2009 Ford Flex Limited AWD

The first thing you come across in the Flex is its bad driving position. The seats aren't very comfortable, and the lack of a telescoping wheel, as others have noted, is a huge oversight. It doesn't drive as well as a Mazda CX-9, but the Flex's ride and handling are quite good for its size and weight. The steering is OK, but it's too light and quite dead on center. I disagree with Jason about the interior size -- as you play around with the interior configurations, you realize that the Flex is very old-school America: big on the outside and not big enough inside. Ford should have taken a page from the Land Rover LR3 playbook when it comes to folding seats and cargo room. The satellite navigation unit in the Flex is brilliant, though. Too bad Jaguar was sold before the XF received that system. But ultimately, I think that if you don't need AWD and can handle the minivan image, the Honda Odyssey is a better (and cheaper) choice. Marc Noordeloos, Road Test Editor