UPDATE: Ford Flex vs. Minivan....FIGHT! Hail the victor...Sienna SE

[vi edit]

In light of my recent thread (Mystery oil leak) we are considering dumping my wife's Equinox and moving to a van/larger SUV.

I've got a budget of around $25k. That gets me into a very base '11 Sienna with no significant options or fully tricked out Honda/Toyota vans that are in the '06 to '07 model years with 50k on the odo.

As I was shopping around I started looking the Flex. When it first came out I initially poo-poo'd it not liking the looks or function of it. But the more I look at it and after driving it...it's a damn cool car.

I dig the flat top wagon looks, and in the leather trim the seats are quite possibly the most comfortable car seats I've ever sat in. The leg room in the 2nd row with captains chairs is actually much better and more comfortable than the Oddy/Siennas I've looked at, and the third row is easy to get to and not bad at all either.

Plus there's actually some space behind the third row for storage if all seats are in use.

Now where things get interesting is doing a compare of what you get for the $$. I can get an '09 or a '10 flex completely loaded....leather, heated seats, sunroof, HID's, bluetooth, backup sensor, power everything, ect with 20k-40k miles on them for around $23k-25K. That's only $1k-$2k more than what an '07 or so Odyssey is going for with 2x the number of miles.

With the Flex the obvious compromise is space and lack of sliding doors (classic SUV vs Minivan debate). Fuel economy is mostly a wash.

But what I love about the Flex is the tech stuff you can get (bluetooth is huge for me with as much travel and phone time I've had to do coupled with construction zones and penalties for using a phone in them) and the simple fact that it's just a more comfortable vehicle (driver and 2nd row) and drives much nicer. Plus the tow rating on it is 4500 pounds which is a plus since we could use that to tow my parents boat and take all of us to the lake in the summer. It's a better tower than vans. Small perk...but one of several for the Flex.

I drove an Odyssey and frankly whoever said it "drives the most like a car!" is insane. It drives like the boat that it is. Turning radius was great though.

If I had $35k laying around I'd just go get the Sienna SE and be done with it...but my budget is a little more limited.

So for $25k I'm finding that it's hard to beat the Flex if you like the styling (my wife hates it )

 

[sdifox]

My brother and I looked at the Flex when he was shopping for a car. I did not like the big doors, they have too much flex in them. Yes, pun intended. Also, the door's window frame was really flimsy, the outer shell you see is actually a piece of plastic. The actual frame is bare metal and thin.

Total pain in the ass to park I would think. But that is true for all vehicles of that length so it's a moot point.

 

[PricklyPete]

I think you're right about the Flex...as long as you can live with the styling.

 

[vi edit]

One of them I'm looking at is the Cinnamon w/ white top:

http://www.ericasays.com.php5-12.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/fordflex.jpg

It's like a supersized mini-cooper.

My wife says I'm a freaking dork.

 

[sdifox]

One of them I'm looking at is the Cinnamon w/ white top:

http://www.ericasays.com.php5-12.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/fordflex.jpg

It's like a supersized mini-cooper.

My wife says I'm a freaking dork.

who is driving it though, her or you?

 

[PottedMeat]

In light of my recent thread (Mystery oil leak) we are considering dumping my wife's Equinox and moving to a van/larger SUV.

So for $25k I'm finding that it's hard to beat the Flex if you like the styling (my wife hates it )

who is driving it though, her or you?

heh yeah this is probably the most important thing.


they don't seem to be too popular around here, i've seen more on television than out on the road. i drive though the local ford dealership once in a while and only see 2-3 on the lot, lots of mustangs/f150s/focus/fusions - even a couple transits.

 

[vi edit]

who is driving it though, her or you?

It's actually going to be me. I've got half the commute as her now and she'll start driving the old beater malibu that was hers previously. It gets 30 on the highway which is an improvement over the 20 she's seeing right now.

 

[sdifox]

It's actually going to be me. I've got half the commute as her now and she'll start driving the old beater malibu that was hers previously. It gets 30 on the highway which is an improvement over the 20 she's seeing right now.

So if you are the primary driver and you like the Flex, go for it.


Not like you are getting any sex now anyway :biggrin:

 

[yh125d]

The flex would probably be pretty difficult to get things into the rear doors while parked. they might open wide enough when theres nothing blocking to be as functional as sliding doors, but probably not in a parking space.

 

[IcePickFreak]

I know someone with a Flex w/ the Ecoboost engine and they quite like it. I never checked out the inside of one though, not sure if they're a lot more cramped than a minivan or not.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Personally I love the look of the Flex and the utility seems excellent. I'd jump on one given the chance, but have not checked one out in much detail.

 

[vi edit]

I know someone with a Flex w/ the Ecoboost engine and they quite like it. I never checked out the inside of one though, not sure if they're a lot more cramped than a minivan or not.

Cramped isn't a good way to describe it. They are smaller in interior volume for sure. Especially behind the third row. But IMHO the 2nd row in the Flex trumps most vans for comfort and leg room. And the third row is pretty good too. The drivers seat is a throne of luxury, and has a huge amount of head room but doesn't have that vast open space like the front seat of a minivan does.

Where the minivans really excel is just overall cargo height. The volume behind the 2nd row is just insane.

 

[LordMorpheus]

The Flex is a solid car. Sat in one at a car show and liked the driver's seat quite a bit. If you like it, go for it.

 

[ElFenix]

sounds like a no brainer to me.

 

[JulesMaximus]

So for $25k I'm finding that it's hard to beat the Flex if you like the styling (my wife hates it )

Good luck with that!

 

[sjwaste]

I actually like the way the Flex looks, so I'd go for that. Ford's "gadget" tech has been excellent lately too. Would definitely go for one w/ Navi and Sync.

 

[ShawnD1]

Now where things get interesting is doing a compare of what you get for the $$. I can get an '09 or a '10 flex completely loaded....leather, heated seats, sunroof, HID's, bluetooth, backup sensor, power everything, ect with 20k-40k miles on them for around $23k-25K.

But will you actually use or enjoy those things?
-leather seats have very high heat transfer; hot seats feel hotter and cold seats feel colder
-heated seats are $15 at Walmart if you don't mind the ugly look of them
-did you ever use the sunroof in any of your previous vehicles?
-do you have trouble seeing at night when using normal headlights?
-do you ever use bluetooth?
-would the backup sensor be useful for you?

I ask because I've seen people get excited for these things for no reason. My friend thought it was awesome that his Chevy Blazer had leather seats, but we started to hate those seats with a passion when the vehicle would sit in the sun for a couple hours and the seats were so hot that we had to run the air conditioner for a few minutes before the car was cool enough to actually sit inside.

 

[NAC]

I like the look of the Flex too. It certainly beats a minivan IMO.

But if your wife is going to drive it, you kinda have to go with her opinion. Right?

I had a Ford Freestyle which is similiar to the Flex. It might drive decently for a big vehicle, but it is a big vehicle with dynamics to match. After a 14 months, I couldn't stand driving it - and sold it for a huge loss to get something smaller and sportier.

 

[Mursilis]

Where the minivans really excel is just overall cargo height. The volume behind the 2nd row is just insane.

Which is why we went with the Odyssey over the Flex a few years back. Of course, we're hauling 4 kids, so if you don't require the extra cargo room of a minivan, the Flex is a nice option.

 

[evident]

But will you actually use or enjoy those things?
-leather seats have very high heat transfer; hot seats feel hotter and cold seats feel colder
-heated seats are $15 at Walmart if you don't mind the ugly look of them
-did you ever use the sunroof in any of your previous vehicles?
-do you have trouble seeing at night when using normal headlights?
-do you ever use bluetooth?
-would the backup sensor be useful for you?

I ask because I've seen people get excited for these things for no reason. My friend thought it was awesome that his Chevy Blazer had leather seats, but we started to hate those seats with a passion when the vehicle would sit in the sun for a couple hours and the seats were so hot that we had to run the air conditioner for a few minutes before the car was cool enough to actually sit inside.

-i think the leather seat problem is overstated. I have a black car, with black leather seats. it really aint that bad. i'll take leather over cloth any day. so much easier to clean.
-sunroof is great for a nice spring day when you dont want the windows cracked open and wind blowing in your face
-stock HID headlights are awesome. the difference between my RX350 w/HID's and my accord w/o them are like night and day. I wish i could get them on my current car w/o ricing it out, but retrofits run for around $1k
-bluetooth, some states have hands free rules, so i would imagine he would be using it if he lived in one of those states, even if he didnt its pretty nice to not hold your cell phone while talking
-the rx350 has a backup camera that's pretty neat, and is nice for seeing stuff on the ground (eg if a kid was playing rightbehind ur car, etc)

 

[mmntech]

We had Flexes at work last year. Despite being a minivan, it's still one of the nicest vehicles I've ever driven. Even the base models all have a luxury feel to them. Comfortable seats, great sound system, handles like a car, fairly decent on gas. Man, when we had the fully loaded ones, I felt like I was driving around in my living room. Made my crappy job almost bearable.

The one downside with them is access to the rear seats. A bench seat for the middle is an odd choice. It can't be folded down for access to the back row if you have car seats in the middle. The rear row is also more cramped than usual. A sliding door would have been helpful too. Despite that, it's leagues ahead of other mini vans. Especially those piece of s--- Dodge Caravans.

 

[vi edit]

But will you actually use or enjoy those things?

-leather seats have very high heat transfer; hot seats feel hotter and cold seats feel colder

A: I've had multiple cars with leather. I even had black leather in Arizona...the blistering inferno of the US. And it's not a big deal to me. With kids and pets the cleanup and durability is vastly superior to cloth.

-heated seats are $15 at Walmart if you don't mind the ugly look of them
A: Uh. No thanks. Not only tacky looking, they also require another cable in the car and can be lumpy under your back/backside.

-did you ever use the sunroof in any of your previous vehicles?
A: Frequently yes. And I like the open air and light they let in even if they aren't open.

-do you have trouble seeing at night when using normal headlights?
A: Having owned HIDs and non-HID's I'd gladly take them (or even projector based halogen) over reflector halogens any day.

-do you ever use bluetooth?
A: It's a huge selling point to me. I'm on call every other week and frequently take calls while driving/traveling. Any less distraction while driving is a huge perk. Being able to toss the phone in the glovebox and charge while driving and not worry about dialing is huge.

-would the backup sensor be useful for you?
Useful? Sure. Why not? Necessary, no.

 

[zoiks]

I actually like the way the Flex looks, so I'd go for that. Ford's "gadget" tech has been excellent lately too. Would definitely go for one w/ Navi and Sync.

Same here. I dig the looks on it.

 

[KIAman]

Another vote for the Flex.

As to the "extras" I thought I would never need the extras in my bimmer. Now that I have them, it feels like a night and day difference driving the Honda. Gone are the HIDs, the steering wheel mounted controls, navigation, bluetooth, leather, auto wiper, auto light and voice control.

 

[TraumaRN]

Just buy the Flex already. You seem in love with it so buy it. I'll bet it will grow on your wife. And not to mention that cinnamon one with the white roof looks great IMO.