2010 Ford Flex
How many of you remember the van craze of the Seventies? Or how about the Microbus craze from the Sixties? Or the station wagon craze of the Fifties? You might recognize a pattern here. It might not really be a craze after all. Maybe folks really have a need for a highly utilitarian mode of transportation—something that is based more upon function than form. The dawn of the minivan pretty much proved that but, over time, the minivan has morphed into something it wasn’t. People noticed and sales went away.
Generation Flex
What was and is really needed is a vehicle design that pays as much attention to the people it hauls as it does to looks and styling gimmicks. Enter the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville. For all intents and purposes, the outside looks like a couple of boxes somehow fastened together. Ugly? Not really. Cute? Maybe in the way a Pug or British Bulldog is adorable. Endearing? Absolutely. Crack open a back door and you’ll discover why:
The first thing you’ll notice is, this is no minivan; it's a 7-passenger, 3-row crossover vehicle. The door doesn’t slide, it opens, just like a sedan. And the door is large, just like those of a big luxury car. And unlike a van, the step-in height is low. The top-of-the-line 6-passenger Limited model comes equipped with a 40-40 (bucket) second row seat arrangement that is optional on all models. The Limited model’s first and second row has perforated leather-trimmed seats. And the first and second row seats have both heat and recline features. Legroom is more than ample with over 40 inches worth. Essentially, that means plunking yourself into the sliding second row of seats is much like climbing into the back of a limo—you’re coddled. Further back, the third row seating consists of a split-folding, vinyl-covered bench with perforated inserts. No big deal here, but the seat folds absolutely flat into the floor. That means the cargo capacity goes from 20 cubic feet of cargo aft of the third seat (including the storage well beneath the load floor) to 43+ cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, and a whopping 83+ cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row. Even the front passenger seat folds flat for carrying extra long items.
Impressive Interior
But one thing you won’t find inside the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville is the bare bones steel panels found in a microbus or the wide array of plastic gizmos seen in any number of minivans. Instead, the interior is laid out and trimmed like a well equipped, well thought-out high-end passenger car. Case-in-point: The steering wheel, instrument panel, and interior door panels are trimmed in wood grain appearance appliqué. The center stack of the instrument panel houses the climate controls, the optional Sony sound system and Ford’s SYNC system. The center console houses Ford’s signature offset (to the driver) pistol grip shifter along with a pair of cup holders. The armrest folds up to reveal a healthy storage bin. The instrument panel takes cues from the Mustang. To the left is a 7,000 rpm tachometer. To the right is the speedometer. Above and between both are the fuel level and temperature gauges. Below the auxiliary instruments is a comprehensive series of warning lamps for everything from oil pressure to tire pressure.
Window area in the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville is large, and becomes even more abundant with the optional multi-panel Vista Roof over all three rows of seating. The Limited comes equipped with the Convenience Package standard that includes power-adjustable pedals, driver's seat and exterior mirrors, all with memory feature, as well as power lift-gate, 110V inverter and security approach lamps. Second row seat A/C controls are located in the back portion of the front console (standard on all Flex models). Also included is an auxiliary power port, as well as a 110-volt outlet. There’s even an available between-the-seats refrigerator in the second row console to keep food and drinks cold.
As far as electronic equipment is concerned, the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville bristles. A rear seat DVD system is available and, as mentioned above, you can check off a comprehensive Sony surround system on the option box. Ford’s Sync information system returns (it includes the capability to offer hands-free telephone operation, operation of media players, an integrated GPS system, etc.), and it’s upgraded, providing real time traffic reports, sports scores and other useful information.
Modern Classic
On the outside of the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville, styling remains unchanged for the model year. It’s pretty much a box that looks like a West Coast hot rod-er got his hands on it. The roof actually looks like it has been chopped, but it’s not. It’s an illusion. Wheel wells are positioned to the outer extremities of the body. A series of recessed strakes cover the body flanks as well as the tailgate. The Ford-family grille is a massive three bar job, flanked by High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, standard on the Limited models.
The big news for the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville is under the hood. With the optional all-wheel-drive system included, the Flex tips the scales over 4700 pounds. While the standard 3.5-liter V6 is definitely game, the 262-horsepower it has on tap won’t win many acceleration contests. Enter the 355 horsepower twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6 option package found on the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville. Technology is abundant. One of the major expertise breakthroughs by Ford engineers was the marriage of twin turbochargers (water cooled, no less), a charge intercooler and a direct injection fuel system. The turbos are relatively small and that allows them to spool to speed instantly. Factor in the direct fuel injection and you’re faced with zero turbo lag. Basically, the twin turbo 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville flexes its muscle the instant you mash the gas pedal to the floor. There’s something even better, as Ford engineers point out:
“The direct injection of fuel into the cylinder also helps provide a well-mixed air-fuel charge, increasing engine efficiency. Direct injection provides several benefits in terms of fuel burn and lower emissions.
Because the fuel is directly introduced into the combustion chamber, you don’t get fuel wetting the combustion wall like with port fuel injection, you don’t saturate the ports, and you don’t get droplets that might recombine and add to saturation. By injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber and under high pressure, the fuel can be directed to exactly where we want it to be for a given combustion cycle.”
Mated to the six-speed automatic gearbox and the all-wheel-drive system, Ford has transformed the 2010 Ford Flex from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville into an extremely capable, confidence-building, all-weather transportation device. And the icing on the cake is an interior that can embarrass plenty of limousines in both comfort and capability.
Plus, every new Ford vehicle purchased from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville comes fully backed by Ford’s warranties. This protection program does not require special enrollment – anyone who purchases a new vehicle from Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville will automatically receive a comprehensive 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty, 5 year/60,000 mile Roadside Assistance package, and more.
For details or to schedule a test drive of the 2010 Ford Flex, contact Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, Elkton, Elwood, Bakersville today and discover why Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury continues to be the leader in new car and used car sales serving St. Augustine, Orange Park, Daytona, Palatka and the greater Jacksonville, Florida area.
Source: [automedia.com]
http://www.automedia.com/2010_Ford_Flex/rts20090801ff/1