2004 Ford Freestar

Ford claims safety as a "Ford minivan tradition," and backs up that claim with more safety and security features than any of its competition. "When you set out to design a minivan," says Freestar chief engineer Max Kapadia, "it's easy to set your priorities: Just ask yourself, 'What kind of vehicle would you like your family to travel in—'"


The standard Personal Safety System uses passenger weight-sensing to automatically deactivate the front passenger airbag when the seat is empty or occupied by a small child. New patented Safety Canopy airbags deploy from the headliner to cover most of the glass area along all three rows of seating. In a rollover, they deploy on both sides and stay inflated longer to help protect occupants from multiple impacts and prevent them from being ejected. Seat-mounted side-impact airbags compliment this canopy for front-seat passengers.

The Freestar's second- and third-row seating is about as flexible as any on the market.

Other safety-related features and options include adjustable pedals (which allow shorter drivers to keep their distance from the airbag), tire-pressure monitoring, self-sealing tires, turn signals on the outside mirrors, a Reverse Sensing System and a "fail-safe" cooling system that enables the engine to keep running for a period of time following a loss of coolant.


What stands out more than any other facet of Ford's new Freestar is its combination of quality feel and outstanding NVH—engineer-speak for noise, vibration and harshness. A great deal of effort went into smoothing and quieting the mechanicals (including the quicker-shifting four-speed automatic transmission) while sealing and isolating the body. That effort definitely shows.


Despite its generic shape—not much different from the model it replaces—there is differentiation among the five Freestar models. The S and SE have monochromatic, body-color fascias and a body-color grille. The sportier SES has a black grille, lower bumpers and body-side trim, plus five-spoke aluminum wheels and fog lamps. SEL and Limited levels boast chrome grilles and trim, and Limited editions also get color-coordinated two-tone treatments. Still, if you'd like friends and neighbors to know you replaced your old Windstar with a vastly improved new Freestar, we'd recommend a new color.