So the Freestyle is nice to sit in. And you can get 37 bags of groceries and an umbrella in the back. On the road is where a car writes its checks, and the 2005 Ford Freestyle is a nice family ride, if a bit lacking in the thrill-a-minute neighborhood. Actually, the Freestyle frowns on it. Case in point: The Freestyle is available with an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system option, which means faster all-wheel-drive activation in an emergency situation. The Freestyle operates as a front-wheel-drive vehicle when all-wheel-drive isn’t needed. All Freestyles come with a continuously variable transmission. The numbers illustrate the issue: from the aforementioned Duratec V6, 203 hp is available at 5,750 rpm, and torque registers 207 lb.-ft. at 4,500 rpm. With the weight of the all-wheel drive CVT model at 4,112 lbs, plus the way the CVT transmission smoothes out the ride and the V6’s 203 horses, available power and acceleration seem a little neutralized. Surely there's a more powerful engine somewhere in Freestyle’s future, one that would fit nicely into the top Limited Freestyle trim.

Then again, the Freestyle should live quite happily without more power or torque. Ford’s choice of a continuously variable transmission speaks up loudly when it comes to the priorities of this car: think smooth glide, the kind of ride that, when coupled with a fully independent suspension and the rigid frame of a Volvo-inspired chassis, will spill nary a drop of latte. One of the other niceties of the continuously variable transmission is that it saves gas and flattens gears to the point where you just don’t feel the tranny shift. It’s designed to be as efficient as possible and as a result, the Ford Freestyle should meet California Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) II standards, which calls for 55 percent less smog-forming pollutants than California Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) rules. That’s nice. What’s nicer is that the 2005 Ford Freestyle seats seven and is rated at 20/27 mpg by the EPA.