Ford Flex - experiences, etc.

[treg50]

First - I like the look of it, I don't need opinions on the looks.

In specific:
- 2010 or 2011 model year
- V6 Duratec (not V6 Ecoboost) engine
- SE or SEL

I'm looking for ownership experiences, owner opinions, if you know someone who has one what do they think of it, etc. The general important stuff everyday fuel economy, seating, handling, maintainance, comfort, engine performance, etc. as a family/ people carrier.

[ianmcc]

We have a 2010 Flex SEL and love it.

Pros:
It gets pretty decent mileage on the highway (if you believe the onboard computer we are averaging 11 L/100 km in mostly city driving) and has plenty of power to pull itself and a family of 4 up the Coquihalla highway.
Lots of interior space-I can fit in the 3rd row seats and have no issues about a 2 hour trip back there. Lots of space in the second row but be sure you get a center console for the 2nd row as there are no arm rests (ignore with the bench seat).
There are two types-the standard console/storage and the refrigerated console. The refrigerated console cannot be retrofitted without changing out the rear wiring harness so I recommend getting one with it as factory. As a side not there is a non-refer unit available that is listed for the Taurus X for like $US275 that will fit as the Flex shares the underpinnings and most interior components with the Flex.
The passenger doors are very large and makes getting in and out very easy.
Has great traction in the winter even with stock tires.
Looks- well it's a love it or hate it (love it!) but there is no mistaking it for anything else on the road.

Cons:
The assorted clips for storage containers (center console and rear most ones) have broken the tabs off so they won't latch. Replaced the rear one under warranty (the cost of just the clip was like $11).
Rear brake issues-have a tendency to drag and prematurely wear out. After a hot day and a short trip (10km) we smelled something burning. Felt the rear wheel and it was super hot. Replaced the rear pads and rotors at 50K km which is not normal. I believe there is a TSB for that.
Had the transmission replaced under warranty. Re-flashed the computer as we had issues with it revving up over 3000 rpm on very cold mornings-again done under warranty.
There is a lot of buffeting if you open the sunroof and a rear window.

All of the major issues happened within the first 50K km of ownership. Since then it has been trouble free.
Definitely recommend either the SEL or the Limited-we settled on the SEL as we felt it had a lot of standard features for the price plus the Limited we wanted topped out over 52 large.

[CanmoreOrLess]

Regarding the sunroof buffeting, my uncle has a Flex, he bought this deflector from Amazon and the buffeting has stopped. He paid around $70 I believe. He really likes the vehicle (company use), he did come from a van of some sort so take this for what it is worth.

http://www.amazon.com/Sunroof-Wind-Deflector-FORD-Clip-On/dp/B004C9HG20

[clem24]

How are the doors for say, loading kids in a full parking lot? I love the Flex but that was my #1 concern, as I feared that it would be really tough to get a wide enough opening. Do you have FWD or AWD? Do you regret this over a minivan?

[lint]

We have a 2010 Ltd Ecoboost, with approx 32K kms now. Taken it on 2 long road trips to california the last couple of summers. Only problem I had was a squeak in the dash. I found a TSB on the brake issue on one of the forums and had that fixed right away.

Space is great, we use it mainly like a wagon with the 3rd row down, but it's nice to have the option when needed. we went with the 6 seater config, 2nd row captains keeps my kids farther away from each other so there isn't as much fighting. the fridge is a nice gimmick, but really isn't worth it. we still picked up a plug in cooler for our road trips.

I think it handles like a 5000lb vehicle, more comfortable going straight than on windy roads. great ride on the highway, very comfortable, tons of room but not as much as a minivan. the doors work fine for us, but nothing competes with sliding doors except sliding doors. my older son gets in and out by himself, and we have no problems buckling in my younger son. the back up camera is a must.

it doesn't have as much height as a minivan, so you can't carry the same size of stuff, but you get plenty of depth. no complaints at all. and wouldn't trade it for a minivan.

[ianmcc]

The doors are plenty wide for loading kids. The second row captains chairs fold up and flip forward giving full size adults room to get through to the third row.
It's one of the benefits of the wider doors. Not as much as a minivan but I won't get caught dead in another minivan.
Regrets? None. Except I jumped the gun and bought first year when I should have waited for the Ecoboost.

[clem24]

Originally posted by ianmcc
The doors are plenty wide for loading kids. The second row captains chairs fold up and flip forward giving full size adults room to get through to the third row.
It's one of the benefits of the wider doors. Not as much as a minivan but I won't get caught dead in another minivan.
Regrets? None. Except I jumped the gun and bought first year when I should have waited for the Ecoboost.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I am not really concerned about how wide they are because the doors look huge... But more how much they can open in a tight parking spot, because they are so wide. With a normal car, the seat back is close the rear edge of the door, but in the flex, the seat back is more towards the middle of the door, which in my eyes would make loading a kid harder if they door isn't completely open. I dunno..

[lint]

the seat back is towards the rear of the door. the second row has slide adjustments as well.