8th Jan 2007, 21:31
I thought I would point out the above is inaccurate.
Titan and Armada had problems, but they were NOT the cause for Nissan's then-decline as the trucks came out AFTER Nissan got in trouble. This is FACT.
And prove that Ford's reliability is "unquestioned" because I would certainly question it after my Focus went into the dealership for the TENTH time.
And Nissan might end up buying Ford (helps if you actually read some auto magazines before posting).
21st Jan 2007, 14:53
Just wanted to correct the statement that the new Edge replaced the Freestyle. It didn't. The Edge may be a companion in the Crossover market for Ford, but the Freestyle remains in production. The Edge appears to be smaller, albeit more powerful. But if you still want to haul 6 or 7 people, or a chunk of cargo without going the full-size SUV or Mini-van route, the Freestyle is still your rig.
22nd Jan 2007, 09:01
Sorry, you are wrong. The Freestyle is going away.
Here is just one article I found, this one from autobytel.com last month:
"The automaker released a sketch this week of the new 2007 Ford Edge, which will go up against the Pontiac Torrent when it arrives on the market next year."
"The Edge replaces the Freestyle in Ford’s lineup."
13th Feb 2007, 18:03
The Edge is not replacing the Freestyle, in 2008 the Freestyle is going to be renamed TaurusX and is going to have the 3.5 liter and a six speed trans.
14th Feb 2007, 09:50
Ford, like all in-trouble auto makers, screwed up its marketing again. They suddenly realized the Taurus brand had a lot of equity and so are renaming the Ford Five Hundred with a Taurus brand as well as the Freestyle. VW just did this in America by renaming the Golf the Rabbit and sales went up 89%.
The Freestyle is a mistake because the market for minivans is shrinking and Ford's share has always been small relatively speaking. Ford should focus its efforts on crossovers like the Edge since that is the fastest growing mass market.
7th Mar 2007, 15:31
The TaurusX will get the Edge's engine and transmission allowing it tow up to 3500lbs.
I believe the earlier poster who criticized the Murano is mistaken. Our Murano is a very reliable, smooth, and comfortable CUV compared to our other vehicle, a Ford Windstar. I like to drive the Windstar, but it has many quality issues that Ford failed to resolve. I believe the Ford Edge and Freestyle are better designed and more reliable than the Windstar, but the Freestyle is underpowered and the Edge was not available when we decided to buy another car.
27th Mar 2007, 15:05
I am in the market for a non SUV, non Minivan, and the Freestyle actually fits it to the T. I sorely wish either GM or Ford brought back the real 9 passenger station wagons as they were the most versatile vehicles around, you can seat a family of 9 in them without cramming them in, OR you could go to the lumber yard and fill the back up with enough materials to build a deck. You can't do that with any minivan or SUV that I know of, and I have seen a lot of them.
Right now, the Freestyle is high on the list, but I am hesitant mainly due to the underpowered engine. I may wait to see if Ford really does come out with a higher output engine in this platform. They can call it whatever they want, as long as I can fit my 3 kids, wife and mother in it, without having to be right next to them while driving. If not, then me being a Ford man, will sadly buy a Chrysler Pacifica.
27th Mar 2007, 17:45
Why the Pacifica? It presents the same problem you want to avoid - underpowered for the weight. The vehicle itself is supposed to be good, and as a market failure is very affordable with huge discounts, but its engine is unable to successfully cope with its large girth.
15th Jan 2010, 14:13
Hello. If anybody is still in here, I am thinking about buying a used Canadian Ford 2006 Freestyle. It has been well maintained by the owner, who has new brakes and rotors etc. Lots of new parts, but has 175,000 kms on it. The price is above 7 grand. It being Canada, that's a low price for any Freestyle. Is a Freestyle with that many highway Kms on it a good idea?
Thanks.
17th Sep 2010, 15:06
I have an 06 Freestyle with 127,000kms on it. Nothing wrong with mine, just ensure the transmission has been serviced properly with the correct fluids and filters or it will screw up.
My extended warranty ended up putting in a new tranny in mine, because a FORD dealer put the wrong fluid in it and then tried to blame me.
Otherwise, very happy with it, and it's not really underpowered; just feels slower than others, mainly because of the CVT transmission.
Hope it helps!
8th Jan 2007, 16:41
We drove a Murano and were not at all impressed. Also, with Nissan's recent near-bankruptcy due to massive reliability problems with the Titan and Armada we decided to steer clear of them. We LOVE the Freestyle. It is such a great blend of SUV and car (Actually, it's a station wagon as far as I'm concerned, and I have no problem with that). Ford's reliability is unquestioned, and they now rank ahead of Toyota and Honda. Congrats on a great vehicle!! I hope you get as much great service from your Ford as we have from ours (one of which went 320,000+ miles with only routine maintenance).