Styling cues make the Freestyle look more like a Ford Escape, however. From all angles, the styling suggests a sport utility: the upright front end, the tall side glass, the hefty C-pillar, the fender blisters, the rear liftgate, and the big rear bumper cover.
The Freestyle's similarities to the Five Hundred become more apparent when the two are parked together. The Freestyle is just an inch shorter in overall length than the Five Hundred and the wheelbase, the distance between the front and rear wheels, is identical. Only in height is there a marked difference. The Freestyle is eight inches taller, at 68.3 inches, than the Five Hundred, part of which is a result of the Freestyle's added ground clearance. The Freestyle has eight inches of ground clearance versus five inches for the Five Hundred.
The Freestyle may not offer the space of a minivan, but it offers more space than a compact SUV. It falls between the two in terms of size. The Freestyle is two feet longer than a Ford Escape, and has a 10-inch longer wheelbase. And the Escape is only about an inch taller. The Freestyle is seven inches longer than the popular Ford Explorer, though its wheelbase is about the same. The Explorer is taller by four inches, which helps explain why the Freestyle's seating position is 5.5 inches lower than the Explorer's seating position.
