Why I won't upgrade from my Ford Freestyle despite the itch to do so

My only grouse is the poor fuel efficiency, but I blame myself for not shifting before 3.5k ever. I usually get 10kmpl in the city and 15kmpl on road trips.

BHPian kaushikduttajsr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hola fellow Freestyle owners.

Here is a 4.5 yr mid life update for Scarlett Red, my T+ 1.2l Freestyle.

My ownership experience had been nothing short of magic. The torque curve demands a lot of shifts when driving within the city. But the highway is where she shines. Scarlett does silly highway speeds in no time with the 95 bhp motor and low kerb weight. The tough chassis plasters joy all over my face every time I take her to the ghats and the safety electronics give me the comfort to push her to her limits every time. Trust me, they are life savers.

After 30k kms of love, the rear suspension started showing its age. I could hear the suspension mounts everytime a fully loaded rear hit a bump or rough road. This made me feel bad in an otherwise silent car with zero rattles.

My only grouse is the poor fuel efficiency, but I blame myself for not shifting before 3.5k ever I usually get 10kmpl in the city and 15kmpl on road trips.

Cauvery Ford maintaining their super awesome service quality agreed to replace my rear shocks within warranty. I've had an amazing time maintaining Scarlett with them. Service cost has so far never exceeded 5k annually and she comes back spick and span, looking better than I handed her over after every annual service. She hasn't given me anything but 30k of smiles.

I keep her in top shape and replace damaged parts immediately. Till date, she has seen the entire cladding being replaced over 4 times and the rear bumper being touched up once when a biker decided to look at his mobile while driving and rear ended Scarlett.

I love the Freestyle to bits. Despite the creeping itch to upgrade, I haven't found a worthy replacement. I find the Slavia/Virtus to be the only ones in market I think can hold a candle to Ford's driving dynamics. However, 23l for an unreliable machine is simply not my cup of tea. Also, given my experience with Scarlett and Ford in general, I shudder to think how to reset expectations with any other car and service brand. I have decided to hold on to her until she lives. It is our loss that Ford decided to quit India. If they ever come back, my next car will be a Ford again.

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