2006 Ford Freestar

The 2006 Ford Freestar was praised as the 'safest minivan on the market', but it was hardly a safe bet for the folks at Ford.  Despite some pretty nifty engineering that made the '06 Freestar a safe, stable, quiet, and comfortable ride, the vehicle never quite found its niche.

Part of the problem was the Freestar's ongoing identity crisis: is it a van?  A wagon?  An SUV/van crossover?  Another issue was the declining popularity of minivans in general.  And, of course, in a year when gas prices topped $3 per gallon (however temporarily), buyers were shying away from big vehicles in general.

Actually, the '06 Ford Freestar's fuel efficiency is pretty respectable, with 17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway.  And the Freestar is a solid people-hauler with quite a bit of versatility, in terms of interior configuration.  Somehow, though, buyers stayed away in droves.

One group that did embrace the 2006 Freestar was drivers with disabilities.  The Freestar's low-to-the-ground styling made it easy to enter and exit (as well as to customize with wheelchair ramps and lifts), and the roomy interior was a boon to people needing space for assistive devices.

The 2006 Ford Freestar was available as a cargo van, and in three passenger trims: SE, SEL, and Limited.  The Limited edition offered a lot of luxury touches, like power sliding doors, heated mirrors, leather upholstery, and second-row bucket seats, but even the most basic model offered a cocoon of comfort.