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2011 Ford Flex
"When I went to Autofair Ford, I went looking for a new or used vehicle didn't care as long as it had better gas mileage than what I was getting. Matt Roy aproached me in lot and asked if he could help me, told him what I was looking for and told him that he's going to hate me by the time I was done and that I never liked Ford, Matt just said "No problem" we must have test drove 5 or more cars... each time Matt just smiled and said No problem, next!." 10/5/11
The 2011 Ford Flex is large, long, and unusually low for a seven-seater. Flex is nearly 14 inches longer than the Toyota Highlander seven-seat crossover, for example, but its roof is almost two inches lower. Ford Flex's unorthodox proportions are driven home by a lego-block body with a blunt nose, upright windows, and squared-off tailgate. The trio of bright horizontal bars in the Ford-family grille is echoed by lateral ribbing along the body sides. Most Flex color schemes dictate a contrasting-color roof, usually white, that seems in free-float over the body thanks to black-out window pillars. The 2011 Ford Flex has available all-wheel-drive and a slightly elevated seating height, like an SUV. But it qualifies as a crossover because, instead of separate-body-on-frame truck-type construction, it has a car-based architecture in which the body and frame are essentially a single unit.
The front-wheel or all-wheel drive 2011 Flex is powered by a 262-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine. Available on all-wheel drive models only is a 355-hp 3.7-liter twin-turbo V6 engine featuring EcoBoost. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, with the EcoBoost models providing steering wheel paddle shifters. Flex is not designed for off-road driving and this AWD system does not have low-range gearing. It's a simple system that normally operates in front wheel drive. It can maximize traction by automatically shuffling power between the front and rear wheels when sensors detect tire slip. The EcoBoost V-6 comes with steering-wheel paddles for manual-type transmission shifts, dual exhausts, a lowered and stiffened suspension, and electronic rather than hydraulic power-steering assist. All Flex models come with four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock capability for better control in emergency stops. Also standard is Ford's Advance Trac antiskid system that modulates engine power and applies individual brakes to combat sideways slides. All models have alloy wheels: the SE's are 17-inch diameter, the SEL's 18, and the Limited's 19; 20-inch wheels and tires are optional on SEL and Limited and standard with EcoBoost. The electric power steering included with the EcoBoost engine employs Ford's Pull-Drift Compensation that adjusts steering effort to compensate for crosswinds or crowned roads. The towing-package option brings a 4,500-pound trailer capacity and interacts with AdvanceTrac to counteract vehicle and trailer sway. EcoBoost models parallel park themselves when optioned with Ford's Active Park Assist. It uses ultrasonic sensors to automatically back the Flex into the space.
The 2011 Flex offers a wide array of convenience features, including driving aids that enhance stability and steering control. You can get your Flex with seven-passenger capacity via front buckets and second- and third-row bench seats. The alternative is a six-passenger arrangement with a pair of second-row buckets. Flex has a sporty, cockpit-style dashboard anchored by a wide center console designed to highlight the large screen used for navigation and Sync functions. Ford's navigation system boasts the latest tech, including useful split-screen mapping that takes the mystery out of confluent freeway interchanges. Features that are standard or optional, depending on model, include an electrically cooled second-row center console, remote engine start, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and Ford's Vista Moonroof panoramic glass ceiling with opening panel. Also available is Ford's popular Microsoft-developed Sync hands-free link to real-time traffic and other satellite-delivered data; it incorporates an iPod USB interface and Bluetooth phone connectivity and music-streaming. Among options is a navigation system with voice recognition and hard-drive music storage, and rear-seat DVD entertainment with screens in the front-seat headrests. Head clearance is generous, leg space expansive, and the seats are wide and thickly padded. You won't feel at all submerged in Flex's second-row thanks to thoughtful theater-style elevation. A Flex driver sits marginally higher than surrounding traffic, though as not tall in the seat as in crossovers that mimic more conventional SUVs.
Standard safety equipment includes head-protecting curtain side airbags designed to deploy in a side collision as well as when sensors detect an impending rollover. Tilt/telescope steering, cruise control, and rear obstacle detection are among features standard on all models. So is Ford's MyKey teen-driver-safety system in which the ignition key can be programmed to limit Flex's top speed to 80 mph and the radio prevented from playing until safety belts are buckled, among other safety strategies. The Flex with the base V-6 rates about par for three-row crossovers with similar horsepower; it is expected to get 17/24 mpg (city/highway) with front wheel drive and 16/22 with AWD. Ford says its 350-horspower EcoBoost V-6 has the fuel-economy of a V-6 and the muscle of a V-8. An EcoBoost Flex rates the same 16/22 mpg as its base-engine counterpart, yet nothing in its competitive set has more than 300 horsepower. For the latest updates on this model, visit the official 2011 Ford Flex site.
Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com.
2011 Ford Flex Review
The 2011 Ford Flex offers new exterior color choices and minor revisions to trim and wheels. A new trim called the Titanium Package is offered. The 2011 Flex returns as a four-door wagon with a lift-up tailgate. Available features include the SYNC communication and entertainment system, a Multi-Panel Vista Roof, interior refrigerator, and capless fueling. Standard safety features include four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock, electronic stability and roll control, six airbags, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Ford Flex shares this "unibody" platform with the more curvaceous Lincoln MKT crossover and with the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans. The main difference between Flex and most other three-row crossovers is the Ford's enhanced sense of stability thanks to its relatively low center of gravity and one of the widest bodies of any passenger vehicle on the road. Flex responds to steering inputs without the delay or sway common to taller crossovers in this class.Design of the 2011 Flex
The 2011 Ford Flex is large, long, and unusually low for a seven-seater. Flex is nearly 14 inches longer than the Toyota Highlander seven-seat crossover, for example, but its roof is almost two inches lower. Ford Flex's unorthodox proportions are driven home by a lego-block body with a blunt nose, upright windows, and squared-off tailgate. The trio of bright horizontal bars in the Ford-family grille is echoed by lateral ribbing along the body sides. Most Flex color schemes dictate a contrasting-color roof, usually white, that seems in free-float over the body thanks to black-out window pillars. The 2011 Ford Flex has available all-wheel-drive and a slightly elevated seating height, like an SUV. But it qualifies as a crossover because, instead of separate-body-on-frame truck-type construction, it has a car-based architecture in which the body and frame are essentially a single unit.2011 Ford Flex Power and Drive
The front-wheel or all-wheel drive 2011 Flex is powered by a 262-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine. Available on all-wheel drive models only is a 355-hp 3.7-liter twin-turbo V6 engine featuring EcoBoost. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, with the EcoBoost models providing steering wheel paddle shifters. Flex is not designed for off-road driving and this AWD system does not have low-range gearing. It's a simple system that normally operates in front wheel drive. It can maximize traction by automatically shuffling power between the front and rear wheels when sensors detect tire slip. The EcoBoost V-6 comes with steering-wheel paddles for manual-type transmission shifts, dual exhausts, a lowered and stiffened suspension, and electronic rather than hydraulic power-steering assist. All Flex models come with four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock capability for better control in emergency stops. Also standard is Ford's Advance Trac antiskid system that modulates engine power and applies individual brakes to combat sideways slides. All models have alloy wheels: the SE's are 17-inch diameter, the SEL's 18, and the Limited's 19; 20-inch wheels and tires are optional on SEL and Limited and standard with EcoBoost. The electric power steering included with the EcoBoost engine employs Ford's Pull-Drift Compensation that adjusts steering effort to compensate for crosswinds or crowned roads. The towing-package option brings a 4,500-pound trailer capacity and interacts with AdvanceTrac to counteract vehicle and trailer sway. EcoBoost models parallel park themselves when optioned with Ford's Active Park Assist. It uses ultrasonic sensors to automatically back the Flex into the space.
Inside the '11 Ford Flex
The 2011 Flex offers a wide array of convenience features, including driving aids that enhance stability and steering control. You can get your Flex with seven-passenger capacity via front buckets and second- and third-row bench seats. The alternative is a six-passenger arrangement with a pair of second-row buckets. Flex has a sporty, cockpit-style dashboard anchored by a wide center console designed to highlight the large screen used for navigation and Sync functions. Ford's navigation system boasts the latest tech, including useful split-screen mapping that takes the mystery out of confluent freeway interchanges. Features that are standard or optional, depending on model, include an electrically cooled second-row center console, remote engine start, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and Ford's Vista Moonroof panoramic glass ceiling with opening panel. Also available is Ford's popular Microsoft-developed Sync hands-free link to real-time traffic and other satellite-delivered data; it incorporates an iPod USB interface and Bluetooth phone connectivity and music-streaming. Among options is a navigation system with voice recognition and hard-drive music storage, and rear-seat DVD entertainment with screens in the front-seat headrests. Head clearance is generous, leg space expansive, and the seats are wide and thickly padded. You won't feel at all submerged in Flex's second-row thanks to thoughtful theater-style elevation. A Flex driver sits marginally higher than surrounding traffic, though as not tall in the seat as in crossovers that mimic more conventional SUVs. Conclusions
Standard safety equipment includes head-protecting curtain side airbags designed to deploy in a side collision as well as when sensors detect an impending rollover. Tilt/telescope steering, cruise control, and rear obstacle detection are among features standard on all models. So is Ford's MyKey teen-driver-safety system in which the ignition key can be programmed to limit Flex's top speed to 80 mph and the radio prevented from playing until safety belts are buckled, among other safety strategies. The Flex with the base V-6 rates about par for three-row crossovers with similar horsepower; it is expected to get 17/24 mpg (city/highway) with front wheel drive and 16/22 with AWD. Ford says its 350-horspower EcoBoost V-6 has the fuel-economy of a V-6 and the muscle of a V-8. An EcoBoost Flex rates the same 16/22 mpg as its base-engine counterpart, yet nothing in its competitive set has more than 300 horsepower. For the latest updates on this model, visit the official 2011 Ford Flex site.
Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com.
