2005 Ford Freestyle Road Test

In a bid to boost craftsmanship and appearance, Ford engineers worked hard to ensure that the Freestyle's cabin exhibits proper graining for the plastic trim, and uniform coloration between panels. The use of soft-touch paints and metal plating on key controls helps contribute to an upscale, quality interface for the owner. The end result, despite the hard plastic dashboard, is a success. The Freestyle isn't a luxury car inside, but neither is it a penalty box. The quality of the interior materials meets the expectation set by the sticker price.

Assembly quality is also quite good…on the inside of the Freestyle. This is a quiet car mostly free of wind, road, and mechanical noise at normal driving speeds, and it's this quietude that revealed a handful of squeaks and rattles in our test vehicle. A few dashboard pieces didn't line up straight, and the plastic glove box door lid was slightly warped, but otherwise the Freestyle proved to be tightly constructed.

On the outside, Ford has some work to do with regard to getting the parts pieced together as tightly as Asian manufacturers. Our test sample exhibited several exterior misalignments, gap inconsistencies, and loose items of trim. Plus, the rubber moldings around the windows were already discolored after just a few thousand miles.