Ford first renamed the Taurus replacement the Fusion, then decided the 500 was really the better Taurus replacement so the 500 will become the Taurus while at the same time the Freestyle wagon "SUVish" 500 will become the Taurus X. It should come then as no surprise that the Ford Fairlane show car has made way to a production version named the Flex, where did that come from? Perhaps if Ford keeps the car buying public confused enough they will accidentally end up with a Ford in their driveway!, maybe Ford will bring out vehicles named the Accord and Highlander!? I don't know why Ford is so reluctant to dig into the bag of illustrious names from their past, it's a surprise the Mustang wasn't called the Freeflow or something equally idiotic. So what ever the name may be the Flex becomes the fourth addition to Fords most recent approach to crossover sales, "if you throw enough vehicles up against the wall one is bound to stick". The Flex however has an interesting mix of features and some rather nonconformist particulars that could make it the quiet savior taking some of the pressure off the competent but hardly brand saving Edge that has been over marketed from the time of it's conception. The Flex exudes a subtle dignity resplendent with many sophisticated detail elements such as an optional refrigerator and plush leather mid row captain chairs with foot rests. Think of the Flex as a "London taxi meets MTV's Pimp My Ride" and you have the idea. The subtle features don't come across on a page or a screen, yet neither do the small touches of a Toyota or a Honda that have kept them filling American garages for decades. Maybe Ford is starting to realize that today's consumers are more interested in the day-to-day functionality of their vehicles as much as the styling statement. The most notable feature ,that will be mimicked over the upcoming years by Chrysler and Toyota vehicles , is perhaps the simplest feature, it's ride height. This issue is an important one as the general buyer base becomes more mature with the realization that those knobby tires and bull bars aren't fooling anyone into thinking your "Iron man Stewart". One trip to a holiday dinner with your mother-in-law or a ride to a wedding reception with five brides maids on board will illustrate the subtle (there's that word again) difference between getting into a vehicle with dignity or without. Those skyscraper SUV's may be handy but can be downright difficult to get into. Only one bad experience while entering an SUV can begin to make you wonder if having such a tall vehicle is all that necessary. But what to do with all, that stuff you have become so used to carrying around? Well Ford will be the first to answer that call with the decidedly road friendly "easy to get into" Flex. The Flex offers nearly the room of the a Chevy Tahoe while exhibiting ease of entry and road manors closer to a car. That may sound like the typical definition of a crossover, which is true but in the case of the Ford it is adhered to. Many so-called crossovers push the gamut to the point of becoming trucks. The GMC Arcadia is such a vehicle, a crossover on paper but in reality it comes close to competing with GMC's own Yukon which has less cargo room. The Flex takes the rules seriously while providing a vehicle that provides plenty of room and luxury assuring your dignity will be protected as you enter it at the Opera, if only Britney Spears had had one of these! The Flex uses these "subtle" features, even down to offering contrasting roof colors, Alla Mini Cooper, to win over potential buyers that shop for quality over splashiness, you may say more of the "antique farm house on the sound" over the "mega-mansion in the burbs". Fords only Achilles heal may be the new corporate powertrain that seems to be under the hood of everything at the "blue oval". The 3.5 260hp V6 seems very capable for the time being but underpowered compared to future competitors engines that are increasing horsepower everyday. The bottom line is that the Flex is a sophisticated vehicle with an unsophisticated name that may in it's "subtle" way win over the hearts of vehicle buyers, indeed maybe Ford has found the one that will finally "stick".
