The Ford Windstar has given way to the Freestar minivan for ’04, which is not to be confused with the Freestyle crossover due out for 2005.
Styling is a little less conservative than that on the Windstar, but you won’t mistake Freestar for anything other than a minivan.
Freestar sports three looks with such things as body-color grilles and bumper fascia (S and SE), black grille and bumper fascia (SES) or chrome grille and bumper fascia strips (SEL/Limited) setting the models apart. Limited also gets two-tone lower body color.
General Motors is trying something different altogether. To blunt the “soccer mom” stigma cited for stalling growth in the segment, the GM offerings for 2005 look very much like sport-utes.
Apparently folks don’t giggle when Mom takes the kids to soccer in a sport-ute, but guffaw when she arrives in a minivan.
But we digress.
Freestar wheelbase and length remain virtually the same, but Freestar is 1.5 inches wider for added shoulder and hip room, and 0.6 of an inch taller for a tad more head room.
The biggest change is inside, where Ford has admitted its mistake in asking folks to remove the rear seat, find a place to store it and then put it back. This chore made few friends and influenced few people, except emergency room doctors who treated the hands and backs of those who attempted to remove seats.
Instead, Ford, like others, has followed the lead of Honda in its Odyssey minivan with a standard third-row seat that flips and folds flat into the floor so you can increase cargo capacity without increasing medical coverage. Pull the cord, press the latch and the seat goes without having to go out.
Or, you can flip the third seat and have it face rearward so soccer moms can sit under the cover of the hatchlid while watching the rugrats cavort on the field. Take note, however, that it looks and feels a bit awkward to have to sit on a headrest, with the seat back having become the seat bottom.
When the seat is left up, the deep open-top bin in the cargo floor carries a variety of items to keep them from flopping around.
To get to the third row, second-row seats flip and fold against the front seat backs to create an aisle.
The second-row seats borrow a feature from the Toyota Sienna minivan, cupholders along the bottom sides of the seats that collapse when a child steps on them and bounce back into shape.
To get into the second row, traditional power sliding doors are located on both sides of Freestar. The power sliders are standard on the top-of-the-line Limited tested, a $900 option if you settle for an SE, SES or SEL. Otherwise you get manual doors on both sides.
The rear liftgate is manually controlled for now. A power liftgate that responds to key-fob commands will be offered later in the model year.
Windstar came with a 3.8-liter V-6 rated at 200 horsepower and 240 foot-pounds of torque. Freestar offers a 3.9-liter V-6 rated at 193 h.p. and 240 foot-pounds of torque, and a 4.2-liter V-6 rated at 201 h.p. and 263 foot-pounds of torque.
The 4.2 is standard in the Limited. It’s smoother, quieter and more energetic off the line or into the passing lane than the 3.8-liter ever was, thanks to the increased torque.
Ride is fairly smooth and more road friendly than it was in Windstar. The suspension has been tuned to be less bouncy over uneven road surfaces. There’s also less body lean in corners, though you won’t mistake handling in a long, slab-sided van for that of a sedan.
Notable safety features include an optional ($695) air-bag canopy system–side bag curtains front to rear that deploy in a side impact and stay deployed for several seconds when sensors detect a pending rollover.
And the front passenger seat incorporates a weight sensor that deactivates the air bag when empty or a child is foolishly placed upfront rather than in back properly belted where he or she belongs.
Also, the standard second-row twin captain’s chairs seem designed by someone who took pains to ensure they properly hold child safety seats easily. A “conversation mirror” folds from the overhead console so driver/front-seat passenger can see the kids in back without turning around.
Also of note, there’s a covered stowage compartment in the top of the dash, a feature that will be found in other Ford products soon; numerous stowage pockets plus cup/bottle (10 total for seven seats), coin, map and whatever holders; and a “kangaroo pouch” below the driver’s seat for maps or gloves.
About the only gripe with the Freestar is that Ford went to great pains to make the buying process complex, starting with a choice of S, SE, SES, SEL and Limited versions, each providing a step up in standard equipment. Option packages add to confusion.
For example, power brake/gas pedals that motor up to 4 inches closer so you don’t have to motor the seat 4 inches closer to the steering column are standard on the Limited.
But in other models, you have to get Value package II at $710 to get the pedals plus heated mirrors with integrated puddle lamps and turn indicator arrows in the glass.
Value package III sounds like it should offer at least I more item than II, but offers only a Homelink garage door opener and perimeter anti-theft system. III runs $240.
Then there’s an Active Safety package in I or II versions. Package I at $730 includes AdvanceTrac and traction control and panic brake assist. Ad-vanceTrac uses sensors that detect potential loss of lateral control and automatically apply anti-lock brakes (standard in all models) or regulate throttle control or both to keep the vehicle moving in the direction pointed. Panic braking sensors help apply brakes at full force when an emergency is detected, such as sudden deceleration.
Active Safety package II runs $975 and adds a reverse-sensing system that gives an audible warning of objects behind when backing up.
But Active Safety package I is being discounted by $395 in some regions of the country for the ’04 model year while package II is being discounted by $750. Chicagoland is one of the regions that gets the discount. If Ford can afford a $750 discount, why price it at $975 to begin with?
When it comes to Freestar ordering, a Ford insider said, “It’s complicated, and we’re gonna fix it.”
Hopefully soon.
Too many letters and Roman numerals mean too much time and too much money trying to equip the vehicle.
Base price on the Limited is a hefty $32,945–before adding any I, II or IIIs.
One option not on the test vehicle was a DVD entertainment system at $1,395 and is a must if you travel with little kids and want to avoid the mind-numbing “Are we there yet?” questions.
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TEST DRIVE
2004 Ford Freestar Limited
Wheelbase: 120.8 inches
Length: 201 inches
Engine: 4.2-liter, 201-h.p. V-6
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 16 m.p.g. city/23 m.p.g. highway
Base price: $32,945
Price as tested: $36,200. Includes $245 for 17-inch alloy wheels; $305 for power passenger seat; $245 for heated front seats; $95 for deluxe roof-rack crossbars; $150 for first-row floor console; $695 for safety canopy air bags; $305 for memory package with memory control for power mirror/pedals/driver-seat adjustments; $240 for Value package III with Homelink garage-door opener and perimeter anti-theft system; and $975 for Active Safety package II with panic brake assist, traction control, AdvanceTrac and reverse-sensing system. Add $685 for freight.
Pluses: Slightly larger replacement for Windstar with fold-and-tumble second-row seats, fold-flat third-row seat and host of available features such as AdvanceTrac roll-stability control as well as side-curtain air bags. New V-6 for better off-the-line and hill-climbing power.
Minuses: So many trim levels-SE, SES, SEL and Limited-and so many options and option packages to sort through. When option packages resort to Roman numerals, it means there’s way II many packages.
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