coldcranker

The EPA runs a website to see what people are posting for Freestyle gas mileage. I hope some of you put their experience in there, since the sample size is currently extremely low. To add your own, register at: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do And to view the Freestyle data, you can use: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm There have been reported MPG variations on Freestyles that boggle the mind on the posts here and on other post sites. Some people claim they can't get better than 16 mpg no matter how sweetly they drive. I'm wondering if there are some engines/trannys/bearings out there being made with tolerances that are too tight and cause internal friction which eats gas. Anyway, Ford would never tell, but we have the EPA website to show us the average real-world MPG numbers for Freestyles.

Freestyle has the best safety. See http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx and you'll notice that Mariner and the SportTrac are worse than the Freestyle. Also, Mariner and SportTrac rolls over more. That being said, if you have cargo that needs to go into a pickup truck bed, the SportTrac is the one. You do give up gas mileage with that choice, however. Its a gas guzzler. Also, you can't get a CVT transmission, that the Freestyle has, in the other vehicles. I love that CVT. Incredibly smoothe operation and optimally efficient. Also, the more I learn about the Duratec V6, the more I like it. They've been refining the Duratec for over 10 years now. I'm an engineer (mechanical/aerospace/software) and I'm noticing the Freestyle is built with much more sophistication than the SportTrac, and it edges out the Mariner. The SportTrac is crude (handling, steering, ride). The SportTrac will get the Ford Explorer's independent rear suspension for the '07 model year, so that helps some, anyway.

The 500/Montego/Freestyle are all great laser-welded, Volvo-derived vehicles. My Freestyle is at 2000 RPM at 70 mph with the CVT, the same as your experience in the non-stationWagon version with the 6-speed. I have been getting 25 mpg with 75% highway driving over the last 3 tanks. Remember, as speeds rise, air drag on the body increases greatly, dropping gas mileage big-time. Buy it, I say. This is a big vehicle architecture that is a real value.

Ford is really going to have a LOT of choice in the SUV size area of the Ford Explorer and Freestyle when the Edge comes out, since the Edge is actually close to the Freestyle in size. And on top of that, the Escape is available, and in a hybrid version, too. Ford will be looking good soon. However, they really need a mini-van with a better reputation.

Ralph Greene, The Fusion is a lighter vehicle than the 500, and hence will accelerate faster than a 500 with a similar engine.

Where is the advertising? It is there, but not much. The reason is due to the demographics targeted. Young kids are going to buy other vehicles. The ad budget at Ford goes into more emotional purchases, the typical decision-making factor of younger buyers. The way people shop for Freestyles is likely to be more methodical. First, a future Freestyle owner makes a decision to get a new vehicle, goes to dealers and/or reads Consumer Reports, Motor Trend, Car and Driver, googles reviews, etc. In other words, they deliberately do a little research and will find the right vehicle because they know where to find them and probably wouldn't be swayed much anyway by whether or not there is a cool ad out for the Freestyle. Younger buyers are very image-conscience and might be swayed about the "cool factor", communicated through hip music, attractive models, etc. A case in point is Volvo's ad campaign for their S40 where they had black people looking cool and rapping about -- what else -- the Escalade fighter: THE Volvo S40. :D Previously, post #9977 said: