All About Design

The Ford Flex, introduced as an all-new wagon/crossover vehicle in 2009, was already capable of pleasing a wide range of constituents. The Flex ditched minivan styling, making it a hit with nontraditional family car shoppers. It also ditched the tiresome, low-buck interior quality found on too many domestic automobiles, making it a hit with discerning, sharp-eyed buyers. And it offered Ford’s new Sync communication and entertainment system, making it a hit with fans of automotive technology.

inside the Flex’s big box, one encounters many of the same sensations found in a big box store: lots of space and everything in bulk. The back of the car resides somewhere across the state line. The seats are huge. The cupholders are huge. The center console cover was once the deck of a battleship. True, with the third-row seats deployed, you lose half of your luggage space, and the area between them and the tailgate is only good for a couple of upright suitcases. But knowing how rarely those contingency seats will probably be used, there’s still room for five in the first two rows (if you don’t opt for the second-row captain’s chairs), and 43 cubic feet of space behind the second set of thrones. That matches the Highlander and comes in about 25 cu. ft. down on the Acadia.

The 4,839-pound Flex is well served by the EcoBoost. The turbos don’t wait to kick in, so the plenary complement of torque is available from 1,500 rpm. Acceleration is a feel good event, especially considering you’re driving something that’s sized like a Costco on wheels. When executing passing maneuvers, the Flex is quick to drop down and go, getting from 40-70 with comforting alacrity.

Standard driving is notable by the virtue of not noticing it. The EcoBoost’d Flex drives like a nicely sorted, and much lighter, car. The increased bodyroll management makes for probably the smoothest CUV driving experience we can remember. Grab the thick, leather-lined steering wheel and guide the Flex like you would any other car. No amusement park rollercoastering, no dancing from side-to-side. It’s a job well done.

Tags: automotive technology, car shoppers, cars, costco, crossover vehicle, cupholders, cuv, domestic automobiles, driving experience, family cars, ford flex, Ford Flex EcoBoost, interior quality, luggage space, nontraditional family, steering wheel, SUV, thick leather, two rows

This entry was posted on Friday, August 7th, 2009 at 8:17 am and is filed under family car. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.