My Audi A4 Timing Belt Broke and I Bought My Family a Ford Freestyle

Built on a similar platform, the Ford Freestyle is basically a Volvo XC90 with Ford styling. I parked next to an XC90 with 300 miles on my brand new FREESTYLE SEL Front Wheel Drive car in order to compare the two cars. I decided against the All Wheel Drive model based on other epinions. Without a doubt, the Volvo looks European and sophisticated, but the Ford has its highlights, too. The available two-tone body and cladding in the SE and SEL models is definitely appealing. I got the Titanium Green Metallic paint with the silver cladding. It really looks sharp - and different, in a good way. Volvo would never be this edgy. So, from the front and side, the Freestyle is, well, stylish. From the back, it looks like any other American made car. But that's okay because with the money I saved by getting the Ford and not the Volvo, I'll have money leftover for lots of scenic drives and family trips.

One of the biggest complaints others seem to have about this car is the reported lack of oomph with the one size fits all 3.0 liter duratec engine. Well, coupled with the CVT transmission, I've got no complaints. This car can charge out of a Garden State Parkway toll plaza with the best of them. Mash the accelerator and away you'll go. Now, is it a 450 horsepower over-powered Audi RS-6? Of course, not! In fact, at just 203 horsepower, it's probably about average for an American car. Is it underpowered? I don't think so. Besides, I've got a family with me - why would I want to give them all whiplash? Horesepower is over-obsessed and overrated. Besides, from 0-60, this car is quicker than the Pacifica even though the Pacifica has a much larger engine? That's all you need to know. And you'll enjoy the better gas mileage in this car, too.

Now, about the CVT - it seems people either love it or hate it. Ford brags about how Audi has been using CVT for years. What they don't tell you is that apparently, Audi computerizes their CVT to mimic conventional automatic gear changes because Audi thinks their customers would be unnerved by a car that doesn't hiccup a few times between zero and sixty. Plain crazy! Join the future - I love not having to endure those stupid and predictable gear changes. My wife is the same. We both really like this CVT. It makes the ride extraordinarily smooth.

Others complain about the noisy engine. Engines make noise. If you want quiet, buy a Mercedes or Lexus. Since I can’t afford one, I’ll just turn up the stereo, or enjoy the sound of a working car engine, or listen to my baby cry. Believe me, he can cry a lot louder than the engine and stereo combined!

So, back to the CVT - the coolest thing about it is that when you go down a mountain road or any other long sloping hill, the car somehow knows this and seamlessly 'downshifts' to assist the brakes. Very cool!

As you can tell, I really like this car. I've only driven it 1200 miles, but so far, I'm very pleased. My only complaint is the obnoxiously loud horn chirp that occurs when I click on the car alarm after parking. It's needlessly loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood just in time to hear my simultaneously awakened baby cry louder than any ol' car engine.

Good luck!