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Ford Freestar/Mercury Monterey

918 messages,  Last post on Nov 28, 2012 at 9:41 AM

You are in the Ford Freestar Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey, Van

Messages Page 19 of 92

#181 of 918 Freestar test by samnoe

Oct 08, 2003 (7:32 pm)

I drove the Freestar SEL last day. Just for 2-3 minutes, and had a good look all around the vehicle. The main 2 things which bothers me: 1) the 4.2L engine is sooo noisy - it sounds like a real truck when starting - I would say even more roaring than the 3.8L from the Windstar - where are all those sound-dampening material? all those best-in-class door sealers?
 
2) No more illuminated glove box. Ford's "best minivan ever" dropped these little cute thing they always used to offer, even on the older Aerostars. Is this the best minivan Ford had ever built?
 
I also disagree with the 'quality materials'. The glove box and center stack storage compartments feels soo cheap, like toys. The controls are so soft and light, for example if you want to turn the A/C knob from 0 to 2, you will automatically turn it to 4. if you will turn it back to 2 it will go back to 0. You almost can NOT feel you turning something. Is this what quality stands for? And all those switches around the audio system feels so cheap... if you press any switch, the next one will press itself along.. (hope you understand).
 
The FIRM brakes which everybody is so excited about it, I thing it's too much. You hardly notice that you can push the brake. It's too tight.
 
I still have a lot of minor complaints. Bottom line: I'm not impressed with the Freestar. Not to say it's bad - but I expected to feel better in it than in my current Windstar - but no. I want back my Windstar, and I like it more!
 
ANT14: I don't know your rules, but I enjoy most of your posts, and I thing that at least 95% are true. Don't feel bad. I couldn't see why it should be wrong to tell everybody that a new minivan is due in 2006. What's the secret?

#182 of 918 by ANT14

Oct 08, 2003 (9:52 pm)

CHIEF- Well If I'm "very incorrect" then you correct it for me. So far from what I've shared (along other forums) has been dead on... only to be later demonstrated by Ford's own public press releases showing my information shared months back to be correct. So far the slighest mistake I have been was by mention which auto plant MIGHT receive a new vehicle, WHEN in the UAW talks it was later changed to another plant, therefore a bargaining chip at the negotiation tables. Or if I don't have 100% confirmed information, I'll state how sure or what I'm doing to find that out for them.
 
Therefore I have my validity in my stories, but I don't see your sharing information otherwise. It's very comfortable for you to point fingers and name call and state I'm misleading, YET you show no proof that I might be incorrect. And you will probably reply with "Well I have more integrity, I will not share such information"... Which is a convinient scape-goat. Yet still doesn't rectify the situation.
 
So in that case, I would question what your reasoning for being on these forums might be. Or who led you TO them for one reason or another. And what your purpose is since you aren't really sharing anything positive. Don't be shocked, but there's actually other's on these boards that work in the industry and share insightful information. And this doesn't pertain to just future information, but past/current developments.
 
But now that I think about it, to have someone upset over me in relation to this, just reintorates the fact that I'm correct, because no one else would go thru that much effort as you have placed. There's many things in life that people do that might be seen wrong, by one group or another, but I'm not sorry it displeases you.

#183 of 918 by ANT14

Oct 08, 2003 (10:41 pm)

Here's another review pertaining to the Freestar.
 
http://www.cars.com/carsapp/national/?szc=33174&srv=parser&am- p;act=display&tf=/features/mvp/ford/freestar/freestar_overvie- w.tmpl

#184 of 918 8 Passenger? by cpstech

Oct 09, 2003 (4:37 am)

The review in post 183 says the Freestar will have an 8 passenger seating option (2nd row bench can have 3 seating positions). I have not read this anywhere else...is this an error?
 
Thanks
Rose

#185 of 918 Freestar Incentives already! by rodc1

Oct 09, 2003 (12:53 pm)

As someone earlier posted, the relatively high prices for the Freestar take into account the incentives that are soon to come. Well yesterday I spoke with a saleswoman who called me today to tell me that there is a $2500 rebate already. Just read the article from post #183 that states a $2000 dollar rebate. Don't know who's right but just honestly price the vehicle. There's no way a vehicle that has barely reached the showroom merits ANY discount. Not bad for consumers but MSRP doesn't reflect true pricing if there is an immediate rebate without any data on how well the product will sell.

#186 of 918 Rebates by badgerfan

Oct 09, 2003 (1:59 pm)

Except for Saturn who has tried with varied results to introduce no-haggle pricing, nobody honestly "prices" a vehicle. Anyone who pays attention to MSRP is fooling themselves. You've got to get down to hard bargaining to find out the "real" price. So why worry about MSRP? Pick the vehicle you want, use Edmunds to get a good idea of dealer cost which is Invoice-holdback-rebates and go up from there, you will likely never get below this number, so let the dealer grovel and come down as low as you can push them. Don't worry, if your offer price is too low they won't sell you the vehicle! For Ford, holdback is generally 3% of MSRP. There may be other hidden incentives from manufacturer to dealer, but you will likely never find out what those are, so don't worry about those.

#187 of 918 Rod, tell me about the rebate by trainboy

Oct 09, 2003 (10:29 pm)

Rod, I am supposed to get my Freestar next week. Can you give me a link to the $2500?
 
Thanks,
Randy

#188 of 918 trainboy by rodc1

Oct 10, 2003 (11:45 pm)

I don't have a link to the rebate. If you read link on post #183 the article states it near the end. My saleswoman stated that Ford releases incentive info on Thursdays so if you talk to any ford salesman they will be aware of this info as well.

#189 of 918 Incentives by chief321

Oct 11, 2003 (7:42 pm)

FWIW, I was told just today by a Mercury salesman that $2000 was the current incentive.

#190 of 918 by steve_ HOST

Oct 12, 2003 (1:01 pm)

Freestar pricing is live here. Including invoice and TMV.
 
Steve, Host

Messages Page 19 of 92

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