[maheshm619]

[quote=bosem123;4890724]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Wouldn't it be a good idea to purchase the Ambiente petrol and fit in the system?

Sync 3 unit would have been a good choice if it was available as a separate unit.Now that it is discontinued, rather than taking the trouble for procuring the flyaudio unit, it would be a good idea to purchase an android based HU (Sony/Hypersonic etc..)

Many users have installed such units and can be done with compatible couplers with minimum wire-cuts.The android HU will be far superior than flyaudio by any means.

[arindambasu13]

Recently, when I was at an automobile garage to have my vehicle repaired, I was casually speaking with the proprietor about the Freestyle and he mentioned that he has faced a few complaints from his customers regarding the hard/uncomfortable suspension of the Freestyle. On the other hands, reports here and other online reviews seem to indicate that the suspension is a mix of good ride and handling.

Could users of the Freestyle chime in and confirm whether they are facing any problems with the suspension over the long term? The car is on my shortlist and I would like to know if the ride gets uncomfortable over a period of time, especially on the diesel version.

[escape velocity]

Hi all,

Today, after driving my diesel Freestyle, I saw that the coolant level in reservoir is just above the 'Minimum' mark. The car has run 1800 kms so far and no such issue was brought to notice during 1st service last month at 1250 kms.

Is there anything to worry about? A picture is attached.

[amitayu]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Recently, when I was at an automobile garage to have my vehicle repaired, I was casually speaking with the proprietor about the Freestyle and he mentioned that he has faced a few complaints from his customers regarding the hard/uncomfortable suspension of the Freestyle. On the other hands, reports here and other online reviews seem to indicate that the suspension is a mix of good ride and handling.

Could users of the Freestyle chime in and confirm whether they are facing any problems with the suspension over the long term? The car is on my shortlist and I would like to know if the ride gets uncomfortable over a period of time, especially on the diesel version.

The Freestyle has a higher ground clearance and a (bit) stiffer suspension. This is what makes it a CUV. What that means is that unlike the sibling Figo, the Freestyle rides a bit high, feels a bit stiffer on bumps, and has a just a tad bit more bodyroll. Mind you, all these in comparison to the Figo which is set otherwise.

In comparison to other brand equivalents like the Baleno, this will definitely feel stiffer. the Baleno gives a more soft cushioned ride. But then, the same becomes a problem over bad roads, right?

In terms of usage, Me or my family have no issues with the suspension set-up. I think the Body Control Module (BCM) does a good job in masking many of the factors I referred to above. Personally, the little I have driven this car on bad roads, I feel more comfortable with the stiffer suspension as that along with the higher GC ensures I donot scrape the underbelly in bad pot holes or bumpers.

Finally, it is really up to individual comforts. Test drive the car to check if you feel uncomfortable.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Could users of the Freestyle chime in and confirm whether they are facing any problems with the suspension over the long term? The car is on my shortlist and I would like to know if the ride gets uncomfortable over a period of time, especially on the diesel version.

i guess what he meant was that compared to other manufacturers, the Ford suspension is harder, which is true, especially at slow speeds, but as the speeds increase, the ride gets better and comfortable.

Originally Posted by escape velocity

Hi all,

Today, after driving my diesel Freestyle, I saw that the coolant level in reservoir is just above the 'Minimum' mark. The car has run 1800 kms so far and no such issue was brought to notice during 1st service last month at 1250 kms.

Is there anything to worry about? A picture is attached.

That isn't the coolant tank,it is the hydraulic fluid can. The coolant tank will be next to this.

[Maverick Avi]

Feels like there is some inconsistency with the suspension setups of Ford vehicles lately. I find the ride in my Aspire petrol 2019 to be very stiff(to the extent of it being uncomfortable). And I did not find that during test drives. In fact post purchase I test drove Aspire from showroom again and it felt more compliant and cushy. I had test driven Freestyle too and found its suspension tune to be better but I needed that boot and hence went for Aspire.

Already complained to service center on 2 occasions and as per them its normal. If its actually normal then I would not be able to live with it for next 7-8 years as I usually hold on to my cars for long. I still believe that my car has some issue which needs to be sorted so am going to try again but if you lucky enough to get one without any suspension problem then its sure not uncomfortable. And am sure you would take test drives too which should be your ultimate deciding factor.

[suvrog]

I bought Freestyle Titanium Petrol in Feb, 2019. Since then I have only driven the car and the odo reads around 12k+ kms.

Earlier I used to feel, the engine did not perform well and there was a lack in power delivery especially in the low end. Soon I realised, its a 3-cylinder motor. The thing is, if the rpm is below 1k, there is a serious lack in power, and the needle takes time to climb up even if you floor the a-pedal. If the rpm is >=1k, the power delivery is smooth and linear. The engine loves to rev and there is a sporty exhaust note to it as well.

In this 1 year 9 months of ownership, I have majorly faced 4 issues.
1. There was a rattling sound coming from the front left door, which was very irritating. The service people resolved it after 2 visits. They changed some plastic clipping inside the door sill.

2. There is left-pulling issue, if the vehicle speed is above 60km/hr. This is still not resolved even after multiple visits to the service center.

3. Fuel smell was coming inside the cabin whenever I switched on the AC. This was also resolved by the service people.

4. The gear shifts feels notchy specially while downshifting from 2-to-1, upshifting from 2-3. This is definitely not one of the sleekest japanese boxes.

Last time when I took my car to the expressway, I noticed, the motor achieves 120km/hr at nearabout 3-3.5k rpm, beyond that the speed did not increase easily, even if I floored the gas pedal. Although, we were 4 people onboard, that might be the only reason.

The suspension setup is also good. Soaks up a lot of undulations. I feel, Ecosport's suspension is way stiffer than this.

Overall, I am pretty happy with my decision. In near future I expect Ford to offer Freestyle with a 1lt turbo petrol engine as well. May be the mStallion from Mahindra?!

[ChoosetoCruze]

Originally Posted by Maverick Avi

If its actually normal then I would not be able to live with it for next 7-8 years as I usually hold on to my cars for long. I still believe that my car has some issue which needs to be sorted

What’s the mileage of your car and which tyres are you using?

To me it sounds like a tyre or tyre pressure issue more than anything else.

What cold tyre pressure do you maintain?

Originally Posted by suvrog

if the rpm is below 1k, there is a serious lack in power, and the needle takes time to climb up even if you floor the a-pedal. If the rpm is >=1k, the power delivery is smooth and linear.

2. There is left-pulling issue, if the vehicle speed is above 60km/hr. This is still not resolved even after multiple visits to the service center.

4. The gear shifts feels notchy specially while downshifting from 2-to-1, upshifting from 2-3. This is definitely not one of the sleekest japanese boxes.

Last time when I took my car to the expressway, I noticed, the motor achieves 120km/hr at nearabout 3-3.5k rpm, beyond that the speed did not increase easily, even if I floored the gas pedal.

I don’t think any petrol car will make any meaningful power below 1000 rpm.

ASCs are notorious for being clueless about front end/alignment problems. Take it to a good front end shop in your area who has a good reputation. Also, verify your cold tyre pressures.

Ford using Japanese transmissions in the Freestyle is news to me.

[suvrog]

Originally Posted by ChoosetoCruze

I don’t think any petrol car will make any meaningful power below 1000 rpm.

ASCs are notorious for being clueless about front end/alignment problems. Take it to a good front end shop in your area who has a good reputation. Also, verify your cold tyre pressures.

Ford using Japanese transmissions in the Freestyle is news to me.

I drove baleno and swift petrol versions. They responded better, below 1k rpm, compared to this engine and transmission.
Although, this engine is definitely punchier than the Hyundai 1.2 kappa units. I drove the i20 Active Petrol.

Regarding, the transmission unit, Ford is not using any japanese transmissions. I felt the japanese units are more sleek.

[Maverick Avi]

Originally Posted by suvrog

In this 1 year 9 months of ownership, I have majorly faced 4 issues.
1. There was a rattling sound coming from the front left door, which was very irritating. The service people resolved it after 2 visits. They changed some plastic clipping inside the door sill.

2. There is left-pulling issue, if the vehicle speed is above 60km/hr. This is still not resolved even after multiple visits to the service center.

3. Fuel smell was coming inside the cabin whenever I switched on the AC. This was also resolved by the service people.

4. The gear shifts feels notchy specially while downshifting from 2-to-1, upshifting from 2-3. This is definitely not one of the sleekest japanese boxes.

Last time when I took my car to the expressway, I noticed, the motor achieves 120km/hr at nearabout 3-3.5k rpm, beyond that the speed did not increase easily, even if I floored the gas pedal. Although, we were 4 people onboard, that might be the only reason.

I have a Jan 2019 Aspire with 1.2 dragon petrol and have faced all issues you have mentioned except for car pulling to left. In lieu of this problem I have a really bad suspension so that kind of makes up for it.

Fuel smell with A/c on used to come once in a while. FASS was not able to diagnose anything and said that they have adjusted something in fuel flap. I was sure that it would not solve the problem but for almost 7 months all was fine. But then one day it happened again and I was seriously disappointed. Low end torque is another thing that we need to get used to. But once you know its power band its not something to fret about.

I have not driven a wide variety of cars and my experience is pretty much limited to Maruti's. One thing I have noticed is that the newer generation cars just become lifeless if you are not in power band. On the other hand my experience with my M800 and current Alto is pretty amazing in terms of pulling power. They pull(or at least try their best to pull) all the while you have their A pedal pressed. That's where I feel surprised that despite of more than double the power how come these new age engines can get pretty boring sometimes.

Originally Posted by ChoosetoCruze

What’s the mileage of your car and which tyres are you using?

To me it sounds like a tyre or tyre pressure issue more than anything else.

What cold tyre pressure do you maintain?

Car has only done 9000 kms and I just wish its tyre or pressure issue. I have had pressure dropped to 26-28 psi just to find a faint improvement. Also have put up the question around my Apollo 3G Maxx tyres on various forums to see if other owners with this tyre were facing issues. Could not find tangible responses yet. I do feel these tyres might be contributing to the stiffer ride for sure as all Maxx, Milaze etc tyres are made of hard compound. So my journey to find the solution still continues. But one thing is sure that I cannot live with this forever.

[ChoosetoCruze]

Originally Posted by suvrog

Regarding, the transmission unit, Ford is not using any japanese transmissions. I felt the japanese units are more sleek.

Gotcha! As far as I’m concerned, the Japanese are still the gold standard of automobile engineering.

Originally Posted by Maverick Avi

I just wish its tyre or pressure issue. I have had pressure dropped to 26-28 psi just to find a faint improvement.

That’s interesting. Is it possible for you to drive another Aspire as yours and check if the ride quality is the same?

Could it be your shocks or struts have worn prematurely and are not damping as designed?

Also, my first suggestion for ride quality complaints is to switch your tyres to Michelin as they are the best for ride quality & comfort, in my opinion. However, your feedback suggests it’s something more than just bad tyres.

Something surely isn’t right as the official Aspire review claims that it’s suspension is tuned for comfort.

[maheshm619]

Originally Posted by escape velocity

Hi all,

Is there anything to worry about? A picture is attached.

I had the exact same issue in my Freestyle diesel.As long as the temperature gauge reading is within limits, there is no need to panic.However, if you have increased daily usage / long trips planned, get it topped up.I had this topped up during my first service.The over enthusiastic mechanic decided to top it up above the max marking.

Originally Posted by tharian

That isn't the coolant tank,it is the hydraulic fluid can. The coolant tank will be next to this.

It is indeed the coolant reservoir.Freestyle doesn't have a hydraulic fluid can in engine bay IIRC.The following is from user manual.

[amitayu]

Fuel smell in AC occurs if you keep the engine and AC unit running while re-fueling at the pumps.

I had a bad scare with this once. But after a couple of refilling, I figured this issue out. Now, I always turn of engine and AC while refueling and have not faced the problem since.

[suvrog]

Originally Posted by amitayu

Fuel smell in AC occurs if you keep the engine and AC unit running while re-fueling at the pumps.

I had a bad scare with this once. But after a couple of refilling, I figured this issue out. Now, I always turn of engine and AC while refueling and have not faced the problem since.

In that case the smell would not persist longer. It would be for a short duration and would occur only after refueling.
However, in my case, the smell lasted for nearly a week, even though I had not refueled recently. After visiting FASS, they replaced the fuel lid assembly.

Also, I would like to know if anyone has fitted an aftermarket headunit without any wirecuts or warranty violations. Systems like Blaupunkt/Sony.

[Ashi_Kochi]

[/quote]
Could users of the Freestyle chime in and confirm whether they are facing any problems with the suspension over the long term? The car is on my shortlist and I would like to know if the ride gets uncomfortable over a period of time, especially on the diesel version.[/quote]

Having owned the freestyle for an year and 8000km's, I have found the car's suspension to be more than satisfactory especially on bad roads. Except for an issue with the front right door winder everything has been absolutely fine so far. Ride quality is good at high speeds and also inspires confidence to throw around at the corners. Albeit, I have found the road noise to be on the higher side while driving on less than perfect roads. I am currently running on the stock Good year Assurance tyres.