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Model Overview of The Ford Flex's For Sale in Middletown, CT
2016 Ford Flex Information
2016 Ford Flex
Few vehicles are more identifiable at a glance than the Ford Flex. In an arena of gently contoured crossovers, the utterly rectilinear, defiantly boxy full-size crossover SUV stands apart.
In addition to handsome squared-off styling, the Flex provides outstanding interior space with three rows of seats that seat six in comfort with available capacity for seven. Flex features comfortable ride and handling characteristics that transcend most vehicles of this size. People who own them love them. Safety scores excel.
Introduced as a 2009 model, the Flex was updated for the 2013 model year, with a fresh front end and reworked interior. For 2016, Flex has not changed much: A rearview camera has become standard on 2016 Flex models, and a new blackout appearance package is available. Also, the infotainment system has been substantially upgraded for 2016.
Two powertrains are available. The standard 3.5-liter V6 engine develops 287 horsepower and performs strongly. However, the real performance sensation is the turbocharged, 365-horsepower V6. Capable of 0-60 mph acceleration in fewer than seven seconds, the turbocharged V6 makes the Flex swifter than any crossover in its class.
Electric power steering not only has a quick ratio, its locked onto the vehicles subframe, providing more precise feel. Drivers can expect a nicely controlled ride, as well as responsive brakes.
Cozy seats in the first and second rows provide limousine-level space all around. Buyers get a choice of a middle-row bench or bucket seats. The long Flex wheelbase ensures that even the third-row seat has legroom for adults, though six-footer head space falls short.
At any level, Flex is equipped well. The top-rung Flex Limited can be fitted with the turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive, leather interior, and glass panoramic sunroof. New this year is an appearance package that blacks out trim on the roof, grille, door handles, and window sills.
A second-row refrigerated console is available, a feature not found in any other vehicle in this class. Other new features include passive entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, and a feature that lets you go up or down by a gear on all models, not just those with paddle shifters. On the XC70 SEL and XC70 Limited, new Sync 3 is installed, with much better performance, simpler operation, and cleaner graphics.
Parking sensors and inflatable second-row seatbelts are available. So are adaptive cruise control with forward-collision alert and a blind-spot warning system. Flex gets a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with Good scores in most tests, but hasnt been crash-tested recently by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
2013 Ford Flex Information
2013 Ford Flex
Substantially upgraded for 2013, the Ford Flex is an innovative vehicle, and the only full-size car of its kind. The Mazda5, a distant cousin, is the same people-moving type of vehicle in the midsize class, but the larger and smoother Flex is in a field of one. Ford says that among all its cars, the Flex has the highest percentage of return buyers, at 67 percent. And 45 percent of Flex owners are women.
With standard seating for seven in its 2-3-2 configuration (optional 2-2-2), the Flex is all about people. Except when the seats fold flat, as they easily do; then it can be all about cargo. Because Flex is not built on a rugged body-on-frame chassis, it's not like an old-school SUV. Nor is Flex like a van. At first Ford called it a crossover utility vehicle, but now Ford has decided that the term is unclear, so the latest official word is that it's just a utility vehicle. We'd call it a superb cross between a limo and a taxi. If you have a spouse and four or five kids who like to travel to distant places including snowy mountains or desert sands, the Ford Flex can't be beat.
All-wheel drive is available for wintry conditions.
The Ford Flex looks like a stylish box. The hood and roof are long and flat, the windshield stands relatively straight, the side and rear glass is flat, and the corners are sharp, although the front end has been rounded a bit for 2013. The shape is honest, simple, and even elegant, for a box. It suggests interior room and maximum space utilization. It has presence and upscale cues that some might call bling. It's not shy. The grille and tailgate have been redone for 2013, with a chrome or satin aluminum band, but frankly we can't say that's an improvement over the old three bars and signature blue oval.
There are substantial improvements for 2013. Most notable is a revised V6 that comes standard on the base 2013 Flex SE and 2013 Flex SEL: For 2013, the 3.5-liter V6 engine delivers 25 more horsepower, to 287 hp (with 254 foot-pounds of torque at 4000 rpm), while gaining 1 mile per gallon, to 18 City/25 Highway, according to the EPA. This boost to the base 3.5-liter V6 is the result of new Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing, or Ti-VCT as Ford calls it. Ford continues to lead the way among American manufacturers in engine technology.
The full-tilt Flex Limited all-wheel-drive model uses the dazzling twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with 365 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque at a super-low 1500 rpm, which gets just 2 mpg less than the base V6, or 16 City/23 Highway. We got 16.4 mpg running it hard for half a day, city and freeway but mostly two-lanes.
With the EcoBoost V6 you might find yourself at the limits of the suspension. Even though the springs and dampers were stiffened for 2013, our 2013 Flex Limited danced a lot during hard driving on rough and undulating two-lanes. But we also got good miles on an easy freeway and around town, and the Flex ride is smooth and composed. It's comfortable and doesn't feel firm. The cabin is silent and steady. It's a pleasure to drive.
We loved the seamless 6-speed transmission shifting and programming, and the ergonomics of the perfectly designed paddles, on the Limited. The same automatic transmission on the Flex SE and Flex SEL models is manually shifted with a small thumb button on the side of the lever, and the ergonomics of that setup were poor, demanding a cocked wrist and raised elbow.
The interior has been revised for 2013, with a new and beautiful instrument cluster, steering wheel, seats and trim; and there's been a total revamp of the previously problematic MyFordTouch electronic controls. The 2013 Flex interior looks full, spacious, and luxurious. The basics and details are well covered. Materials, plastics, fabrics, leathers and carpets are well matched with textures, and sheen is nicely controlled. The visual impression is upscale comfort and luxury, more Lincoln than Ford.
The cabin is exceptionally quiet, as there's been a lot of work on sound deadening on the new 2013 Flex, for example liners in the wheelwells.
The 2013 Ford Flex comes with a new brake system. We used the brakes hard on curvy two-lanes, and we loved the responsiveness and pedal feel. There's also new electronic power steering with a quicker steering ratio. Although the Flex is no sports sedan, the cornering is impressive for a vehicle like this, with fairly high limits.
However there's more to that than the tightened steering and suspension. For 2013, there's also new Torque Vectoring and Curve Control technology. More typically found on high-performance cars, Torque Vectoring uses the brakes to imitate the effect of a limited-slip differential, balancing torque between the front wheels during cornering, resulting in better grip and reduced understeer. Curve Control is like electronic stability control, only quicker; it senses when a vehicle is entering a curve too fast, and applies the brakes to individual wheels to cut the speed by up to 10 mph in one second. Think freeway on-ramps or off-ramps, especially in the wet.
If those safety features weren't enough, the 2013 Flex is available with the automotive world's first production rear inflatable shoulder belts, designed to offer improved comfort and protection for rear-seat passengers. The advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.
