2010 Ford Flex AWD with EcoBoost engine
Price (as tested): $39,940
Powertrain: 355-horsepower 3.5-liter six-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission
EPA mileage: 16 city, 22 highway
Powertrain: 355-horsepower 3.5-liter six-cylinder, six-speed automatic transmission
EPA mileage: 16 city, 22 highway
The Flex goes like a bat out of hell when you want it to
Dearborn, Mich. — After so many months of universally dismal automotive news, it was quite the experience to be in the very heart of the Detroit-area beast this week and see a car company … with broad smiles on the faces of every employee.
Ford Motor Company invited the regular media horde to its Michigan headquarters for a national preview event, designed to highlight the company's exceptionally aggressive strategy for revamping nearly every one of its now-miraculously profitable products.
And without a cent (at least as far as we can see) of federal bailout, FoMoCo has managed to induce a sense of vibrancy and, dare I say it, hope, to the otherwise awkward and floundering world of domestic auto production.
Many of the eggs in Ford's basket have been placed in what the company is dubbing EcoBoost technology, a fancy and perhaps just a little too green-sounding name for what is essentially going to be an expanded range of twin-turbocharged engines, beginning with a 3.5-liter V6 available as an option on 2010 model year automobiles including the Flex crossover and the really, truly all-new Taurus. Although, admittedly, when the EcoBoost setup is eventually used to replace the engine in a fuel-thirsty, V-8 mainstay such as the F-150, there may be a little more truth to the story.
Ford's spin, which is mostly true, is that by incorporating the not-especially new technology (but one more commonly found on import autos) of turbocharging, they'll be able to replicate or even exceed V-8 power with a much smaller, more fuel- and emissions-friendly V-6; ditto for a powerful inline-four EcoBoost setup, scheduled to debut next year.
While myself and about 150 auto writers enjoyed the chance to smoke the tires on Ford's various 2010 offerings (including a new Mustang GT) at the carmaker's test track, I got a slightly more intimate look at the reality of EcoBoost as I piloted a new Flex all the way from Denver to Phoenix, just a couple of days earlier.
And with 900 or so miles of winding New Mexico and Arizona byways under my belt, I can quite honestly say that Ford has done some impressive things, not only with its new, seemingly rocket-powered engine, but an improved overall commitment to quality and design.
Flex remains a suspiciously style-forward SUV/minivan/crossover deal, looking for all the world like a gigantic Mini Cooper/Scion xB/station wagon blend, but as I found before I hit the road, it really will, very comfortably, seat up to seven adults — and not just in the impossibly small (or impossibly hard-to-reach) fashion of most SUVs.
But with the new 355-horsepower V-6 under the hood, that 4,800-pound lead sled goes like a bat out of hell, when you want it to. Despite its largesse, including 20-inch wheels, I started having that Audi experience during much of my ride. That is, you have to peek down at the speedometer to realize you're rocking along at 85 miles an hour, as the quiet boost really sneaks up on you.
Flat-out cruising is impressive enough, but nail it to the floor when trying to blow off some passive-aggressive Texans in a Tahoe who've been tailgating you up La Veta Pass, and … blammo, that baby flies up to 120 mph, almost scarily so.
Despite the whomp, the new engine very readily returned a little more than 22 MPG on the highway. Which is, admittedly, the same mileage as the existing V-6, but with almost 100 extra horsepower, available at lower revs.
I can't state, categorically, that this necessarily makes it super-green, but the intention is good and the torquey kick in the pants is great, especially if you need to haul a trailer up to the tunnel or roll around the Southwest with a car full of family.
Back in Dearborn the next day, the most important finding was that America's lone, non-subsidized automaker seems to put a lot of pride into its work — which seems to be reflected in consumer confidence and some healthy recent sales. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how those things might be combined.
Story found at Summit Daily
Call me for more information on the Flex or any Ford product:
Nick Breese
Fleet Manager, Berglund Ford
Salem, VA
Local: 540-389-7291x2251
Toll Free: 888-389-7921
Cell: 540-986-5679
nbreese@berglundcars.com
Live out of state? No problem, I can deliver your new vehicle to your front door, ANYWHERE!
Ford Motor Company invited the regular media horde to its Michigan headquarters for a national preview event, designed to highlight the company's exceptionally aggressive strategy for revamping nearly every one of its now-miraculously profitable products.
And without a cent (at least as far as we can see) of federal bailout, FoMoCo has managed to induce a sense of vibrancy and, dare I say it, hope, to the otherwise awkward and floundering world of domestic auto production.
Many of the eggs in Ford's basket have been placed in what the company is dubbing EcoBoost technology, a fancy and perhaps just a little too green-sounding name for what is essentially going to be an expanded range of twin-turbocharged engines, beginning with a 3.5-liter V6 available as an option on 2010 model year automobiles including the Flex crossover and the really, truly all-new Taurus. Although, admittedly, when the EcoBoost setup is eventually used to replace the engine in a fuel-thirsty, V-8 mainstay such as the F-150, there may be a little more truth to the story.
Ford's spin, which is mostly true, is that by incorporating the not-especially new technology (but one more commonly found on import autos) of turbocharging, they'll be able to replicate or even exceed V-8 power with a much smaller, more fuel- and emissions-friendly V-6; ditto for a powerful inline-four EcoBoost setup, scheduled to debut next year.
While myself and about 150 auto writers enjoyed the chance to smoke the tires on Ford's various 2010 offerings (including a new Mustang GT) at the carmaker's test track, I got a slightly more intimate look at the reality of EcoBoost as I piloted a new Flex all the way from Denver to Phoenix, just a couple of days earlier.
And with 900 or so miles of winding New Mexico and Arizona byways under my belt, I can quite honestly say that Ford has done some impressive things, not only with its new, seemingly rocket-powered engine, but an improved overall commitment to quality and design.
Flex remains a suspiciously style-forward SUV/minivan/crossover deal, looking for all the world like a gigantic Mini Cooper/Scion xB/station wagon blend, but as I found before I hit the road, it really will, very comfortably, seat up to seven adults — and not just in the impossibly small (or impossibly hard-to-reach) fashion of most SUVs.
But with the new 355-horsepower V-6 under the hood, that 4,800-pound lead sled goes like a bat out of hell, when you want it to. Despite its largesse, including 20-inch wheels, I started having that Audi experience during much of my ride. That is, you have to peek down at the speedometer to realize you're rocking along at 85 miles an hour, as the quiet boost really sneaks up on you.
Flat-out cruising is impressive enough, but nail it to the floor when trying to blow off some passive-aggressive Texans in a Tahoe who've been tailgating you up La Veta Pass, and … blammo, that baby flies up to 120 mph, almost scarily so.
Despite the whomp, the new engine very readily returned a little more than 22 MPG on the highway. Which is, admittedly, the same mileage as the existing V-6, but with almost 100 extra horsepower, available at lower revs.
I can't state, categorically, that this necessarily makes it super-green, but the intention is good and the torquey kick in the pants is great, especially if you need to haul a trailer up to the tunnel or roll around the Southwest with a car full of family.
Back in Dearborn the next day, the most important finding was that America's lone, non-subsidized automaker seems to put a lot of pride into its work — which seems to be reflected in consumer confidence and some healthy recent sales. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how those things might be combined.
Story found at Summit Daily
Call me for more information on the Flex or any Ford product:
Nick Breese
Fleet Manager, Berglund Ford
Salem, VA
Local: 540-389-7291x2251
Toll Free: 888-389-7921
Cell: 540-986-5679
nbreese@berglundcars.com
Live out of state? No problem, I can deliver your new vehicle to your front door, ANYWHERE!
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