Ford Firm On Flex Future

Okay, that headline is either an audition for a gig at Daily Variety or a desperate cry for help.

But that's not important now.

The Ford Flex was supposed to be The Answer. The way forward from minivans. In fact, Ford stopped making its Freestar minivan and the Taurus X crossover in the belief that the Flex would deliver those (few) customers and a bunch more.

Hasn't happened.

Days go by...sometimes weeks...before I see a Flex on the streets of the car-crazy metropolis of four million souls in which I live and drive, a place where you'd die of internal bleeding if there were a "punch dub" game for minivans, Tahoes and even Suburbans.

Only 12,598 Flexes left dealerships for driveways and garages in the first four months of this year...which puts it on track to do less than 40,000 units sold in 2010. Not the stuff of which hits are made.

Still, Ford says it's happy. Why? They told the Detroit Free Press.

Ford Flex with EcoBoost Review

Looking for a Ford Flex? Here's a tip: Make sure this badge is on the tailgate.

EcoBoost transforms the Flex from adequate power to impressive power...replacing the standard 262 horses with 355...at a penalty of only one city mile per gallon and two highway (dropping from 17 to 16 and 24 to 22). Torque is way up too...from 248 pounds per foot to 350.

How'd they do it? Well, EcoBoost is a twin-turbo...taking the 80s favorite means of boosting power without sucking down prodigious amounts of fuel and doubling it. Hopefully, they've addressed the issues that caused turbos to fall out of favor, but I'd change the oil more than the owner's manual recommends just in case.

I liked the Flex the first time I drove it, but having some power makes it all that much better.

This time around, the tester was a top of the line SEL All Wheel Drive...and that means it wasn't cheap: Base price $36,115...$7,600 more than the entry-level model. Fortunately, Ford kept the options down to...well, one. Rapid Spec 208-A AWD adds 20 inch bright painted aluminum wheels, a convenience package and a 12-speaker Sony sound system for $3895.

That put the price, before destination and delivery at $40,010...but there's a "Rapid Spec Savings" discount of $845...so the ultimate bottom line is $39,940.

That's a chunk of change for a Ford...but a lot of people spent that and more for Expeditions when they were in fashion...and this drives a lot better than the Expedition ever did.

By the way...five-star crash ratings all around...four star rollover.