FORD FLEX SAVES FUEL DURING DECELERATION WHILE MAINTAINING BEST-IN-CLASS DRIVEABILITY

[range]

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[P71_CrownVic]

All that technology and it can only muster 24MPG.

 

If Ford wasn't so insistent on making their vehicles heavier than the competition, the Flex would have much better mileage. But 4800 pounds for a limited is way too much...much like it's price.

[fordmantpw]

All that technology and it can only muster 24MPG.

 

If Ford wasn't so insistent on making their vehicles heavier than the competition, the Flex would have much better mileage. But 4800 pounds for a limited is way too much...much like it's price.

 

Weight...the price you pay for safety, features, etc. And it gets the same (or better) fuel economy than the competition. What's the problem? You make it sound as if, since they are not better than all, they are the worst. As the article says, there is nothing else in its class with better fuel economy!!!!

[battyr]

1 mpg and it cost nothing to do it. 1 mpg here, 1 mpg there, it all adds up. A lot of little savings adds up to a big improvement in fuel efficiency. Just give them a few years.

[joihan777]

All that technology and it can only muster 24MPG.

 

If Ford wasn't so insistent on making their vehicles heavier than the competition, the Flex would have much better mileage. But 4800 pounds for a limited is way too much...much like it's price.

 

No one else can beat it and it has 5-star safety ratings. It has best [claimed] driveability too. It wasn't designed to be an ultra-mpg econobox. It was designed for people who prioritize safety over economy. For a family with older kids & teens the Flex seems fantastic. Would you prefer people carry their kids around in tin-can 1990 era Japanese cars? If there's room for more advanced steel/ materials for the same price, I think Ford would have used it.

 

The prices aren't cheap, but they are moderate and very comparable to the minivans/crossovers they compete against.

 

Remember, the 24mpg is for a regular V6. Wait until the Ecoboost engines emerge.

[rmc523]

It has best [claimed] driveability too.

 

It does drive very well, IMO.

[Michael Reynolds]

All that technology and it can only muster 24MPG.

 

If Ford wasn't so insistent on making their vehicles heavier than the competition, the Flex would have much better mileage. But 4800 pounds for a limited is way too much...much like it's price.

 

So what are you going to complain about the cylinder deactivation in the Odyssey now too? I mean after all with all that tech it only musters 1 more MPG highway than a Flex.

[retro-man]

My T-Bird weighs about 3,900 lbs, and it's a boat. My wife's 4Runner weighs about the same. I'm not calling for more regulation - but there ought to be some sort of self-imposed weight limit of 2 tons or so - out of a sense of decency if nothing else. 4,800 lbs. is not excessive, it's obscene.

[goinbroke2]

My T-Bird weighs about 3,900 lbs, and it's a boat. My wife's 4Runner weighs about the same. I'm not calling for more regulation - but there ought to be some sort of self-imposed weight limit of 2 tons or so - out of a sense of decency if nothing else. 4,800 lbs. is not excessive, it's obscene.

 

 

Self imposed weight limit??? out of decency??? WTF???

Ok then, I think cars should all weigh 1200lb's like a model t, anything more is "obscene"

 

Obviously you've never stripped a car to build a drag car or stock car. There is litterly TONS of crap on cars that is not required to make it run. But that crap makes the drivability. That crap is the stuff people on here bitch and whine about,"I think the ashtray should project more from the dash, ford has always had terrible ashtrays/cupholders, ford sucks". Every "change" to placate the mindless whiners is what adds weight. " My ford has 10 airbags, oh yeah, my import has 12, see they know how to build a car, ford sucks"

 

Self imposed...THAT is damn funny, obviously your a Democrate who wants more feel-good rules (but not call it regulation....umm,yeah)

[armadamaster]

All that technology and it can only muster 24MPG.

 

If Ford wasn't so insistent on making their vehicles heavier than the competition, the Flex would have much better mileage. But 4800 pounds for a limited is way too much...much like it's price.

 

 

Heh...my dad's 1991 Caprice wagon gets better than that (MPG) without all the "tech" and seats 8.

[jpd80]

All that technology and it can only muster 24MPG.

 

If Ford wasn't so insistent on making their vehicles heavier than the competition, the Flex would have much better mileage. But 4800 pounds for a limited is way too much...much like it's price.

I'd say it's a $3,000 cheaper alternative to the even heavier 5.4 liter Expedition with its 12/18 mpg economy figures.

 

Works for me.

[fordmantpw]

My T-Bird weighs about 3,900 lbs, and it's a boat. My wife's 4Runner weighs about the same. I'm not calling for more regulation - but there ought to be some sort of self-imposed weight limit of 2 tons or so - out of a sense of decency if nothing else. 4,800 lbs. is not excessive, it's obscene.

 

And your T-Bird seats how many? The Flex seats 7, the T-Bird seats 4. So, lets see:

 

T-Bird: 975 lbs/seat

Flex: 685 lbs/seat

 

Doesn't seem too bad to me.

[mettech]

1 mpg and it cost nothing to do it. 1 mpg here, 1 mpg there, it all adds up. A lot of little savings adds up to a big improvement in fuel efficiency. Just give them a few years.

 

It appears that the Flex only has 24 "heres and theres".

[silvrsvt]

Heh...my dad's 1991 Caprice wagon gets better than that (MPG) without all the "tech" and seats 8.

 

 

I'd much rather take my chances in a Flex over a Caprice wagon when it comes to an accident, not to mention the Flex doesn't look like an upside down bathtub...

[Hemiman]

Heh...my dad's 1991 Caprice wagon gets better than that (MPG) without all the "tech" and seats 8.

 

 

Interestingly, your Dads ECU was probably mapped to run very lean during decelleration just like this Flex.

 

OBDII changed all that forcing cars to run richer than nessesary @ part or no throttle. This is one of the reasons todays cars don't get as good of mpg as your Dads Caprice.

 

Nice to see that the powertrain guys are figuring out how to meet emmissions and still improve efficiency. Same learning curve we had back in the 80"s.

[theoldwizard]

Interestingly, your Dads ECU (1991 Caprice) was probably mapped to run very lean during decelleration just like this Flex.

Probably not.

 

The Decel Fuel Shut Off algorithm was re-written a year or so ago (meaning it took this long to show up in production). This version is "more aggressive" and produces better results for the customer. Yes, it should be in all Ford vehicles within the next year or so.

[mlhm5]

All that technology and it can only muster 24MPG.

 

If Ford wasn't so insistent on making their vehicles heavier than the competition, the Flex would have much better mileage. But 4800 pounds for a limited is way too much...much like it's price.

 

To me it looks as if most the driving of a Flex is going to be done around town. It's that type of vehicle, i.e. kid carrier/minivan replacement, so most people who buy one will never see 24mpg unless they drive it to see grandma.

 

I seriously doubt if most will see 17mpg if the major use is hauling a lot of kids + equipment on short ~5-10 mile trips where there are many stoplights and stop signs.

 

I don't see any advantage over a minivan and I don't see anyone trading in a gas guzzling SUV to get one. So who is the customer that is supposed to buy this vehicle.

[NickF1011]

To me it looks as if most the driving of a Flex is going to be done around town. It's that type of vehicle, i.e. kid carrier/minivan replacement, so most people who buy one will never see 24mpg unless they drive it to see grandma.

 

I seriously doubt if most will see 17mpg if the major use is hauling a lot of kids + equipment on short ~5-10 mile trips where there are many stoplights and stop signs.

 

I don't see any advantage over a minivan and I don't see anyone trading in a gas guzzling SUV to get one. So who is the customer that is supposed to buy this vehicle.

 

People who want 7-passenger crossovers maybe? They haven't disappeared from the planet, you know. Seriously, your negatard banter is getting tiresome.

 

P71, I see you haven't changed one iota either. I see another ban coming.

[Catalepsy]

The advantage over a minivan is that it isn't a minivan. The advantage over an SUV is that it isn't an SUV.

 

The city driving milage still beats having to take 2 cars. Your average 2.5 kids household still needs a vehicle to pack everyone into.

 

 

 

To me it looks as if most the driving of a Flex is going to be done around town. It's that type of vehicle, i.e. kid carrier/minivan replacement, so most people who buy one will never see 24mpg unless they drive it to see grandma.

 

I seriously doubt if most will see 17mpg if the major use is hauling a lot of kids + equipment on short ~5-10 mile trips where there are many stoplights and stop signs.

 

I don't see any advantage over a minivan and I don't see anyone trading in a gas guzzling SUV to get one. So who is the customer that is supposed to buy this vehicle.

[mlhm5]

People who want 7-passenger crossovers maybe? They haven't disappeared from the planet, you know. Seriously, your negatard banter is getting tiresome.

 

P71, I see you haven't changed one iota either. I see another ban coming.

 

Ford has to answer the same question, who specifically is the audience and why would they buy this vehicle. If the audience is truly as small as you say (people looking for a vehicle to carry 7 passengers) then Ford should not expect much in the way of sales.

[range]

My T-Bird weighs about 3,900 lbs, and it's a boat. My wife's 4Runner weighs about the same. I'm not calling for more regulation - but there ought to be some sort of self-imposed weight limit of 2 tons or so - out of a sense of decency if nothing else. 4,800 lbs. is not excessive, it's obscene.

 

 

 

Does your T-Bird have All Wheel Drive?

 

a panoramic roof?

 

DVD player and screens?

 

seating for 7?

 

6 speed trans?

 

a refrigerator/freezer?

 

6 disc CD/DVD with 5.1 surround sound

 

Navigation system and satellite radio?

 

air bags and side curtains for three rows of passengers?

 

roof crush protection that far exceeds standards that are still being proposed?

 

5 star crash protection all around?

 

>150 cu-ft of passenger space?

 

power opening rear hatch?

 

auto fold seats?

 

 

 

Would you really expect a large 7 passenger crossover that exceeds current safety standards to weigh less than an old passenger car with limited active safety features and options?

[NickF1011]

Ford has to answer the same question, who specifically is the audience and why would they buy this vehicle. If the audience is truly as small as you say (people looking for a vehicle to carry 7 passengers) then Ford should not expect much in the way of sales.

 

Well, I could seriously consider one in another year or two when my Mazda6 is up for replacement. I have no children. Not married. No pets. Why would I consider it? Because it's stylish, has a crapload of room for things like my mountain bike and several cases of beer (not usually at the same time - lol), and gets fuel economy no worse than my current car, which I really don't consider too bad anyway. That's right. No worse than my Mazda6 which is about half the size.

 

Yeah that Flex fuel economy sure blows. :rolleyes:

 

So...there's one more demographic that's showing interest.

 

And umm...there's a LOT of people out there still wanting 7-passenger vehicles. Will they always use all 7 seats? No. They will likely use 5 of them and fold down the 3rd row to haul enough crap to satisfy the travel needs of 5 people.

[fordmantpw]

Ford has to answer the same question, who specifically is the audience and why would they buy this vehicle. If the audience is truly as small as you say (people looking for a vehicle to carry 7 passengers) then Ford should not expect much in the way of sales.

 

You don't have to need a vehicle to carry 7 passengers.

 

Take for instance the family with 3 young children. Here in Missouri, as well as others I'm sure, children have to be in a booster seat until age 8 or 80 pounds. Now, it is not uncommon to have 3 children under age 8. What is uncommon is the number of vehicles that can fit 3 car seats across the second row and still have room to buckle/unbuckle the boosters. There are many who just don't WANT a minivan, or who NEED (or WANT) all wheel drive.

 

That is our predicament, hence the reason we have ordered a Flex. Our 3 year old and newborn (in January) will sit in the center row where we can easily access and buckle them, and our 5 year old who can buckle herself will sit in the back. With bucket seats and without a console in the second row, it's a perfect walk-way to get to the back without the need to move a carseat to flip a second row seat forward. How many (non-minivan) vehicles offer that and enough leg-room in the second row to get past a car seat?

 

If you would open your mind and quit arguing for the sake of arguing (like several others on here), you could see where the Flex fits in and is an ideal vehicle for many.

[Catalepsy]

It's hard for someone like you who lives in a basement by yourself to understand this...but try. Average household in the US has 2.5 kids. You add 2 adults, that's 5 passengers. Frequently you'll have friends, relatives come visit (Yeah, imagine that, some people have friends), and you will need something to fit them in. Now you can take 2 cars, but who wants to do that? It costs far more to take 2 cars than it is to take 1 car.

 

 

 

Ford has to answer the same question, who specifically is the audience and why would they buy this vehicle. If the audience is truly as small as you say (people looking for a vehicle to carry 7 passengers) then Ford should not expect much in the way of sales.

[NickF1011]

Frequently you'll have friends, relatives come visit (Yeah, imagine that, some people have friends), and you will need something to fit them in.

 

Hmm...I may have to rethink my purchase of a Flex in the future now. Back when the Mustang was my only car, I never had to drive ANYWHERE because nobody wanted to ride in the back seat of that thing for more than 5 minutes. If I get a Flex, I'll become the designated drive-us-to-the-ball-game, drive-us-to-the-bar, drive-us-to-Alaska guy. Hmmm.....