NHTSA awards Freestyly top five star crash test rating Available all-wheel drive means driving confidence.
Total Package
Freestyle one-ups most of its competition in several ways, especially at the price. For one, it's a brilliant job of packaging a great deal of people and cargo space into a maneuverable, modest-sized body. Three-row seating is standard, with actual adult-size room in the third row. The majority of others either doesn't offer third-row seats or charge extra for them, and few have back-row room really suitable for grown-ups.
Freestyle rides on a sophisticated Volvo-derived platform (Ford owns Volvo as part of its Premier Automotive Group) with available AWD and state-of-the-art safety technology. Its 3.0-liter DOHC 24-valve aluminum V-6 (which meets very tough Federal Tier II, Bin 5 and California LEV II standards for low-emission vehicles) is not the most powerful in class at 203 hp and 207 lb.-ft. of torque, but its smooth CVT (continuously variable transmission) makes it both livelier and more fuel-efficient than it would be with a conventional automatic.
Because the CVT lets the engine seek its most efficient rpm, you'll hear it race ahead of vehicle speed during brisk acceleration, but it's usually transparent as it goes about its work with no shifts interrupting the smooth power flow.
Inside News
The front buckets, covered in fabric or with optional leather trim, provide good lumbar and lateral support, the second row offers a choice of reclining buckets or a 60/40 split-folding bench, and optional adjustable tracks for the buckets can increase legroom. Third row room is enhanced by a raised rear roof and second-row seatbacks designed to maximize third-row foot space. No competitive vehicle offers as much combined 3-row passenger room, and Freestyle's second- and third-row legroom and third-row knee clearance are best in class. The base Freestyle SEL rides on 17-inch aluminum wheels and boasts 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, mirrors and locks, remote keyless entry, 6-way power driver's seat, fold-flat second-row bucket seats, third-row bench and front passenger seat, and AM/FM/CD stereo with 6-disc, in-dash changer. A convenient covered storage bin sits atop the instrument panel, the first-row console has a convenient 12V power outlet, a convex "conversation mirror" lets the driver keep an eye on rear passengers, and an optional overhead console provides room for sunglasses and garage door openers. Also included on the SEL are fog lamps, heated mirrors, electronic message center, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
The top-of-the-line Limited sports all SEL content with 18-inch bright aluminum wheels and a monochromatic exterior, plus dual-zone climate control, 8-way power heated driver's seat with memory, 4-way power heated front passenger seat, perforated leather trimmed seating, 50/50 split third row bench seat and an Audiophile sound system.
Major options include power adjustable pedals with memory, AWD with traction control, DVD Family Entertainment System with two wireless headphones, 7-passenger seating with a 60/40 split second-row bench, auxiliary climate control, reverse sensing system, a moon roof and satellite navigation.
Safety Dynamics
Completing the crossover equation is sport-sedan-style dynamics, thanks to the "Volvo inspired" architecture's fully independent suspension and torsional rigidity. Its responsive handling and surprising agility result from a carefully tuned combination of front MacPherson struts, coil-over rear shocks, rack-and-pinion steering and optimized suspension geometry all around, and its ABS braking system features aluminum dual-piston front calipers.
The available AWD uses an electronically controlled, electro-hydraulic Haldex limited-slip coupling ahead of the rear differential to transfer virtually all available torque to the rear wheels whenever the front wheels slip. Electronic controls gather information from the ABS system and other sensors to enable the system to react within 50 milliseconds-much faster and more seamlessly than viscous-coupling systems, and available traction control provides side-to-side torque transfer.
Freestyle pays particular attention to side-impact protection, thanks in part to extensive computer crash modeling that allowed engineers to optimize its energy-management structures, which include side pillars laser-welded to redirect crash forces underneath the seats. This energy is further channeled through a cross-car tube. As part of the Freestyle "Command" seating configuration, the front seats are mounted atop this tube, which has the added benefit of creating airline-style foot room for second-row passengers.
Ford's patented Personal Safety System adds new features to enhance impact protection. Using information from weight and impact sensors in the front passenger seat, it can choose from one of two deployment speeds or suppress the bag altogether. Ford also breaks new ground with Freestyle's innovative adaptive steering column, which is designed to collapse horizontally at two different speeds depending on whether the driver is belted. In addition, the driver side airbag deployment is tailored to the driver's seat position on its track. New for 2007, front-seat, side-impact airbags and Ford's Safety Canopy™, designed to provide side-impact and rollover protection for all three rows, will be standard on all Freestyles. Freestyle looks right at home between the smaller car-based Escape and larger truck-based Explorer in the Ford SUV family. |
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