theoldwizard Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 What's the big red button on the dash. I looks like a Staples "Easy Button". most prototypes have this - it completely disconnects the electronics -- you know in case it all starts smoking and such ... as I said - most or even all prototypes have this, as they are testing the wiring and computers and all that. Actually the "panic button" only showed up when Ford started putting Electronic Throttle Control ("Drive By Wire") on vehicles a few years ago. Someone realized that the processor in the ETC (yes, it hasits own processor) could "go nuts" and you have a serious case of "sudden acceleration". It was never there during EEC I, II, III, IV or V. Sudden acceleration could only happen in prototypes because other software that monitors the ETC is disabled at the time. As a matter of fact, when I left, Ford had ZERO lawsuits pending over sudden acceleration due to ETC ! I'm a little surprised they still have them, but given that Ford is swapping around electronic suppliers like they were fastener supplier, it is probably a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 The Flex is a product not driven by market demand but by market justification for a concept vehicle. It's a car that managers wanted, not consumers. Mark Fields has to be convinced by the product planners to green light the production version. I'm not convinced this product has a bright outlook but I hope I'm wrong. I agrees 100% ! If it is not a huge succees, it will be the "swan song" for J Mays. I certainly hope it doesn't take the company down the toilet at the same time. I hope I'm wrong, I want to keep getting my full pension check :shades: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 (edited) Flex is meant to be a "people mover" that Gen X or Gen Y would drive. I know several Gen X, Y people and they don't have a lot of "people" to haul around. Also, none of them have "deep pockets" so they are either driving 6+ year old vehicles or something small and cheap; Kia, Scion, etc. As for a "updated" mini-van replacement, all the families that I know have said, "If it doesn't have 2 sliding doors, I'm not interested !" Most want 2 power sliders and a power rear hach. If it is truly a "practical" people mover, I would expect it would push the Toyota Sienna out of the #2 spot of popular taxis in NY city (behind the Crown Vic). Hey Ford Marketing, give the Cash Cab guy a Flex ! Edited October 30, 2007 by theoldwizard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 This seasons premier of Family Guy (Star Wars) was so good. It would :banmolest: Treehouse of Horrors. It wasn't as good as robot chicken--actually, I can't say that. I got as far as Peter saying something about "international merchandising rights" rolled my eyes and turned it off. So, based on my impatience with Family's non-funny (IMO) snarkiness, and the genuinely laughable 'what the hell is an aluminum falcon?', I'd say the Family Guy's Star Wars sendup wasn't as good as Seth Green's work on Robot Chicken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suv_guy_19 Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 It wasn't as good as robot chicken--actually, I can't say that. I got as far as Peter saying something about "international merchandising rights" rolled my eyes and turned it off. So, based on my impatience with Family's non-funny (IMO) snarkiness, and the genuinely laughable 'what the hell is an aluminum falcon?', I'd say the Family Guy's Star Wars sendup wasn't as good as Seth Green's work on Robot Chicken. Robot Chicken....ewwwwww. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Robot Chicken....ewwwwww. I haven't seen anything besides the Star Wars stuff, which was funny. But not so funny as to make me think that, as with Family Guy, it would be funny with a story made up from whole cloth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joihan777 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Flex is meant to be a "people mover" that Gen X or Gen Y would drive. I know several Gen X, Y people and they don't have a lot of "people" to haul around. Also, none of them have "deep pockets" so they are either driving 6+ year old vehicles or something small and cheap; Kia, Scion, etc. Agree. I can only afford the Flex Lmtd or SEL when I finish my second degree. As for a "updated" mini-van replacement, all the families that I know have said, "If it doesn't have 2 sliding doors, I'm not interested !" Most want 2 power sliders and a power rear hach. I think the 2 sliding doors would have pushed the Flex costs over the top, so regular doors are used instead. A Pity. Sliding doors really are much more practical. Power sliding ones even better! If it is truly a "practical" people mover, I would expect it would push the Toyota Sienna out of the #2 spot of popular taxis in NY city (behind the Crown Vic). Hey Ford Marketing, give the Cash Cab guy a Flex ! Good idea. Movie placement would be wise too. Discount sales to limited taxi fleets in family tourist spots would do good too. Imagine a family picked up in airport to Disneyland hotel in a new Flex "Honey, what is this?...Dad it's cool!..."etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goinbroke2 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I like the look of it and am considering it. Power sliding doors?(shudder) no thanks! I also don't want half the gimicky electrical crap that most people want either so maybe I'm not the "target audience". We ran short on 4X4 vehicles a while back so they rented a lincoln navigator. Everybody wents nuts over it, my initial thought was "first time you high centre it or get mud in the power extending steps we're going to have a nightmare"! and "nice while new, but what about in 10 years when the salty roads eat the wiring and connectors"? The more crap you have on a car the more chances to have problems...unless you buy a new one every 2-5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sranger Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Well, I do not like the look of the Flex and would not buy one. It looks just like a slightly bigger Scion or Element. These "box on wheels" are popular with the kids right now, but these type of fads do not seem to last very long. I think that demand for the Flex will be all about timming. If it hits the market about the time the Fad is losing steam, it could be a hugh flop. On the other hand it might hit right in the peek of the fad and have a few good sales years. In either case, I doubt this "box on wheels" fad will last more a couple of more years. The fashion desires of the teens and 20 somthings change way to fast to bet a model on them in my opinion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wescoent Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Well, I do not like the look of the Flex and would not buy one. It looks just like a slightly bigger Scion or Element. These "box on wheels" are popular with the kids right now, but these type of fads do not seem to last very long. I think that demand for the Flex will be all about timming. If it hits the market about the time the Fad is losing steam, it could be a hugh flop. On the other hand it might hit right in the peek of the fad and have a few good sales years. In either case, I doubt this "box on wheels" fad will last more a couple of more years. The fashion desires of the teens and 20 somthings change way to fast to bet a model on them in my opinion... "Box-on-wheels" was the STANDARD for people moving since the inception of the automobile, until the early 1990's, when jelly-bean rounded-off edge styling took over, and now we're seeing a shift back to slab-sided sharp-edged vehicles. The difference between the Flex and the xB/Element are the proportions. Where the Flex has traditional proportions similar to an SUV or minivan (just with sharper creased edges), the xB/Element attempt to emulate a cube, in the sense that their length and width are very short and narrow compared to the height. While I'd venture to say the Flex isn't significantly taller (if at all) than the xB/Element, it is SIGNIFICANTLY wider and longer. Compare an Expedition EL to a Honda Odyssey. They both haul the same number of people, and about the same amount of stuff. The Expedition is pretty cool, can tow and go offroad, but gets absolutely awful gas mileage and drives like a Mack truck. The Odyssey is reasonably fuel efficient, but can't tow or go offroad (but who cares), and more importantly, is a MINIVAN. For the most part, Americans view buying a minivan as "giving up" and trading in their hip and trendy lifestyle for 18 years of mommy and daddy-hood. For a given American family, say, a mother, a father, and 3 kids, what can they buy under $40,000 that can haul all their kids and their stuff? SUVs are great, but get awful gas mileage. Crossovers on the market today are simply too small, with the possible exception of the Acadia, Outlook, and Enclave. Minivans are perfectly suitable, but have that awful stigma that I'm certain many Americans would love to forgo when buying their family-hauler. As someone who is most certainly in the Flex's demographic, I see a certain "cool" factor when I look at the Flex. The two-tone colors, the unique seating fabrics and leathers, the EXTREMELY unique exterior design, and all the neccesary features add up to a vehicle I see as a Mini Cooper for the family. I'm picturing a dark blue Flex SEL with a white roof and bright 18" rims, Silverstar lights up front, rolling up to the school for a PTA meeting. I would hardly be ashamed to step out of that vehicle... but I'm not sure I could say the same about an Odyssey or Sienna. My only issue with buying it would be that my better half would never be caught dead in an SUV, minivan, wagon, or truck of any kind, and since she would be the primary one driving it, the Flex is a no-go for us. She's even vetoed a Range Rover Sport Supercharged, so I don't consider it an affront to the Flex that she doesn't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 ^ Those boxes on wheels have a median purchasing age well over what I would consider 'kids'. I don't know anyone in my age group that owns an Element or Scion xB or xA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Biggest problem with minivans: Flex will sell well. One wonders, though, if sometime down the road we'll be reading, "Due to its heavy reliance on crossovers, Ford missed the .........." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 LOL, the dustbuster and Sienna look identical, right down to the color. It must have been what the Toyo engineers modeled it after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joihan777 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Biggest problem with minivans: Flex will sell well. One wonders, though, if sometime down the road we'll be reading, "Due to its heavy reliance on crossovers, Ford missed the .........." You know, I have that Sienna. The style isn't the problem. In fact, the aerodynamic nose helps out with the noise & fuel economy. And the view of the road is great for avoiding flat tires. What's lousy about it is the handling (or lack thereof). It's also a little too big. My family is growing up and we don't need as much space anymore, but still need 7 comfortable seats. Call me a Homer if you must. If the Ford Flex has decent handling then it's going to be quite high on my list. One question, will the Flex replace the Freestyle/ X? They seem to be similar sized for a similar market? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sranger Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 ^ Those boxes on wheels have a median purchasing age well over what I would consider 'kids'. I don't know anyone in my age group that owns an Element or Scion xB or xA. Every Scion xb or Element I see has a driver that I would put between 16-25 years old... It might be different in different parts of the country, but that is what I see here... When I put a pic of the Scion and the Flex side by side, they look nearly identical to me.... Again, I admit that at 43 I am way out of the target market for the Flex, I doubt many people my age will prefer the look over say a Tarus X, Edge or MKX. I do think that the "box on wheels" look is just a fad like tail fins, but it may run on a lot longer than I expect... For Ford's sake, I hope I am wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Every Scion xb or Element I see has a driver that I would put between 16-25 years old... It might be different in different parts of the country, but that is what I see here... When I put a pic of the Scion and the Flex side by side, they look nearly identical to me.... Again, I admit that at 43 I am way out of the target market for the Flex, I doubt many people my age will prefer the look over say a Tarus X, Edge or MKX. I do think that the "box on wheels" look is just a fad like tail fins, but it may run on a lot longer than I expect... For Ford's sake, I hope I am wrong... You are 43 and not in the target demographic? Does Ford think people are made of money? This thing starts at $28K. People starting families are not going to pay 28K for their first family hauler, and if they are, they are probably going to buy something that has a bit more capability than the Flex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomServo92 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Every Scion xb or Element I see has a driver that I would put between 16-25 years old... It might be different in different parts of the country, but that is what I see here... When I put a pic of the Scion and the Flex side by side, they look nearly identical to me.... Again, I admit that at 43 I am way out of the target market for the Flex, I doubt many people my age will prefer the look over say a Tarus X, Edge or MKX. I do think that the "box on wheels" look is just a fad like tail fins, but it may run on a lot longer than I expect... For Ford's sake, I hope I am wrong... I read in Forbes that the average age of an xB buyer is around 36, not the 22 that Scion was targeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomServo92 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 People starting families are not going to pay 28K for their first family hauler, and if they are, they are probably going to buy something that has a bit more capability than the Flex. And what capabilities would that be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 And what capabilities would that be? Towing, off-road, and anything you can do with a pickup bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomServo92 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 (edited) Towing, off-road, and anything you can do with a pickup bed. I was guess that most of the people in the Flex demographic don't have anything too heavy for the Flex to tow. If they do, they'll buy an Expedition instead. I was also say that most don't do alot of offroading either. As for the pickup bed, maybe. Edited October 31, 2007 by TomServo92 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joihan777 Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 You are 43 and not in the target demographic? Does Ford think people are made of money? This thing starts at $28K. People starting families are not going to pay 28K for their first family hauler, and if they are, they are probably going to buy something that has a bit more capability than the Flex. The price range goes all the way up to $42k. Quite steep. I hope Ford remembers that nasty lesson of the 02'-05' T-Bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 The price range goes all the way up to $42k. Quite steep. I hope Ford remembers that nasty lesson of the 02'-05' T-Bird. did you ever price out any minivan or a full size crossover? do so - the Flex is no more expensive. Igor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 did you ever price out any minivan or a full size crossover? do so - the Flex is no more expensive. Igor Keep in mind the Avg transaction for a new car cost is $26K....people have to quit living in the 1980s Then again most people bitching about the cost of the car by used anyways...:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goingincirclez Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 (edited) "OH NOES! It looks like this, it looks like that": Of course, sometimes it needs to be restated that the more things change, they more they stay the same: (look again at those pics of the oh-so-trendy Scion xB! OH YEAH, because Gen X and Y wouldn't be caught DEAD in a minivan!! :hysterical: )... Strangely, FWIW I like them all, but the Flex the best. Except the name which is retarded. But I love its comparative stretched-out lowrider look. Edited October 31, 2007 by goingincirclez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I read in Forbes that the average age of an xB buyer is around 36, not the 22 that Scion was targeting. Exactly my point. If I'm not mistaken there have been several articles with regards to the target market not nibbling when it comes to the above mentioned vehicle(s). And this big hoopla about pricing........judging from what I see on the road, and what a vast majority of people do these days (i.e. leasing). A 28K sticker doesn't seem so steep. Back when the Explorer was the end all of all SUVs, they weren't exactly cheap but Ford sure didn't have a problem selling 'em for that sticker either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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