Road Test
It's telling that Ford gave this "crossover" car-based sport-ute a name that starts with the letter F. Ford's SUVs have names that start with the letter E (Escape, Explorer, Expedition, Excursion), so Ford must consider this seven-passenger vehicle to be genetically closer to its F-named carline (Focus, Five Hundred, 2006 Fusion).
The Freestyle seems to fall into the same vague category as the Chrysler Pacifica. It straddles the line between SUV and minivan, claiming to offer the advantages of both while leaving behind the disadvantages. To simplify matters, we classify the Pacifica and the Freestyle as SUVs. The Freestyle will appeal to shoppers who want minivan practicality hidden by sport-ute duds. Whether the formula will find new buyers or cannibalize Explorer sales remains to be seen.
Based on the modified Volvo platform that also lies beneath the Ford Five Hundred sedan and Mercury Montego twin, the Freestyle lacks the body-on-frame construction of traditional SUVs like the Explorer. Instead, the Freestyle gets the lightweight and rigid unibody construction of modern cars. It's 10.2 inches longer and 2.3 inches wider than an Explorer but smaller than the super-size Expedition. Unlike the Pacifica or the new crossover vans from GM--the Buick Terraza, the Saturn Relay--or the old minivan-based SUVs from GM--the Pontiac Aztek, the Buick Rendezvous--the Freestyle isn't based on a minivan platform, and since it isn't related to a minivan, the proportions and styling don't scream "Mommy!" to the world.
What former minivan owners who get into the Freestyle will immediately notice and appreciate is the low step-in. The Freestyle has a low floor, and there isn't a whole lot of ground clearance; actually, it barely sits any higher than the Five Hundred sedan, so off-roading probably isn't in the cards. Once inside, you'll find seats that are perched high off the floor, providing the seating position so many drivers find as comforting as hot cocoa. Despite the Freestyle's car roots, you'll still be able to see over that pesky compact out front.
The Freestyle isn't as commodious as a minivan, but there are three rows that will seat seven. Even when it's filled to capacity, there is a useful amount of space for cargo behind the third row--something the Pacifica cannot claim. Folding or raising the third row is intuitive and requires little effort. It's as simple to use as any minivan's. Put down the third and second rows, and there's enough room to store 57 cases of beer (that's 1368 bottles); perfect for moving your child into the dorm.
The Freestyle offers an exterior that looks butch enough not to embarrass you or the kiddies when you pick them up after school. There's a long SUV-like snout that protrudes far enough so no one will confuse this for a Freestar, and the tame front-end styling borders on anonymous. To soothe the nervous parent, there's all-wheel drive, adding $1700 to the bottom line, side-impact and curtain airbags that protect all three rows for $695, and a Volvo-inspired crash structure that costs nothing extra.
Power comes from Ford's familiar DOHC 3.0-liter V-6 that does duty in the Five Hundred. The engine's 203 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque work well enough in smaller vehicles, but in the Freestyle the relatively small mill has 4190 pounds and the friction of an all-wheel-drive system to put into motion. Supposedly, a 3.5-liter version of the engine is on the way. In the meantime, making the most of the available power is a ZF continuously variable transmission that has an infinite spread of ratios between a lowest "gear"--2.47:1--and a 0.41:1 top ratio.
