestyle around the neighborhood and says he loves both the look and the way it handles, and that I am nuts if I don’t love this thing. Oh well.
Music.
The dealer had Circuit City install Sirius. They did a professional job. While audiophiles would probably upgrade the speakers, they are adequate for my purposes. The radio buttons are ok. The big tactile ones on my 1997 Expedition are much easier to use.
The verdict.
I expect to enjoy the driving aspect of this car for three years and then hand the keys to my oldest son. At that point, I’ll probably spend a little more money and purchase a hybrid SUV if the budget allows.
-Leon Roomberg
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
www.roomberg.com
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 20000
Condition: New Model Year: 2005 Model and Options: Ford Freestyle AWD
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