2005 Ford Freestyle SEL AWD Road Test
18 février 2005
par
Rob Rothwell
, Canadian Auto Press
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Headroom and legroom are exceptional in all three rows of seats. Third-row seating is easily accessed by folding and tumbling
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Perhaps the niftiest aspect of the Freestyle's seating arrangement is the split third row seats. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
the second-row buckets forward. If maximum passenger accommodation is important to buyers, the Freestyle is available with a three-position second-row seat in place of the sporty second-row buckets and console configuration.
But perhaps the niftiest aspect of the Freestyle's seating arrangement is the split third row perches. I am sure many hours of mechanical engineering and toil went into designing a mechanism that allows each half of the third row seat to perform a double backflip of sorts, transforming each half into a flat load floor.
The various seating and payload options give rise to exceptional versatility, but that's only part of the owner satisfaction
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The various seating and payload options give rise to exceptional versatility. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
equation. The driving experience is often what sells a vehicle and generates brand loyalty. The Freestyle presents a mixed bag of goods in this regard.
Powering it is a 3.0-litre Duratec DOHC V6, capable of spinning out 203 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. These are not impressive figures for an all-wheel drive vehicle weighing in at 1,865-kg (4,112-lbs) and outstretching many midsize SUVs. However, Ford claims that the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) maximizes the efficiency of its engine's output, boosting the effective horsepower to 250 or so.
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