2005 Ford Freestyle consumer reviews

I traded in my Honda CR-V for the Freestyle. I bought it brand new and have been very happy with it. It is a very good riding car; comfortable and predictable. I have been averaging 20-21 mpg in 18 months driving. Rear seat access is better than the other crossovers and SUVs I looked at; especially the Highlander. I really like the CVT; smooth running.

After nearly 20 years of owning imports, I purchased a rental return 2005 Freestyle SE FWD after looking at various (not so mini) minivans. Liked the versatility, 7 passenger seating with second row bench, and most of all the handling. Rides and handles like a dream - so quiet on the highway that I have to use cruise control regularly to avoid major speeding. FWD model gets great gas mileage for its size - over 30 mpg fully loaded on rural highways with high teens in city driving. A bit slow off the line unless you punch the accelerator, hurting your gas mileage, but midrange acceleration and hill climbing ability is very good. The CVT trasmission keeps the engine pulling steadily up a hill without a jerky and noisy downshift. As a new model with new transmission reliability is unknown, but the 3.0L engine has a long track record. If you take one for a test drive, you'll be surprised. I was.

Billed originally as the next generation's mini-van, the 2005 Freestyle is really an updated version of the 60's station wagons we were raised in. I opted away from the mini-van staple configuration that had a fries and cokes lounge in middle of the second row seating-- taking a 60-40 split bench instead and loving the configuration more than a year later. The easily modified third-row seating is ample enough for two adults without being so difficult to access that you're inspired not to try. AWD and leather were a must and the driving compartment lays out well to the eye. Controls for the sound system and cruise control on the wheel are a safety feature, the ability to play MP3 files was a welcome addition to the sound system, and there's plenty of available storage in places that seem to make sense. The car is a little underpowered if you've loaded four or more adults inside and want to travel uphill-- but not so bad that you feel unsafe driving. The mileage is less than advertised but also not horrible-- my AWD model averages around 20-21 in combined driving consistently (though I drive alone frequently so it isn't hauling a lot of additional weight to drag the mileage down). Generally speaking, this car does what is was designed to do... provide a decent level of comfort in a crossover style cab that doesn't either skimp or splurge on the things most folks want. At around $30K it was a far better value, in my mind, than paying $5K to $8K more for an import that looked and behaved similarly.