Overview & Reviews

With its Freestar, Ford learned the hard way that in the world of automobiles, there are few segments more cutthroat than the minivan category. Moms have ruthlessly high standards when it comes to their family transportation, and only those haulers with the most compelling mix of refinement, convenience features and luxury amenities survive. The Ford Freestar's sales had been disappointing from the outset, and as a result, 2007 was its last year of production. Crossovers, Ford believes, are the future of family transportation.

Ford's minivan wasn't completely without merit. Safety is an important factor in minivans, and in this area, the Freestar didn't come up short. It earned a perfect five stars in NHTSA frontal crash tests, and mothers and their pint-sized soccer stars were protected with features like standard stability control and optional side curtain airbags. Unfortunately, its success in this area paled in the face of its litany of shortcomings, which included sluggish acceleration, dismal fuel economy, ungainly handling and an unimpressive cabin.

For these reasons, savvy used minivan shoppers will find the Ford Freestar a relatively unsatisfactory proposition. If you're looking for a minivan, you'll no doubt find your needs better served by one of its competitors.

Most Recent Ford Freestar

The Ford Freestar was a seven-passenger minivan. Three trim levels were offered: SE, SEL and Limited. The Freestar could also be had in a cargo van body style, making it ideal for contractors needing a light-duty hauler.

The base SE trim was reasonably well equipped, with air-conditioning, full power accessories, a CD player and keyless entry all standard. The SEL added tri-zone air-conditioning, a power driver seat and second-row captain's chairs. The top-of-the-line Limited included upgrades such as chrome wheels, leather upholstery and automatic climate control.

Two engines were offered. A 3.9-liter V6 for the SE provided 193 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. The SEL and Limited trims got a 4.2-liter V6 that generated 201 hp and 263 lb-ft of torque. Neither engine was especially frugal, turning in real-world fuel economy numbers that were among the poorest in the segment.

At first blush, the Freestar's cabin seemed like a winner. But a closer look revealed shortcomings. Materials looked nice but to the touch became apparent as subpar for the segment. The legroom in the second row was cramped. The lack of versatility didn't help either. Those second-row seats were heavy and tough to remove. And though the third-row seat folded flat, it didn't offer a 60/40 split like virtually all others in its class. At 135.7 cubes, cargo capacity fell short relative to others in the segment.

In editorial reviews, the Ford Freestar earned praise for having reasonable around-town power and a forgiving ride. The engines didn't fare as well when pushed, though, as they ran out of breath when quick passing was attempted. Performance was exacerbated by the van's aged four-speed automatic transmission -- most competitors used more advanced five-speed units. Also, the engines had a rougher, noisier power delivery than nearly any other V6 in the minivan segment. In consumer ratings, the Freestar was panned for its poor ride quality and dismal fuel economy.

Past Ford Freestar models

Ford introduced the Freestar back in model-year 2004 to replace the aged Windstar, which was sold from 1995-2003. Although Ford touted it as an all-new vehicle, the Freestar minivan was little more than a rebadged Windstar with minor upgrades, including a freshened interior equipped with a fold-flat third-row seat. A pair of more powerful V6 engines replaced the Windstar's 3.8-liter V6. Unfortunately, Ford's minivan put on weight during the transition, so even with the larger of the V6s, it was no faster than before and slightly less fuel-efficient to boot. This made the Freestar about as appealing as, well, the Windstar. Straight off the bat, it was trampled by the competition, both import and domestic, and Ford did little to rectify the situation.

The Freestar remained pretty much unchanged for its production duration, so buyers shopping for one on the used market will find few differences between the model years.

User Reviews:

• 

  Best in Class - 2006 Ford Freestar
  By PJ - August 27 - 11:48 am

  After test driving GM, Ford and Chrysler models, we found the Freestar to have the best qualities for the money. The Freestar has nearly all the features of the competitors and in some cases more. Hands down this beats the GM vans and the Chrysler is nice but not worth the extra $2000 to $4000 more for the same features.

• 

  Satisfied Freestar Owner - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Jacob - August 23 - 5:14 pm

  Overall were very satisfied with vehicle. Ride is comfortable. Roomy interior. Decent power. A few problems arose since we drove it off the lot - the power liftgate wasnt closing properly and we noticed the third-row seat pattern was slightly different than the rest of the car, but dealership has been responsive to these issues. NYC area promotion of free DVD player was definitely a plus. Perhaps not as stylish as a Quest or refined as a Sienna or Odyssey, but with all the features we got in our SEL, was thousands less than the competition. Love being able to play DVDs for kids through headphones while retaining control of car stereo.

• 

  Wonderful Family Van - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By madmax-ooohhh - August 19 - 3:55 am

  Best value over all of the competitors right now with the Family plan and substantial $6000 rebate. Because of this, it is about $4000 less than the competition which makes it a great value. It is not the nest in any category, but is very good in overall ride, comfort, fit/finish, fuel economy, accessibility, practical storage, and passenger comfort.

• 

  Reliable, Comfortable, and Family Van - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By madmax-ooohhh - August 14 - 3:45 am

  Test drove the New Toyota, Chrysler, and Honda Minivans, but did not feel the additional 4000-8000 premium over a similarly equipped Freestar was worth it. I was pleasantly surprised with the overall fit and finish of the van, and build quality. Only thing it lacks is a AWD option.

• 

  Great Van for the Price - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Eric - August 10 - 1:28 pm

  The Freestar has been a pleasant surprise thus far. The van runs great, and it is nice and roomy. With the rebates and the family plan pricing I only paid $17.5K for a new well equipped SE model. My kids love the DVD feature. My only grip is that the 2nd row seat belts are in the way of the access to the 3rd row. However, overall a great buy!

• 

  Buy One of These - 2006 Ford Freestar
  By messianicrock - July 31 - 3:20 pm

  The day my wife finally decided to get rid of the Sedona we did not hesitate to buy the Freestar. Ford has done an excellent job putting a SAFE, comfortable, attractive vehicle on the road at a reasonable price. One thing I would like to address is the power issue. A consumer magazine stated the vehicle was under-powered my question is compared to what? The Freestar does not have the power my 04 Marauder, with SuperChip and K&N air induction, but it has ample power for a back road pass or a trip up I40 or I26 into the mountains of NC.

• 

  Great mini! - 2006 Ford Freestar
  By S.S.E. - July 25 - 6:11 pm

  Went from an Explorer to this. Great change. Great cargo space, 7 seats, DVD, easy to drive, better mileage. Dont feel like Im driving a hulk, but still have the space. Definitely recommend.

• 

  I Love My Freestar - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Noreen Sutphen - July 25 - 12:37 pm

  We are in our 70s and have never had a van, but we are enjoying the Freestar very much, and find it very comfortable, and easy to handle, with fairly good gas mileage. We have had 2 Explorers, but the Freestar is much more comfortable, and fun to drive, and the roomy interior is a real plus, as I am on oxygen so we can carry all my equipment and still have lots of space. It is also great for traveling with our 4 year old grandson, and our new puppy, a Bichon Frise.

• 

  Freestar Feels Right - 2006 Ford Freestar
  By Lesa - July 11 - 6:25 am

  We purchased a Ford Windstar several years ago when we found out I was pregnant with out third child. I really enjoyed that vehicle, so when I was considering what to purchase this year as a replacement -- the Freestar made the most sense. Overall, I am pleased with the Freestar. However, I do think the Windstar had a little more passenger room. The third seat in the back of the Freestar is versatile -- able to total recede it into the floor or use it as a stadium seat -- but we lost seating space. Given the choice, Id take the seating space. Good vehicle.

• 

  Its the best - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Adam - July 8 - 2:42 pm

  I love my 2005 Ford Freestar my kids love the DVD entertainment system and my wife likes how she can start the car with the keyless entry system and just go hop in to her heated seats. I like the 6 disk CD changer also. My kids like that they have some power in the back with the rear controls for the air condition and audio options we also like the electronic 3 zone climate system. Wow there is just do much stuff about it, I like the message system where the car can check it self. But we mostly love the power sliding doors and liftgate the power liftgate is the one feature we use the most because everytime we go to buy something we just open or close it with a touch of a button.