The Ford Flex is rumored to be axed from Ford’s crossover-heavy lineup come 2020 but if you saw sales figures, you would be wondering why it didn’t happen sooner. Here’s one reason.
As this Fortune article explains, the Flex was originally expected to sell 100,000 units annually and has never reached even half of that goal in any year since its 2009 launch. This is despite the fact the slow-selling Taurus X was deep-sixed after 2009 to make room for the Flex; Ford had no other three-row crossover in its North American lineup. The introduction of the new Explorer in 2011, riding the same Volvo-derived D4 platform, served to undermine the Flex and its more conventional, SUV-style styling was more to North American consumers’ tastes.
While the Flex is a slow seller in 49 states, Californians love the wagon. Around a quarter of Flexes are purchased by Golden State residents. The Flex’s old-school station wagon styling is deeply polarizing and yet Californians seem to be firmly in the ‘love it’ category; anecdotally speaking, I noticed a lot more Flexes than Explorers during my visit to LA. That’s a boon for Ford which, like the other domestic automakers, is seeking to restore their reputation here after having lost so much market share to Japanese, German and Korean automakers. The Explorer, however, is also a strong seller in California and this means, considering the wagon’s dismal sales elsewhere, this niche offering will be no more.
I spotted this matching Flex and Explorer duo in Downtown Los Angeles. You can see how vastly different the two lines look despite sharing a platform. The Explorer is much more generic while the Flex has a quirky swagger, and yet the Flex is arguably the more practical choice due to its superior packaging and space efficiency. It is, after all, a big box. The base price of the Flex undercuts the Explorer by around $1500; both base models share the same 3.5 V6 and six-speed automatic transmission. The choice comes down to personal preference. Which would you choose?
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Flex, all the way!
Flex is my favorite current Ford product, but I can’t afford one.
Troy, shhhh. You’re on the internet, no one admits they can’t afford something on the internet. You have to say: “If it had a V8 and an 8 speed manual, I’d buy one, but I guess Ford doesn’t want my business”.
I’ve never been a fan of the Flex. While I don’t mind its boxy body appearance, I’ve never liked the front end appearance. I’ve always found it hideous to look at.
I won’t buy one, but Flex. Not my favorite design, always seemed like a concept that should have stayed as such, but it’s grown on me, I like it better than most of the dinner roll shaped cars I have to look at on a commute.
The D4 also underpinned the also poor selling Ford Freestyle and Taurus X, which I suppose kinda sorta was replaced by the Flex. I’m shocked how well the Explorer is selling, as it’s literally been the only success on this previously middling platform, and IMO it’s had the worst styling of the dozens of bodies this platform had.
You have to figure name recognition plays a role. Folks had an Explorer before, liked it, they’re set on buying a new one.
Plus “SUV”. I love the Flex. The Explorer loses interior room for style. My only worry would be the 3.5 – it under-performed reliability-wise in our Edge.
But for a Gen 1 xB x 70% the Flex has a ton of style in it’s straight lines.
The freestyle was actually a nice platform and package but it was saddled with a weak engine (200 hp 3.0 v6) mediocre transmission (cvt), confusing name (the ford minivan for sale at the same time was the Freestar, too close a name), a grill that didn’t match the other Ford SUVs for sale at the same time, and some significant quality problems (I had not one but two that leaked from brand new). The Taurus X solved the engine, transmission and grill problems by adding the 3.5, the six Speed auto and the theee bar grill, but added to the naming problem by using a car name out of line with Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Excursion convention of Ford SUVs. I believe the improvements of the Taurus X and a name starting with an E would enabled better sales if given another year or two, because the handling was good, and the minivan style “well” behind the third row was quite useful.
We had a Freestyle and it was the most practical vehicle we ever owned, when we went to replace it my wife was very upset the Taurus X had been cancelled. A friend of ours have a Flex and I really liked it but the wife hated the styling. The Explorer in Canada is a $50,000 vehicle optioned like our Freestyle was and she rejected the Edge for only 2 row seating. She ended up buying a Journey R/T just off a one year lease from a Chrysler retiree. I’m amazed how many Journeys I see here in Southern Ontario and how little Flex’s. The kicker is the assembly plant for the Flex and Edge is 20min drive from here.
I didn’t figure out why Dodge Journey is selling so well. It’s as mysterious as how Jeep Patriot/Compass sells exceptionally well.
Because it’s actually not a bad car in V6 form. My sister owns one and it’s a good size – not too big, not too small – and it has a pleasant, well-made interior with great infotainment. The V6 can scoot, too. It’s all rather pleasant, still looks relatively fresh and the only downside is feel-free steering. But it’s a family crossover so I don’t hold that against it.
The Compass and Patriot have thrashier four-cylinder engines and less of a unique selling point (the Journey is one of the market’s cheapest 3-row crossovers). Also, their interiors are worse.
Because all three are bought only by rental companies? Though my nephew has a Journey …
One reason the Flex doesn’t sell: women hate it! When I was selling Ford products the dealership kept the Explorer right next to the Flex line, which was easy to do since we only kept about 2 in stock, as opposed to the 30+ Explorers on the lot. A lot of ladies would recoil in horror at the site of the Flex, and most had seen the crossover for the first time right there.
Basically, if you think the Explorer is good at something odds are the Flex does it better. Ride/handling, cargo space, and visibility are all superior in the Flex. The Explorer’s refresh just brought it up to par in terms of interior material quality with the Flex. Shame its so unpopular, i’ll be sad to see it go.
Maybe Ford should market it towards men. Resurrect Mercury’s slogan from the 60’s to read “Ford Flex, The Man’s Car.” What would they have to lose?
Me 🙂
I’d take the two tone red and white one with a light interior and wood on the steering wheel.
You aren’t kidding. My parents are car shopping right now, and Dad really likes the Flex; Mom isn’t having any of it. Reminds her too much of the huge Buick wagons she grew up with, apparently. Neither find the Explorer appealing.
That strikes a chord. My folks had one full size wagon – a ’68 Sport Suburban. My mother hated it, and we switched to a Coronet Crestwood in ’72.
The craziest part about that is Mom and my sister shared a first gen. Kia Soul when sis started driving for a time, and Mom absolutely loved that box. That tells me the squared off styling isn’t the issue.
It has the hammered-down face of a drill sergeant and the little body lines look 80’s-futurism to me, like strakes on a Maxima wagon. Otherwise I love wagons and would probably like this one for practical use.
The comments about its actual utility make it a sad case that the styling is offputting. Probably no manual trans either.
Another consideration vs the Explorer is ground clearance and ride height.
That’s certainly the case in my household. I like the Flex — my wife can’t stand it.
Your experience brings up a question for me: Given the fascinating statistic that a quarter of Flexes are sold in California, I wonder if the CA buyers’ demographics are different that those in the other 49 states. Does it sell well to families & couples who are generally put off by the styling in other parts of the country? Or is it a different demographic (young singles, retirees, etc.?) that propels Flex sales so much in California?
I think it’s probably mostly a matter of different tastes.
I didn’t know they were so much more popular here than elsewhere; I do tend to see more of them, but on the other hand the Flex is a good deal more noticeable than an Explorer. So many of the SUVs in that size range look so much alike that I’m not sure I’d recognize a current Explorer without reading the badges.
My sister likes the Flex. But her Element just won’t die.
Competing with yourself in the market place was a BMC/BL strategy that didnt end well, the Explorer disappeared from our market replaced by the all round better Territory, now with Peugeot turbodiesel engines as an option, the smaller Ford CUV/SUVs are here from Europe and seem to sell alright the one I drove went great but Ford doesnt double up on sizes.
I wonder what they’ll do for a fullsize SUV now Ford AU has shut down?
Everest and Edge I gather, although the latter is 2-row only.
Given the resemblance to a Mini or xB, maybe the Flex styling would’ve been more successful on a Focus-sized car? Especially since it seems to have appeared just as the Focus wagon and hatchbacks were dropped.
I prefer the Flex, kind of a silly name though. The Explorer has the name recognition and history. The Explorers are used by most local and State law enforcement departments around here. I’ve seen some dark graphite colored Explorers that kind of project a Range Rover kind of vibe. I also like the Freestyle probably because of the C pillar and window, more like the Explorer, not like that of a minivan. I just bought an old, 1996 highly optioned Explorer XLT V8. It came with the window sticker, Wow! 29,999.00! It might have been discounted some but it’s got great leather seats. I find this thing to be very useful, but obviously my ’07 F150 is much better engineered. I will probably be looking for a newer car next year. I’m steering my Wife towards either Flex or Explorer. I’ll be satisfied by either, but I’d prefer one of the last BOF Explores for myself.
I can’t afford either of them. So I’m out.
I can’t illustrate this with a picture as I’m writing on my phone: if you look at a white one, you can see a reflection of the 1959-1961 GM “flying wing” rear glass design in the Explorer. I don’t know whether that makes me like them or not…As a former Volvo 900 wagon owner, I’m probably a natural for the Flex.
Flex. I have driven a couple Explorers and the seat / dash relationship is very odd to me. It just feels compromised ergonomically
Flex for me. Love ’em. If the wife doesn’t like it, you need a new wife.
Personally I like the look of the Flex and had it been offered in a hybrid version, I’m sure my wife and I would have purchased one in 2014 when we traded in our 2007 Volvo V70 wagon. Instead we bought a Fusion Hybrid sedan. I loved driving the Volvo but for the 800 to 1000 miles a month we drive in our retirement the gasoline bill was averaging $75 a week. With the Fusion hybrid we are spending $15 to $20 a week on fuel – quite a difference. My wife, contrary to what others say, actually likes the look of the Flex, and we would have preferred a wagon but hybrid was the deciding factor. We do not like the severely raked back windshield of the Fusion as it is very difficult to see pedestrians when blinded by the huge pillar always in the way. I am interested in the new Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid version if they ever actually get it to market. By the way, we do live in California but formerly lived in Florida and Ohio for most of our lives.
If memory serves, the last-gen Mazda CX-9 was built on this platform too.
Nope. A bit confusing, but the CX-9 was based off of the CD-3 platform shared with the Ford Edge and Fusion, Mercury Milan etc.
absolutely love the flex but agree with one of the above comments..rename it!
The concept was called ‘Fairlane’… I wonder how that would have been received…
male:female; Flex:Explorer.
My wife owns and loves the current Explorer. I don’t like it; cockpit area feels cramped and entry/exit uneasy.
I cherish a ’90s Roadmaster Estate Wagon; wife won’t ride in it. And I like Flex – a vehicle from which she recoils.
Good thing we’ve got plenty of garage space.
I always thought the Flex was a daring (in a good way) try by Ford to help cure US customers of their wagon-phobia. But unfortunately that malady proved too strong. I agree the name was probably not the best.
Both of these are Ford products in my view that are way over-priced.
My wife loves her 2009 Flex Limited AWD! The remotely opening rear hatch is perhaps her favorite feature, especially when she is bringing back groceries to the car in the rain. I find the vehicle very spacious and the seating comfortable. The second row is limo-like in legroom. Ours has the refrigerated second-row console which is quite useful in hot weather to keep cold items from the store from thawing on the drive back home. Visibility is good, especially with the rear-view camera. The Sony sound system and infotainment are quite good. She would really only want to replace it with a newer Flex.