The Ford Freestyle is built on the same platform as the Ford Five Hundred sedan and share much of the same hardware. Both were launched as all-new models for 2005.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.