The first thing you notice about the Ford Flex is its looks. You either love it or you hate it. The Flex is one of the most polarizing vehicles on the market today. When I first saw the Flex in Southern California I was wondering if Ford was going to sell any of these. However, like me, the Flex grows on you until you have to appreciate its uniqueness. I am now one of the biggest fans of the Flex.
With a look only a mother could love, the Flex won me over with its unbelievably nice interior and its ability to be a family truckster. As soon as you slide into the Flex’s 10 way adjustable front seats, you are won over. It is so comfortable and well appointed with soft touch materials that you keep thinking that this is a luxury sedan and not a station wagon. Not only are the front seats good, but the second and third row of seats are just as good. Legroom is comparable to a minivan, with plenty of legroom in even the third row. Ford has managed to give is a utility vehicle that looks pretty cool without having the mini van stigma attached to it. On the road, the Flex is one of the quietest vehicles in its class.
For 2013, the Flex receives a slight makeover. Gone is the Ford Blue Oval from the grille and replaced with a sleek new headlight and grille design. Other additions include park assist, radar-based adaptive cruise control, collision warning system with brake intervention, and a redesigned Sync and My Ford Touch. Other safety features such as inflatable rear seat belts are now included on the Flex.
On the highway, the Flex really shines. The standard 285 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 has plenty of power for any need. EPA fuel economy ratings are 18 city/25 highway for the front wheel drive version. The AWD Flex is rated 17/23. My AWD test model Flex was equipped with the 355 HP 3.5 Liter EcoBoost V6 that had an EPA rating of 16/23. All powertrains are mated to a six speed automatic transmission. The EcoBoost package is only available in AWD. The standard Flex runs great and the EcoBoost Flex is almost too fast. (did I say that?) Really, this car is a real sleeper.
The Flex has four trim levels: SE, SEL, Limited, and Titanium. All are nice and the upper levels have everything you can think of.
All in all, the Flex is a great vehicle for families that need lots of room and appreciate a vehicle that has such good highway manners. – Mike Herzing
MSRP: $30,885 (SE) $43,850 (Limited EcoBoost AWD)
EPA Fuel Rating: 18/26 or 16/23 (AWD EcoBoost)
Trim Levels: Se SEL Limited Titanium
Star Rating: 4.75 out of 5
