News:Chrysler Pacifica Vs. Ford Freestyle - Forbes.com

Chrysler Pacifica Vs. Ford Freestyle - Forbes.com: "Chrysler Pacifica Vs. Ford Freestyle
Dan Lienert

Crossovers are hot. These wagon- or SUV-like vehicles--which are closer to cars than traditional, truck-based SUVs--offer attractive styling, refined rides and, frequently, good gas mileage.

Some crossovers, such as General Motors' (nyse: GM - news - people ) Chevrolet Equinox are selling in high volumes--to the delight of their parent companies. Other automakers are scrambling to catch up.

Take Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people ). The company has several crossovers coming in the near future, but for now the Ford Freestyle--which uses a wimpy 203-hp engine--is about all the company has.

Compared with other crossovers, the Freestyle is not selling particularly well. Its 35,497 American sales in the first half of 2005 matched 79% of the sales of DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) Chrysler Pacifica in the same period, and only 50% of the Equinox's sales.

According to supplier sources familiar with the automaker's plans, Ford will drop the Freestyle at the end of model-year 2007 and will let its Mercury subsidiary have a face-lifted version of the vehicle--a new 2007 or 2008 model based on Mercury's recent Meta One prototype.

In a phone interview yesterday, a Ford spokesperson declined to comment on these plans, but said, 'Actually, Freestyle is doing quite well...We're happy with the way it's selling.'

If this is true, Ford is happy with a vehicle that is in the middle of the pack. The Freestyle's sales compare favorably with those of some competitors, such as Nissan Motor's (nasdaq: NSANY - news - people ) Murano, but not with others, such as the Pacifica.