Zippy crossover has plenty of room

It's difficult to peruse the new Ford Flex and find anything conventional.

There's the two-tone exterior, with a white suede or brilliant silver roof called "the lid," the lower-than-normal sport utility frame, adjustable foot pedals, available power-assisted liftgate and projection headlights. A moonroof can open over the front passengers, and rear passengers look through skylights.

Inside, three rows of seats can fold down to make room for a 10-foot ladder. Dual-zone temperature settings are features, as are steering wheel audio controls. Look under the hood, and the Flex has a small-for-its class six-cylinder engine, but the motor mated to a six-speed automatic transmission generates a surging 262 hp.

Then, check the gas cap. There is none.

"A Ford first," said Bruce Bilsback, vice president of sales at Palmetto Ford in Charleston. The tank is sealed in such a way to keep fuel from splashing out while permitting a pump to go in, he said. Fuel economy is pretty good, too, at 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg highway. The price is midrange, from $28,000 for a base model to $41,000 with all the options including the high-tech Ford Sync communications and navigation system.

Safety equipment ranges from anti-lock brakes and six air bags standard to extras such as a reverse camera and all-speed traction control.

Ford introduced the Flex this summer to appeal to a broad audience of car poolers and soccer moms, but with a sense of whimsy. "The concept is the ('50s style) Fairlane," said Marc Haven, sales consultant.

Collectors and car designers such as Chip Foose are planning to craft their own versions, he said.

The crossover is available with Sync, a high-tech system with voice-activated commands, Bluetooth phone capability and extras such as Sirius Travel Link to find real-time fuel prices at local stations. "They combine computer, telephone and car," said Christian Crandon, commercial account manager.

"It's neat to see Ford take a new direction like this, bringing in new and exciting stuff," he said.

What stood out in an afternoon spent with the Flex recently was the look. Both inside and out, the Flex is eye catching. The body is boxy but more in the shape of a rectangle than a square. The stand-out-in-a-crowd roof gives the model flair. Interior perks include fine wood trim and a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

On the highway, the Flex had strong acceleration and maintained cruising speed. Brakes were firm. The model steered well, especially for a sport utility-size vehicle.

Rear visibility, which can be a problem in large cars, was more than adequate.

As a people mover, the model is available as a six-seater or for seven passengers. The Flex had ample legroom for passengers and was reasonably easy to adjust the rear seats, which fold up, to get in the third row. Cargo capacity is a sizable 83 cubic feet.

The Sync system takes some getting used to. There are redundant push-button commands for everything from changing the radio station to adjusting the climate control, which kept the air marginally cool. Using the voice commands was trickier. Mapping out a destination, the computer-generated voice had trouble comprehending some commands as well as deciphering streets with Lowcountry pronunciations ("Huger" came out as "Who-grr.")

Yet the "voice" managed to find a route to the destination, even after the crossover was purposely driven in another direction for awhile.

All and all, the new Ford Flex has a lot going for it. Problems? Nothing that a computer with a Charleston accent couldn't fix.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com.