The all new Ford Flex is an innovative and useable combination of a car-like crossover and minivan practicality.
Built on the same platform as the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS, the ride quality is smooth and comfortable. And at the same time, there's plenty of room for seven adult passengers in the long cabin.
It also sports an attractive and high-quality interior, featuring many soft-touch surfaces, available Sync MP3 player and phone interface system, as well as a Vista sunroof (four fixed panels that brighten up the second and third rows). There's even an optional refrigerator in the rear console. And with the rear seats folded down, there's also significant cargo space.
(Update: Despite the appeal of this new model, the current economic crisis poses high risks for all automakers. There's no doubt that the car industry is in an extremely challenging selling environment. Very simply, vehicle sales have been plunging.
In fact, Ford sales plunged a whopping 39.5% last month, following steep drops in each of the previous two months.
On the plus side, however, is the fact that this presents a very good opportunity for consumers to do some very effective internet negotiating in terms of price. And there are some extremely good deals to be had right now on the Flex, no question about it ... often fairly far below invoice price.
For those interested, towards the bottom of this article is a link to information on the best bargaining technique for getting the lowest price on a new Flex.)
The 2009 Ford Flex crossover wagon is available in three trims; SE, SEL and Limited.
The standard features of the front-wheel drive only SE include 18 inch alloy wheels, rear park assist, power driver seat, rear climate controls, 60/40-split second-row bench, a 50/50-split third-row that folds into the floor, plus a six-speaker CD stereo with an auxiliary audio jack.
The midlevel SEL is available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive and adds leather upholstery, power heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 10-speaker stereo with satellite radio, and upgraded exterior trim.
The uplevel Flex Limited is also available in either front or all-wheel drive and adds a power liftgate, perforated leather upholstery, 19 inch wheels, xenon headlights, power-adjustable pedals, driver seat memory, and Microsoft-developed Sync multimedia interface
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Most of the features on the Limited are offered as options on the SEL. And the Sync system is also an available option on the SE.
Other options include a towing package, second-row captain's chairs, the four-panel Vista sunroof, keyless ignition/entry and a rear-seat entertainment system.
Also available on the Flex Limited is a touchscreen navigation system featuring voice recognition, a back-up camera, and real-time traffic and weather.
The Flex is powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 262 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. The only available transmission is a six-speed automatic.
The EPA gas mileage rating for the front-wheel-drive Flex is 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. The AWD lowers those numbers by about 1 mpg.
Standard safety features include antilock brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.
How To Buy A New Flex At The Best Price: Before listing MSRP and invoice prices for the 2009 Flex, here's an article on getting the absolute best price on one, especially given the current slow auto sales environment.
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