The Ford Flex has never quite taken off with buyers. Sales for each of GM's full-size crossovers, the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave, have beaten out the Flex so far this year, and Ford's own smaller crossovers, the Escape and Edge, regularly blow it away. Perhaps buyers don't want a funky neo-woody-wagon after all. Ford seems to be conceding this point by introducing the three-row, traditionally styled Explorer on the Flex's platform.
None of that, of course, discredits the coolness of the Flex. Quite the contrary. Let your neighbors pine over anonymous-looking Honda Pilots. The Flex manages all the usual child-corralling, boat-towing feats but still looks contrarian enough to drive while wearing hipster glasses. The additional power of the twin-turbo V-6 sure doesn't hurt.
- David Zenlea, Assistant Editor
The Ecoboosted Ford Flex is a veritable rocket ship. Seriously, it feels way faster than any vehicle this large with fewer than eight cylinders should feel. The engine is well worth the extra $3000. The big Ford drives very well, too, which justifies the fact that the Flex is a two-time Automobile Magazine All-Star (in 2009 and 2010). The cabin's impressive comfort and packaging just add to the Flex's overall goodness.
The Titanium trim tweaks, however, aren't my thing at all. Sorry, Joe. I think they make the Flex look too ostentatious, particularly in the flashy grille and blackout panel on the liftgate. Still, I suppose it's not a bad thing that Ford offers the Titanium appearance package, because the Flex's fancified under-the-skin twin -- the similarly impressive Lincoln MKT -- is barely recognizable as a Flex derivative. If you love the Flex's boxy look, the Titanium edition can help set apart your people mover.
- Rusty Blackwell, Copy Editor
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