Much has already been said about the Flex's high tech features - Sync, Sirius Travel Link and a touch screen nav system are all useful. Yet, Ford has done something really remarkable here - they've made all those complex features easy to use and even easier to understand. On one screen you can see the nav map, the current song playing (satellite radio, iPod or CD) and climate control settings. This is exactly how tech SHOULD work. High fives all around.
Brian Moody, Automotive Editor @ 25,901 miles.
carguy622 says:
01:28 PM, 06/12/09
Ford has really come from behind in the navigation area. Their first systems were clunky and CD based. The newer ones, and especially the larger Sirius Travel Link systems are phenomenal. I am glad to see some manufacturers are sticking with easy to use touch screens while others are abandoning them (Toyota & Honda).
felonious says:
01:50 PM, 06/12/09
Do their other models also share this setup, or is it just the Flex? I would be interested in this same technology in something less huge.
carfreak8394 says:
02:01 PM, 06/12/09
felonious,
I know the Fusion and Escape have the same system, so I'm sure all Fords will get the same system.
ahightower says:
02:53 PM, 06/12/09
Do I really need a quarter of the nav screen displaying my climate control settings? Especially when it's OFF?
carguy622 says:
03:16 PM, 06/12/09
felonious: 2010 Mustang has it as well. The Edge and Escape make do with a smaller screen version of the system. Only the current Taurus has the older Ford navigation without Sirius Travel Link, though the 2010 model will remedy that (amongst other things).
carguy622 says:
03:19 PM, 06/12/09
ahightower: When the system is in navigation mode (showing a turn-by-turn route) the climate control information is moved to that black bar on the bottom of the screen.
hondacura4 says:
05:05 PM, 06/12/09
I like the Flex but one thing I absolutely hate about Ford vehciles are the buttons. Although somewhat well marked they always seem too small for the real estate they occupy. The button to real estate ratio isnt quite right.
billt9 says:
11:22 PM, 06/12/09
I would guess this was contracted out to Microsoft or Sony. Let the professionals handle it.
gdmstrb says:
02:30 AM, 06/14/09
@billt9: Umm, who do you handles all other manufacturer units? These things aren't assembled in house.
cmbwater says:
05:36 AM, 06/15/09
The automotive supplier for this system is Clarion. They worked closely with Ford to design the system. This family of navigation system is available on all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products except the Focus and Ranger.
chavis10 says:
06:24 AM, 06/15/09
Very nice. Who needs to stupid "controller" when you have can have an intuitive button arrangement along with a large touchscreen?