I was on my way to buy a 2008 Saturn Outlook and stopped by the Ford dealer just to look around. I saw and fell in love with the Flex and bought it instead. The drive out price for the Flex was $4259 cheaper than the 2008 Outlook. i have had the car for a few weeks and it is an amazing vehicle. So far I am averaging 20.4 mpg in mixed city and highway driving (mostly rural). I love the Sirius radio and bluetooth capability. The only things that bother me is the front seat headrests. There is no comfortable position for them and they tend to force my head forward. I have since removed the headrests and rotated them 180 degrees and reinstalled them. The two captain chairs in the middle row need armrests.
Have heard other comments like yours about the headrests, with the same solution applied. Don't know what they're thinking making the headrests that go so far forward. Shorter drivers really hate them.
My neighbor across the street brought home a new Flex last night to replace her Expedition. Gas thing, I'm sure. I hate the name, first off, but have been eyeing the car for some time as a potential replacement for my wife's Mountaineer. I love the features on the car, but we are both having a tough time with the boxy, bland styling. It's different alright, but not very attractive to us. My wife's verdict last night was, "no way". I think the car is untimately practical and useful in the extreme, but just unnatractive, and the name doesn't help IMO. They should have kept the concept "Fairlane" name on it, YMMV.
The Lincoln version planned under an equally ubiquitous name, MKT, looks far more attractive as it is completely restyled. I hope the truck does well, Ford certainly needs the win, but am concerned about how well it is going to do, given the way it looks.
I did not like the looks of the Flex when it was first shown as a Fairlane. Somehow I got used to the looks of the Flex and now it suits me fine. It is surprising how many people have asked to see my car and how they are impressed with it. I have never had a car that turned so many people's heads. I wonder why Ford does not advertise this car. I traded in a Freestyle and I loved this car too. Ford didn't advertise this car either. It was a great car and roomy. My friends all were impressed with the car and some had bought one just because they had seen mine. The reason that I traded cars was because I could not pull the Freestyle behind my motor home. The Flex is towable all four wheels down.
Flex offers the largest interior volume of any vehicle in the class, 175.8 cu.ft. And loaded up with seven people, there's 20 cu ft. of cargo space—about three more cubic feet than the trunk of a Taurus sedan. All the seats except the driver's fold flat, so you can carry stuff that's almost 10 ft. long. ---------- rohn internet marketing
A reporter from a large local newspaper would like to speak to Ford Flex owners. If you own a Ford Flex, please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime phone number by Thursday, October 2.
My wife and I drove a Flex yesterday and were very impressed with it overall. The seats were very comfortable. I'm tall so didn't have a problem with the headrest location. (By the way, the headrests are where they are for safety ... to prevent whiplash. To but them in backwards is a bit risky in the event of a rear-end collision.)
Both my wife and I thought the ride quality was excellent and the overall interior space was very good; not quite as good as most minivans but close. The power was also quite good ... it seemed better than both the Highlander and Sienna we had driven earlier in the day.
We're still not sure if we are going to purchase a vehicle before the end of the year or not, but if we do the Flex will definitely be a consideration.
A reporter is interested in talking with owners of a 2009 Ford Flex. If you are interested in commenting on your experience, please reply to jwahl@edmunds.com no later than Monday, November 3, 2008 and include your city and state of residence, the model year of your vehicle and the age of your child/ren.
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Personally, I don't like the name, but according to BON, "The national marketing launch for the Ford Flex crossover and Lincoln MKS sedan began in September. Both new products have steadily increased their share of segment. The Ford Flex has the highest conquest rate of any Ford product (except for Escape Hybrid), and also is attracting the highest rate of premium and import buyers. The Lincoln MKS ranks third in the mid-size luxury car segment behind only the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes Benz E-Class."
Last Saturday night we went out to dinner at the Southlake Town Center near Dallas, Tx and Ford had a crew of people and several Flex vehicles promoting the Flex out on the streets. They were demonstrating all the features, letting people sit in them and encouraging the filling out of a survey. Ford seems to be marketing this vehicle a lot more aggressive than they did the Taurus X or Freestyle.
Where are they on the road? Where are you getting your figures from. I do NOT believe it. They are sitting in the dealers lots. Some dealers have dozens in the back storage lot. They have most of the beginning inventory from July....
Bad marketing strategy in my opinion - Don't you see cars on the road and then say I want to have one of those. It is not so with the Flex. The vehicle is finally good and they took the wrong stategy!
Maybe they should have cut some sweet lease deals in the beginning instead of spending so much advertising during NFL games! How many millions on ads where spent? They could have used this for launching the vehicle in the Summer.
I am a new Flex owner, having driven an Expedition for 6 years. the Flex has just the right combination of SUV and mini-van characteristics. It is very roomy, rides like an auto, has enough cargo space to meet my needs and is great on mileage. It has a substantial feel from a safety point of view and has great technology. I don't know why Ford has kept this light under a barrel.
I think the pricing strategy hurt Ford, they priced this vehicle way over market value, and people just weren't willing to put 35K - 40K into a vehicle that so new. I am actively looking into buying a cross over type vehicle rather than a mini van, but to me I can not see putting that much into a vehicle right now. I am encouraged how ever to see the prices dropping recently, Saw a Flex SEL w/ FWD on the lot for 31K, that is more like it in my opinion.
This car is incredible!!! My husband bought it for me as an early Christmas present! I cannot explain how cool this car is. I know we made the right decision. We were looking at the 2008 Lincoln Navigator, 2009 Honda Pilot, 2008 Mazda CX-9, 2009 Chevy Traverse, 2008 Infiniti QX56, 2008 Hyundai Veracruz.... Basically every car out there! The Flex blows them all away. Sit inside and take it for a test drive and you'll see! It is sooo quiet and has amazing technology. The Sony sound system sounds fantastic. I am in love... With the car... And my husband
Hi all - I have had some bad expeiences with domestic autos in the past and have strayed away for the last 10 years. However, was convinced by a neighbor to test drive the Flex. I did so yesterday and was impressed by the ride, space, and comfort. Dealer prices seem to be around the 27-37K range and think this may be a bit high given the competition and market. This reminds me of when the Pacifica first came out and they dropped the price substanially after the first year or two. Any thoughts or buying experencies?
Reply to All - I bought the Flex for $4,000 below sticker AND was given retail price for my trade in, which was a 2003 Expedition. This seems like a reasonable deal (about $8,000 below sticker). The $4,000 was composed of $2500 from Ford and $1500 from the dealer. The difference in the "Blue Book" trade in price and the retail price was about $4,000. The sticker was about $44,000 and I paid $28,000 with the trade-in ($4,000 discount and $12,000 trade-in).
do any of the owners here have a car seat they put in the back. We bought a 06 Fusion without thinking about putting a car seat back there. We have a normal all in one car seat and I swear they put these things on steroids. I can fit one in the back of the fusion, but no way if I had to put two back there. I was just inquiring if anyone has a car seat in the back for about a 1 year old. Thanks for the help.
I love flex, too. I just got the Flex, SE, to replace my 10 years old Villager few days ago. Of course, I love this new car more than the 10 yars old Villager. Flex has a smoother drive, roomy, quieter engine and temp indication panel is great. However, one thing I wish Ford keep the function of mini van. There is no place to put junks in the front row to easy access big items., like purse, folder or bags of snack especially great for a long trip. I also went to Detroit auto show to see if other similar cars provided the same function as mini-van. From what I saw, only Town and Country, another mini van, provides it.
One more issue for this Flex is that I have to choose either a model with sun-roof or with 7-seater, not both. I was bump by this, too. At the end, I choose 7-seater for practical. Overall, it is a great car.
In January I test drove a Flex limited 2WD. It really was comfortable, and didn't feel nearly as big as it is. I was very impressed with the quality of this Ford... past Fords (and GM's) were a disappointment! I'm currently overseas, and I'll probably replace my Scion Xb with a bigger box (Flex) in Aug. Surprisingly the mileage isn't to far from the Xb (if people are being honest). The duratech 3.5l felt pretty good even considering the weight, but I like the sound of the ecoboost for 2010. Not so sure I want to buy the first year for this 'new' technology, though. Does anyone have any idea how much the Ecoboost will be over the NA AWD Limited?
This link tells you all you need to know. Note that AWD is required and it will only be available on "well equipped SEL and Limited models" according to this PR.
No official pricing has been released yet but my guess is an AWD Limited with EB is going to start somewhere between $39K and $40K.
That's probably about right. I was sent a quote for a Limited AWD, with Nav for $32k and change. I believe sticker was $39+-. I was very tempted, but why have it sit for 6 months until I returned? For me I'm hoping the dealers will be just as desperate to get these of the lots (not just Flex, but anything!). I'm an easy sell (high credit score, and a big deposit), but I'm greedy ;-) lol... you can make money on the next chump Mr salesman. I'll just get you out of the interest payments to Ford! LOL
Thanks for the site. It has a lot of good PR info! :shades:
My wife, & I are expecting our 2nd child in October so we'll soon be in the market for a larger family vehicle. Our wonderful Edge is a tad too small when ya consider all the "extras" that you need when traveling (Edge has limited cargo room).
Does anyone out there own, or know someone who owns a Flex that has a few kids requiring child seats? If so how's the ease of access/getting in, & out along with the cargo room?
As much of a Ford guy that I am - I question the usefulness/value the Flex would offer; that is why my wife, & I are looking into an Odyssey, or a Sienna...Any info would be appreciated.
A reporter would like to talk with owners of the Ford Flex. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com by March 18, 2009 noting your daytime contact info and a word about why you bought your Flex.
I own a Freestyle, which is pretty identical in interior size to the Flex and for 2 kids it works our fine; however, if one of the adults wants to sit in the second row with the new baby, then you'll need to put the other kid in the 3rd row, which will cut down on your cargo space, even with the split. We have 2 kids now and looking back I'd rather have had a minivan for some of our long road trips, but for the day-to-day driving our Freestyle is better.
Now if you're taking more than 4 on a regular basis, then get a minivan
JTO, you're joking about gas mileage between the xB and the Flex ... right? unless you are refering to the Gen2 xB. Even then, there is a significant difference in mileage. I drive a Gen1 xB and average 32 mpg in mixed driving ... that is probably double what you'd expect to get in a Flex.
A reporter is looking to speak to consumers who purchased a Ford Flex and decide to drive versus fly when vacationing. Please send your daytime phone number and the vehicle you own to ctalati@edmunds.com by Friday, April 10, 2009.
I like my new Flex. It has all the stuff I need and then some. I wish it had a telescoping wheel, but I have learned to drive with the bottom of the steering wheel.(I've had to on every car I've owned since 1966) Lots of leg room for tall people, and the head rests are not a problem for me. I like the quiet ride (mostly; on my street the tires rumble quite a bit) and it corners very well, tracks around curves nicely. It has good pickup too. I'm still trying to get the Synch figured out so I can use it reliably, but I don't make a lot of phone calls so it will take a while. Mileage could be better; I average just over 20 in and around town, with little hwy travel. We didn't pay extra for a radio, but the standard issue sounds just fine to me and has plenty of adjustments for treble-bass, etc. Talk radio sounds fine. Dealership people were friendly and competent and I got a good deal with the $4,000 rebate on my SE. I traded in a 14 yr. old Pontiac GP. I have seen only 1 other Flex- a Saleen Special with special paint and wheels and big decal all over the windshield. I have gotten a couple of favorable coments from others about mine. After 800 miles, so far, so good.
Thanks for the reply bobw3; just recently checked out the Flex when I had the oil changed on my Edge...There's little to no comparison to an Odyssey, or Sienna when looking for extra cargo room - the Flex is considerably smaller in that dept.
Is the AWD really needed in NJ? Most of my cars have been FWD, but in something this big is it needed... is it worth the expense in purchase, fuel, maintenance? I like it on a fast car, and my 4X4 truck, but how does the FWD Flex do in normal weather of the mid atlantic?
I realize the Eco Boost can only be had with AWD, but I'm not so sure I want to buy the first year of any new engine that complicated.
I'm sure the FWD would do just fine in NJ, especially with as much weight as the Flex manages to put over the drive wheels. However, there's no question that AWD offers a considerable additional amount of "surefootedness", especially on wet, snowy, or icy roads.
With respect to fuel, the numbers are out there. AWD adds about 180lbs of hardware, so fuel burn is affected accordingly and not enough to matter IMO. With respect to maintenance, given that I've chosen to extend my warranty to 7 years with no deductible, it makes absolutely no difference to me whatsoever. It may have added another $1,800 to the purchase price, but I'm more than happy to to have paid it for the additional road confidence it offers, and I certainly expect to receive a large portion of that back at resale through additional value, ease of sale, or both.
Unless you live in a dry snowless climate and/or are stretching to afford the trim level you want, I think FWD would be one of the last ways I'd choose to economize.
Hey, I live in Michigan, where we get plenty of snow. I have NEVER found 4wheel drive to be an advantage that I needed. If the snow is so bad that 4 wheel drive is required, I just stay home(And so does anyone else with any sense.) FWD works just fine in 98% of the winter driving situations you will ever encounter. Save your money both for gas and for the extra expense initially. Stopping is the BIG problem in winter driving situations, and you already have 4 wheel brakes for that!
Hello JTO, I just purchased my 09 Flex last week and I was given the same choice. Like one of the other posters I also live in Michigan. However, I have had 4WD vehicles in the past and I see their value in the winter and heavy rain conditions. While I agree you could stay home and not drive, but the what-ifs are too many in my mind (what-if it starts snowing when you are already away from home).
I test drove both FWD and AWD that were loaded to nearly identical MSRP's. The FWD had more options than the AWD. In the end I opted for the AWD. In my opinion it was one option that was a requirement. Good luck. dano
For winter driving primarily in NJ, FWD is fine, unless you live in a particular hilly area or the roads are not mainitained well in winter. Otherwise, save the AWD money and get yourself a full (four) set of snow tires, as they will provide a much greater advantage than AWD, (puls your regular tires will last twice as long). AWD and snow tires will help you get going, but snow tires will also help you turn and stop, which AWD will not. Plus, to maximize the gas mileage on the Flex, Ford most likley fitted the car with hard rubber, which does poorly in winter, so dedicated snow tires on a FWD Flex will most likely outperform a stock tire'd AWD Flex in winter conditions.
I am largely writing here as payback as this site and others helped me greatly with my car buying experience, so I will pay it forward.
We are a small family but often have extended family along so we wanted the third row seat. I also wanted leather as this would be more durable long term (and comfortable). My son wanted the DVD. We also needed AWD (northern NJ) and a tow package to haul our pop-up camper. These items became the criteria for our search.
We first started to look at the Flex because it fit the bill. I had never heard of it or really never saw one on the road before our first trip to the dealer (a dealer I never intended to buy from for no reason other than they were out of my way). This helped reduce the pressure of the salesman. Fortunately the salesman was new (former GM guy and that was something we would hear a lot of), and he left us alone for the test drive. Overall it was a good experience but the sticker shock and somewhat sluggish feel left us wanting to look around.
We next looked at the Honda. The new Pilot was roomy, somewhat cool looking with off-road tendencies, and had all of our criteria. The price was good and the Pilot felt like it had more power. This would stay on our list.
We next visited Toyota (dealer I bought my last Toyota from) and looked at the Highlander Limited. Must admit the bells and whistles were great but the sticker shock was brutal. The dealer was very pushy, nearly hostile in the negotiations and seemed only to care about making his monthly numbers. At every turn it was only in the dealers advantage and I was in a position to comprimise on what I wanted (features, colors, etc.). I had enough and walked.
I went back to Honda mostly because they handle Internet pricing well and I had a bidding war going on (definately shop via Internet office if possible). We came within minutes of making a deal but in the end they refused to honor a deal we agreed to over the Internet (mainly holding the price for one week while I got my dead presidents in order). "Nope, gotta take it tomorrow or no deal, pricing all changes". This was clearly not what we communicated with over the net and the fact they pressured me to take possession right away (when a couple days and new month would really do nothing to hurt them). I said "you are gonna let me walk over this? really? Seriously, this is only going to get better for me the longer I wait, you can take my deposit and lock this in, and I'll be back next week". "Sorry" was there answer. We walked.
We planned to go back to a Ford dealer on our way to another Chevy dealer. Why not give the Ford another look and they also had Nissan there so we might as well have a gander at the Pathfinder. Well the Pathfinder was simply hideous. Didn't like anything so we spent about..oh 3 minutes looking at it. We then asked to see the Flex again. By now it started to grow on us. We went for a nice ride and it was very roomy in comparison to the Highlander and Pilot, yet arguably more sluggish (well it is mammoth). The salesman was great, no pressure, take it easy kind of attitude. He gave us some numbers to consider but understood we had other dealers to visit and even offered to help us get there (really...wow). In the end we decided with the closing of some GM dealers, the closest one was simply too far and we just didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling so we never did try the Traverse.
We went back to the Ford dealer only after some negotiations over the phone (great way as this is far easier as you can simply hang-up). Man, the numbers were great...no bull no baggage, just slightly over invoice, very slightly. Ok, we need to take a much closer look at Ford.
We agreed to head back for a closer look only after they found the exact model we were looking for (and they found one somewhere else, brought it over, cleaned it up, and we had no firm committment yet). We looked, again stressing we are looking, and they said "ok, take your time". Wow, no pressure. So we took a good long time looking and agreed this was it. A few more minutes of some paperwork prep and we were on with our weekend. We agreed to come back the following week. This gave us plenty of time to get the money together but perhaps more importantly do more research to be very clear we are prepared to make the best decision.
After negotiating the price I then studied the Finance and Insurance side of the business (which is often where the real money is made). Bottom line we agreed not to buy anything extra and the only thing in play would be the rebates and APR. I did all the math and figured if they could beat 5% APR we could easily take the rebates over the 0% and be ahead of the game. And that is exactly what happended. Great APR and $4500 in rebates. We had a good deal. The dealer made a few bucks on the car (not much) and perhaps a couple bucks on the APR and we had a great monthly price. We closed the deal in less than an hour (and I stressed this point before the Finance sit down - in and out in an hour or less or lose the deal). The finance guy knew he was beat and really didn't try too hard to push products.
Ok here is the main take-aways:
Always shop around, Internet is best as you avoid the sales cubicle and might fall victim to the BS session on confusing numbers.
Always shop for the car price - never monthly. You will get a much better deal by shopping the car price and doing your own homework to figure out the monthly. If you must go on a monthly figure, go 50 to 75 bucks less than your ideal payment to give YOU some room, but again go for the car price.
Know your credit and what you can realistically afford. Do this all on your own and if needed secure your own financing. The dealer can run your report and give you a subject finding and an inflated APR (based on your unfortunate credit - blah).
Know what you want in the car, including service agreements or warranties. Shop around as other dealers can also sell these products. I say this because the finance and insurance guy (the closer) will pressure you to tack on some bills to give you coverage, coverage you likely never need.
Shop around, take drives. I would test drive at dealers you never intend to buy and then also try to avoid going inside the office where they can temp your emotions. This gives you neutral territory to shop. Then circle back to a local dealer you can trust (maybe) and try them out.
Good luck
2009 Ford Flex SEL w/ AWD. Silver with two tone white top, convienience package, lighting package, tow package, Sync, Roof rails, Rear DVD system. $36200 minus $4500 in rebates.$31700. Not bad!
I have had a flex as a rental for the last few days since my '08 Taurus went in for minor body repairs. I like almost everything about the Flex - handles well, love the transmission, decent performance for a heavy vehicle with a 6-cyl, very comfortable seats, good Sony stereo (though strangely not as good as the Ford Premium stereo in the Taurus), third row is easy to put up and down. On the minus side are the intrusive headrests, which also make the poor rear/side visibility worse, minimal cargo space behind the 3rd row (it's not remotely close in carrying capacity to the 21 cu ft trunk in my Taurus no matter what the stats say, and the same no-telescoping steering wheel as the Taurus. But the absolute deal killer for me would be this - a set of golf clubs does not fit across the cargo area because of the plastic bins on either side. It sounds petty, but you have the choice of having your longest club support the weight of the whole bag while flexed against one of the bins, or if you put the 3rd row down, placing the clubs lengthwise in the bed. Reaching forward and picking up the clubs in this position is guaranteed to give you a back injury. Surely one of the most common items carried in the back of a car should be one of the first items allowed for when planning the dimensions. It's just so dumb.
We finally bought a Flex and the decision was in no small part due to the great long term review provided by Edmunds.com. Ours is a Red, AWD Limited with a white roof (Tow Pkg, Vista, Family DVD, 40/40 2nd row). I admit that we discussed the looks quite a bit, but once we bought it, all the concern went away. Not only that, but it has become a magnet. Friends, lots of friends, come by just to check it out. When they climb inside, they get this big grin and talk about how much they like it.
Favorite Elements - The looks (especially with the white roof), the space, Sync, split-fold seats in every row, the pass through to the third row is a good size, great visibility, the recess behind the 3rd row is just the right size and height for groceries.
Least Favorite - The mileage is great on the highway, but in the teens around town, the often noted gap in the ceiling liner, the 2nd row seats don't lock as easily as they should, the white roof is marginally executed. You see feathering when you look through the sunroof.
Final thoughts - We are absolutely loving the car and its looks (You get a lot of looks). However, if you buy one be sure to check the roof liner in the front. You may find that it is not securely fastened and is hanging more than an inch lower than it should. If you have a sunroof, open it and look at the gap between the liner and the roof.
I had an opportunity to rent a Ford Flex sel for 10 days. Enterprise Rental offered it for $5 a day over the cost of a compact.
My vacation was in Maui. My speeds averaged 40 mph since the highest posted speed limit on the island is 55 mph. The flex had 4000 miles on the odmeter.
Overall I was very impressed with the Flex. The ride was smooth. Very good steering response. Easy to drive. The seat comfort was good. Lots of space, especially with the rear seats down. Liked the backup warning beep.
Minor gripes was the base Sony stereo, which was just average. I loved the blue instrument panel at night for its looks but found them hard to quickly identify which button to push while driving. I wished the headlights were brighter at night. And I averaged 20 mpg (I thought it would be better with the speeds I drove).
Definitely still on my list to purchase. But I will wait to see what the Ford C-Max offers when it comes out next year.
Very quiet on the highway and virtually no road noise is heard at all. I have an '09 Limited which has laminated front side and windshield glass but the SE and SEL trims, sans the laminated glass, are nearly as quiet from what I've read.
We've had our 2010 Cinnamon Flex for about 90 days now and with me the jury's still out. The wife loved it the moment she saw it and was sold the moment her hini hit the front seat. My brother actually builds them and it's unanimous even with the guys on the line " they grow on you" Our mileage is rock steady @ 9lt / 100km indicated digitally on the dash as are many useful & useless stats. It really is a dream to drive and feels absolutely enormous inside. I should point out that we haven't had the finances to purchase new in some time, so anything is a dream at first. I still contend that the second row of seats should move or slide back and forward to adjust foot space. It literally feels like your riding in a limo back there but with the ability to slide it forward a tad even the third rowers would feel important. Everything we looked at with third row seating, which aren't that many in this price range unless you include mini-vans lacked any substantial space way way back in the third row. They all do a good job of hiding or stowing the rear seats but none that we could find were much better seating wise than for the grand kiddies.
In honesty I wanted the Edge, Mama wanted the Flex and the third row was important if only for the grandkids. * Note how she selects a vehicle with the grand kids in mind but makes certain there as far back from her as possible when driving. The headrests are a nuisance at first but you do get used to them. I only just heard on the forums here about a 180 degree adjustment and I'm not quite sold on that just yet. The wifes put 12000 km on in just 3 months which really is high for her but maybe an indication? We also bought a 2008 Dodge Caliber with very low mileage around the same time for our teen-age daughters and for the most part thats what I drive. The wife just cringed both times she had to drive the Caliber and yet she was all " this is the one" when we decided on it. Another indication of her affection for the Flex?
All in all I have no real issues or even complaints with the wifes, ooops, I mean our Flex. It will always look a little odd or different to me, but when Mama's happy, well then I'm happy.
Well I bought a new Flex Ecoboost (AWD Limited) and I absolutely love it. Delivered with 209 miles on it and now after 1 week I am at about 1900 miles!!! Much of that was a long drive from Minnesota to Wisconsin and back home to Arkansas. The Flex handles great, drives quiet but after that many miles I have discover one unusual problem that I am having difficulty trouble shooting. I was driving the interstate system at average speeds of 75-80mph. Both Saturday and Sunday through Missouri I noticed what can best be described as a rolling vibration. Kind of like the waves washing up on the shore. Every 4-5 seconds there would be this silent, strong vibration that I could feel both through the steering wheel and the seat. Then it would fade for a few seconds and then return. I tried the following tests to see if I could control it: - I sped up to 100mph twice to see if it would intensify greatly with higher speed (tire related). It did not. But it was more noticeable at 80 than at 75. - I turned off the climate system to see if it was related to the A/C compression. It did not go away. - I turned off the cruise control. No change.
I thought it might be related to wind hitting the car and just the right frequency or something but I experienced it both in a crosswind (Driving West with a wind from the North) and a tail wind (driving south with a wind from the North.). There seemed to be some relief from it when turning along a shallow corner in the freeway.
My guess would be that it has something to do with the drive train or the the anti-sway feature applying the engine management and/or brakes at a certain frequency.
Any guesses, thoughts, additional trouble shooting recommendations before I take it to the dealer. I just know this is going to be one of those difficult to diagnose problems by a dealer, especially in a small town with very few Flex's around. Just trying to increase my odds of finding the problem quickly.
Thanks in advance for any and all input on this. Otherwise the vehicle is an absolute dream to drive and ride in.
your tires that is? :confuse: , return to your selling dealer if :mad: possible have them balanced or replaced if they are hankooks, get the goodyear RSA.
I am having the same issues. The car rattles and shakes when driving, the back and back passenger hits the bumps hard. My flex has been in 5 times and i am very frustrated :mad:
I am experiencing the same vibration while driving and going over bumps my car feels like an army hmmvee. The car has been in the service over 5 times.I am so frustated. I cannot drive with both back windows down without it feeling like the car is going to fall apart. ;
Comments
My neighbor across the street brought home a new Flex last night to replace her Expedition. Gas thing, I'm sure. I hate the name, first off, but have been eyeing the car for some time as a potential replacement for my wife's Mountaineer. I love the features on the car, but we are both having a tough time with the boxy, bland styling. It's different alright, but not very attractive to us. My wife's verdict last night was, "no way". I think the car is untimately practical and useful in the extreme, but just unnatractive, and the name doesn't help IMO. They should have kept the concept "Fairlane" name on it, YMMV.
The Lincoln version planned under an equally ubiquitous name, MKT, looks far more attractive as it is completely restyled. I hope the truck does well, Ford certainly needs the win, but am concerned about how well it is going to do, given the way it looks.
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rohn
internet marketing
I see ads all the time for the FLEX. You must not be watching any Cable....
Both my wife and I thought the ride quality was excellent and the overall interior space was very good; not quite as good as most minivans but close. The power was also quite good ... it seemed better than both the Highlander and Sienna we had driven earlier in the day.
We're still not sure if we are going to purchase a vehicle before the end of the year or not, but if we do the Flex will definitely be a consideration.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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Bad marketing strategy in my opinion - Don't you see cars on the road and then say I want to have one of those. It is not so with the Flex. The vehicle is finally good and they took the wrong stategy!
Maybe they should have cut some sweet lease deals in the beginning instead of spending so much advertising during NFL games! How many millions on ads where spent? They could have used this for launching the vehicle in the Summer.
One more issue for this Flex is that I have to choose either a model with sun-roof or with 7-seater, not both. I was bump by this, too. At the end, I choose 7-seater for practical. Overall, it is a great car.
No official pricing has been released yet but my guess is an AWD Limited with EB is going to start somewhere between $39K and $40K.
Thanks for the site. It has a lot of good PR info! :shades:
Does anyone out there own, or know someone who owns a Flex that has a few kids requiring child seats? If so how's the ease of access/getting in, & out along with the cargo room?
As much of a Ford guy that I am - I question the usefulness/value the Flex would offer; that is why my wife, & I are looking into an Odyssey, or a Sienna...Any info would be appreciated.
Now if you're taking more than 4 on a regular basis, then get a minivan
I like the quiet ride (mostly; on my street the tires rumble quite a bit) and it corners very well, tracks around curves nicely. It has good pickup too. I'm still trying to get the Synch figured out so I can use it reliably, but I don't make a lot of phone calls so it will take a while.
Mileage could be better; I average just over 20 in and around town, with little hwy travel.
We didn't pay extra for a radio, but the standard issue sounds just fine to me and has plenty of adjustments for treble-bass, etc. Talk radio sounds fine.
Dealership people were friendly and competent and I got a good deal with the $4,000 rebate on my SE. I traded in a 14 yr. old Pontiac GP. I have seen only 1 other Flex- a Saleen Special with special paint and wheels and big decal all over the windshield. I have gotten a couple of favorable coments from others about mine.
After 800 miles, so far, so good.
Is the AWD really needed in NJ? Most of my cars have been FWD, but in something this big is it needed... is it worth the expense in purchase, fuel, maintenance? I like it on a fast car, and my 4X4 truck, but how does the FWD Flex do in normal weather of the mid atlantic?
I realize the Eco Boost can only be had with AWD, but I'm not so sure I want to buy the first year of any new engine that complicated.
With respect to fuel, the numbers are out there. AWD adds about 180lbs of hardware, so fuel burn is affected accordingly and not enough to matter IMO. With respect to maintenance, given that I've chosen to extend my warranty to 7 years with no deductible, it makes absolutely no difference to me whatsoever. It may have added another $1,800 to the purchase price, but I'm more than happy to to have paid it for the additional road confidence it offers, and I certainly expect to receive a large portion of that back at resale through additional value, ease of sale, or both.
Unless you live in a dry snowless climate and/or are stretching to afford the trim level you want, I think FWD would be one of the last ways I'd choose to economize.
I live in Michigan, where we get plenty of snow. I have NEVER found 4wheel drive to be an advantage that I needed. If the snow is so bad that 4 wheel drive is required, I just stay home(And so does anyone else with any sense.) FWD works just fine in 98% of the winter driving situations you will ever encounter. Save your money both for gas and for the extra expense initially. Stopping is the BIG problem in winter driving situations, and you already have 4 wheel brakes for that!
I test drove both FWD and AWD that were loaded to nearly identical MSRP's. The FWD had more options than the AWD. In the end I opted for the AWD. In my opinion it was one option that was a requirement. Good luck. dano
We are a small family but often have extended family along so we wanted the third row seat. I also wanted leather as this would be more durable long term (and comfortable). My son wanted the DVD. We also needed AWD (northern NJ) and a tow package to haul our pop-up camper. These items became the criteria for our search.
We first started to look at the Flex because it fit the bill. I had never heard of it or really never saw one on the road before our first trip to the dealer (a dealer I never intended to buy from for no reason other than they were out of my way). This helped reduce the pressure of the salesman. Fortunately the salesman was new (former GM guy and that was something we would hear a lot of), and he left us alone for the test drive. Overall it was a good experience but the sticker shock and somewhat sluggish feel left us wanting to look around.
We next looked at the Honda. The new Pilot was roomy, somewhat cool looking with off-road tendencies, and had all of our criteria. The price was good and the Pilot felt like it had more power. This would stay on our list.
We next visited Toyota (dealer I bought my last Toyota from) and looked at the Highlander Limited. Must admit the bells and whistles were great but the sticker shock was brutal. The dealer was very pushy, nearly hostile in the negotiations and seemed only to care about making his monthly numbers. At every turn it was only in the dealers advantage and I was in a position to comprimise on what I wanted (features, colors, etc.). I had enough and walked.
I went back to Honda mostly because they handle Internet pricing well and I had a bidding war going on (definately shop via Internet office if possible). We came within minutes of making a deal but in the end they refused to honor a deal we agreed to over the Internet (mainly holding the price for one week while I got my dead presidents in order). "Nope, gotta take it tomorrow or no deal, pricing all changes". This was clearly not what we communicated with over the net and the fact they pressured me to take possession right away (when a couple days and new month would really do nothing to hurt them). I said "you are gonna let me walk over this? really? Seriously, this is only going to get better for me the longer I wait, you can take my deposit and lock this in, and I'll be back next week". "Sorry" was there answer. We walked.
We planned to go back to a Ford dealer on our way to another Chevy dealer. Why not give the Ford another look and they also had Nissan there so we might as well have a gander at the Pathfinder. Well the Pathfinder was simply hideous. Didn't like anything so we spent about..oh 3 minutes looking at it. We then asked to see the Flex again. By now it started to grow on us. We went for a nice ride and it was very roomy in comparison to the Highlander and Pilot, yet arguably more sluggish (well it is mammoth). The salesman was great, no pressure, take it easy kind of attitude. He gave us some numbers to consider but understood we had other dealers to visit and even offered to help us get there (really...wow). In the end we decided with the closing of some GM dealers, the closest one was simply too far and we just didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling so we never did try the Traverse.
We went back to the Ford dealer only after some negotiations over the phone (great way as this is far easier as you can simply hang-up). Man, the numbers were great...no bull no baggage, just slightly over invoice, very slightly. Ok, we need to take a much closer look at Ford.
We agreed to head back for a closer look only after they found the exact model we were looking for (and they found one somewhere else, brought it over, cleaned it up, and we had no firm committment yet). We looked, again stressing we are looking, and they said "ok, take your time". Wow, no pressure. So we took a good long time looking and agreed this was it. A few more minutes of some paperwork prep and we were on with our weekend. We agreed to come back the following week. This gave us plenty of time to get the money together but perhaps more importantly do more research to be very clear we are prepared to make the best decision.
After negotiating the price I then studied the Finance and Insurance side of the business (which is often where the real money is made). Bottom line we agreed not to buy anything extra and the only thing in play would be the rebates and APR. I did all the math and figured if they could beat 5% APR we could easily take the rebates over the 0% and be ahead of the game. And that is exactly what happended. Great APR and $4500 in rebates. We had a good deal. The dealer made a few bucks on the car (not much) and perhaps a couple bucks on the APR and we had a great monthly price. We closed the deal in less than an hour (and I stressed this point before the Finance sit down - in and out in an hour or less or lose the deal). The finance guy knew he was beat and really didn't try too hard to push products.
Ok here is the main take-aways:
Always shop around, Internet is best as you avoid the sales cubicle and might fall victim to the BS session on confusing numbers.
Always shop for the car price - never monthly. You will get a much better deal by shopping the car price and doing your own homework to figure out the monthly. If you must go on a monthly figure, go 50 to 75 bucks less than your ideal payment to give YOU some room, but again go for the car price.
Know your credit and what you can realistically afford. Do this all on your own and if needed secure your own financing. The dealer can run your report and give you a subject finding and an inflated APR (based on your unfortunate credit - blah).
Know what you want in the car, including service agreements or warranties. Shop around as other dealers can also sell these products. I say this because the finance and insurance guy (the closer) will pressure you to tack on some bills to give you coverage, coverage you likely never need.
Shop around, take drives. I would test drive at dealers you never intend to buy and then also try to avoid going inside the office where they can temp your emotions. This gives you neutral territory to shop. Then circle back to a local dealer you can trust (maybe) and try them out.
Good luck
2009 Ford Flex SEL w/ AWD. Silver with two tone white top, convienience package, lighting package, tow package, Sync, Roof rails, Rear DVD system. $36200 minus $4500 in rebates.$31700. Not bad!
Favorite Elements - The looks (especially with the white roof), the space, Sync, split-fold seats in every row, the pass through to the third row is a good size, great visibility, the recess behind the 3rd row is just the right size and height for groceries.
Least Favorite - The mileage is great on the highway, but in the teens around town, the often noted gap in the ceiling liner, the 2nd row seats don't lock as easily as they should, the white roof is marginally executed. You see feathering when you look through the sunroof.
Final thoughts - We are absolutely loving the car and its looks (You get a lot of looks). However, if you buy one be sure to check the roof liner in the front. You may find that it is not securely fastened and is hanging more than an inch lower than it should. If you have a sunroof, open it and look at the gap between the liner and the roof.
My vacation was in Maui. My speeds averaged 40 mph since the highest posted speed limit on the island is 55 mph. The flex had 4000 miles on the odmeter.
Overall I was very impressed with the Flex. The ride was smooth. Very good steering response. Easy to drive. The seat comfort was good. Lots of space, especially with the rear seats down. Liked the backup warning beep.
Minor gripes was the base Sony stereo, which was just average. I loved the blue instrument panel at night for its looks but found them hard to quickly identify which button to push while driving. I wished the headlights were brighter at night. And I averaged 20 mpg (I thought it would be better with the speeds I drove).
Definitely still on my list to purchase. But I will wait to see what the Ford C-Max offers when it comes out next year.
We've had our 2010 Cinnamon Flex for about 90 days now and with me the jury's still out. The wife loved it the moment she saw it and was sold the moment her hini hit the front seat. My brother actually builds them and it's unanimous even with the guys on the line " they grow on you" Our mileage is rock steady @ 9lt / 100km indicated digitally on the dash as are many useful & useless stats. It really is a dream to drive and feels absolutely enormous inside. I should point out that we haven't had the finances to purchase new in some time, so anything is a dream at first.
I still contend that the second row of seats should move or slide back and forward to adjust foot space. It literally feels like your riding in a limo back there but with the ability to slide it forward a tad even the third rowers would feel important. Everything we looked at with third row seating, which aren't that many in this price range unless you include mini-vans lacked any substantial space way way back in the third row. They all do a good job of hiding or stowing the rear seats but none that we could find were much better seating wise than for the grand kiddies.
In honesty I wanted the Edge, Mama wanted the Flex and the third row was important if only for the grandkids. * Note how she selects a vehicle with the grand kids in mind but makes certain there as far back from her as possible when driving. The headrests are a nuisance at first but you do get used to them. I only just heard on the forums here about a 180 degree adjustment and I'm not quite sold on that just yet. The wifes put 12000 km on in just 3 months which really is high for her but maybe an indication? We also bought a 2008 Dodge Caliber with very low mileage around the same time for our teen-age daughters and for the most part thats what I drive. The wife just cringed both times she had to drive the Caliber and yet she was all " this is the one" when we decided on it. Another indication of her affection for the Flex?
All in all I have no real issues or even complaints with the wifes, ooops, I mean our Flex. It will always look a little odd or different to me, but when Mama's happy, well then I'm happy.
New Head Restraints – Safety, Torture, or Both?
The Flex handles great, drives quiet but after that many miles I have discover one unusual problem that I am having difficulty trouble shooting. I was driving the interstate system at average speeds of 75-80mph. Both Saturday and Sunday through Missouri I noticed what can best be described as a rolling vibration. Kind of like the waves washing up on the shore. Every 4-5 seconds there would be this silent, strong vibration that I could feel both through the steering wheel and the seat. Then it would fade for a few seconds and then return.
I tried the following tests to see if I could control it:
- I sped up to 100mph twice to see if it would intensify greatly with higher speed (tire related). It did not. But it was more noticeable at 80 than at 75.
- I turned off the climate system to see if it was related to the A/C compression. It did not go away.
- I turned off the cruise control. No change.
I thought it might be related to wind hitting the car and just the right frequency or something but I experienced it both in a crosswind (Driving West with a wind from the North) and a tail wind (driving south with a wind from the North.).
There seemed to be some relief from it when turning along a shallow corner in the freeway.
My guess would be that it has something to do with the drive train or the the anti-sway feature applying the engine management and/or brakes at a certain frequency.
Any guesses, thoughts, additional trouble shooting recommendations before I take it to the dealer. I just know this is going to be one of those difficult to diagnose problems by a dealer, especially in a small town with very few Flex's around. Just trying to increase my odds of finding the problem quickly.
Thanks in advance for any and all input on this. Otherwise the vehicle is an absolute dream to drive and ride in.