PORTLAND, Oregon - Mom's Taxi has been discovered by the "in" crowd. Ford says that 20% of all Flex sales are in the state of California. Does this mean it's the next Woodie surf wagon or is it being used for transporting people? In reality, the Ford Flex is being used for nearly every type of transport. After all, Ford named it the "Flex" because it was short for flexible.
The 2013 Ford Flex does what many other vehicles claim to and falls short of being able to do. Flex will haul seven people in its three rows of seats and they will be comfortable. Without people in the back, the third-row seat folds flat and the second-row seat folds and then flips forward to provide a full-length, flat floor space that is just short of the square footage of a small room.
Design updates
Design-wise, building in all this space is a bit limiting. Depending on how you look at it, the Ford Flex looks like an overgrown MINI right down to the optional white roof. Or you may see the Ford Flex as a throwback to the slab-sided station wagons of the past that only needs fake woodgrain on the sides to be complete.
Changes to design for 2013 haven't done much to dispel either scenario. The front end gets a chrome bar across the front and the Blue Oval taken out. HID headlamps have been installed and FLEX, in large block-style chrome letters, fills the front of the hood.
Sides are still a bit lacking in curves, but do have some grooves installed to break up the monotony. Rear-end treatment, depending on trim level, includes a large bit of chrome or body-colour cladding with FLEX in bold letters. The Blue Oval is down low on the right and is the only external identifier of this particular Ford product.
Entry, exit and space for all
Ford seems to have gotten the entry height issue that all SUV/CUVs face. Kids need to step up into most of them since they are truck-based like the Honda Pilot or just higher up like the Toyota Highlander. Ford also invited comparisons between the Flex and the Chevrolet Traverse, particularly at the top end of the trim range.
Inside, Ford Flex has a pair of comfortable bucket seats up front; they're fully adjustable and well contoured so that a wide range of body types will fit in comfortably. It is one of the few vehicles that I get into where I have to raise the seat to be comfortable and still have enough headroom to wear a top hat! Finding a comfortable driving position takes very little time.
Second-row seating for three is a bit tight if all are full-sized adults, but two will fit comfortably and can put the centre armrest/drink holder to good use; a refrigerated cooler is also optional. Back in the third row, two more adults can fit in relative comfort with only minor discomfort in getting in and out.
Ford Flex embraces the SYNC system whole-heartedly with the latest upgrades installed and three integrated screens. There are two 10.67 cm (4.2") screens in the instrument cluster and a 20 cm (8") screen in the centre stack that handles the rest of SYNC and MyFord Touch system functions, adjustments and displays.
EcoBoosted
Engine choices for the Ford Flex start with a 3.5L normally aspirated V6 as the standard powerplant, and on the option list is a 3.5L turbocharged EcoBoost V6. Both engines are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that comes with a manual mode so you can get every last bit of efficiency out of the gearbox yourself.
Additional fuel-saving technologies include electric-assist power steering; a traditional hydraulic setup can rob as much as 0.2 L/100 km and 10 horsepower. In addition, the new electrical system includes a smart charging program that only draws power out of the alternator when required. The battery stays topped up, all accessories have the power required, and when not needed, the alternator turns freely without drawing engine power.
Sure-footed fun
Driving an AWD Ford Flex in marginal weather is great; that is, unless you're stuck behind someone who thinks four-year-old all-season tires are fine in snowy conditions. The sure-footed Ford Flex just motors around them, garnering dirty looks for being so rude as being able to do so.
At the same time, the sure-footedness of AWD helped on sanded and gravel corners, keeping the Ford Flex on my chosen cornering line and letting me accelerate to match the speed of traffic on the highway. In town, Ford Flex was flexible enough to fit in nearly every parking space available and was squared off enough so that all corners of the car were visible.
Every drive in the Ford Flex is positive and relaxing regardless of driving conditions. That makes it a vehicle worth driving.
The 2013 Ford Flex does what many other vehicles claim to and falls short of being able to do. Flex will haul seven people in its three rows of seats and they will be comfortable. Without people in the back, the third-row seat folds flat and the second-row seat folds and then flips forward to provide a full-length, flat floor space that is just short of the square footage of a small room.
 |
Design updates
Design-wise, building in all this space is a bit limiting. Depending on how you look at it, the Ford Flex looks like an overgrown MINI right down to the optional white roof. Or you may see the Ford Flex as a throwback to the slab-sided station wagons of the past that only needs fake woodgrain on the sides to be complete.
Changes to design for 2013 haven't done much to dispel either scenario. The front end gets a chrome bar across the front and the Blue Oval taken out. HID headlamps have been installed and FLEX, in large block-style chrome letters, fills the front of the hood.
Sides are still a bit lacking in curves, but do have some grooves installed to break up the monotony. Rear-end treatment, depending on trim level, includes a large bit of chrome or body-colour cladding with FLEX in bold letters. The Blue Oval is down low on the right and is the only external identifier of this particular Ford product.
 |
| Sides are still a bit lacking in curves, but do have some grooves installed to break up the monotony. (Photo: Charles Renny/Auto123.com) |
Entry, exit and space for all
Ford seems to have gotten the entry height issue that all SUV/CUVs face. Kids need to step up into most of them since they are truck-based like the Honda Pilot or just higher up like the Toyota Highlander. Ford also invited comparisons between the Flex and the Chevrolet Traverse, particularly at the top end of the trim range.
Inside, Ford Flex has a pair of comfortable bucket seats up front; they're fully adjustable and well contoured so that a wide range of body types will fit in comfortably. It is one of the few vehicles that I get into where I have to raise the seat to be comfortable and still have enough headroom to wear a top hat! Finding a comfortable driving position takes very little time.
Second-row seating for three is a bit tight if all are full-sized adults, but two will fit comfortably and can put the centre armrest/drink holder to good use; a refrigerated cooler is also optional. Back in the third row, two more adults can fit in relative comfort with only minor discomfort in getting in and out.
Ford Flex embraces the SYNC system whole-heartedly with the latest upgrades installed and three integrated screens. There are two 10.67 cm (4.2") screens in the instrument cluster and a 20 cm (8") screen in the centre stack that handles the rest of SYNC and MyFord Touch system functions, adjustments and displays.
 |
| Ford Flex embraces the SYNC system whole-heartedly with the latest upgrades installed and three integrated screens. (Photo: Charles Renny/Auto123.com) |
EcoBoosted
Engine choices for the Ford Flex start with a 3.5L normally aspirated V6 as the standard powerplant, and on the option list is a 3.5L turbocharged EcoBoost V6. Both engines are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that comes with a manual mode so you can get every last bit of efficiency out of the gearbox yourself.
Additional fuel-saving technologies include electric-assist power steering; a traditional hydraulic setup can rob as much as 0.2 L/100 km and 10 horsepower. In addition, the new electrical system includes a smart charging program that only draws power out of the alternator when required. The battery stays topped up, all accessories have the power required, and when not needed, the alternator turns freely without drawing engine power.
Sure-footed fun
Driving an AWD Ford Flex in marginal weather is great; that is, unless you're stuck behind someone who thinks four-year-old all-season tires are fine in snowy conditions. The sure-footed Ford Flex just motors around them, garnering dirty looks for being so rude as being able to do so.
 |
| Every drive in the Ford Flex is positive and relaxing regardless of driving conditions. That makes it a vehicle worth driving. (Photo: Charles Renny/Auto123.com) |
At the same time, the sure-footedness of AWD helped on sanded and gravel corners, keeping the Ford Flex on my chosen cornering line and letting me accelerate to match the speed of traffic on the highway. In town, Ford Flex was flexible enough to fit in nearly every parking space available and was squared off enough so that all corners of the car were visible.
Every drive in the Ford Flex is positive and relaxing regardless of driving conditions. That makes it a vehicle worth driving.
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