* Automobile Magazine – All Star Award
* Texas Auto Writers – Overall CUV of the Year
* Texas Auto Writers – Full Size CUV of the Year
* Canadian Auto Writers – CUV of the Year
* Society of Plastic Engineers – Team of the Year
* Popular Mechanics – Automotive Excellence Awards
* Autobytel – Best Family Car
* Autotropolis – 2009 Truck of the Year
* Autobytel – Utility Vehicle of the Year
* GQ Magazine – Best Stuff of the Year Awards
* SEMA Design Award from the Auto Writers – Most Accessory Friendly SUV
* Maxim Magazine – Hottest Cars of the Summer
* Kelley Blue Book – 10 Best Road Trip vehicle
* Maxim Magazine – Favorite new Color – Cinnamon
* Car and Driver – SEMA Show Surprisingly Good Canvas Award
* Maxim Magazine – Ultimate Road Trip Car
* Active Network – Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year
* Gay Men Magazine – Top Retro Flagship
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Quick, how much did FORD spend on advertising in those publications that voted for this ugly piece of shit?
Styling is subjective… but it’s certainly not a piece of sh*t. It seems to be thoroughly competitive.
Also, Gay Men Magazine – Top Retro Flagship, WTF? How many retro flagships are there, and furthermore WTF?
There will be a more conservatively styled version of the Flex offered down the road. Honda keeps trying to tone down the Element. Same difference.
The thing I think is cool about the Flex is that it is one step away from being a real station wagon. Just drop the ride height and soften up those edges. Plus, a lighter station wagon would have better gas mileage than a piddling 24 hwy. Hopefully the worst-name-for-an-engine-family EcoBoost engine will get it up to over 25mpg.
The mantra around the dealership regarding the Flex is ‘if someone is interested in it, don’t let them leave without driving it’. Yes, the styling is polarizing, but the quality and ergonomics of the interior, ride, and operation of the vehicle are class leading. A good number of people who initially have laughed or made snide comments about the looks have ended up purchasing them after seeing some of unique features and taking one for a test drive.
If the Flex is such a success why did Ford fire its designer.
I saw one the other day. That thing struck me as being huge, like SUV size huge.
It’s a good vehicle. Were I in the market, I would probably cross shop the Buick, Toyota and Honda, but this is the one that appeals. Great vehicle in a bad market, what can I say?
The problem with the Flex is that it is a family vehicle, and you need BOTH the husband and wife to sign off on the standout styling. If one of them is shy or conservative – no sale.
People buying family cars tend to be more conservative, not looking to be trend setters or make a choice outside the norm for their group of family and friends.
All the people in the focus groups that said “wow that’s awesome, I’d buy it” didn’t have their spouse sitting next to them saying “That’s ugly, we ain’t buying it!”
Perhaps Ford should focus group using couples when researching family vehicles…
And just wait, the even more expressive and expensive Lincoln MKT version is coming….
Wow, with all those sales awards, I bet the Flex is just flying out the dealerships!
This is one fuck!n’ weird country for me, EU transplant, even after so many years – you vote down Sebring, which is currently the only decent exterior for me among all the disgusting, ugly, cheesy, pathetic PoS US car designs (all B3 included) but you praise this boxy-cheesy, lame Mini-afterthought truck-van-SUV trisexual PoS one…
dw –
I agree with you about the couples thing, I have seen a number of them come in where the husband likes it, but the wife is iffy or worse (for whatever reason it does seem to appeal to men more than women, but then, the Taurus X seems to appeal to women more than men…)
As far as the MKT goes though, while I am anxiously awaiting seeing a real one in person, the styling seems pretty tame in comparison. It is hard to tell for sure what it will look like from the concept and heavily camouflaged spy shots, but as long as it has some curves people should be receptive.
The interior on the Flex is just amazing. For a larger vehicle, it handles extremely well and provides a smooth ride. Ford may have walked away from a traditional mini-van, but this is a well done people mover. Anybody I know that has purchased one is absolutely in love with their Flex. I can’t wait to see the MKT.
and you need BOTH the husband and wife to sign off on the standout styling. If one of them is shy or conservative – no sale.
Word. I really like this vehicle, but the wife? “It looks like a goddam hearse! You must be kidding.”
So much for that.
This POS is Ford’s Aztek sans camping gear.
Unlike the Aztek, the Flex looks better in person.
kamm, there is more to a car than how it looks. That’s the difference.
She didn’t like the Flex, so i got her one of these for Christmas
Your wives want you to be boring and unremarkable? That’s…a little sad.
I’ve never understood the “my wife hates it” / styling objection. Are they really afraid the girls at the bridge club are going to sit around chattering about it? How is that worth writing off the entire vehicle?
I love my Flex, and similarly, my wife initially disliked the exterior styling.
However, I gave her the opportunity to trade her Lincoln MKX for a Taurus X, and she replied, I would rather walk than drive that “rolling abortion”
Gal uses colorful language.
It seems people just don’t like Ford designs. Mullally just does not care about good design.
This is great, each person who actually bought a Flex can get his or her unique “Top Buy” award.
The Flex has two problems. The first is, as mentioned by many above, it’s style is polarizing.
The second problem is that it’s too heavy. It’s 4800 lbs. & up. That’s a good 400 lbs. heavier than a typical minivan. That extra mass of stuff gives Ford less room to price it to move out of the showroom. Right now, Honda has the best discounts ever on the Odyssey, and Chrysler, near death though it is, is putting the equivalent of $10k on the hoods of its minivans.
You can get a well-equipped Kia, Hyundai or Chrysler people mover for the mid 20’s. The Odyssey will cost you a bit more but maybe less on a lease. The Toyota, I’m not sure. The GM Lamda’s are in the same boat with the Flex.
Conslaw –
With the employee pricing and rebate right now you can also get a Flex for the mid-20s with power doors, windows, mirros, keyless entry, 18″ aluminum wheels, cruise control, am/fm/cd, audio on steering wheel, front/side/head-curtain airbags, ABS w/4wheel disc, traction control/stability control,front and rear ac controls, seating for seven, high grade cloth upholstery, compass/external temp, and backup sensors. All of that is standard, and you can add sync/bluetooth for just $399. Yes, it is a bit heavy, and the starting price is a bit higher than some of the competition, but it comes loaded with a ton of equipment even in the entry-level trim.
akear:
The upcoming Taurus is the only thing that even remotely happened on Mullalys watch. New cars are not created like babies in trailer parks.
The real problem with Ford styling was the Europe vs North America divergence that pitted J Mays North American retro mobiles(Mustang, Tbird, Flex) and the VW/Audi copy bland mobiles (500/Taurus) against Martin Smith Kinetic design Euro Fords. Settling on a global design theme will improve matters greatly.
In fact this Europe vs North America fragmentation is a great portion of the sickness that needed to be removed from Ford culture. It was not limited to design, it was throughout the organization. Ford is healing its Europe vs North America under the “One Ford” program, and I must admit it is moving very quickly forward.
Is it just me, or have the comments sections become a little more autoblog-like recently? Maybe something to do with the influx of new readership…
Just because you don’t personally like the style does not make something a piece of shit.
By all accounts, the Flex is a very well executed vehicle. If I was in the market for a big-ass people mover I would definitely check it out. Personally, I think it looks pretty good.
With a name such as Flex one would think an endorsement from MuscleMag would be appropriate.
dean:
Agreed. Some of the comments are dipping into lowbrow realm. Calling something a POS without supporting your claim is imature.
If you don’t like the thing, fine. Just say you don’t like it because……
Most of us come to TTAC to escape the grown-up children lurking at other sites.
Gentlemen, I have deleted the most egregious, trolling-type comments, and warned their originator.
Calling a car POS is, I’m afraid, within the realm of acceptability. At least in the sense that it flames the car, not the website, its authors or fellow commentators.
I’ve learned that the most ridiculous opinions on TTAC– from this side of the keyboard and yours– don’t withstand public scrutiny. In other words, you have to give the website, authors and commentators the freedom to be wrong.
I like the look. It’s distinctive without being cartoonish. And I really like the interior… with the exception of the fake woodgrain which is totally out of place on a vehicle attempting to appeal to anyone under 60. I think it would be good for Ford to offer some aftermarket parts like the mini does. The thing that Ford should NOT do is attempt to appeal to the SEMA crowd or name one named after some Funkmaster douchebag.
The problem with the Flex is that it doesn’t know what type of vehicle it is.
It’s trying to be a minivan, but it isn’t — no sliding doors. It wants to be a SUV, but it looks more like a minivan — and it doesn’t have the off-road utility and look of an SUV. So the Flex ends up being just another variation on the SUV — that is perhaps slightly bigger than a Ford Explorer. But Ford already has this SUV market covered with either the Explorer or the Edge. So this vehicle just competes for sales with 2 of Ford’s already existing products. I think an unnecessary duplication and overlap of products.
Ford really needs to distinguish the Flex form these other 2 vehicles. And that likely means putting sliding doors on it and re-slotting the vehicle as a minivan. Whether or not that can improve sales of the Flex, I’m not sure. But it might be the only way to salvage the Flex if sales don’t improve.
Blastman:
It is so not trying to be a minivan. Name a vehicle with sliding doors that is selling in any quantity.
Ford’s European designs simply won’t sell in the US. Remember, the Contour debacle that was the biggest money loser in US since the Convair 880 Jet liner of the early 60s. I am afraid the Fiesta will repeat the failure of the Saturn Astra.
Dearborn simply has to be more creative. Ford of Europe is not the solution. Critics may like Ford’s European cars, but history tells us the US car buying public does not.
Ford sold 2203 Flex in Nov. 08. YTD 11,772
Honda Odyssey 7,294 Nov. 08, YTD 128,543
Honda looks to sell about 135,000 vans this year.
The Flex was released June 2008, so that YTD figure is 6 months sales. The sales rate of the Flex should add up to about 24,000 Flex sales a year. A fraction of both either the Odyssey, or Toyota Sienna sales which is also likely well over 100,000 this year.
No, I haven’t driven one, but sitting in one of these in the showroom and doing a looky-looky at one in our local mall, they are really nice looking in person.
But they are just too damned expensive… 40K?
That’s more than our Focus and F150 cost combined brand-new. I’m just cheap I guess.
Merry Christmas!
“And just wait, the even more expressive and expensive Lincoln MKT version is coming….”
It’s been my opinion that this should have been a Lincoln, exclusively.
“dilbert :
December 25th, 2008 at 9:59 am
kamm, there is more to a car than how it looks. That’s the difference.”
Sure but when it looks cheesy it doesn’t matter how well it rides if nobody cares to try it…
“Critics may like Ford’s European cars, but history tells us the US car buying public does not.”
And there’s nothing more stupid than going by “history” – see current situation of the Big 3.
Bring in couple of Europan best-sellers and you can get back a lot of sales from Toyota and Honda. Not a solution, I agree but certainly a good quick fix while you can offer new design/new vehicles (takes years as we all know.)
I saw my first Flex in my office parking structure about two weeks ago here in LA… from the backside. I thought it was just about the most grotesque thing I had ever seen.
I really want Ford and US automakers to succeed, and I had thought the “Flex” was some kind of green vehicle. This was a rude awakening. Another big, oversized, bloated piece of crap with extra cladding and other useless stick-ons to make it look “strong” and “sporty”.
What a disappointment. Who do they think will buy this?