Had a very close look at the Pilot this week. It's too big (and heavy) for what we need, not to mention it's considered an 8 passenger SUV. :( Nice vehicle nonetheless (and a good suggestion) but just a bit too much vehicle for what we need I'm afraid. :(
We also have a very close look at the new Ford Freestyle too when we took my wife's car into the Ford dealer for an oil change & tire rotation. Very sharp looking vehicle & just the right size with excellent & brilliant packaging in the interior! But several things...
First & foremost, it grossly underpowered even with the CVT tranny! (3.0L Duratec 203 hp & 207 torque for a 4000lb vehice!......look at the Nissan Murano to see my point) :chairshot: Why Ford didn't wait until their upcoming 3.5L V6 was ready (or at least offer it as an option) is behond me. It's no wonder GM & Ford are loosing market share hand over fist!
Next brings me to the factory 17" tires......they are Contientials & are actually worse than the Bridgestone RE92's & EL42's! :o :whistles: & there are no decent replacements for it, which includes any winter rubber (Goodyear Integrity's? no thanks) and the vehicle has been available for almost a year now. What good is having an AWD vehicle (especially in the winter) if the tires are horrible with nothing out there to replace them with? Sorta defeats the purpose.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare1.jsp...at=All&x=69&y=5
And last, but not least......well it's a first year issue & a Ford which brings up long term longevity & reliability into question.