2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost
I was on the Ford Flex EcoBoost launch in Boulder, Colorado where we got to steer these crossovers around mountain bends. The low ride height gives the Flex a serious handling advantage over the other crossovers in this class. The turbocharged Flex offers some serious grip and power. Of course, this is still a big, heavy crossover riding on relatively soft springs, so it does lean in turns.
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Over the weekend with this particular Flex EcoBoost, I loaded it to its seven-person capacity with my girlfriend's family, who are seriously considering replacing a tired 2000-era Dodge Caravan with a Flex. For them, the Flex's low ride height is more of an undesirable trait, as it erases the sightlines and security provided with a higher seating position. The Flex's tall roof leaves plenty of room to raise the driver's chair without encroaching on headroom, but still leaves you lower than in a minivan. Their other chief complaint was that the second row doesn't slide forward to provide more legroom for third-row passengers.
I was a bit disappointed by the Flex's all-wheel-drive system. There's still a sizeable amount of torque steer when you plant the throttle, which is a good indicator that this front-wheel-drive-biased setup won't do much to help pull you through corners either. With a relatively advanced and powerful engine under the hood, it's a shame Ford doesn't have a better all-wheel-drive system to complement it.
Eric Tingwall, Associate Editor
The Flex EcoBoost is, to my mind, THE solution for the family man who has to have a seven-passenger vehicle but who cannot abide the thought of a minivan and wants a vehicle with some style and a smoking-hot powertrain. I would never be embarrassed to drive this thing. It's pretty darn cool and there is SO much power on tap, and it's ready and standing at attention, waiting for the slightest movement of your right foot.
I drove the Flex EcoBoost to visit my mother and family for Mother's Day, and I was amazed how many other Flexes I saw on the way to northern Michigan and back. It's a very comfortable freeway cruiser, and braking and steering responses are good. I noticed a few miscues in the interior styling, such as an odd piece of trim at the top of the front door panels that meets the A-pillars in a haphazard fashion. It's a filler piece that doesn't quite integrate well. The doors themselves are really tall; this is a function, obviously, of the exterior styling, but it gets a bit claustrophobic inside. The controls for the sideview mirrors are also at the top of the door, which makes them a bit awkward to reach comfortably. I also don't care for a row of buttons at the top of the center stack that are kind of hidden from view under the lip of an overhang from the dashboard. Among these buttons is the hazard light button, which can be difficult to spot quickly. It looks just like the "INFO," "SETUP," "RESET," "PASSENGER AIR BAG," and "TRACTION CONTROL OFF" buttons; it should be very distinct from them and easy to see in a microsecond-glance.
