2009 Ford Flex

Rising fuel costs and low miles per gallon have caused many buyers to turn away from sport utility vehicles over the course of the past few years. Large, four-wheel drive vehicles with V8 engines based on truck platforms have fallen out of favor with the soccer mom crowd. However, these same consumers still need a way to transport a large number of people safely from place to place, along with their luggage, camping equipment and other cargo.-vans have a limited curb appeal, and some drivers just can’t see themselves getting behind the wheel of one, equating it with a dull driving experience and an unstylish look.This set of circumstances has created a fresh market for crossover vehicles. Crossovers are a type of vehicle which sit somewhere between SUV’s, cars and minivans. They aim to have the interior volume of a van combined with the utility of an SUV and the driving characteristics of a car. On top of that, they aim more for fuel economy than performance, with most boasting a range of 4 and 6 cylinder engines. Like sport utility vehicles, crossovers also come in a wide array of sizes in order to capture as many different market segments as possible.The 2009Flex is a fresh looking crossover from a company which has recently re-focused their SUV and minivan lineup to include mostly mid-size and smaller vehicles. The Flex is definitely not huge, but its slab sides and chopped top evoke a much more substantial look than the typical, curvy crossover. The roof of the Flex is completely flat, reminiscent of panel vehicles and station wagons from 50 years ago, but the implementation of the design is thoroughly modern. It could be said that the Flex is a continuation of Ford’s decision to allow the retro styling of the past influence their modern designs without allowing the vehicle to fall into parody.Underneath the attractive skin can be found expansive seating arrangements, with 7 passengers total being able to fit inside the Limited trim level. A console with a refrigerated compartment is available between the 2 bucket seats that form the second row of seating, and the rearmost accommodations are actually fairly comfortable for passengers above the age of 10. Fold-flat seats provide cargo room for a vast amount of gear. The vehicle’s entertainment system is controlled through the Sync system, which was developed in conjunction with Microsoft, and is available across a wide range of ehicles. Voice activated navigation and dual glass roof panels round out the package.has consciously decided to steer away from offering a V8 in the Flex, preferring to instead wring good fuel mileage out of their 3.5 liter corporate V6. . 24 miles per gallon is possible in the front-wheel drive models, making the Flex a reasonably frugal people mover. This 262 horsepower engine is more than adequate when dealing with the slightly porky 4400 lb curb weight of the crossover, and a 6 speed automatic transmission is used to send power to either the front wheels or to an all-wheel drive system on the top of the line model. The all-wheel drive system is capable of directing up to 100 percent of available torque to whichever axle has the most traction in inclement weather conditions.The Flex is definitely a new leaf for and while some might say that it most strongly resembles an extended Scion xB, there are others who would argue that that is not a bad thing. The 2009 Flex could be what the company needs to drag themselves back up from the cellar when it comes to crossover