What's not to love?
When I asked others what their opinion on the Flex was, I heard everything from "it looks like a hearse!" to "it looks like a Big Mini-Cooper!" So basically? The exterior style is a personal preference or dislike.
Do I like it, you ask? Well, let's all reflect on my current mode of transportation, shall we?
Yes. I drive a conversion van. A gas-guzzling, slightly faded, very crunchy-carpet CONVERSION VAN. So basically, for me, the body of the vehicle isn't of much importance. One could say I am above all of that vanity... Ahem. Well, I don't care what the car looks like as long as I can afford it and it doesn't break down, but who wouldn't prefer all of those details in addition to a nice exterior??(My poor van. I should be nicer to it. Considering the abuse its taken, it has served me well.)
I digress!! Ford Flex is the topic here, not Dodge vans!
My personal reflections on the Flex:
~ Loved the smart car features. LOVED. The navigational system saved my butt when I drove to the wrong high school for Corinne's ballet pictures. She would have missed out completely, if not for that feature.
~ Loved the skylights, hands' free rear door, reverse drive camera (so I don't run over bikes or kids!) and all of the bells and whistles it had.
~ Didn't care for the 3rd row access. For a family with only 2 children who want to utilize the rear row occasionally, it isn't a big deal to flip the seat forward and climb in and out. But I had the car seat in the rear and a booster in the middle. A pain in the tush after only a week. And if it was snowing or raining? I can only imagine the hassle it would have been to buckle in all 3 kids. If you have more than one small child (in a safety seat) I recommend that you give it a REAL test drive with all of your kids and their seats included. Get a feel for the process of loading them up before making your final choice.
THAT said, if it were Justin and 3 of his friends? We'd have no problem getting in and out. Flipping the seat forward really is easy, if you are old enough to do it yourself. Car pooling would be a snap...
~ The one feature that I do love about my van is the same thing I love about the Flex: you can find it in a parking lot. Its design stands out among all of the mini-vans and silver suv's so picking your own vehicle out of a crowd is never an issue. If you have never had a unique car, you can't understand this appeal. But trust me. It is a blessing to not have to click your door lock button over and over to figure out which silver/black/blue mini van is yours.
Wow. It took me about 18 hours to upload that video!! SERIOUSLY. I need to use OneTrue Media or something next time. This is the second video that I have tried to upload in the past 2 days that wouldn't load up without hogging my computer!!
ANYWAY. I hope this post helps someone's decision regarding the Flex. It really is a unique car and I am so honored that I got to try it out!
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6 comments:
Tracey, how did the Flex do on gas?
See, now there's a question worth asking.
I guess I could have directed you all to many sites saying things like "abc mpg" but that isn't my lingo, babe. I CAN tell you that we had a full tank on Friday. We drove to my mom's, my MIL's, the Field Museum, 2 soccer practices, a ballet recital, 2 soccer games, and a couple of trips to the park/store/etc. At the end of all that, we still had 1/4 of a tank of gas, which my van would have emptied and sucked halfway again.
So, for me, it has better gas mileage than my van. That doesn't help the average buyer, I'm sure, but for me, it makes sense!
Kind of like telling people how far to drive in Chicagoland by the length of the trip. It's 35 minutes to the zoo from my house. How many miles, you ask? What? What's that?
How cool. So they are loaning this to you to try it out? We just bought a suburban not too long ago. I guess I am the only person on the planet who hasn't started thinking about fuel efficiency. I never leave my house so I don't use much anyway.
Your video was funny. I can totally relate with the left behind lunch. Been there done that, actually many times. And, I am not as organized as you to have juice boxes stashed away. Even, if I were that organized my monsters would drink them all in two seconds flat. We can't hide food from them. They are good at finding things. LOL.
And, btw thanks for the baby dust.
Thanks for the very thorough review, Tracey. Glad you were able to put the Flex through its full paces.
To comment on the specific question about gas mileage, the Flex is rated for 17/24 for the front wheel drive version; 16/23 for the AWD option - this is best in class for 7 passenger vehicles.
Later this year, we're putting the EcoBoost (Fact sheet PDF available here) in the Flex - meaning that we'll give V8 power to a V6 engine (and in smaller vehicles, V6 power to a 4-cylinder engine). So for the larger vehicles that typically require higher towing capacities, they'll be able to have a more fuel-efficient alternative.
It certainly looks like the Flex was a gas-sipping alternative to your usual van. Glad we could give you the experience.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company@ScottMonty
ahhh blibbidahhblibblibdah blip...I'm telling a story. So funny, lol.
What was I talking about? So real, cute!
I'm the mil, so I got a chance to see the car. Actually, lots of us got to see it. As Tracey said, you either liked or didn't like the shape, but everyone ooohhhed and aaahhhed about the interior and all the features. It is a great car with lots of great bells and whistles that are "user friendly." If you are looking for a 7 passenger vehicle....it would be worth your time to look at this one.
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