 Video highlights of this vehicle
What Is It?
2005 Ford Freestyle
What's Special About It?
Ford already has the leader in the SUV market with its popular Ford Explorer, and now it hopes to revolutionize the crossover market as well. The all-new Ford Freestyle is a seven-passenger vehicle that the company claims was engineered as a crossover from the ground up.
Riding on the successful Volvo S80 platform (now shared with the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego), the Freestyle is intended to appeal to SUV, minivan and sedan owners alike. With three rows of seating (with options for six or seven passengers), the interior can be configured up to 12 different ways, proving convenient for both people and cargo. Both the second- and third-row seats fold flat to create a flat load floor, and the front passenger seat folds forward as well to extend the cargo load length.
The Freestyle is available in both front-wheel- and all-wheel-drive (a Volvo system which is shipped from Sweden) versions, with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) as the only transmission. All Freestyles are powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine which produces 200 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. Safety features include an adaptive steering column, dual-level driver and passenger front airbags and optional seat-deployed side airbags for driver and front passenger, as well as optional side-impact airbags and a rollover curtain safety canopy that covers all three rows of seating.
Family-oriented features include a DVD entertainment system with wireless headphones and remote control, a reverse-sensing system, adjustable second-row seats (six-passenger only) and a plethora of cupholders and storage bins.
What's Edmunds' Take?
Family vehicles that don't look like minivans are gaining in popularity, and SUV versatility remains as popular as ever. The Freestyle offers polished exterior looks, good fuel economy and 34 percent more cargo space behind its third-row seat than Chrysler's Pacifica competitor. Need we say more? — Kelly Stennick
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