2011 Ford Flex Review: Ford Reinvents The Family Vehicle

The American buying public moves in fads - in the 1970s it was wagons, minivans were the child of the 1980s and SUVs took off in the 90s into the 21st century.

Now, the traditional SUV is dying off in favour of the crossover, vehicles that aim to blend the attributes of a car and SUV. Regardless of all the fuel spikes and supposed shifts in customer buying habits, America still likes its vehicles big, with a lot of space and power.

Ford is happy to oblige with the three-row Flex, sitting a three-row "crossover" at the top of Ford's range. Is it the ultimate family vehicle? Car Throttle spent some time with the Flex to find out.

To our eyes the Flex looks quite unlike anything else on the road. It isn't a car and it definitely isn't an SUV. The windows and pillars are blacked out, offering a clean look that makes the roof appear unsupported.

It is a nice touch - we shudder to think of the prospect of body color pillars on the Flex. The Flex has a strong front end and the familiar Ford three-bar grille design element.

This Flex isn't a vehicle that will blend in with the crowd, and to us, that's a good thing. The exterior can be customized to your liking and the roof is available in white, silver, body color, and on the new Titanium model, Tuxedo black. You also can opt for a chrome-plated liftgate out back. As part of the EcoBoost engine package, the Flex's suspension is lowered by 0.4 inches. On the road, the Flex still turns heads, nearly two years on after its introduction.

The exterior design of the Flex is very bold, and Ford continues that to some extent in the interior. There are strong design themes, with a thick slab of wood trim on each of the doors (which surprisingly manages to look good) and beefy grab handles.

The Flex's exterior shape is not just for looks either, it also makes for supreme practicality inside. The interior is extremely spacious and practical, with a light and open feel in our tester. Space, of primary importance in a vehicle like this, is abundant in the Flex.

The second row has some of the largest amounts of legroom we have ever seen. Even with the vast area of space for second row passengers, the third row is actually usable as well, with the best head and legroom we've experienced in a third row of a crossover. For the driver and five to six passengers, the Flex would have to rank as one of the most - if not the most - comfortable vehicle to travel in.

Interior materials give off a feeling of quality that lives up to the Flex's price - there are well-grained, high quality plastics and tight panel gaps everywhere.

The centre stack has large, quality knobs with chrome rings that tie in nicely with other chrome elements around the interior and as such, the interior is a nice place to spend some time.

Get in the drivers seat and the ambiance is quite unlike any other. The Flex has a unique driving position that feels commanding due to the visual dynamics. The hood is long, low and flat, working with the low dash and huge windshield to provide excellent visibility.

On the road, the Flex handles better than any 5000 pound, all-wheel drive, six-passenger vehicle has a right to. Roll is minimal and handling flat, with the Flex always coming across as confident and composed.

The Flex EcoBoost has stiffer springs versus the standard model, but you wouldn't be able to tell. The ride is supple and smooth, with a luxury-car feel that handled the worst we had to throw at it.

At idle, there is an almost imperceptible amount of vibration and noise from the engine, and on the road the interior remains quiet enough to hold a conversation. There was a bit of wind-noise emanating from the pillars, but that is to be expected from a vehicle of this size and shape.

The EcoBoost engine continues to amaze in any application, surprising us every time we get in. It has ample passing power nearly anywhere in the range - it feels like an endless stream of power. There is also no turbo lag or whine experienced whatsoever.

355 horsepower is enough to move the Flex in a hurry, and combined with the impressive dynamics, actually makes doing so fun. Vehicles of this size and weight aren't supposed to be fun in any capacity.

Perhaps the most amazing thing though is the fuel economy. No, maybe not as good as your used Toyota Corolla you've had for years -  but still, we challenge you to do everything the Flex does with such great consumption figures. Average fuel mileage ranged between 20 and 24 miles per gallon in a mix of city and highway driving. Those are simply outstanding numbers. We can confidently say that EcoBoost is in no way overhyped - it is a stellar engine.

If our review seems extremely positive, it is because we fell in love with the Flex.  It has the perfect blend of attributes for a vehicle like this - it defies categorization. It does all and everything extremely well and to be perfectly honest, we couldn't find anything not to like about the 2011 Ford Flex.

So who would go for a minivan over this? Some say the Flex is the new American station wagon. But since when did the American station wagon have this much space, offer a good driving experience, and still look cool?

The Flex does not sell in huge numbers annually, so it is not starting a family vehicle trend like wagons in the 70s. Ford had hoped to start or harness the wave of a family vehicles trend with the Flex.

Instead, the Flex's material goodness and cool factor make it a departure from the crowd. In short, Ford has made the family vehicle cool - who else can say that?

Disclaimer: This test vehicle was provided to CarThrottle by the manufacturer for purposes of evaluation

2011 Ford Flex Gallery

2011 Ford Flex Specifications

Base Price: $29,850 (approx) for base model Flex SE

Body: 5-door CrossoverMechanical Orientation: Active All-Wheel Drive on EcoBoost

Engine: 3.5L twin-turbocharged direct-injection V6 EnginePower: 355bhp @ 5,700rpmTorque: 350lb-ft @ 1,500 - 5,250rpmTransmission: 6-speed SelectShiftTM with paddle shifters

Weight: 4643 lbsWheelbase: 117.9 inchesLength: 201.8 inchesWidth: 75.9 inches

0-60 mph: 7.5 secondsTop Speed: 123 mph