Ford Freestyle: which version to buy
If you are choosing a Ford Freestyle rather than reading about the model in general, the catalogue gives you two versions of one generation: 3.0 AT (FWD, Automatic, 6 gears) and 3.0 CVT (AWD, Variable). Both ran from 2004-01-01 to 2009-12-31 as an SUV 5-doors. They share the same 2967 cm³ Gasoline V-shaped 6-cylinder engine at 203 hp and 281 Nm.
If you are choosing a Ford Freestyle rather than reading about the model in general, the catalogue gives you two versions of one generation: 3.0 AT (FWD, Automatic, 6 gears) and 3.0 CVT (AWD, Variable). Both ran from 2004-01-01 to 2009-12-31 as an SUV 5-doors. They share the same 2967 cm³ Gasoline V-shaped 6-cylinder engine at 203 hp and 281 Nm. The choice is not “which engine,” but which drivetrain, gearbox, weight, speed, and fuel numbers you want attached to that engine.
There is no second generation in the data, so there is no later Freestyle that “fixed” the first. The comparison is only 3.0 AT versus 3.0 CVT.
Specs that actually differ: 3.0 AT vs 3.0 CVT
| Version | hp | Nm | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 AT | 203 | 281 | 2967 | Gasoline | 6 | V-shaped | No | Automatic | FWD |
| 3.0 CVT | 203 | 281 | 2967 | Gasoline | 6 | V-shaped | No | Variable | AWD |
Power, torque, displacement, fuel type, cylinder count, V-shaped layout, and No boost are identical. 3.0 AT is Automatic with 6 gears and FWD. 3.0 CVT is Variable (gears not measured) and AWD.
Kerb weight is 1795 kg on 3.0 AT and 1865 kg on 3.0 CVT — 70 kg more for AWD and Variable. Ground clearance is 160 mm on both. The tank is 72 L on both. Wheel sizes are not measured on both. Gross weight is not measured on both.
Engine: same 203 hp, so the “buy” is not the motor
Both versions use 2967 cm³, 203 hp (149 kW) at 5650 rpm, 281 Nm at 4500 rpm, 6 cylinders, V-shaped, 4 valves per cylinder, No boost, Distributed injection (multi-point), compression 10, bore and stroke 89 × 79.5, fuel 92.
Power per litre is 203 ÷ 2.967 ≈ 68.4 hp per litre on both. Specific output does not change when you switch from 3.0 AT to 3.0 CVT. You are not buying more engine.
What does change is mass per horsepower:
- 3.0 AT: 1795 ÷ 203 ≈ 8.84 kg per hp
- 3.0 CVT: 1865 ÷ 203 ≈ 9.19 kg per hp
That is about 0.35 kg more per hp on 3.0 CVT. The AWD Freestyle carries 70 kg extra for the same 203 hp.
Performance and mpg: what the numbers say you get
0–100 km/h
- 3.0 AT: not measured
- 3.0 CVT: 11.6 s
You cannot rank sprint from 3.0 AT against 3.0 CVT. The Automatic FWD figure is not measured. The Variable AWD figure is 11.6 s.
Top speed
- 3.0 AT: 180 km/h
- 3.0 CVT: 201 km/h
3.0 CVT is 21 km/h faster at the top, despite 70 kg more kerb weight. If the decision is “highest measured speed in this catalogue,” 3.0 CVT wins on the only two figures given.
Fuel consumption (L/100 km)
| Version | City | Highway | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 AT | 11.8 | 8.7 | 10.5 |
| 3.0 CVT | 12.4 | 9.8 | 10.2 |
City: 3.0 CVT uses 0.6 L/100 km more (12.4 − 11.8). Highway: 3.0 CVT uses 1.1 L/100 km more (9.8 − 8.7). Mixed: 3.0 CVT uses 0.3 L/100 km less (10.5 − 10.2).
The extra AWD mass and Variable gearbox cost more fuel in city and highway. On the mixed cycle the same 3.0 CVT is the more economical of the two by 0.3 L/100 km.
With a 72 L tank (same on both):
- mixed range 3.0 AT: 72 ÷ 10.5 × 100 ≈ 686 km
- mixed range 3.0 CVT: 72 ÷ 10.2 × 100 ≈ 706 km
About 20 km more mixed range on 3.0 CVT. Highway range goes the other way: 72 ÷ 8.7 × 100 ≈ 828 km on 3.0 AT versus 72 ÷ 9.8 × 100 ≈ 735 km on 3.0 CVT — about 93 km less highway range on AWD.
CO2 is not measured on either version. Eco class is not measured on either version.
Dimensions and weight: what extra mass buys
Kerb weight: 1795 kg (3.0 AT) vs 1865 kg (3.0 CVT). Gross weight: not measured on both. Ground clearance: 160 mm on both — AWD does not raise the Freestyle in this data. Tank: 72 L on both. Wheel sizes: not measured on both.
Suspension is Independent, spring front and Independent, spring rear on both. Front brakes are Ventilated disc on both; rear brakes are Disc on both. Chassis layout in the catalogue is the same; the 70 kg is the measured difference that comes with AWD and Variable.
Engine position is not measured on both versions.
Which generation changed what
Ford Freestyle has 1 generation (2004–2009), SUV 5-doors, 2 versions. There is no restyling generation and no later generation in the data. Nothing in a second generation “adds power” or “cuts weight.” Both 3.0 AT and 3.0 CVT start 2004-01-01 and stop 2009-12-31. You are not choosing a year of a new platform; you are choosing FWD Automatic versus AWD Variable inside the same years.
Which version to buy and why
Buy 3.0 AT if you want the lighter Freestyle (1795 kg), FWD, Automatic with 6 gears, lower city (11.8 vs 12.4) and lower highway (8.7 vs 9.8) consumption, and you accept a top speed of 180 km/h and 0–100 not measured. This is the version that puts the shared 203 hp behind fewer kilograms (8.84 kg/hp vs 9.19).
Buy 3.0 CVT if you want AWD, Variable gearbox, a measured 0–100 of 11.6 s, and 201 km/h top speed (+21 km/h). You pay 70 kg, +0.6 L/100 km in the city, +1.1 L/100 km on the highway, and you get a mixed figure that is 0.3 L/100 km better (10.2 vs 10.5) and about 20 km more mixed tank range on the same 72 L.
There is no third engine, no diesel, and no other power rating. Both versions are Gasoline, 6, V-shaped, No boost, 203 hp, 281 Nm, 2967 cm³, fuel 92. “Extra money” in this catalogue is not extra horsepower; it is AWD, Variable, 70 kg, 21 km/h more top speed, and the fuel split above.
Problems / reliability: the data set has no failure rates, recalls, or durability figures. Those are not measured here. What is measured is the two-version split: same engine, different gearbox and drive, 70 kg, 21 km/h, and the three consumption rows.
Short pick: FWD and lower city/highway mpg → 3.0 AT. AWD, Variable, 11.6 s, 201 km/h, slightly better mixed → 3.0 CVT. One generation, two versions, same 203 hp.