I had our 2009 Ford Flex this weekend for a roadtrip/family visit/helping out a friend in need. Here's what I've come to like and dislike about it.
Likes:
- That power tailgate! Every car with a cargo area should have this regardless of size! I like how it opens and closes so smoothly and quietly. A great way to get my dad, or really anyone, to say, "Ooooh!"
- So easy to connect my iPhone to Sync. Of course you have to be parked to do this, a pain when you have a perfectly capable passenger to do it for you but once it's connected, it stays connected.
- Once connected through Bluetooth, the tunes from my iPhone automatically come on the sound system every time I get back in the car and my iPreciousss is deep in my bag. Feels so welcoming.
- Easy-to-read controls and I especially like the fact that I could figure out how to reset the tripmeter without having to pull out the owner's manual for a change.
- Despite our Flex's 19.2 mpg average, I liked that I really only had to gas up once during the 380-mile trip up north. If I didn't need a bathroom break or food, I would have tried to go all the way through without stopping once. Ford says the range in highway miles is 409.2.
Dislikes:
- Doesn't have a lower gear other than "Low." PITA in traffic especially since brakes are kinda plush.
- Doesn't seem to be a way to advance songs, go through playlists, etc. on the steering wheel controls or stereo controls even when iPhone is hooked up through Bluetooth. Only thing that works on the controls is volume.
- When iPhone is plugged into the USB port in the center console, not only can you not skip to the next song, etc. on the stereo controls but you can't on your iPhone either. Best to hook it up to the USB port adapter located in the passenger footwell. That way your phone will charge and you can at least control the tunes through your device.
- Cruise control's "increase" and "decrease" functions aren't too responsive.
- Seat heaters have only two settings: "lukewarm" and "boiling."
In any case, I was very appreciative of having the Flex for this special trip up north, especially when it came to helping out a friend in need. It definitely made it very easy to do that, providing ample space so she wouldn't have to worry about having to leave anything behind, soothing interiors and did I already mention that handy power tailgate?
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 38,993 miles
questionlp says:
12:37 PM, 11/16/09
Hey, you didn't mention the gaps! That's kind of sacrilege around here. We must appease the gap gods! :)
lzrbloop5 says:
01:03 PM, 11/16/09
I believe the items you mention about the bluetooth audio streaming are actually limitations of Bluetooth itself, not Ford's Sync system. My Escape is the same.
foxtrot685 says:
01:13 PM, 11/16/09
lzrbloop5 - my focus is the same with some devices. the friends iphone does not support any of the functions when using bluetooth but my t-mobile G1 supports the steering wheel audio controls for skip and advance track. it does not stream track information to the screen. My ipod touch also allows use of the audio controls with no problems when using the usb mode
mirth says:
01:37 PM, 11/16/09
You can use the > buttons (over the Media button) to advance songs or go back. Works with my iPod.
bodyblue says:
01:51 PM, 11/16/09
In other words your dislikes are extremely small. This has been probably the best LT vehicle ever......you guys have put almost 40k of heavy use and it just keeps rolling along. Does anybody really doubt the CR reliability ratings now?
hybris says:
02:34 PM, 11/16/09
This really is the new hope of the domestic car makers.
jstandefer says:
03:02 PM, 11/16/09
One thing I have noticed with my iPhone when connected through the dock connector on any device is that the device you're connected to cannot navigate through songs or any of the menus unless the iPhone is specifically in iTunes mode. It can play music in the background when you are in another application, but iTunes must be the active app to navigate songs and menus. I haven't tried this with Sync, but it's been the same on every device I've plugged it into. Give that a try...
87bonnev says:
04:52 AM, 11/17/09
Full Disclosure: I am a GM chassis engineer.
Agreed about the Flex as a reliable IL LT vehicle. if you biggest gripes are Bluetooth & iPod interface that is a pretty small potatoes. Nice work Ford!
ahightower says:
10:47 AM, 11/17/09
J-to-the-K moonlights as a moving company?
baggs32 says:
09:47 AM, 11/18/09
Regarding the BT, I think she meant that you have to be parked (actually going less then 5mph is the real rule I think) to initially connect/add your phone to SYNC. Since you have to enter the security PIN provided by SYNC into your phone's BT settings it's not a safe thing to do while driving and should not be a complaint. I've left the Flex running, got out, got back in and noticed that my phone had disconnected. I am always able to re-connect it while driving in that case.
Agree on the tailgate. I thought I wouldn't use it but it's pretty darn nice to have.
Not sure what your problem was with the CC +/- buttons. The manual tells you to hit + once to increase your speed by 1mph and to hit - to decrease your speed by 1 mph. Tap + or - 3 times in a row and your speed will increase by 3 mpg. Our Flex is our 7th Ford vehicle and the CC worked the same way in all of them.
I'll give you the seat heater thing. High is pretty hot and low is not quite hot enough. I'll probably have different opinion once the temps here drop down near 0F though.
charlesb says:
07:54 AM, 11/21/09
"Does anybody really doubt the CR reliability ratings now?"
I never did.
alfaelan says:
11:43 AM, 01/ 5/10
Dislikes:
The front headrests at a pain to get right. Ok once you do, but still not wonderful. Due to new safety regs, but others did it better.
I do not like Ford Cruise controls that require you move your hands and hit two buttons to set the cruise. I much prefer GM's one finger on the stalk version, but my wife's family who are Ford people hate the GM version. At least the cruise has touch up/down unlike '80s Ford Cruise controls.
Telescoping wheel to go with the moveable pedals would be nice.
Lower ride height would be nice, but then the EcoBoost 2010 has that.
Why oh why do people think adding a piece of slippery wood to steering wheel is better than all leather? I wish we could have found an SL with what we wanted instead of being stuck with the perforated leather and the silly wood on the wheel.
The Nav system with rear view camera is just too much money. It would have been nice and at $1k we would have gone with it for the trailer connecting and Nav, but at >$2k a Garmin and a spotter are mcuh more cost effective.
Likes:
just about everything else. Handling, comfort and interior are excellent. The extra ponies of the EcoBoost would have been nice, but I only really notice when towing the toy car.
Sync is OK, but we often just give up on the voice recognition. The 8 gig memory stick in the cubby has all our songs and room for plenty more. The bluetooth to the phones is great and it is amusing when our 3-year old says 'Phone call daddy' from the back seat.
The nice detail of sealing the lower door edge to keep the sills clean is a godsend. The 3-year old insists on climbing in herself and any other car with this much ground clearance she would be very dirty. With the Flex the sills are clean and so are her clothes (well relatively).
All 5 of us, luggage and food for a week up north in a cabin fit inside with comfort to spare. This is saying a lot when two are in car seats and the 9 year old is as big as most kids a year older than him.
alfaelan says:
11:48 AM, 01/ 5/10
Oh i forgot in the dislike side.
The seat heaters do not remember their setting after the key is turned off. I don't find high too hot but then it is 20 degrees here. I do mind that after remote starting the car you get in and the seats are still cold. The Volvo was better in that the seat heat switch meant the heaters were on when you got in.
I also got spoiled with the Chevy that remembers the side mirror and heater settings along with the seat memory, but then that might be something Ford reserves for Lincoln.