David Johnson Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 So what do you need the parasitic load of a fixed-position compressor-driven mini-fridge for? It almost certainly uses a thermoelectric Peltier device, not phase-change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 busy thread...GOOD SIGN.....light on the horizon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 We're in good hands guys, the Bill Ford days are finally behind us. Yeah. In the 6 months that he's been on the job, Mulally has been instrumental in designing the Flex. That's what he's spent all his time on. Fixing all the stuff Bill Ford screwed up on the Flex. The Flex is, perhaps, the crowning achievement of BF Jr's tenure. What has been done with it since he left, was done by people he hired and put in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 I think they switched away from the haldex unit...I believe its in house... Unless I miss my guess it's inhouse/Borg Warner, and is a 2nd generation Control Trac I. It uses electromechanical clutches to engage the rear axle, and eliminates the need for a center diff because it uses electronic sensors and a CPU instead of mechanical force to engage AWD. This allows the system to disengage to prevent binding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Yeah. In the 6 months that he's been on the job, Mulally has been instrumental in designing the Flex. That's what he's spent all his time on. Fixing all the stuff Bill Ford screwed up on the Flex. The Flex is, perhaps, the crowning achievement of BF Jr's tenure. What has been done with it since he left, was done by people he hired and put in place. Rich...ignorant question...what would bill or Mullaley have to do with design in the slightest...isn't that Mays. Fields and the design team...tell me Bill didn't have a crayon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sizzler Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 ...4) the rear liftgate is a typical liftgate, it opens up, not to the side. I would assume that in lieu of rolling down into the gate, the rear glass can lift up independent of the gate. Is that a 'smart' design for a vehicle that is apparently shorter than your normal SUV/minivan? If you open a liftgate up, overhead, what if your head is at 6 feet? That's why stationwagons, which this is more closely sized to, had side-opening doors, or combo opening doors that opened sideways or down like a tailgate. I already hit my head on many SUV's, some rather LARGE suv's, that have top-hinged rear doors. What's this going to be like? Is this a Bill Ford (short guy) design spec? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Is that a 'smart' design for a vehicle that is apparently shorter than your normal SUV/minivan? If you open a liftgate up, overhead, what if your head is at 6 feet? That's why stationwagons, which this is more closely sized to, had side-opening doors, or combo opening doors that opened sideways or down like a tailgate. I already hit my head on many SUV's, some rather LARGE suv's, that have top-hinged rear doors. What's this going to be like? Is this a Bill Ford (short guy) design spec? Dimension wise it is only 4 inches shorter than a non EL Expedition, 2 inches less wheelbase....so seems it may be bigger than it appears....and it may just be me but the rear overhang looks a tad long and out of whack...concept had better proportions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 The thing is 68" tall. The gate is cut back into the roof to allow more swing away room on opening. I would guess most people 5'9 or so should be able to get under the gate without stooping, and everyone else will just have to duck.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomServo92 Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Rich...ignorant question...what would bill or Mullaley have to do with design in the slightest...isn't that Mays. Fields and the design team...tell me Bill didn't have a crayon.... You apparantely missed Rich's dripping sarcasm in that post.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Rich...ignorant question...what would bill or Mullaley have to do with design in the slightest...isn't that Mays. Fields and the design team...tell me Bill didn't have a crayon.... That was a sarcastic response to pcsario's assertion that the Flex is proof that the bad old Bill Ford days are over. If anything, this is the first Ford product to have Mark Fields' stamp. True, the original concept came out shortly after Fields' was named head of FNA, but the fidelity of the finished product to the concept, the fact that the concept hit production at all, and the attention to details in equipment and options all bear Fields' stamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sizzler Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 The thing is 68" tall. The gate is cut back into the roof to allow more swing away room on opening. I would guess most people 5'9 or so should be able to get under the gate without stooping, and everyone else will just have to duck.... too bad that during their extensive research and study of the projected marketplace they didn't come across the well-hidden fact that the average height of a non-Hispanic male, 20-39 years old in the USA, is 5' 10". so it looks like the average American male will be banging his head on this thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Has anyone here pointed to the official Flex site? http://www.fordvehicles.com/flex/ I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 too bad that during their extensive research and study of the projected marketplace they didn't come across the well-hidden fact that the average height of a non-Hispanic male, 20-39 years old in the USA, is 5' 10". so it looks like the average American male will be banging his head on this thing... and women basketball players......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 What sort of sales volume can we expect with this vehicle? Depending on the Fad response, this looks like a vehicle designed for a small segment of a typically conservative market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 "Let's Go Somewhere" is an excellent tag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 (edited) What sort of sales volume can we expect with this vehicle? Depending on the Fad response, this looks like a vehicle designed for a small segment of a typically conservative market. Ford people have said, IIRC, "Up to 100k", other sources say "80-100k" And as for the 'typically conservative market', the reality is that this is not aimed at those who WANT a minivan. This is aimed at the non-conservative section of the market. As far as the number of buyers out there, as my generation starts to accumulate the kids, they'll want vehicles like this. They don't want minivans in the same way their parents didn't want station wagons. For the first couple years this is on the market, I consider the 80-100k number to be--if anything--conservative. After that, I think it's a reasonable assumption. Edited April 4, 2007 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 What sort of sales volume can we expect with this vehicle? Depending on the Fad response, this looks like a vehicle designed for a small segment of a typically conservative market.100k a year is the projection - so under 10k a month . Not a volume player, but it should bring in profit. Igor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordDan74012 Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 I absolutely love it!!!!! and it even has a built in jukebox which is sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05fordgt Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 What sort of sales volume can we expect with this vehicle? Depending on the Fad response, this looks like a vehicle designed for a small segment of a typically conservative market. BORG, what is your issue with hating this vehicle SO MUCH? I just gotta ask? Heck, even DCK has been kind to it, and actually had good things to say about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddysystem Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 The third row hip and shoulder room seems very narrow, I believe 7-8" less that the Pilot, Outlook/Acadia and the Explorer. The Pilot and GM vehicles can put a 4x8' sheet of plywood in the back in a pinch. The specs say it has only 41" of 3rd row hip room on a vehicle 79" wide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomServo92 Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 The third row hip and shoulder room seems very narrow, I believe 7-8" less that the Pilot, Outlook/Acadia and the Explorer. The Pilot and GM vehicles can put a 4x8' sheet of plywood in the back in a pinch. The specs say it has only 41" of 3rd row hip room on a vehicle 79" wide? There are large storage bins on either side of each 3rd row seat (see pic). Thats where the extra hip room went. When you consider that kids will be the most likely occupants of the 3rd row, the storage bins are a more efficient use of the space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 The Flex has the same silliness as the new Chryslers with a MyGig type system on the Nav units. Somehow I don't see a couple with 2-3 kids spending hours out in the garage programming the jukebox that comes with their new Flex. No RJ, The kids will take care of that. Any 8 year old will have mastered the system before most parents can finish reading the manual. Based on personal experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wescoent Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 There are large storage bins on either side of each 3rd row seat (see pic). Thats where the extra hip room went. When you consider that kids will be the most likely occupants of the 3rd row, the storage bins are a more efficient use of the space. Our 99 Dodge Caravan has similar bins... very good use of space created by the intruding wheel wells. We rarely have more than two people back there at a time anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 I would hope the load floor is at least wide enough for a 4x8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex D. Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 I've got to say the interior is the best looking I've ever seen in a Ford vehicle. I can't wait until it hits showrooms so I can get in there and see if the feel of the materials lives up to my expectations based on how the materials look visually. There just seems to be a rich quality about the materials that has been significantly lacking recently, especially compared to the rock-hard plastics in my '05 Focus. It also looks like windshield glare will be non-existent as well as the dash doesn't look like it reflects light as readily as the Focus, Edge and Five Hundred, or should I say Taurus. Those gauges look really classy. Also, does any one have any guesses on what MPG will be? I'd have to say they'd be comparable to the Edge, but we'll have to wait and see how this thing tips the scales. Plus, this vehicle doesn't exactly have an aerodynamic profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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