From the logbook: 2009 Ford Flex

If I was a product planner for a car company, I’d be chugging Pepto-Bismol by the caseload right now. A few months ago, gas prices were marching steadily toward $5 a gallon. Car companies cut production capability for large SUVs, trucks, and minivans as buyers flocked to small cars. But now, fuel is back under $4. Meanwhile, crossovers were selling strong a few months back, but now reports surface that their sales are slumping.

Of course, there are short-term adjustments and long-term trends in the automotive marketplace. Introduce into this whirlwind the Ford Flex. With Ford having dropped its mediocre Freestar minivan, and as sales of the aging truck-based Explorer shrink, the Flex offers an alternative family hauler in their line-up.

Funny thing is, Ford doesn’t lack a car-based people mover; they have the Taurus X, which is quite competent. But it’s a wallflower compared to the Flex, which is a combination of a 5/4ths scale Mini Clubman, a surfer wagon, and a hearse. This unique styling gets a lot of looks. I found myself in Syracuse, NY, during the Nationals classic car show. Even though the hotel parking lot was full of street rods and old muscle cars, a lot of people were staring at the Flex. (Their cars were likely faster, but they probably wouldn’t hold the two whitewater kayaks that were strapped inside the Flex.)

So, just how well does the Flex do its duty as family and vacation hauler? We’ll provide a full road test soon, but let's peek in the logbook for the staff’s raw, first impressions:

"Great vacation car. The 2nd row has loads of legroom, 3rd row is roomy enough for adults."

"Wide comfy couch-like front seats, but headrest is intrusive."

"Adjustable pedals are no substitute for a telescoping wheel—pedals too close, wheel too far."

"Polarizing looks. Some call it a Scion xB xL or Maxi Clubman."

"Wonderful access with large door openings and low step-in."

"Car swallows ten-foot-long lumber when folding front passenger and rear seats down."

"Automatic rear hatch is slow."

"No match for the agile Honda Odyssey but trumps the Ford Explorer."

"Car is large but height fools you into thinking it’s smaller."

"Drives well, but I still like the (Saturn) Outlook better."

"Nicest Ford product in a while."

"Rides well and is quite quiet."

"Lots of buttons on center stack, and I keep grabbing the temperature knob instead of volume."

"A nice car overall, but don’t confuse it for a minivan—it doesn’t have the cargo volume."

Overall, other than some detail complaints, our impressions of the Flex are pretty favorable. But this is a crowded segment, and as the above references to the Saturn Outlook and Honda Odyssey indicate, there are some really good family haulers out there. We’ll report on exactly how the Flex stacks up in the November issue, along with the redesigned Honda Pilot.

Read our First Drive report on the Ford Flex.

—Tom Mutchler

Comments

[Andy Davis]

Have you considered grouping your car ratings differently? Now that the lines between cars and SUVs is blurred, perhaps cars should be grouped by size. The FLEX should be compared to a minivan, as noted above.

[Jim Patrick]

The Flex is a pretty sharp looking vehicle designed with an upscale retro look. The two tone top and bottom is reminiscent of 50's Ford wagons. It can be ordered with or without the two tone. The styling is much more contemporary than the Honda Odyssey or any other similar vehicle. It's family vehicle that doesn't look like a soccer mom's transportation. Nice job on this one Ford, wish I could afford the Limited model with the dual moonroofs. Very Cool.