2008 Ford Freestyle

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After canceling plans for a Mercury version, Ford decided instead to give a new front end to the Freestyle for the 2008 model year.
The car will come out in early 2007.
And of course, this time, the new 3.5 Liter V6 will be standard.

The changes look pretty nice (although this is just an illustration).

By the way, I have been driving a Freestyle for the last couple of days. And although I like the “friendly family car look”, I don’t enjoy driving it.

More on this in a few days when I post my test drive.

Conversation 18 comments

  1. am i the only one that wonders why ford needs this and the edge ? seems way to close to one another let alone the explorer, ok i can see the diff. from the volvo based 500 and the mazda based fusion, but this volvo and mazda cuv are just to close in size and price for my liking.. then in 2 years we will have the fairlane, you guessed it same damn size and price ! the fairlane is “hot” but a minivan its not ( cuv )! and while were at it lets make the escape bigger and pricer and well have 16 vehicles same size same price and wonder why we are failing in the marketplace !

  2. ok here is why ford is f*ucking up !! too many vehicles in the same size-price catergory for sale in the usa (people movers)
    1 volvo xc90
    2 mazda cx7
    3 escape
    4 freelander
    5 edge
    6 freestyle
    7 explorer
    8 mountaineer
    9 aviator (mkx)
    10 fairlane (soon)
    11 mercury meta one (perhaps)
    12 volvo xc50 (soon)
    13 mairiner
    14 freestar
    15 villager
    16 sport track
    yes the meta got cancelled for now, but you never know, hey ford lets not put all our eggs in one basket please !
    how about a bunch of small excellent mpg cars, cause that is what the market is requesting right now ! today ! and they aint wanting
    the focus too much , too old ugly and outdated !

  3. It looks much better w/ the new grille. I’ve always thought that it looks too much like a hearse. Can you imagine…driving your family around in a hearse!!! That’s why it hasn’t been selling!

  4. the freestyle sells very well, thank you very much

    i hear ford might even put a v8 in it.
    the real american wagon is back.
    a much better choice than the weird and overpriced imports. like the gay looking mercedes r

    this is a top quality car.

    if you have kids and want to impress your neighboors, get this

  5. Poor Ford,keep recycling Suv’s and what not. I agree with what poster #2 said,there’s too much f*cking SUV’s and CV’s that will not sell.

    Also the Freestyle is NOT a best seller, this will be scrapped after the Edge comes in.

  6. Douchebag- you are a fucking cocksucker who knows absolutely zero about cars. Ford is not putting a V8 in the Freestyle. Go fuck yuorself and stop posting

  7. Edge: 2 rows of seats, midsize hatchback shape – Freestyle: 3 rows of roomy seats (yes, even the 3rd row) and square-er, near full-size ‘wagon’ (about a foot longer than Edge).

  8. I agree, the Freestyle and the Edge are not in the same market.
    But.. The Freestyle has pretty heavy discounts.
    So prices won’t be that different.

    As I said, I’ve been driving one, and would never consider buying one.
    But the Fusion is great, so I expect the Edge to be as good as the Fusion. Which is miles ahead of the poor Freestyle.

  9. Not in the same market ? sorry vince you are wrong ! all these vehicles have
    the same mission, 2 adults 2.2 kids and there stuff
    a minivan, station wagon, suv and cuv all have one thing in common, “”people movers””
    it aint about 5, 6, 7 or 8 passenger volume, this market is for moving people and there stuff !
    and except for perhaps the aviator (mkx) all of them can be had for 26k on average, with heavy rebates
    or fully loaded options so yepo there all going after the same dollar, and the sad thing is
    ford is so worried about the competition when actually there are competing with themselves way too much !

  10. not in the same market ? sorry vince you are wrong ! all these vehicles have
    the same mission, 2 adults 2.2 kids and there stuff
    a minivan, station wagon, suv and cuv all have one thing in common, “”people movers””
    it aint about 5, 7 or 8 passenger volume, this market is for moving people and there stuff !
    and except for perhaps the aviator (mkx) all of them can be had for 26k on average, with heavy rebates
    or fully loaded options ( escape ) so yepo there all going after the same dollar, and the sad thing is
    ford is so worried about the competition when actually there are competing with themselves way too much !

  11. I don’t know why they didn’t do this (slap the 3-bar grill) a year and a half ago when they introduced the Freestyle/500.

    I’m not liking all these “niche” vehicles. They don’t differenciate themselves much from each other, and the everybody seems to have to choose from multiple products from the same brand lineup.

  12. Vince may often be wrong, but he’s right about this; These cars: (1 volvo xc90
    2 mazda cx7
    3 escape
    4 freelander
    5 edge
    6 freestyle
    7 explorer
    8 mountaineer
    9 aviator (mkx)
    10 fairlane (soon)
    11 mercury meta one (perhaps)
    12 volvo xc50 (soon)
    13 mairiner
    14 freestar
    15 villager
    16 sport track are NOT in the SAME market! Prices from low $20’s to low $50’s; 4wd/Awd/Fwd/Rwd, unibody-vs-body-on-frame; minivan/sedan/wagon/SUV; pavement-only-vs-off road; foreign -vs- domestic. Towing (HD-Explorer) vs Lite-Escape -vs-

  13. It’s amazing how many idiots post bullsh*t when they know so little about that which they speak.

    1) After initial slow sales, Freestyle sales have since outpaced even the explorer. That is why Ford is bringing it back for 2008 you dumb a55es. Don’t believe it, ask your local dealer.

    2) It is not perfect (e.g. excessive road noise), but it is a very useful and practical vehicle, unlike many of the poser vehicles other manufacturers are producing. Like the 500, it’s large doors and higher seats are very user friendly for America’s aging and overweight population. Not to mention that they make access child safety seats easier for families.

    3) Basically it is a slightly less refined volvo at prices middle-class American families can afford. You don’t hear many intelligent individuals question buying a volvo for a family vehicle. I don’t see how Ford can be too far off with this model.

    4) I can also add that I have driven one for 16 months and 52,000 miles. In that time, I have many surprised passengers comment that they would never have considered the vehicle, but after riding in it and seeing how comfortable and practical it is to use, they would seriously consider purchasing one.

    I could go on, but I have probably wasted enough energy on the ignorant and uninitiated.

  14. To the poster who listed all of the “people movers”…last time I checked, all autombiles were people movers. Aside from that, you need to get up to speed. The Villager has been dead for years. The sport TRAC is a body on frame vehicle, as well as the explorer and Mountaineer. The Meta one will never be, and the Freestar is dead. How about doing a little research before making an ignorant statement. I came close to purchasing a 500/Freestyle, but the engine was too noisy. Noisier somehow than my grandmothers 2000 Taurus which has the same engine. Now that the new 3.5 has arrived, I will look again at the end of this year. I like the profile of the Freestyle, and the interior better than the 500’s. I think it needs a better name though. Why Ford would kill a nice name like Zephyr but keep Freestyle is beyond me. My point is, all of the vehicles you mentioned, whether in production now or not, all serve different purposes and can do other things the other ones cant. Its also a matter of style, taste, and need. Other than these vehicles, Ford does have other autombiles. The Fusion, new 08 Focus (still want the euro version), the updated 500, and more is to come. So please do yourself a favor, do some research while you are on the computer, and come back when you have learned something.

  15. I purchased my 2006 Freestyle when the last round of 0% deals were on the table. I work at a Ford dealership in the IT department and to be honest I know little about the car industry. I probably would have never purchased a Ford vehicle if I didn’t work where I do. That being said, I love my Freestyle. I drive 70+ miles a day to and from work and I have never had a problem with road noise. The fuel economy of the vehicle is awesome too; I have never owned a vehicle that averaged 26 or more mpg.
    My only issues with the vehicle are the lack of accessories available and what I feel as incorrect marketing. This is of course my opinion but I have spoken to many admirers of the Freestyle and a lot of us think similarly. The Ford Freestyle could have been marketed as a sport vehicle with more of an outdoor appeal. I know they think it’s a family car but when you look at it from the front it screams, “Get me Dirty,” “Take me to the Mountain.” For example, having to purchase 3rd party equipment for the rack to attach a snowboard mount the Freestyle doesn’t come with a crossbar system.
    I have had to purchase 3rd party mud flaps because the front wheels throw junk directly at the lower panel of the rear doors. It would also be nice to see better grill accessories and a brush guard options similar to the ones for the Outback.
    I know all this stuff sounds silly, but you would think if people had more options to personalize their vehicles they would buy more. It seems to work for other car companies. I mean you can sell a truck with a tailgate ladder and about a thousand other bed options but all the Freestyle gets is floor mats and smart cargo systems oh and bug deflectors woooo!

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