It may not have the most recent updates--like the bowl-- (completed in 02/03ish), I was surprised to find that the Streets of Willow Springs road course was plotted on the 2009 Ford Flex's navigation.
What didn't surprise me was how much I still enjoy the Flex. It's got some 38,000 miles on it now and 6 days, 852 miles, 46 gallons of fuel, a few hundred pounds of test gear later, I still want to own one. It has the best iPod interface available. (Camaro has the best non-nav iPod interface.) Sync is fast and intuitive with good graphics and enough options ( scale, etc) to keep me entertained and informed. The seats are comfortable. It's quiet. Fast enough. It holds everything a Vehicle Testing Asisstant could ever need (including a photographer).
Yeah, there are some broken trim pieces here and there, but to be fair, most don't have to haul around as many tires/jacks/cones/camera operators as ours does. Even so, the Flex is still near the top in my book. Good looks, great ride, holds a lot of stuff, has maps of racetracks. I'm sold.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant
konocar400h says:
03:08 PM, 11/13/09
This flex really impresses me. I like having hope for American auto manufactures.
BTW that nav system is the sharpest I've ever seen.
bodyblue says:
04:58 PM, 11/13/09
The quality is the most impressive to me........virtually no other car in the fleet past and new has had better reliability....at ANY price......except the Focus of course :)
hybris says:
08:26 PM, 11/13/09
Chalk up another point for Ford on the reliability scale.
wrinklebump says:
03:53 PM, 11/14/09
I think this and the Genesis have been the most trouble-free machines in the Fleet from what you guys post. The Challenger seems pretty sturdy too.
yellowmiata says:
09:01 PM, 11/16/09
I'm really excited about the posts regarding the Ford Flex. Thanks for good reviews and informative spots. Ford seems to really have hit the ball out of the park with this one. Do you know if the same drivetrain is in the tarus? are they on the same platform?
BTW, 38K miles shows how much the folks at IL likes this car. Cheers to Ford.