2009 Ford Flex

Someone once said you can please some of the people some of the time and none of the people all of the time. Or something like that. Nowhere is that more evident than on the comment page for one of the Ford Flex Web sites. It being a Ford-sponsored page, one might suspect that the comments are, shall we say, not completely on the up-and-up. Such as this one, from a poster named John Rotella: “Awesome. This is one of, if not the most beautiful Fords produced in the last 30 years. It is reminiscent of many of the best Fords I have known, regardless of what the designers were trying to accomplish. I hope there is a medium blue color—like Vista Blue or similar. The Flex screams ‘FORD’ to me loudly and clearly. I want one.” Nicely put, John. Your check is in the mail. However, the Ford Flex webmaster wasn’t shy about posting opposing opinions. Like this one from HB: “This is a joke right. A large, square, ugly, wind pushing car when style and mileage are main considerations on customer’s minds.” Gee, HB, why don’t you tell us what you really think?

Personally, I like the squareish styling. For too long now crossover/station wagons have been overstyled to the point where the interior space is compromised. For most people, interior space is the main reason for buying one of these things in the first place. Toyota figured it out a few years back with the Scion xB, probably one of the first modern vehicles that made it hip to be square. Add the Honda Element to that list, too. As a matter of fact, there’s a slew of vehicles being sold in the Asian market which, instead of looking like normal cars, look more like the boxes they came in. Ford’s own Edge, while a styling and sales success, gives up the interior space with its rounded-off roofline. The Flex looks like it should be much roomier inside. The Edge has a wheelbase of 111.2 inches and an overall length of 185.7 inches. Compare that with the Flex’s 117.9-inch wheelbase and 202.3-inch length and it becomes obvious that yes, there darn well better be more room inside. Well, head room’s up, as are hip room and shoulder room, although not by much. The biggest gain for passengers is in leg room, and, at least from what I gather looking at the photo (as no specification is yet available), cargo space.

The Flex, when it goes on sale next summer, will have some interesting features. Six-passenger models can be equipped with a small refrigerator which sits where the seventh passenger would go on vehicles so equipped. Capless fueling may make you feel like a race car driver at the pump; second-row foot rests will finally have your kids fighting over who doesn’t have to sit in the front seat, and a 2,300-song personal jukebox and ambient lighting will make getting there half the fun. Ford is equipping Flexes with either 18- or 19-inch wheels, which, while improving its ride and looks, will provide for a most unpleasant surprise for consumers when it comes time to replace the tires, as all that rubber ain’t cheap.

Adding the Flex to its lineup may bring Ford back to the glory days when it was known as America’s wagon master. There’s even a bit of resemblance to the 1955 Ford wagon if you’ve got a bit of imagination. It got the square part down pat; simulated woodgrain on the ’55 is replaced by lines stamped into the bodywork on the Flex—expect someone to offer aftermarket woodgrain to complete the look.

Pricing was not yet available.

For more info: fordvehicles.com/flex/index.asp