Ford Flexes, but can it muscle the competition?

This last week I’ve been test driving the all-new 2009 Ford Flex. And so far I must say I am enjoying this car. It has lots of elbow room, plenty of muscle and can carry a fair amount of gear or people. But not all is well in Ford Land and this vehicle, as sharp looking as it may be, epitomizes a big part of the problem

For one thing, the Flex is only available with Ford’s 3.5-litre Duratec V6 engine. In city driving with the all-wheel-drive model, we’re talking a punishing 14 litres of fuel for every 100 km driven. The official rating for city mileage is 13.5 L/100 km on this model, but of course the published fuel economy is always overly optimistic.

With numbers like that, it’s hard to imagine too many people clamouring to own one with the escalating price of gas. For 2010, Ford does plan to introduce a new “Ecoboost” turbocharged 3.5-litre engine which will offer better performance and use less fuel, but I still think there ought to be a 4-cylinder or hybrid version offered for these times. Ford’s Escape Hybrid is an excellent us of gas-electric technology and I can’t understand why the company has been so slow to make greater use of hybrid engines.

The Flex also has another big albatross around it’s neck and that is the price. At $33,354 for the base FWD SEL and up to $40,474 for the Limited AWD version, the Flex is far above competing vehicles like the Dodge Journey, which seats the same number of people, starts around $20,000 and comes with a 4-cylinder engine choice.

The Journey may not be as Funky as the Flex, but as gas prices go higher, fuel economy is quickly becoming the number one concern for new car buyers

Ford Flex vs. Dodge Journey

Coming soon to MoneySense magazine – a battle between two of the latest SUV alternatives. The 2009 Ford Flex and the 2009 Dodge Journey are both vying for drivers who are thinking of trading down from their monster trucks into something better on gas but still roomy inside.

I don’t want to give away too much before publication, but I am impressed with these two new people haulers. Both seat up to seven people in three rows with fold-flat seats in the back and lots of cargo space. You’ll have to read the article to see who comes out on top, but I think it’s fair to say the Flex wins on style, but if fuel economy is your driving concern then the 4-cylinder Journey model comes out on top at the pumps.

Unfortunately, automotive writers are often handed the top of the line version of each vehicle they test drive, so it is sometimes hard to get a feel for the base or mid-level models that most people will likely buy.

The Journey I drove last month was the RT version, while the Flex I am driving right now is the SEL version. Both are nicely equipped but pricey.

As with any brand new model though, there can be first-year glitches to work out so savvy buyers might want to wait until those bugs have been squashed and the initial buzz has died down. The deals and financing offers are also likely to be more generous in the second year, especially if fuel prices keep going the way they are.