Our trusty 2009 Ford Flex Limited has made it two-thirds of the way to 100,000 miles, and it shows no signs of letting up. At this point, at least, if feels like it's going to breeze right past this mental milestone.
Which is a good thing because we like having it around. It's firmly entrenched as the go-to vehicle for any trip of any length, and it's great around town, too.
But please answer us this: Would you like to keep reading about this one? Do you want to see how it holds up all the way to 100 kilomiles, a true long-term durability test? Or are you tired of reading about it? Would you rather we sold it and used the money to buy something else?
Here's some stats to help you out:
We bought our Flex just over two years ago. Mileage acculmulation has averaged about 32,000 miles per year. Unless someone takes it on an extended sea-to-shining-sea cross-country road trip, as Mike Magrath is threatening to do once more, we figure that September 2011 is the very latest it'll hit 100,000 miles.
Should it stay or should it go?
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 66,666.6 miles and counting
adamb1 says:
09:24 AM, 08/27/10
Sell it. We get the point.
fordfan16 says:
09:35 AM, 08/27/10
I say keep on going, at least until you can get an explorer with a 2.0L ecoboost to replace it with, and compare how it does. Also maybe trading it in on the explorer would be an interesting write up, to see how that goes instead of just private sales.
shaddai says:
09:38 AM, 08/27/10
Keep it.
aspade says:
09:40 AM, 08/27/10
This car got boring about 50,000 miles ago.
A longer term durability test should be saved for something expected to break often. A Jeep, a Cadillac, something you bought used with 50K on it already.
mcgs999 says:
09:46 AM, 08/27/10
I'm with fordfan16 - keep it until you get an Explorer.
A bit of comparing/contrasting between the two would be interesting.
This is also one of the first "New Ford (if you know what I mean)" vehicles. I would love to see it go for at least another 25k.
hybris says:
09:48 AM, 08/27/10
Keep it for the 100,000 miles you guys set the benchmark now own up to it.
rdryder says:
09:49 AM, 08/27/10
September 2011 is a long way to go. I think the durability has been proven. Lets let it go. There is not much else you can cover on this Flex. All the bases have been covered.
felonious says:
09:56 AM, 08/27/10
You could keep it and just post less about it, except for if/when it breaks. That might make everyone happy.
7driver says:
09:56 AM, 08/27/10
I'm with both fordfan and hybris: Keep until you get an Explorer. Until then, try extra hard to reach 100k with as many coast-to-coast road trips as you can.
canadaphant says:
10:05 AM, 08/27/10
I kind of like it as a control to test against the rest of the fleet.
perceptive1 says:
10:36 AM, 08/27/10
Say good-bye please.
stress83 says:
10:58 AM, 08/27/10
Another vote for keeping it until replacing it with the new Explorer. The whole dealer trade experience would also be a great write up.
old_volvo says:
11:28 AM, 08/27/10
Keep it as the official go-to hauling vehicle. Beat the snot out of it over the next year, use it to tow stuff, haul wood, any dirty work that the edmunds office needs to do, gets done in the Flex.
Then report back.
fundrive says:
11:35 AM, 08/27/10
Please keep it to 100K miles. It is hard to learn a car's true longterm quality without going that far. Most cars make it to 60K to only start showing problems soon after and by then they are sold and it becomes someone else's problem. Let see if Ford has really bridged the quality gap between American vehicles and Japanese ones.
throwback says:
11:38 AM, 08/27/10
Keep it going and then TRADE, yes trade, it for a new Explorer. We know how well you folks sell cars, I am curious about your trade-in abilities.
ralphhightower says:
11:41 AM, 08/27/10
Okay, keep it for 100K. Then trade it for a Ford Transit. I'd like to see how y'all like it before I consider one.
sxty8stang says:
11:46 AM, 08/27/10
I'm with Fundrive - let's see how this thing holds up. I hope you guys are hard on it and it proves how much Ford's quality has really improved. Having less posts would probably be fine and make the others happy.
misterfusion says:
12:02 PM, 08/27/10
I agree with Felonious & old_volvo: Why not keep it in the fleet, but only post about it when something major happens (repair, comparo, 100k)? You guys didn't seem to have a problem doing that with the Edge or the 2004 Prius.
subaru123 says:
12:19 PM, 08/27/10
Sell it for a Subaru :) (that is all)
stoppre75 says:
12:30 PM, 08/27/10
+1 for keeping it till you can get an ECOboost Explorer.
Also, as someone mentioned, most cars don't show a hint of problems below 60k miles, which was reached real quick by you guys. I hope to see you pass 100k with it.
ocramidajzj says:
12:34 PM, 08/27/10
Keep it. Just report on it less. Maybe only when it breaks.
carlisimo says:
01:10 PM, 08/27/10
I think it's proven itself. There are more cars out there to test...
tkuhe says:
01:51 PM, 08/27/10
I vote for you to keep it. Those recent posts where you gave a how to on changing the brakes out was awesome and if there is more of that to come as the vehicle ages then hell yeah! Anybody can drive a car to 60k miles.....but taking it to 100k says something about the owner and the car and I am anxious to see what other how tos we may learn along the way.
mustang5507 says:
01:52 PM, 08/27/10
Keep it. Then any Toyota fanboys (or -girls) who want to clown on the reliability (or lack thereof) of American vehicles can simply refer to this thread. Not that the Flex represents all North American cars at large, but it does represent a good portion of what Ford has to offer (drivetrain, transmission, etc).
ocramidajzj says:
02:33 PM, 08/27/10
Driving it 100K will also reveal any chronic problems that tend to show up on high mileage cars. Ford used to build their cars to last 70K on average. That was a while ago, but it would beinteresting to see if individual parts were designed with an abnormally short lifecycle. I'd actually like to see what happens after 100K. Even well-built cars start having little failures (dashboard lights, worn out switchgear) when the odometer starts hitting 6 digits.
offset_98 says:
03:10 PM, 08/27/10
I'm with the others who say Explorer. You know how the V6 runs so trade the Flex in for the ecotec 4 in the Explorer. I'd be curious to see who it does with such a large vehicle and if there would be any "first year out" issues.
offset_98 says:
03:10 PM, 08/27/10
I'm with the others who say Explorer. You know how the V6 runs so trade the Flex in for the ecotec 4 in the Explorer. I'd be curious to see who it does with such a large vehicle and if there would be any "first year out" issues.
cubbybear1 says:
03:37 PM, 08/27/10
Keep until 100k then trade it in for the Ecoboost Explorer.
dscain says:
03:47 PM, 08/27/10
I'd like for you to keep it until it dies. Could it go 150K? 200K? Put the guy with the old Volvo P1800 to shame and go for 2 million?
cardesigner82 says:
04:08 PM, 08/27/10
I'm also voting for keep it until the Explorer comes out.
bodyblue says:
04:32 PM, 08/27/10
Good Lord....Keep it ...you have had it this long!
"Ford used to build their cars to last 70K on average."
Where do you get this crap? What a stupid statement. That is like declaring "the Moon is made of cheese" Or "The world is flat"...it has no basis in fact.
festus67 says:
05:00 PM, 08/27/10
Another vote for keeping the thing around.
tenta20 says:
06:06 PM, 08/27/10
Keep it to 100,000. It would be historic!
BigFordFan150 says:
06:21 PM, 08/27/10
keep it..... i have one with 12,000 mi i love it.... keep i untill 125,000 then trade it for a explorer with the 3.5 4x4 and tell us how it off roads and carries and towes.... i love my flex but wnat a explorer now god ford keep it up... my steel blue flex rules
ahightower says:
06:29 PM, 08/27/10
I'm over it. Get something new.
isend2c says:
06:38 PM, 08/27/10
Well, I think you passed ONE HUNDRED KILOMETERS a long time ago, as for 100K miles, bahhh. It's a modern car and every car produced in the last 5 years should make it there (short of a cobalt and the like). Ditch it.
I mean, My Sonata has 64K miles on it and I've been trying to get a new one for the last 25K miles. Curse the lack of funds!
stephen987 says:
06:38 PM, 08/27/10
Keep it. It's a really good indicator of what most of us do with cars--buy, keep, drive, use.
vt8919 says:
08:00 PM, 08/27/10
Keep it! It's nice to see a long-term test actually reach a real-world mileage.
3pedals_only says:
08:46 PM, 08/27/10
i just hit 197k today
me = 1
IL = 0
campi3ell says:
11:36 PM, 08/27/10
Keep it. Realistically speaking, it's a good vehicle to have in the LT fleet. While we know you have the means and connections to get whatever other vehicles you want, it's serving its purpose quite well, has held up well and only has 66K miles on it. Generally mechanical problems aren't seen on vehicles until after about 60K miles. By that point they are sold and on to a 2nd (or even 3rd) owner. Drive and occasionally post about how it's holding up, road trips, etc.
ms3fun says:
01:03 AM, 08/28/10
Another vote for keeping it.
Go at least 100K miles. If it's correct and you'll reach it in September 2011, the car will be barely over 3 years old, which is not a lot. It would be interesting to see how it holds up when getting 5 years old, however many miles are on it.
Just write about it when there is something interesting to report.
But still get another car. You haven't replaced the Dodge Challenger with anything.
Another question: what has happened to the Ford Fusion, Honda Civic GX and Toyota Prius??
It has been months without any words about those cars....
supermonkey says:
02:39 AM, 08/28/10
150k please...
eclogite says:
06:28 AM, 08/28/10
Keep it. I enjoy reading about it. It's one of the family cars on my short list for my family of 5 that I'm interested in purchasing in the future and I want to know your experience with it. Will it completely crap out at 100k? Will it make it to 150k with no major issues? Has Ford quality improved that much?
heaven_on_mars says:
07:47 AM, 08/28/10
I do not think you need to hang on to any vehicle beyond 50k. Lemons or poor designs usually show their flaws by 50k. I know some of 1990s GMC Jimmy V6 SuVs were known for needing major work around 75k, but that is an exception more than the rule. The few new model Range Rover/Land Rover owners I know all had issues long before 50k. My Honda had no issues until 97,000 miles and it was just a faulty sensor.My point, let the Flex go. Maybe have the person who buys it check in at 100k with a summary of repairs or issues.
dagmar3 says:
12:13 PM, 08/28/10
Drive it until you kill it. Not all of us can afford brand new cars with the latest and greatest doo-dads. Many of us have to buy something out of warranty, and hope we can take it from 70K to 180K miles without head gaskets, transmissions and ECUs.
You have plenty of new iron to write about - but since sales have gone from 17 million to 11 million a year, many of us have the older models. So beat on it and flog it like you stole it. Give us real world reporting, OK?
ajayboyapati says:
01:11 PM, 08/28/10
i would say sell it its shape is not that convincing to the people and with the arrival of explorer i dont see a place for flex.i dont doubt the quality and so is the reason why i suggested it to somany of my friends and everyone of them turned it down because of the shape.i think this model will die sooner or later.
ajayboyapati says:
01:13 PM, 08/28/10
i would say sell it its shape is not that convincing to the people and with the arrival of explorer i dont see a place for flex.i dont doubt the quality and so is the reason why i suggested it to somany of my friends and everyone of them turned it down because of the shape.i think this model will die sooner or later.
autobahn4all says:
06:20 PM, 08/28/10
Of course keep it. I've never understood why automags/autoblogs dump supposed "long-term" cars after a year. Much as I would like to replace my car every 12 months, it's just not economically feasible (shocking I know). Please keep all your cars at least to 50k and please buy more used cars to mimic how actual people buy things.
phil1994 says:
08:32 PM, 08/28/10
Based on logic,it SHOULD be sold,its durability has been proven(as rdryder says)..however,i really love reading about the flex and id hate to see it go..hmmm..i say keep it and enjoy it till 100k
kevpod says:
11:09 PM, 08/28/10
Please drive it into the ground and document the process. We need to know the outer limits of survivability of post-incompenece era American cars.
fniguy28 says:
11:48 PM, 08/28/10
Why give up when your oh so close...........
Hit the 100k mark and then redo the track test numbers
0 to 60
1/4 mile
Braking distance
Gas comsumption
Resale value
And then tell us if you would do it again.............Buy a Flex
That's reporting
cah11705 says:
07:50 AM, 08/29/10
I vote keep it until the Explorer. It would be fun to hear about the trade in process. It will also give plenty of time for true reliability and durability testing. We know by now you don't need to report on most aspects. Just keep us more posted then with the Edge or Prius.
yellowmiata says:
09:41 AM, 08/29/10
Start using it for things beyond its capability - towing, huge roof rack with boxes & dry-wall, snowy mountain passes. Lets put the Flex *outside* of its comfort zone. Most of us don't have a fleet of vehicles so we use our daily driver to do everything we need. Push the envelope and see how well the Flex operates beyond the family cruiser. And yes, keep it to 100k. It'll set a good benchmark for your future tests.
Kevin
dinomartini says:
11:40 AM, 08/29/10
Sell it, we get the point
charlesb says:
03:17 PM, 08/29/10
On the one hand I really don't like the size or looks of this vehicle, on the other hand I clearly pleasures the Edmunds staff to no end....go ahead and keep it. Better yet, sell it and get an Ecoboost Platinum edition Flex and live a little.
hemi_ownz_u says:
04:09 PM, 08/29/10
Keep it. It'll certainly be the longest term test you've done, and I'd really like to know how it does at or above 100k.
derrell says:
07:14 PM, 08/29/10
I want to see how it keeps up when it gets to 150k, a test of true durability...Keep it !
cello_one says:
05:54 AM, 08/30/10
One word - Edge - shove it out the unwashed masses in the other departments at Edmunds as the rental replacement. Come on, you keep the Prius and everyone at Edmunds hates driving it. Why not keep around a beater everyone likes?
I to, am curious about the 2.0 Ecoboost Explorer.
kardax says:
09:08 AM, 08/30/10
My vote is to keep it until you can get a turbo-4 Explorer, and maybe dial back the reporting a bit to focus on the interesting stuff. Your 2004 Prius is a good reference point.
audidriver says:
11:15 AM, 08/30/10
I think you should keep it for the 100k mile test. It would be nice if you had an Explorer to directly compare it to during that time.
Also, why don't you do a major comparison of all the SUV / Crossover / minivans in your fleet?
70ss454_man says:
12:28 PM, 08/30/10
Sell it and buy a Grand Marquis. Scratch that, keep it.
maastrichtian says:
12:45 PM, 08/30/10
KEEP IT! Definitely agree with posters that want to see a car in the mileage range that never gets covered in the media. Lots of stuff in the used market like this that will help a lot of people. Plus, I also agree that this car does test the post-recession New American Car Industry/New Ford Quality issue. Plus I have one, and I want to keep it forever, so I want to see what I'm up against :-)
ECLOGITE: GREAT NAME!!
ronyaricarta says:
08:50 AM, 09/ 1/10
I say keep the Flex until it reaches 100,000. I think any durable car should be able to last 100,000 miles or more without any major maintenance issues i.e. engine, transmission, radiator, etc also one of the popular arguments about american cars and trucks is that they are not as durable as their foreign counterparts. Therefore, keeping the Flex to 100,000 miles proves that at least one American auto manufacturer is making good, reliable, vehicles.
cello_one says:
07:12 AM, 09/ 2/10
Mr. Edmunds, sir - what's the verdict?
wunelle says:
10:09 PM, 09/12/10
Ha! I love the snark and rancor as though reading about any particular car were mandatory. (Just don't click if you don't care how the car is aging!)
I'm happy to keep reading the posts since I own the same car and I'm curious what lies ahead.
Having said that, I also agree that the basic point has been made. The Explorer trade would make sense.