2011 Ford Flex Review and Prices

 2011 FORD FLEX BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Ford Flex is the best car for you if you like a little sass with your seven-seat crossover SUVs.    

• The 2011 Ford Flex won’t change significantly from the 2010 model. Flex remains a sort of experiment-in-progress as Ford tests the market for a crossover that can play the role of a minivan, pull a trailer like a hefty SUIV, and looks like nothing else on the road.  

• Should you wait for the 2011 Ford Flex or buy the 2010 Ford Flex? Buy the 2010 Flex with the confidence you won’t miss out on any major upgrades coming for 2011. Wait for the 2011 if you’re not quite ready to take the plunge; it’ll stay current for a while because Flex probably won’t get styling changes before model-year 2013.  

2011 FORD FLEX CHANGES

• Styling: The 2011 Ford Flex won’t change styling beyond some new exterior color choices and maybe minor revisions to trim and wheels. The 2011 Flex will return as a four-door wagon with a lift-up tailgate, and it’ll look essentially the same as it has since its model-year 2009 debut. It’s a doozey. Flex is large, long, and unusually low for a seven-seater -- as if a giant hand pressed down on a full-size SUV and squashed it to near station-wagon height. Flex is nearly 14 inches longer than the Toyota Highlander seven-seat crossover, for example, but its roof is almost two inches lower. Flex takes up about the same space on the road as the eight-seat Chevrolet Traverse crossover, but it’s an inch-and-a-half wider and its roofline is a substantial 5.2 inches lower. 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 Flex lineup could see some trim-line changes but is equally likely to mirror the 2010 roster. That would mean it would return with a base SE trim level, midline SEL edition, and luxury Limited version.              

• Mechanical: The 2011 Ford Flex isn’t due any notable mechanical changes. 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. Flex shares this “unibody” platform with the more curvaceous Lincoln MKT crossover and with the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans. Barring an unexpected change, the 2011 Flex SE model will continue with front-wheel drive only. SEL and Limited models will be available with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive (AWD). 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. All Flex models use a 3.5-liter V-6 and a six-speed automatic transmission. The base engine has 262 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. The 2011 Flex SEL and Limited will again be available with Ford’s EcoBoost edition of this V-6. It uses two turbochargers and direct fuel injection to produce 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. 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 antilock capability for better control in emergency stops. Also standard is Ford’s AdvanceTrac 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.           

• Features: The 2011 Flex will continue with 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. 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. 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. 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 AdvaceTrac 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.

2011 FORD FLEX PRICES

• Ford had not released 2011 prices in time for this review, but 2011 Flex prices are not expected to change significantly from 2010 levels. (Base prices in this review include the manufacturer’s mandatory destination fee; Ford’s fee for the 2010 Flex was $775.)

• The Flex SE model comes only with front-wheel drive and had a starting price of $29,270 for 2010. Notable Flex SE options included the Sync system at $395.

• The Flex SEL base price for 2010 was $32,045 with front-wheel drive, $33,895 with AWD, and $36,890 with the EcoBoost powertrain. SEL base prices include all the SE features and add such items as the 18-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated power front seats, Sync, and simulated wood interior trim.

• The Flex Limited model for 2010 was priced from $37,940 with front-wheel drive, $39,790 with AWD, and $42,785 with the EcoBoost powertrain. To SEL equipment, the Limited adds  the 19-inch wheels, a power liftgate with a decorative aluminum appliqué, folding power heated mirrors, adjustable gas and brake pedals, leather upholstery, and the navigation system with reverse camera.

• The 2011 Flex option prices are expected to stay close to 2010 levels, though the content and model-specific availability of some packages may shift. For example, we’d like to see the navigation system become available on the SEL model rather than being a standard feature exclusive to the Limited.

• To replace the second-row bench seat with the buckets for 2010 cost $395 on the SE and SEL models, which have cloth upholstery, and $750 on the Limited, to account for its leather surfaces. A popular package that included leather upholstery, audio upgrade, power pedals and liftgate, heated mirrors, and other features was a $2,500 option on the SEL model with the base engine and $3,050 on the SEL with EcoBoost.

• On all models, the contrasting-color roof added $395 and the trailer package with sway-control technology cost $570. Options exclusive to the SEL and Limited included the Vista Moonroof at $1,495, rear DVD entertainment at $1,995, and Active Park Assist at $550.

2011 FORD FLEX TEST DRIVE

From behind the wheel:

• 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. EcoBoost versions have exceptional grip and poise for something this large. Thank their precise electric steering, beefy 20-inch tires, and handling-tuned suspension lowered by a half-inch and fortified with higher damping and spring rates.

• Unless you never leave the Sunbelt, we recommend buying some all-weather peace of mind by ordering your Flex with AWD. It adds a modest 172 pounds to what is already a 4,500-plus pound vehicle. Indeed, no version of this big wagon is a featherweight, yet the base V-6 does a workmanlike job getting Flex up to freeway speeds and keeping it there, even on long grades, even loaded with family-vacation luggage.   

• Ford expects between 15 and 20 percent of Flex buyers to opt for the EcoBoost engine. They’re a fortunate minority. This twin-turbo V-6 relishes on-ramps and whooshes over mountain passes. It delivers impressive thrust at midrange speeds and rushes from 0-60 mph in just over six seconds – two seconds quicker than a base-engine AWD Flex. Torque is the EcoBoost’s signature ingredient, and all 350 pound-feet is on tap by just 1500 rpm. Work those manual-shift paddles and an EcoBoost Flex on a twisting road is more entertaining than any three-row crossover except perhaps a BMW X5. And combine Flex’s inherent stability with EcoBoost torque, anti-drift steering, and anti-sway trailering, and you’ve got a surpassingly adept tow vehicle.

• (No change to the 2011 Ford Flex will significantly alter its performance or passenger accommodations from those of the 2010 model. Statements in this review about performance and accommodations are based on detailed test drives of 2010 Ford Flex models provided by the manufacturer.)

Dashboard and controls:

• 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. Too bad its voice-recognition software misunderstands commands with frustrating frequency.

• You don’t have to have the navigation system to order Sync. Sync’s main function is as an elegant interface with your cell phone and audio system. Its responds well to even casually spoken directions to dial a number or change a CD track; it’ll even read aloud text messages and let you reply from 20 predefined responses. Ford touts Sync’s ability to provide turn-by-turn directions, which it displays on the radio faceplate and recites over the speakers. But in our testing Sync proved no substitute for a true navigation system because it often gave a direction too late for the driver to safely execute it.

• For the few Flex drivers who will actually park along a curb and don’t trust their own skills, Active Park Assist is easy to program and works as advertised. It determines if the space is at least 1.2-times the Flex’s length, then confidently backs you in slowly as you free your hands from the steering wheel and watch it whirl away on its own.     

Room, comfort, and utility:

• Royally roomy describes the first two Flex seating rows. Head clearance is generous, leg space expansive – it’s limousine-grade in the second row – 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. But bench or buckets, the second row lacks any center armrests -- inexcusable in a vehicle like this. You’ll tuck and duck your way to the third row, but there you’ll find a fairly comfortable seat and surprising space thanks to a low, flat floor. In fact, factory specs say Flex has more third-row head and leg room than the bigger Chevy Traverse and the taller Toyota Highlander.      

• A Flex driver sits marginally higher than surrounding traffic, though as not tall in the saddle as in crossovers that mimic more conventional SUVs. Step-in and step-out height isn’t as low as Flex’s road-hugging posture might lead you to believe, however. Still, wide doors make for easy entry-exit to the first two rows.
  

• Ride comfort is very good unless you get the 20-inch tires. The 20s don’t soak up impacts with sharp ridges and bumps as well as the other tires. In fairness, though, only with the tauter suspension tuning accompanying EcoBoost does ride quality boarder on too firm. You’ll hear more road noise with the 20s, though the sounds of wind and tires never become too intrusive. Unfortunately, that isn’t true of the base V-6: it buzzes and growls anytime you accelerate with more than a gentle touch and is by far the biggest flaw in Flex refinement.

• There’s no way Flex can beat its higher-roof rivals for maximum cargo space. Indeed, with both rear seating rows folded, Flex has 83.2 cubic feet of volume compared with 95.4 for Highlander and 117.9 for Traverse. Granted, a good portion of that cubic footage is up around the ceiling and is rarely occupied. But a bulky object you’ll struggle to load into a Flex will slide right into something like a Traverse or, better yet, into a minivan. Still, Flex will easily serve most hauling needs. And if the third-row seat is in place, you can load a fair amount of luggage or groceries into its storage well in the rearmost section of the cargo floor. With all three seating rows in place, Flex has 20 cubic feet of cargo room, Traverse 24.4, Highlander just 10.3.   

2011 FORD FLEX FUEL ECONOMY

• EPA fuel economy estimates for 2011 models were not released in time for this report. But the 2011 Ford Flex mileage ratings should reflect those of the 2010 model.

• The Flex with the base V-6 rates about par for three-row crossovers with similar horsepower. Its 2010 ratings were 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. Ford’s got a case. 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. To match an EcoBoost Flex, you’ll need to step into a higher price class, to the $43,000, 300-horsepower V-6 Acura MDX, or climb way up to the $86,000, 555-horsepower BMW X5 M.

• One caveat: Ford says Flex’s EcoBoost V-6 is designed to run on regular-grade fuel with an octane rating of 87 or higher but “for best overall performance” -- that is, to realize the full 350 horsepower -- you need to use more expensive 91-octane-or-higher premium-grade gas. The base Flex V-6 uses 87 octane.

2011 FORD FLEX SAFETY AND RELIABILITY

• The Ford Flex scores extremely well in government crash tests that award a maximum five stars for occupant protection (safecar.gov). The Flex earns five stars in every test category: driver and passenger protection in frontal and side collisions, and rear-passenger protection in a side collision.

• Flex also scores well in government tests of rollover resistance. Rollovers are a leading cause of fatalities in crashes involving SUVs, pickup trucks, and other vehicles with a high center of gravity. Flex was determined to be among the least-likely SUVs to roll over in a crash, with just a 16-percent chance that it would tip. The four stars Flex earned in the government’s measurement of rollover resistance is equal to the top-scoring SUVs and pickups in the tests.

• In initial overall quality, the Ford brand ranks slightly above average in ratings compiled by J.D. Power and Associates, the leading automotive consumer survey firm (jdpower.com).

• In the surveys, which poll owners on problems experienced during the first 90 days of ownership, the Flex was rated below average for overall initial quality. Owners rated it above average in just one category: powertrain. (The survey applied to 2009 models so powertrain in this instance was the base 3.5-liter V-6. The EcoBoost V-6 became available in the Flex for model-year 2010.)

• For overall reliability, the Ford brand rated about average in J.D. Power surveys measuring problems reported by owners of three-year-old models. Flex, which was introduced for model-year 2009, is too new to be included in the most-recent study.

2011 FORD FLEX RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Ford Flex should appear in showrooms during late summer 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE FORD FLEX

• Ford expended a lot of energy on Flex in what essentially was a two-year rollout of this segment-bending crossover. Flex’s model-year 2009 debut was followed by the model-year 2010 launch of the EcoBoost version, which was accompanied by introduction of such features as Active Park Assist, paddle-shifters, and trailer sway control. Ford now turns its attention to the launch of its new small cars, the 2011 Ford Fiesta and the 2010 Ford Focus.

• That leaves Flex to coast for a few seasons largely on the strength of its current lineup. New colors and perhaps some juggling of features are in the cards for 2012, but don’t expect major changes. Some reports speculate styling alterations may be on tap for model-year 2013. These would come under the heading of a mid-cycle freshening, which typically means minor revisions to nose and tail and adjustments to interior textures and trim. The basic body and powertrains wouldn’t be touched.

• An all-new, second-generation Flex will not arrive before model-year 2015 or so – if in fact Ford decides there will be a second-generation. At least for now, Ford’s commitment to Flex seems stronger than the checkered history of low-slung crossovers would warrant. The 2004-2008 Chrysler Pacifica and the 2004-2009 Cadillac SRX, which attempted the same basic formula, never were sales successes.

• Among today’s three-row crossovers, Flex finds itself outsold by such rivals as the Highlander, the Honda Pilot, and the Traverse and its corporate cousin, the GMC Acadia. All these rivals are more conventional vehicles than Flex, easier for buyers to understand, and with less polarizing styling. Flex does deserve to find a wider audience, and may benefit from the growing number of category-stretching vehicles such as the Toyota Venza, the 2010 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, and the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour. Like Flex, they hope to tap an appetite for something a little different.

2011 FORD FLEX COMPETITION

• Chevrolet Traverse: The most populist -- and most popular -- version of a General Motors platform that also includes the buffer-looking GMC Acadia and the dressed-for-Vegas Buick Enclave. These three-row crossovers replace truck-based SUVs like the Chevy TrailBlazer, and do a smashing job of it. They’re roomy and refined, handle well, and have the high-riding SUV profile so many buyers desire. Traverse seats up to eight, has a smooth V-6 with a choice of 281 or 288 horsepower, and can tow 5,200 pounds. It’s rated 17/24 mpg with front-wheel drive, 16/23 with AWD. Base price range is roughly $30,000-$41,000. Traverse’s next change would be a mid-cycle freshening for model-year 2013.     

• Honda Pilot: This three-row crossover tries hard to mimic the truck-tough looks and stance of an old-school SUV. That strategy is debatable, but there’s no doubt this is an impressive vehicle and a strong seller. Pilot rides and handles better than you’d expect of a big, tall box. It’s surprisingly refined, too, and its 250-horspeower V-6 is the heart of a strong, smooth powertrain. Cargo space with all seats in place is tight, but it can hold eight passengers and tow 4,500 pounds. It rates 17/23 mpg with front-wheel drive, 16/22 with AWD. Base-price range is roughly $29,000-$41,000. Pilot’s next change would be a mid-cycle freshening, but not before model-year 2013.      

• Toyota Highlander: A kinder, gentler blend of SUV and minivan, this curvaceous crossover seats up to seven and is the only member of this group to offer a four-cylinder engine and a hybrid model. Highlander is available with a 187-horspower four (20/27 mpg and front-drive only); a 270-horsepower V-6 (18/24 front-wheel drive, 17/23 AWD); and a V-6/electric-motor hybrid that makes a net 270 horsepower (27/25 and AWD only). Base prices start around $25,700 for the four-cylinder. V-6 models are priced from around $28,500 (about $30,000 with AWD) and can tow 5,000 pounds. The hybrid starts around $35,500. Highlander is due a mid-cycle freshening for model-year 2011.