For the family looking to get away from the minivan look while managing to keep the 'coolness' factor of an SUV, Ford Freestyle delivers the roominess and safety that the original crossovers aimed for.
The crossover segment is a mixed nuts category that can include traditional wagons, small SUVs and other vehicles which really do not fall into any one single category. For the consumer this is a good thing as vehicles actually manage to cross the lines between segments while delivering the very best characteristics of those cars. Ford's Freestyle achieves this goal as well as any vehicle.
Combining the key traits of minivans and SUVs in the wagon design, Freestyle, with its three rows of seating and roomy cabin, delivers everything a family would need. From a flexible third-row that folds flat for utility space to hinged doors that open extra wide to allow ease of access to the second row, Freestyle was designed with the family in mind.
Two things Freestyle was not designed to do are heavy towing and zipping aggressively about town. These are about the only downsides to this great crossover wagon. In particular, Freestyle offers side-impact protection thanks to a cross-car tube derived from Volvo's Side Impact Protection System (SIPS). The benefactor of several shared technologies with cousin Volvo, Freestyle also shares its platform with the Volvo XC90 and also shares Volvo's safety and all-wheel drive technology.
All Freestyles feature a single drivetrain configuration: 3.0-liter V6 engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The 203-horsepower V6 performed adequately, but labored noticeably when I had a full passenger load. The CVT allows Freestyle's V6 engine to stay in its power band more than a traditional stepped transmission. Because the CVT offers a seemingly infinite number of drive ratios, this bodes well for fuel economy and smooth shifts around town. Freestyle is offered in FWD models rated at 20/27 mpg city/highway and AWD models rated at 19/24.
Freestyle is offered in three trim levels (SE, SEL and Limited) and can be had with front- or all-wheel drive at each level. Pricing starts at around $25,000 for a front-wheel drive base SE model while the top-of-the-line Limited with all-wheel drive costs around $30,000.
Freestyle's mantra is flexibility, and at the heart of the Freestyle is occupant safety and function. I found the array of innovative storage compartments, variable seating configurations and voluminous cargo capacity a real plus for this crossover..
As you might expect, the driver and front seat passenger are afforded the most head and legroom. Reclining captain's chairs were in my Limited tester, but the second row can be outfitted with a 60/40 split-fold seatback bench to accommodate a seventh passenger.
The third row is highly functional and access requires folding and flipping the second row seats forward. Children and small adults will find access to the third row easily achieved and comfortable to ride in.
I found driving my tester to be as easy to handle as any minivan or SUV. Sightlines are clear and the Freestyle is fairly nimble and offered a pleasing road characteristic on the highway.
My Limited offered 18-inch alloy wheels, an audiophile sound system and full power accessories. I appreciated the leather-wrapped steering wheel with auxiliary audio controls, automatic headlights, foglights, heated side mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a trip computer dual-zone auto climate control.
My suggested add-ons for the Freestyle are the $1,995 Navagation System as well as the $995 DVD Entertainment System. Both options will pay for themselves in convenience alone over long road trips.
At the end of the day, Freestyle continues the industry trend in crossover development. With the fresh design of Freestyle, families can go wherever they please with only the phantoms of minivan and SUVs in the shadows.
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