2009 Ford Flex SEL

What are you driving? A new crossover SUV that deserves to succeed. Take a sport-utility vehicle that has three rows of seats and a car-type chassis -- say, the Chevrolet Traverse crossover. Press down with a giant hand. Squish it flatter by five inches. Give its body the four-square appeal of a Sub-Zero Pro 48 refrigerator/freezer. Blackout the window pillars, slap on a contrasting-color roof, rib the body with horizontal channels. You have the 2009 Ford Flex. Low and long, it’s the most original spin yet on a crossover formula that’s had trouble catching on -- see the late Chrysler Pacifica, the barely alive Mercedes-Benz R-Class, even the just-axed Ford Taurus X. Flex debuted for model-year 2009 as essentially that same Taurus X elongated to full-size proportions and injected with more power and far more personality. In the driveway this week is a 2009 Ford Flex in middle-of-the-line SEL trim. Most Flex buyers order an all-wheel drive model, but this test example has front-wheel drive.

How much does it cost? Base price of the front-drive 2009 Flex SEL is $32,070. That includes a 262-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6, six-speed automatic transmission, leather upholstery, power heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a six-disc in-dash CD changer. The Flex in our driveway comes with seating for seven on two front buckets, a three-passenger split bench that slides fore and aft to reapportion rear leg room, and a split folding third-row bench. Options included the $1,495 Panoramic Vista Roof with three glass panels – one over each seating row (the front panel slides open). It rolls on a $1,395 set of 20-inch tires on alloy wheels in place of the standard 18s. Its  $985 Convenience Package contains power adjustable pedals, seat memory, and power liftgate. The $895 Lighting Package adds ambient cabin illumination, xenon headlamps, and LED taillights. The Ford/Microsoft Sync system of voice-activated audio control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and a USB iPod adapter costs $395. Including the $700 delivery fee, manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $37,935.

Is it worth it? Yes -- but it would be a better value with more thought put into the equipment mix. Forego the Lighting Package unless you need to bathe the footwells and cupholders in purple, pink, or five other nightclubly hues. And dump the 20-inch wheels; the standard 18s look fine and give you a slightly softer ride. With the $2,290 you’ll save, get all-wheel drive, which adds a reasonable $1,850 to the SEL’s base price and provides a welcome measure of all-weather security, even if it isn’t designed to take you off-roading. And consider the navigation system, a $2,375 piece of technology that’s nicely integrated and easy to use. Just about any way you juggle it, however, the Flex is going to cost some $1,000 more than a comparable Chevy Traverse. The Traverse can seat eight and thanks in large measure to its conventional, tall-roof-SUV design, has a whopping 117.6 cubic feet of cargo room with both rear seat rows folded. That beats Flex by 50 cubic feet. The Chevy has more third-row head room, too.

What’s to like? Okay, Flex isn’t as tall as a traditional SUV. That’s the point, of course. Ford trades some interior space for individualistic styling and – here’s the hidden payoff – a lower center of gravity. Indeed, Flex is settled and stable in changes of direction that have most conventional SUVs feeling tipsy. And there’s still remarkably generous room in the first and second rows where the broad, comfortable seats are covered in leather that, with its genuine stitching and hearty grain, is a tactile treat. The third row is friendliest to the young and limber. The doorways are big, and while you can’t transport really bulky objects, there’s more cargo capacity than most of us will ever need. Power is more than adequate, Flex responds nicely to its firm, accurate steering, shrugs off impacts from bumps and ruts, and cruises the highway free from intrusive wind noise

What does it need? AV-6 that’s as smooth during acceleration as those of its rivals; this engine’s gruffness under throttle is really the only time Flex feels unrefined. Lowering the height of the brake pedal would enable the driver to decelerate merely by pivoting an ankle rather than lifting a leg. Thinner needles for the speedometer and tachometer would imbue those gauges with a precision look -- not to mention make them easier to read. Additional and larger bins and crannies to stow small items is an obvious requirement in a vehicle like this, but more alarming is the absence of a rear center armrest. Burdening a single steering-column stalk with the turn signals and windshield wipers and relegating cruise control to tiny steering wheel buttons is old-think; today’s best cars give each function its own stalk. True manual-shift capability would be far more useful than the frustrating pastiche of “overdrive off” and “grade assist” half-steps with which this transmission is saddled. And Sync needs to develop a better ear for spoken commands; saying “climate system off” shouldn’t get you “change CD track.”        

What’s Ford’s opinion? “The distinctive design of the new 2009 Ford Flex provokes and polarizes opinions.”

What do you say? A station wagon with a 21st century sensibility. Here’s hoping buyers reward Ford for daring to blend imagination and functionality in the new Flex crossover SUV. 

What’s next? The 2010 Flex hits showrooms in spring 2009 with Ford’s EcoBoost V-6, an engine designed to furnish V-8 power and V-6 fuel economy. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost uses two turbochargers and direct fuel injection to generate 355 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Ford says it’s good for 22 mpg on the highway. In the Flex, the EcoBoost V-6 will team only with all-wheel drive and be exclusive to the SEL and Limited trim levels.    

Vital statistics
2009 Ford Flex 2WD SEL

• Base price: $34,705       Price of test car including options and destination fee: $37,935.
• Size: 201.8 inches long, 117.9-inch wheelbase, 4,468-pound base curb weight
• Engine: 262-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6; front-wheel drive
• Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/ 24 highway (EPA ratings)
• Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 5/60,000 powertrain
• Safety ratings: maximum five-star rating for occupant protection in government crash testing 

Automotive journalist Chuck Giametta has covered the auto industry for more than 20 years as a newspaper reporter, Executive Auto Editor of Consumer Guide books and magazines, and as Managing Editor of Iguida.com. This test vehicle was provided by the manufacturer.