Ford Flex New Owner Reports

Karen_S

Are you "Flexing" yet? Tell us what you think of your new crossover wagon here!

rgurta

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.

nvbanker

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.

rgurta

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.

rohndawson

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.
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rohn
internet marketing

nvbanker

I wonder why Ford does not advertise this car.

I see ads all the time for the FLEX. You must not be watching any Cable....

Karen_S

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.

kkrause

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.

Kirstie_H

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.

nvbanker

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."

cmuniz

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.

hondaneed

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.

caliberchic

I've yet to see one on the road as well. The Dodge Caliber was like that at first and now I see them everywhere...and cringe.

tcurry3

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.

buckeyepilot

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.

kristenr

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

bjss

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?

tcurry3

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).

bjss

Thanks - so the price paid (taking out the trade) was 8K below sticker - or 36K?

tcurry3

That's correct.

buckeyepilot

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.

bytes

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.

JTO

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?

baggs32

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.

JTO

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:

fmichael

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.

Karen_S

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.

bobw3

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

big_guy

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.

Karen_S

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.

basswood

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.