Ford Freestyle 2006 - Comfort and Versatility in a Wagon
I was a teenage mechanic when I decided I would never own a Ford. Dale and I both declared this beneath the shade of the maple tree in front of his house after swapping out the transmission in his Fairlane for the third time one New York summer.
What does Ford stand for?, was an old joke we repeated to each other. “Found on road dead.” “Fixed or repaired daily.”
But, time passes and things change. A Ford is back in my life, now, and our relationship is working out well. I bought a 2006 Ford Freestyle because it fit my needs better than most of the SUVs on the market. It’s a stylish crossover – not a van, but not a full-fledged SUV either – that gets 22-23 mpg around town and just over 25 mpg on the two long drives to visit the litter and then to return to bring home little Jax.
It comes in two flavors, basic and luxury with two choices of drivetrain, all wheel or front-drive only. Unless the few hundred dollars difference in the used version is a major consideration, get the SEL and save by going with the front-wheel drive.
I happened upon a reasonably priced SEL after test driving two other Freestyles. I knew that was the version I wanted after seeing the power leather seats, sunroof and gadget filled, wheel mounted computer that, among other things, calculates gas mileage and miles left in the tank. The 6-CD changer, keyless entry and digital climate control system sealed the deal.
However, the basic model is perfectly useful. Both versions have rear ventilation and front and rear power outlets. Both have roomy interiors with enough cargo deck to ceiling height to accommodate all but the tallest crates. The wheel wells have been minimized so most of the interior space is usable. Two “suitcase” style crates will fit side-by-side providing just the right space for my Belgian Tervurens. Smaller breeds mean you could fit standard wire crates simply by sliding and jiggling them into place.
A drawback to the Freestyle is that unlike its cousins pre-2007 Explorers and Escapes, the rear seats do not fold perfectly level. There’s also an odd hump in the back of one of the second row seats that houses the shoulder harness. I’ve leveled out the rear crates with a length of 2x4, but the harness hump is a challenge if you need a third crate.
The other downside is that the seats are not removable by any normal means. I’ve seen some references online to having a body shop remove the seats, but this doesn’t seem like it gets you much because of the flooring configuration and the fact that the spare tire is stowed inside under the rear deck.
I was willing to accept these drawbacks in exchange for the mileage, comfort and interior versatility. Anyone else might consider these deal killers, especially if they’ve been used to a van or have hopes of building risers for convenience and storage. It may be possible to install risers and custom design crating, but that would not be a job for everyone. And even experts will have a tough time figuring out how to put it together so the spare tire is easily accessible when the inevitable flat occurs.
Still, there’s a lot to like about the Freestyle. Puppy Jax still rides in a small Vari-Kennel safely wedged between the dash and the passenger seat back. But when she is old enough to get her own crate in the back, there’ll be plenty of room for her, EZ-Up, cooler, soft crates and the rest of the show gear.
Perhaps the handiest feature Ford ever offered is the keyless entry. I can lock the key in the car and not worry about losing it. I can also lock the dogs in the car with the AC running, as I did one unbearably hot September day when I absolutely, positively had to make a pit stop.
One or two other points worth noting: The Freestyle rated fairly well on crash tests and Consumer Reports rated the front-wheel drive version as better than average in reliability among used vehicles. I wonder what Dale would have thought about that.
Note: The Freestyle was offered in 2006-2007. Its successor in 2007 was the Ford Taurus X.
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