After being thankfully thrown from my original plan due to the lame headlights on the Flex (even the high beams weren't sufficient in that scenario), I was able to, as posted before, see Utah for all I never really knew it was. I wanted to hit Grand Junction by day one. I've been to Colorado before (for off-road driver training) and was won over by the views and the general "vibe" of the state. I don't have any data to back this up, but I'm pretty sure there are more bike trails in Colorado than the entire rest of the world combined. (Unfortunately I don't have my bike with me on this leg of the trip...on the way back I will.) Losing my night running hours meant stops had to be ditched. Denver was out. Grand Junction was punctuated. Vail, however, was still very much in.
The Flex, after almost 1,000 miles, is doing well. But, somewhere around 10,000 feet, before the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel (West of Denver) the Flex's second weakness showed. The transmission-- which it shares with the Buick Enclave amongst others-- just doesn't know what to do with inclines. With no manual option and a lousy L mode, the engine is constantly torn between fuel economy and maintaining momentum. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Down. Down. Up. It's not fun. If I were in the Enclave I could just push the button a couple of times, leave the thing in 4 and get on with my trip at a steady RPM. It's a great gearbox in GM vehicles, why isn't it great here at 11,000 feet where I need it?
<
Unfortunately the traffic piled up almost directly outside of the tunnel and continued for about two hours. When the traffic was finished Colorado stopped being fun. The eastern edge into Nebraska is boring. Probably trying to ween drivers off of the grandeur of the Rockies and prepare them for the harsh, bleak reality that awaits them in Nebraska.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 3,773 miles.
cocarguydj says:
08:28 AM, 10/ 1/08
Great scenery shot, coming out of the east end of Glenwood Canyon if I am not mistaken?
I have often wondered why in this day and age of electronically controlled 4+ speed transmissions there are still so many vehicles that only have D and L options. I guess that some people within the automotive industry beleive that their computer programming is so far superior to a human brain that they will just make all of the choices for you since you clearly aren't qualified. It can't possibly cost that much more to have a manual mode on these.
And as a Colorado native I have to agree, once you get east of Denver, the scenery really goes downhill(no pun intended.)
mlevere1992 says:
08:31 AM, 10/ 1/08
Are you going on I80 across nebraska? Make sure that you have a lot of energy drinks. That drive is BORING! There is one stop that you have to make during that long drive. Ole's Big Game Bar in Paxton, Nebraska. My family would stop every time on the way out to Colorado for lunch.
www.olesbiggame.com
skierx420 says:
09:52 AM, 10/ 1/08
Are you headed through Iowa on i-80 too?
comp386 says:
12:21 PM, 10/ 1/08
Mazda had to recall the Mazda5 because people were leaving their car in 2nd gear and driving them (causing fires). I wouldn't exactly trust the driving public to do all that much.
clarkma5 says:
06:04 PM, 10/ 1/08
"It's a great gearbox in GM vehicles, why isn't it great here at 11,000 feet where I need it?"
Because while it may be the same physical assemblage of parts, servos, etc., it's undoubtedly got different software.
The lack of a manumatic feature is also severely disappointing, as noted here.
ayao says:
07:22 PM, 10/ 1/08
Was there a cycling event out there that you saw with the SRAM support vehicle in the picture?
fundrive says:
11:49 PM, 10/ 4/08
I currently drive a 2008 Taurus X which shares much with the Flex including the transmission. Even though the ford transmission lacks a manuel mode it does offer "grad logic" that in my experience is very responsive in mountain driving conditions. In order for the system to function the driver needs to turn off the overdrive mode by pressing the button on the side of the shifter. This will allow the transmission to downshift to the right gear and hold a gear longer rather than automaically upshifting everytime you let off the gas. It also senses downhills and downshifts to provide better engine braking and works in conjuction with the brake pedal to slow the car down. I think the Flex would have performed better if Mike was making use of this feature. This features combines some of benefits of manuel mode with the simplicity leaving the car D for the average driver.