I have a dealer willing to sell me an SEL w/ Ecoboost at invoice. I am diggin' this vehicle. I need the space as the fam is growing. This will stay With us for years to come. Anyone here have experience with Ford "lately"? I'm wondering about QC and reliability. I have cooled off on the new Pilot BTW. Comments welcome.
No experience lately, my last Ford was a 2001 Mustang GT but that was the 6th Mustang we've had in the family (starting with a '79 Pace Car, the rest were all regular GTs). I used and abused that GT on the autocross course and put on almost 200 track miles at Moroso on a really hot 4th of July weekend. When I made the mistake of trading it in, it had just over 60K miles and never once went to the dealer for anything other than regular maintenance. That pretty much mirrors my experience with all our Mustangs too. They may be crude and simple but they work and never complain. On top of that my wife put almost 50K miles on a 2000 Lincoln LS. This car in particular was an eye opener. It was solidly built, reliable as any car could be and the dealer experience was better than my own personal experience with my, now thankfully departed, 2004 Acura TL. At almost 50K miles that Lincoln still felt new. Not a rattle or squeak anywhere. If it would have had more power and better steering feel, we probably would still have it, it was that good. Bottom line, I would not hesitate one bit in buying another Ford product. They have all been wonderful cars to own and very trouble free.
Ford Flex? They're reeeeeeeeally overpriced for what they are, much like BMW's own SUV products. But, I've been hearing good things about Ford recently. Someone we know just bought a Fusion hybrid and that thing is just unbelievable value for money. The new Mustang is, as I've been reading, much better than the previous models when it comes to stuff like handling. Power's up, too. I haven't seen too many Flex's around, and I think there's a reason for that, the reason most likely being that it costs too much. At invoice or not, you have better options for that kind of money, such as a good ol' minivan. (And don't tell anyone I ever recommended a minivan for anything or I'll hunt you down!). Prices start in the high 30's for what I assume you're looking for is an SEL AWD Ecoboost model (whatever the heck all that means ). Don't care how you slice it, that's a lot of money for a family Ford. If you really want one, I would look into a pre-owned one.
355 hp from 87 octane and the same mileage as the lower powered version. I'll never do the minivan. The Flex is very cool and handles well/ lower center of gravity than an SUV. Have you sat in one?
CNet's Review of 2010 Ford Flex Ecoboost You can see it here: http://reviews.cnet.com/suv/2010-ford-flex-sel/4505-10868_7-33770290-2.html?tag=txt;page
I, for one, was glad to see Ford bring back the SHO and was pleasantly surprised at the engine they are stuffing in it. I purchased (in 1994) a new '94 SHO 5-speed after years of driving GT 5.0 Mustangs and it was a real rocket. When Ford went to the jelly-bean Taurus, all was lost (the SHO did have a nice V8) though but the styling blew. Thinking back, I sure wish I had kept that SHO longer; traded it after a couple of years. I may drop in to the local Ford dealer and drive a new SHO just for kicks...
That Yamaha six was incredible in the day. I hope the Ecoboost is solid. One thing that makes me pause is the whole DI valve gunk issue....
What issue is this? Sludge buildup? I'm pretty sure using quality fuel would make this a non-issue...
I think it's a real issue for all DI engines. BMW now offers an intake cleaning service, since N54. Audi forums--same story.
35,500 (invoice less 2500 dealer cash) I drove the EcoBoosted (Ward's top ten engine list) Flex last night through some roundabouts here in Carmel IN with sleet coming down no less. Unflappable with it's stability control. It is amazingly quick and makes this 2.5 ton wagon seem nimble. It is quite different from the standard Flex. It may be overkill but I would not feel like a typical SUV (timid) driver in this one. I am now sorting through is it worh it over a Pilot EX-L at 32,750. DecisIons decisions
The more powerful Flex you're looking at is more guaranteed to make your family puke. And IMO looks better.
