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When equipped with the same drivetrain, the Freestyle should drive like a Five Hundred with 295 extra pounds of fat in its hind end. The Freestyle runs on all the same parts as its sedan equivalent, which means it shares the same nice steering, same boring-but-pleasant handling, same firm brakes, and same composed ride. Aside from the same road noise, you'll hear the same absence of the same other sounds. None of this is much of a coincidence, since they're both based on the same set of Volvos.
The one distinct difference over our tested Five Hundred is this Freestyle's Continuously Variable Transmission, which comes standard on specific Five Hundreds and all Freestyles. Once a niche technology limited to small-engined economy cars, the CVT has made its way into more serious machines like the Audi A4, Nissan Murano, and now these Fords. Unlike standard automatic transmissions that usually have four or five fixed gear ratios, CVTs are free to select any ratio they please. Freedom means choice. Choice is good. Also, the Freestyle's ratios span the range from 2.47 (think of it as "low gear") to 0.41 ("high gear"), forming a wide spread of more than 6 to 1. Wide means flexible. Flexible is good.
Everyone on Earth knows the acceleration process as a series of engine revs rising and falling - the falling being caused by the transmission's upshifts. But in the Freestyle, the engine instantly spins to a high speed and just stays there for a while, then gradually settles down as the CVT adjusts its ratios. It's an unfamiliar sensation that might feel wrong in the heads of those who associate shifting with progress. It's a little like visiting Hawaii and realizing it's possible for rain and hot weather to mix.
But nevermind what your mind tells you because technically, a CVT is better. The absence of big steps lets you forget about bad habits like the computer jolting all passengers on a downshift after choosing the wrong gear - an acute problem in many Ford automatics, by the way. With a CVT, stab the pedal all you want and expect seamless acceleration all the time. Once up to speed, its mapping isn't too different from a normal automatic's: almost floor it and revs rise a bunch; floor it completely and the tach zings to redline. The verdict: the CVT works! The only disappointment was our 20 MPG average - two less than our Five Hundred. Maybe this shouldn't be a surprise, considering how biased this CVT is in favor of high revs.
The other difference between our tested Five Hundred and Freestyle was this Freestyle's P215/65R17 tires. In hard driving these slightly smaller, narrower, higher-profile tires squeal noticeably earlier than the 18-inchers on the Limited trim line of both cars (maybe in part because the 18-inchers are better Pirellis?), but they still have enough grip for a responsibly-driven family hauler.
Speaking of enough, I described this Ford Taurus-sourced engine as "adequate" in the Five Hundred. That may be too generous a ruling for the Freestyle, in part because of the extra poundage, in part because most people reportedly order them with all-wheel-drive (more poundage), and because choosing a wagon reflects different needs than choosing a sedan. Our Freestyle's power served me fine, but a father driving an AWD Freestyle with his wife, five half-pints, a stuffed cargo load, and the air conditioner running would find himself short on engine and patience. Until somebody drops the Crown Vic's V8 in here, anyone looking to get any real work done will be flocking to the Dodge Magnum.
To enter any Ford SUV you climb up into the seat; with their cars you duck and fall into a hole. Not so in the Freestyle. Here you open the door, do a sideways slide, and enjoy a stature on the road that lets you see over any car without being the big jerk blocking everyone's view. Call it an agreeable compromise.
The Five Hundred is remarkable for how well it seats five. In the Freestyle, the first four passengers will feel the same way; the rest is a wild card. Freestyles come standard with 2+2+2 seating. That middle 2 becomes a "3" if you get the middle-row bench, but that makes third-row access awkward since the Freestyle isn't a mom-mobile minivan with long sliding doors (that would be the Freestar). Each row sits a few inches higher than the one before it to minimize claustrophobia (Ford calls it "theater seating"), but the third row's floor got raised disproportionately, leaving thigh support wanting. Since leg- and head-room are both fine, let's say the Freestyle does an adequate job seating six adults and an excellent job seating four adults and two kids.
Everyone's head restraint goes up high enough for safety and low enough for perfect driver vision. Like the better minivans, the Freestyle also has a third row seat that you can knock out of the way in two steps. The second row and passenger seat also fold flat; do it all and the 91.7-foot cube is yours to fill. By not making these seats removable, Ford missed an opportunity to lure shoppers away from those 150 cubic foot minivans, but 91.7 is competitive as far as wagons and SUVs go.
Front passengers are treated to an interior nearly identical to the Five Hundred's, which is a functional if slightly cheap place. The radio could be better from both a sonic and ergonomic standpoint, the cruise and radio controls on the steering wheel (which both need help) should switch places, and some things either feel unpleasing to the eye or flimsy to the touch. But the seats are comfortable, the leather wheel is plush, most switches feel solid, the console is roomy, the air vents look cool, and best of all, the instrumentation of our SEL model is much easier on the eyes than the Five Hundred Limited.
Equipment strata mirror the Five Hundred, with the SEL adding leather steering wheel with radio controls and leather shift knob, 6-disc MP3 CD changer, trip computer with message center, electrochromic mirror, heated mirrors, wood trim, fog lights, unique wheels, and chrome-surround grille. The Limited adds perforated leather seats, second-row floor console (unless you get the middle bench), Audiophile stereo, outside temperature display, puddle lamps and memory for the outside mirrors, 18-inch wheels, and body-color cladding. DVD for the kiddies costs $995. Side and side-curtain air bags for all passengers - unacceptably optional in a family car - costs $695 in the Safety Package. Sorry, no navigation here.
It was a little shocking to learn that the base Freestyle SE starts at $25,670, or $2,875 above a Five Hundred SE. The SEL and Limited are $27,070 and $29,070, respectively. Haldex all-wheel-drive (the same one Volvos use) is another $1,800 for the SE and SEL, $2,000 on the Limited.
Chryslers comprise the Freestyle's closest competition. The strippo, limp-engined version of the Pacifica starts at $25,245, but the Pacifica Touring is a much-higher $28,895. Likewise, you could get an intolerably slow Dodge Magnum SE for $22,695, but the 3.5-liter Magnum SXT takes a jump to $29,025, and then you're stuck with all-wheel-drive. Due to its sloping roofline, no Magnum can touch the Freestyle's cargo space. The 6-cylinder Volkswagen Passat and Subaru Outback wagons are too diminutive to compete but are worth mentioning just to point out their arrogant $32,000+ price tags. Maybe the Freestyle is as good a deal as the Five Hundred after all.
It gets even better if we can cross categories. And why not - the Freestyle is a "crossover," right? Because it costs thousands less than Ford Explorer and company - which is a lot of company - think of buying a Freestyle as getting paid to drive something that fits just as much stuff, seats just as many people, handles with more agility, rattles the kids less over bumps, weighs less, sucks less gas, and doesn't threaten to land on its roof when you change direction.
However you want to categorize it, the Freestyle has a lock on its niche market: people too smart to buy an SUV.
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