2010 Ford Flex with EcoBoost By:  ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net              Ford Flex has been out for several years now and is a family-friendly utility cross-over.  It has a unique design to make it stand out in a crowd of vehicles on the road.  The 2010 model  is raising the bar and adding a new EcoBoost engine and I had a terrific test-drive recently in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

The EcoBoost engine is the hallmark of what makes the 2010 Ford Flex a special vehicle special.  It is a new 3.5 liter V-6 and provides the fuel economy of a V6 while delivering the performance of a V-8.  Most drivers want to be able to feel the pedal-to-the-metal when power is needed, whether it is for passing, towing, or simply moving down the road at a fast clip.  This new EcoBoost V-6 produces 355 horsepoer and 350 ft-lb of torque. 

Out test drive took us from Boulder, Colorado to Estes Park and back again.  The road through the Rocky Mountain National Park is twisty, steep, and challenging.  The Flex took to it like a native mountain goat.  The EcoBoost engine never faltered.  There are twin parallel turbochargers that are matched up with a direct-injection fuel system that makes all this work together.  EcoBoost is not just for the Flex, but is going to become the primary strategy for most of the Ford vehicles.  The turbochargers are water-cooled and take energy from the exhaust and direct it back to the engine.  More air to the engine means more power.  The fuel injectors are on each side of the combustion chamber, provide the fuel and air mix, and increase the engine’s efficiency.  The twin turbochargers operate independently of each other, one of the left side and one on the right side, and provide boost even at low speeds. 

To provide even more, the Ford engineers have introduced a new dedicated transmission for the EcoBoost V-6.  It is a six speed automatic designed for those twin turbochargers.  Not only is there a variety of gears when necessary, the Flex has All-Wheel Drive.  There are non-obtrusive paddle shifters for manual override of the transmission.  Driving through those Colorado mountains allowed a number of opportunities to use the manual override.  When a downshift was needed, it was smooth and responsive.  On those steep and winding roads, I used the downshift feature much more than the accelerating  and upshift.

The Flex looks like a large SUV, but it is actually a Crossover.  They call it a CUV – Crossover Utility Vehicle.  It offers so much more than just the new EcoBoost V-6.  There is All Wheel Drive, sport-tuned suspension, chrome dual-tip exhausts, leather-trimmed seats, power liftgate, adjustable pedals, and a telescoping steering wheel.  There is also an Electric Power Steering Assist that helps when there is high crosswinds.  The Electric Power Steering is also used for a new Active Park Assist.  This feature allows the Flex to almost park itself in a slot for parallel parking.  I have used the self-parking feature of the Lexus LS 460 and that one is good.  The new self-park feature in the Flex goes quite a bit beyond the Lexus that I’ve driven and used.

The Flex has very attractive styling and a really nice interior.  It is roomy and comfortable.  The seats are very accommodating and allow long road trips without the need to get out and stretch every few minutes.  Bottom line is the V-8 performance with the fuel economy of the V-6.  The ratings say the 2010 Flex averages 16 city and 22 highway.  During my test drive, I pushed the pedal down quite a bit, opening up on the big highway areas as well as accelerating on the mountain roads.  During a short test challenge, I achieved 25.4 mpg, which placed me in the fifth position of the group of journalist that day.

The Flex starts at $39,995.  The Limited model has quite a few extras and starts at $43,635.  This is not an inexpensive car designed to throw-away after a few years.  This one is built to last, provide fuel savings for the owner, and offer utility for the family.  Towing is superb.  Handling is great.  The appearance is distinctive.   It is a vehicle that makes the drive an enjoyable experience.  Check it out at a Ford dealership yourself.
(Alan Gell is an experienced journalist specializing in the automotive industry.  He can be followed on Twitter as the CarGuyTX.)