2009 Ford Flex Limited: Introduction

I like it, and the equipment sounds cool, but >$40k? No thanks...

Maybe I'm misjudging the size, but looks to me like it should be <$30k if they want to sell that many.

jp

I think it looks great, finally seems like Ford has an unqualified winner. It's pricey, but you Edmunds guys can't seem to stay off the options sheet. I think for real-world people the price would be a little lower.

If you read the full article, you'll see that Edmunds left almost no option box un-checked. This way, they will be able to report on whether there is any actual value in these big-ticket items.

But even with the discounts they got, I wouldn't use their out-the-door price for any real-world price comparison. "My" Flex would be about $6k cheaper to start.

Oh, and thanks for adding this post, Donna. I will now assume it was directly the result of my whining in the previous post's comments. :P

there is only one reason that i did not buy this vehicle.

it does not have a telescoping steering wheel.

this is a serious omission, especially for a $40K vehicle that wants to compete with vehicles such as the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and even the Acura MDX.

Please refrain from using any of the following adjectives in your reviews:

Flex-tacular
Flex-eriffic
Flex-tabulous
Flex-tastic
Flex-elicious

Thank you in advance...

I have great ex-Flex-tations for this vehicle!

Never been a big Ford fan with the exception of the Ford GT and SVT Focus but this vehicle seems to have a lot of character. I like the styling even though its very simple. Regarding the price, $40K for this seems over the top but $34-35 MAX should be about right.

Zoomx5,

How about Flexy?

"Flexy", I like it!

Is that Ford's answer to "Truthy"?

How about Flex Appeal?

Flex-quisite

This is going to end any time soon is it? I was affraid of this. However it is kind of fun to make up words that Edmunds.com shouldn't use...

Flex-cruciating

And as much as I hate to admit it Flex Appeal is kind of funny...

I actually really like the Flex. I would love it with Eco-Boost.

The best looking crossover to date. Or maybe second best. The previous gen Infiniti FX was sexy.

Played around with one in the local Ford dealership last weekend. It feels similar to the Taurus on the inside, which isn't surprising since they are based off the same platform. But gosh it looks very stylish. One thing that caught me off gaurd was the power rear liftgate which, when I stuck my hand in the handhold, raised itself up. Not a new technology, I know, just my first experience with it. Nifty.

I thought the Flex was fugly until I saw these pictures...it looks really good in black, and the LED taillights are good looking, too. Forget the white roof.

I used to like Fords, but not so much recently. The Flex is the first one I'd consider buying in a long time.

"I'm Too Flexy" could be the theme song for the car. Everybody sing along with me now...

So I have been a GM fan for as long as I can remember. Bad cars and all. I currently have 3 GM vehicles in my driveway. An Astro work van, an S-10 and a previous gen Impala. My next family hauling vehicle is (or was) going to be a Lambda platform vehicle. I had already decided that after test driving a couple and from the research that I have been doing. Though I probably won't be purchasing until child #3 hits and child #2 isn't even out of the oven yet. So I have got quite some time before I really need to make a decision, I just like to know what my options will be.

After seeing this come out though, it could throw a kink into my plans. It looks to be a very nice vehicle, and I haven't been impressed with Ford's lineup recently. But I may just have to give this one a ride and see how it functions. Having this and the Enclave in the fleet at the same time will also help compare apples to apples types of vehicles. So who knows?? Maybe a Ford will make a re-appearance in my driveway? The last one was a 2nd gen Taurus that the Impala replaced. That car wasn't a stinker, but it was a slug. It was dead reliable though.

wow an xb-version 1 on roids, with the fuel economy to boot.

18mpg best to date? LOL, I thought people were shopping fuel economy these days.

i'm sorry this is a bloated fridge box on wheels.

Oh and ford says they want to sell 100k a year?

I think thats lifetime, with the 7-8k a month they are selling now, its so hot 2 months after introducation edmunds got more then 5K of sticker, and a plant in canada is idle.

Then again, some people bought the aztek as well.

Is there much of a difference between the Flex and the Taurus X? Same frame, same engine...what's the difference? Between them, which is better?

this is a good pick up. I'm surprised it got a chance without 300+ hp and a dual clutch tranny. Hopefully this is a Ford they actually liked unlike the Focus and Edge.

Wow, this thing is breathtakingly ugly! I usually like boxy cars (Volvo 240 Wagon is my favorite) but this thing is just tasteless. I think is would look SO much better without all the chrome.

First add roof rails to give it some personality. It's looking kind of boring already.
White roof would have worked too.

Personally, I think this crossover looks pretty dang awesome, espeically in black with the chrome wheels. I agree about the roof rails/white roof when it comes to personality, though.

Ugly, fat, and overpriced? Sign me up! Oh, wait...

yea,...my family just downsized from a SUV to a sedan(fusion)...I think we might be up-sizeing again...

Driving a 2006 Fusion right now (which I love by the way) and would previously would have never thought of upsizing but just love the Flex. Easily the most stylish (simple but very effective and classy!) crossover yet! Every time I see one on the road it stands out easily among the generic vehicles out there. Haven't read a bad review of it yet by the way (and I've read many) I'm SOLD! Very interested in following Edmunds experiences with the Flex.

Why do people keep saying the Flex is overpriced and fat? It's right in line with the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave which are it's main competitors. Those calling it fat should check out the curb weight of the Lambda triplets. The Flex is lighter by about 200 lbs. It even weighs the same as the much smaller Honda Pilot. I'm a bit upset that they put it on the weight gain program when compared to the Freestyle given that they shared some components, but atleast they didn't go overboard like GM and Honda.

"Why do people keep saying the Flex is overpriced and fat? "

My guess is lack of intelligence. It's not overpriced for a large crossover and it's mass is in line with similar vehicles. The Pilot weighs about 4600lbs and no one cares. Not sure how it's overpriced when a loaded Pilot or Highlander (with less features) will eclipse $40k. The Acadia and Enclave cost even more loaded.

The beauty of being ignorant is that the facts don't matter. Ignore the actual weight of the Flex, the mileage, the features, the style- just call it fat and overpriced without substantiating how you came to that conclusion.

Brilliant! The Flex looks nothing like an old Ford pickup with a camper shell.

Thanks for the personal attack, 1487, that's really appreciated.

Just because other vehicles are ALSO overpriced and overweight doesn't mean the Flex isn't.

Oh, by the way, the Ford Freestyle/Taurus X, whose platform the Flex shares, weighs 500 pounds less than the Flex while offering greater cargo room (85 versus 83 cubic feet). Its turning circle is also smaller, as is its MSRP.

Meanwhile the "smaller" Honda Pilot offers 87 cubic feet of cargo space, a lower MSRP than the Flex, a better turning circle, and 150 fewer pounds than the Flex.

The Lambda Quadruplets (there are four now, not three, but who wants to be snarky, right, 1487?) are in a class all their own with 117 cubic feet of cargo space. That's 32 cubic feet more than the Flex, with a better turning circle and equal fuel economy from a vehicle that is substantially heavier (250 pounds so) and more powerful.

The Toyota Highlander undercuts the MSRP of the Flex by several thousand while returning better fuel economy, carrying 95 cubic feet of cargo, higher towing capacity, and having a smaller turning circle. Oh, it's also 500 pounds lighter than the Flex.

Oh, all the vehicles listed above also meet or beat the Flex's interior measurements in most categories, except for rear-seat legroom where the Flex wins hands-down. If we compare it against a minivan like the Odyssey, however...

But hey, I guess I'm just "ignorant" and "facts don't matter to me", obviously unlike you 1487.

I suppose we also shouldn't take into account Ford cutting one of the shifts at the Flex production facility or the designer of the Flex being fired. Or the fact that the Flex (as of August 12) had a 134 day supply, longer than any of their crossovers, suvs, or pickups. Or the fact Ford has only sold just over 5,000 of them in three months out of an expected volume of 100,000 per year.

"Sept. 3, 2008 – Ford Motor Company and JWT Team Detroit are launching the new Ford Flex marketing campaign this week."
http://media.ford.com/products/press_article_display.cfm?article_id=28980&vehicle_id=1564&make_id=92&CFID=31595032&CFTOKEN=7d9ca60253c7a7e9-C34B4DBA-1185-6933-5D8E5F041A4F6E8B

Ford hasn't even started selling the Flex. It's only been sold to Ford enthusiasts up to now.

Billt9: That's not even close to the truth. Your press release discusses Ford's NEW marketing CAMPAIGN, not the first sale of the Flex to consumers. They've been selling them to ANYONE who will take one for several months now. Show me a sentence in that release that says what you do about the people to whom Ford has been selling.

orangutan is right. In Canada, the Flex has been on lots for at least a month. So, I assume its been even longer in the US.

"Just because other vehicles are ALSO overpriced and overweight doesn't mean the Flex isn't. "

Actually you determine if a vehicle is overpriced and overweight by comparing it to similar vehicles. Compared to a civic or Yaris (obviously key competitors) the Flex is indeed overweight and overpriced. When you consider the size of the large crossover market right now it's hard to believe that consumers share your view that these vehicles are overpriced. In an era when a 135i can cost you well over $40k I fail to understand why the Flex is overpriced.

"I suppose we also shouldn't take into account Ford cutting one of the shifts at the Flex production facility or the designer of the Flex being fired. Or the fact that the Flex (as of August 12) had a 134 day supply, longer than any of their crossovers, suvs, or pickups. "

I never said the vehicle would sell in huge numbers. With the level of competition out there and $3.60 gas it may have a tough time. That doenst prove that the vehicle is a bad one though. To the contrary most reviews have been positive. Even IL liked it which is saying something major.

Um, doesnt the Highlander start at about $28k? Last time I checked the Flex starts at $29k. Thats hardly "thousands less" than the Flex. Almost every large crossover starts at $28k-$30k these days.

The Freestyle is lower and shorter than the Flex and has about half as many features. Features add weight so you shouldnt be shocked that the Flex weighs more. At least the Flex weighs less than the Toureg and Q7.

2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese, which is a majority of all Americans. According to your logic comparing Americans against each other yields the result that Americans are not overweight. Does that make sense?

While it is correct to compare a vehicle against its peers that doesn't excuse it or all of them for being too heavy and/or too expensive. Pointing your finger to say "But (x) vehicles is even MORE expensive" doesn't excuse the Flex. The MSRP reminds me of the heydays of the Explorer (and other suvs) when manufacturers were making $10,000 or more off of every sale. $28 grand isn't unreasonable, but $40 grand is.

Lack of sales doesn't necessarily demonstrate and inherent badness to a vehicle but it does indicate that there is something about it that is preventing consumers from purchasing it. The CR-V and to a lesser extent Escape are flying off the shelves, so to speak. That fact lends credence to my assertion about the large, heavy, and pricey nature of the Flex.

The Highlander starts at $27.5 grand. You are correct about the price difference as my previous statement was based on a glance at the TMV currently reported by Edmunds, which places the Highlander down around $25 grand.

As far as the Freestyle, so what? Ford is the one who decided to content the Flex as it is. I'd also argue that the Touareg and especially Q7 are in different categories from the Flex.

The gist of it is that you were wrong about my "ignorance" and dismissal of the facts. I know what I'm talking about and don't appreciate such personal attacks, especially when they're full of incorrect information.

This thing looks really awkward in person. The proportions suggest something on the scale of the 1st gen Scion xB and then you see that it's actually the size of dropped Expedition. Great planning, Blue Oval!

"2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese, which is a majority of all Americans. According to your logic comparing Americans against each other yields the result that Americans are not overweight. Does that make sense? "

That argument makes no sense, I can tell you that. we know the standard weight for a child of a given age. What is the "standard" weight of a 7 passenger vehicle with modern safety and luxury features? If every vehicle of a certain type has roughly the same weight how can you call such vehicles "overweight"?

"$28 grand isn't unreasonable, but $40 grand is."

This is why optional features are "optional". It's a well used tactic in the automotive industry. ever priced a European vehicle? They all seem affordable until you start piling on those darn options.

"The CR-V and to a lesser extent Escape are flying off the shelves, so to speak. That fact lends credence to my assertion about the large, heavy, and pricey nature of the Flex."

GM sold about 14k lambdas last month and they are heavier than the Flex. Honda sold over 11k Pilots and its just as thirst as the Flex while being almost as heavy. Since I just started seeing ads for the Flex within the last 2 weeks I would say lack of awareness is a major factor. When the Edge came out there was similar concern about it being a flop. And then it went on to outsell the Pilot and Highlander in its first full year. BTW, the Egde is quite heavy for it's size.

A couple more facts: I never said anything about you personally and you still haven't proven that the Flex's weight is out of line for this type of vehicle. several people made comments about the flex being an overweight and ugly vehicle so my comment was aimed at those people in general.

What you should say it the Flex is too big and expensive for your tastes and budget. That would make more sense. Personally, I wouldnt spend $40k on the Flex or a 335i or any other car. That doesn't mean people who can afford such vehicles are making a stupid decision. The fact that you dont like the Flex's overall package doesn't prove that Ford dropped the ball on this vehicle. It sounds to me like you dont like large, 4000lb+ crossovers in general which is fine. Just dont be mad at ford for trying to better serve the portion of the public who needs such a vehicle.