The vehicle is what I'm talking about. Get your head out of the gutter!
Anyway, she wants to sell our '04 CR-V and buy a used Flex. The CR-V has
been dead reliable, although not very luxurious. I don't mind the looks of
the Flex, but would want AWD and possibly the eco-boost engine, but that would
depend on availability and pricing. I can deal with that, but am wondering what
you all think of the Flex in general, as far as owner experience, reliablity, and
other pros and cons.
I never understood the idea of a 3rd row seat if people need to contort themselves to get into it. How would you even get kids back there until their able to buckle themselves?
Great thing about having a company car at Ford is you can swap with others for the weekend. I've swapped our Mustang Convertible on many occasions with people for a Flex for periods of 2 days to 2 weeks for road trips and get-aways. As a vacation, long trip vehicle it is unbeatable. It will devour the miles in total comfort with great NVH. I even had some fun hustling it up and down the mountain roads in VA and WV 
You can spec either a 6 or 7 seater (Either 2 or 3 seats in middle row) 7 seater is lux, 6 seater is 1st class travel. Having said all that, what is your wife's normal drive/commute and preferences. While a wonderfull people mover, it's too big for either myself or my wife to want as an in town DD, but we may not be the norm as we have the C30 and Mustang as our sensible family haulers dragging 3 teens 25-30 mins too and from school
I found it really easy to get in the back of a flex. especially if you get the power folding seat. It's so easy to get in and out. I would have bought one for sure if we had a second kid. I thought it was overkill for three people and dog.
Is the CRV a stick? I have a friend who is looking for one.
Yeah, getting in and out of the 3rd row is easy, as the seats 'tumble' forward. I've had mine for over 3 years and have had 2 issues (heater blend door motor and steering angle sensor). I have almost 90 K (kilometres) on it. It's the best long distance cruiser vehicle that I've owned.
In reply to Woody:
Autotragic.
Every time I see one with a white roof, I envision two white stripes down the sides of the hood. World's hugest MINI, or would that be the next model coming from BMW? 
In reply to Jim Pettengill:
I want one for my next car, and The Wife looked at and said it looked like a Mini for fat guys
I approve, and I'm not a fat balding male.
Flex looks like an xB on steroids. Precisely why I'd like one.
I bought a used '13 SEL fwd for my wife back in September to replace her 3. Absolutely love it. We've put about 4k miles on it so far. Smooth ride, very quiet, plenty of room for two kids in car seats and decent mpgs.
In reply to bravenrace:
Get the eco brick and do some things to it......then get swmbo addicted to drag racing. 
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JrgvdAGQMJw
The bride has had a Flex for about 1.5 years. It replaced her PTGT. She loves it. I've probably driven it no more than a couple of hundred miles & it seems nice enuff.
My neighbor bought one for his wife last year. Brand new. I rode in it once or twice. Seemed very nice. His had the eco-boost 3.5 V6 and seemed quite peppy. They had it to the dealer about a dozen times and they were unable to resolve certain issues. I think most of them centered around the infotainment system. They finally gave up on it and got a RAV-4, which has been fine, AFAIK.
Pretty sure they wouldn't recommend the Flex.
In reply to 1988RedT2:
That's my problem. I have a totally reliable and easy to work on vehicle, that while having 140k or so on it, looks and drives like new. That's a known. I'm hesitant to trade that known off for something that is an unknown, especially if it has anything but a stellar reliability reputation, as I am the one that has to work on it. I do like the Flex, although I've only sat in one, not driven it. And I would like something a little larger and more comfortable. I wouldn't even need an SUV if it wasn't for the dogs. We sold a very nice TL when we bought the CR-V, and I'd like to have that kind of comfort back, just not at the expense of reliability, durability or depreciation. Its just that the wife has this thing for the Flex in particular, which is a bit surprising, since she's a real Honda fangirl.
yamaha wrote: In reply to bravenrace: Get the eco brick and do some things to it......then get swmbo addicted to drag racing.
THIS! A friend of mine has one with the Ecoboost V6... With nothing more than a tune... It is very very fast...
In reply to bravenrace:
If you are getting a used one, you should be able to find one without the troublesome my ford touch set up. The early ones were the most painful. Or make sure that the one you find is still able to be updated. That is the only real reliabilty problem.
ronholm wrote:yamaha wrote: In reply to bravenrace: Get the eco brick and do some things to it......then get swmbo addicted to drag racing.THIS! A friend of mine has one with the Ecoboost V6... With nothing more than a tune... It is very very fast...
Just be sure you know what you are getting in the tune. The engines are not happy with some changes. The guy with the nitrous system + it's own fuel system went a good direction.
I thought that truck was cool right up to the second I found out it was FWD.
NOHOME wrote: I thought that truck was cool right up to the second I found out it was FWD.
You must not like the new Explorer, too- since it's pretty much the same car.
NOHOME wrote: I thought that truck was cool right up to the second I found out it was FWD.
AWD Available
I really wish the Flex was a lot smaller. In between XB/Soul and Excursion. I really like the looks of the new ones.
In reply to Ditchdigger:
uh, it IS between an XB and an Excursion. Almost right in the middle of the two sizes.
Do you mean XB and Explorer?
For those of you who want it to be a different size, bear in mind, the Flex is a mini-Van. Just without sliding doors.
I thought it drove pretty well, but the first thing you notice when driving it is that it is really BIG. It looks deceiving, but it's a big car, like Suburban big, just not as tall (I don't think). And the Ecoboost is a great motor. My daughter-in-law has one in her Explorer and it is a great compromise between power and mpg. She gets around 30mpg normally, and Explorers are pretty big these days also.
As far as the CRV, my wife has an '03, and it's been fantastic it's entire life. We've never had any real issues with it and it also still looks and drives like new. I keep wondering how the Ford will look after 11 years and 110k miles.
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