355hp EcoBoost V6
The crossover Ford Flex is available with two V6 options, the standard 262hp version, or the very capable twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 that pumps out 355 horses with 350 lb-ft of torque. Which is quite impressive for the 4500lb box shaped Flex, that at the end of the day, is kind of like Canada.
Acceptable
You see, Canada is one of the places most people don’t have the desire to visit, but those that do find it’s not too bad at all. Sure, there are Canadians there, and it’s freaking cold, but sometimes you can visit at just the right time and the weathers nice, the Canadians seem pretty normal, so much so that you could forget you’re in Canada, and you can look past it all to realize, you know what, Canada is actually a pretty nice place. It’s not great, there’s no urge to start a new life there, it’s not the turquoise blue sea, soft sand, and fruity punch drink of somewhere like the tropical St. Lucia, but you can certainly enjoy a short trip there from time to time.
Close Your Eyes and Get In
The Ford Flex with the EcoBoost is similar in that at first, it’s kind of unattractive, you don’t really have any desire to get in it, never mind drive it. When you do get past the stumpy exterior box look, that’s quite honestly hard to believe comes from the same family of the beefier looking Edge, and actually get inside, you find redesigned leather seats replacing the frumpy gathered leather seats of the previous model, and although plain, they are comfortable. Though even with the seats and some pleasing finishes around the dash area, there are still a few places that leave you feeling they ‘cheaped out’. The interior doesn’t offer the same consistency of quality you feel in the new Taurus.
One side of the Flex you don’t feel shorted on is the interior space. There’s a very spacious, roomy feel you don’t expect to enjoy from the initial walk up. Five adults can travel in comfort quite easily, with the equivalent room and comfort you would expect from a much larger full size SUV. The third row is adequate for children, but as an adult at 5’10”, I wouldn’t want to draw the short straw on a trip of the Nation’s National Parks.
SUV Feel
Interior space isn’t where the SUV feel ends. The turning circle feels more like a veering circle, and I’m pretty sure you could not complete a circle within the state of Rhode Island without running over part of Connecticut. Under normal highway driving conditions the Flex steering wheel has a comforting weighted feel, but hit a few twists and turns, along with the squishy-feel brakes, and you’ll be feeling a little sea-sick before too long, again all more SUV-like than the crossover it’s suppose to be.
All-Wheel Drive Standard
The EcoBoost equipped Flex offers two trims, the SEL and the Limited, both come with AWD and a 6-speed automatic transmission standard. Moving the Flex is easy to do, so easy in fact that you could mistake the source of the propulsion to be a V8, but the true beauty of the 3.5L turbocharged EcoBoost is the fuel economy, 17city/22hway which is exactly the same offering from naturally aspirated 3.5L AWD Flex.
Conclusion
Would I buy one? Not a new one. Simply put I find the EcoBoost options overpriced, with the non-leather SEL trim starting just over $36,000 and the leather-standard Limited over $42,000. It’s like paying St. Lucia prices for a Canada vacation, and that just doesn’t make sense. The EcoBoost engine is definitely the way to go if you are drawn to the Flex, it’s high revving, quick and has plenty of overtaking speed that’s sure to satisfy the power hungry driver. The Flex offers superior power output from the turbocharged V6 over the competition while still averaging the impressive fuel economy of other crossovers such as the Mazda CX9, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander.
Images: Ford
