A Tree Falling in the Forest

I have been slow to post on this topic in the hopes that my grief would wane with time. Sadly, it hasn't really waned at all. Though it was primarily my wife's car, we were the happy owners of a Lexus ES330. Driving a Lexus is like nothing I had ever experienced. Every part of it was the epitome of refinement and comfort. It is like sleeping on a Serta Perfect Sleeper Mattress when all you have ever known is a futon. Unfortunately, Lexus sedans are not designed for getting a baby seat and baby paraphernalia in and out. Given our desire to drive to visit family and friends we needed something bigger.

Enter the Ford Freestyle, our family's version of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. Based on the Volvo XC90, the Freestyle is a nice blend of SUV, minivan, and car. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is fun to drive, but is a pleasant ride. It has more cargo room than an Explorer and gets 28 mpg highway. One of its more unique features is a CVT automatic transmission, which means it never shifts, because is doesn’t have traditional gears. It’s like a snowmobile transmission with an infinite number of gear ratios constantly adjusting to keep the engine at its optimal power or economy rpm range. It’s a little weird at first, but it seems to work quite nicely.