I just purchased a 2007 freestyle with 5700 miles for half the price of a new one. My 2000 x is getting tired and the mileage was killing us. we love the freestyle and is has plenty of room for the family. this was a concern. I am now looking at converting the x to a powerstroke from the v10 to keep for long trips where we need the extra room for luggage etc. would recomend the freestyle, you will not be dissapointed.
OK, I'm a bit late to this thread, but I've got an 06 Freestyle AWD with CVT and I love it. It does go great in the snow, and we've got two kids, but sometimes will be shuttling around family and friends such that all seats are taken, and it does a great job. In town mileage is not so great, around 18. However this is a seven passenger vehicle, so what does one expect? I have taken some highway trips where I have averaged 26 -27 mpgs. With the CVT, if you can keep the speed down a bit (~70 maybe) the CVT has a nice tall final gear ratio that can deliver great mileage for such a big vehicle. Plus I have hauled some bulky items in the back with the back two rows folded down, no problem. I highly recommend it.
Just picked up an '08 Taurus X, and it's the same as the Freestyle, except for the tranny. I only have 200 miles experience with the new one, but I don't like that transmission already.
The Freestyle's CVT was light years ahead of this one - when I came to a hill or something, a little pressure on the loud pedal, and up we went. With this one, a little pressure gives - nothing - a little more pressure, still nothing, then a bunch of pressure and we're downshifting and revving like crazy. It feels like it's a 4-cylinder or something. Maybe a top-end run will show the 3.5's supposed extra 60 HP, but for general cruisng around, it's not impressing me.
And, while the CVT wasn't the greatest at holding you back when going down a steep'ish hill, it was a nuance I could live with. This one has an Overdrive cutout button on the side of the shifter, but even in "cutout" mode, it doesn't really hold you back very well. I think they should have kept the CVT.
I agree with you completely, the CVT is lightyears ahead of a coventional auto, the lack of downshifts is a huge plus in my book.
The problem is (from what I've been told) that the CVT was only designed to handle 221 lb-ft of torque and would have taken some pretty significant investment to be able to handle the 3.5s ~250 lb-ft. And most people are just accustomed to convetional auto and just can't wrap their minds around the CVT.
But I agree with you totally, once you become used to the CVT, going back to a conventional auto makes you feel like you're taking a step back into the stone ages.
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