Video: Driving Northwest: The big, bold Ford Flex

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"Bold Moves" is Ford's outgoing advertising line. Trouble is most of the cars that came to market under that slogan, weren't. Solid efforts? You bet. Bold? Not so much. Now that they've changed their slogan to "Drive one," a bold move actually heads to Ford dealerships - Flex. Everything about Flex is unexpected, from the name right down to the options that can be ordered up. Nothing is more in your face than the styling though. You have to believe the product planners thought long and hard, gulped and then thought long and hard again. Considering Flex essentially replaces the Windstar minivan, Ford is taking a considerable risk. With these infiltrating driveways, the 'burbs will never be the same.

Until you see this rig in person it's a little hard to understand. First off, it's large. Appearing to be a gigantic Scion xB or an XXL MINI Cooper when ordered with the optional contrasting white or silver roof. In function it competes with family trucksters like Highlander, Pilot, Acadia, Outlook, Enclave, Veracruz, CX-9 and even Ford's own Taurus X. Add any minivan you can think of to the pile. Obviously the polarizing lines look nothing like the competition. My advice is this: Reserve judgment until you see one on the street. In person the horizontal door strakes and chrome trim that runs the length the greenhouse give Flex an upscale quality, more Land Rover than Scion. These lines run around the entire perimeter to give it a cohesiveness that some cars lack these days. In short Flex looks like it was designed by one person and it looks like they had a ball doing it.

To launch Flex, Ford has brought a bunch of us auto writers to Santa Monica, Calif. to show off their rectangle on wheels. It's easy to dwell on the two-box shape, but start nosing around and there are other interesting design features. Just opening the doors is a start. The lower edge curves under quite a bit so the door sill near the seat doesn't have to stick out as far as normal. Not only does this make it easy to get in and out, your pants will stay a heck of a lot cleaner since they won't brush against the rocker panels. An optional keypad is flush mounted into the driver's door pillar, the right code unlocks the door. 

Ultimately you'll want to fill Flex with people and stuff. There are families in developing countries that don't have homes this big. All passenger seats can be easily folded flat so even long step ladders can be stuffed inside. Go ahead and keep your Stetson on - headroom is generous. Like the Taurus X it's based on (which springs from a Volvo chassis), Flex can be ordered to seat either six or seven people. With the wheelbase lengthened by 5 inches over the Taurus, the first two rows have limo-like room to stretch out in. The third row will accommodate normal sized adults with ease. Space is not a problem here. You almost expect to see an optional basketball hoop inside.

Big normally means poor fuel economy and these days that's a huge issue. Obviously Flex is not going to get Prius like mileage, but for a family who needs space it's hard to do much better than this squared off Ford. With only five hours seat time it's impossible to check real world efficiency, but the EPA numbers are promising. Drinking regular gasoline, front drive models are rated at 17 city, 24 highway. Choose all-wheel drive and that drops to 16/22. These numbers are as good or better than the competition. Flex owners don't have to fuss with gas caps when filling up. Just shove the nozzle in, the seal is automatic. 

Back to the cabin. The only vehicles on hand are top of the line Limited models and the materials and unique textures look nice - fit and finish is spot on. The ambient lighting package with your choice of seven colors looks great at night as does the gauge cluster. Ford's slick Microsoft Sync system, which offers up a seamless connection to music players and cell phones, is here and it's enhanced to work with the navigation system that now has SIRIUS Travel Link. This subscription service offers up real-time traffic, coast-to-coast weather conditions, sports scores, and gas price information for more than120,000 gas stations. The 8-inch screen is also home to a backup camera. 

The Sony branded sound system rocks and since this crossover is built for family duty, a DVD entertainment system is on the option list. Order the six-passenger Flex and a refrigerator (yes, a real compressor driven fridge can be mounted where the console would be in the second row - that ironically can include heated seat elements). Only a Maybach can match this feature and Ford crows that theirs is bigger than the one found in the $340,000 luxury saloon. So there. The ice box has a quick chill feature to cool down seven cans of Diet Coke in rapid fashion. The only drawback is the $760 price tag. Cold hard cash indeed. Passengers will not want for cup holders and standard home laptop computer power chargers can be used in the 115 volt outlet.  

Eventually you'll get past the styling and tsunami of features and want to drive the Flex.

Sitting deceptively high, the ride is smooth, supple, and especially quiet. Floor it and you'll definitely hear the 262 horse V6. It's hooked up to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Like many cars today Flex's tranny is programmed to hold gears longer for better fuel economy. That makes it slower to downshift but this tradeoff is acceptable.

Overall there's decent power for everyday driving, in this regard Flex is similar to the competition. Throw it into a curve and you'll quickly figure out Flex isn't a sports car, there's definitely understeer when pushing this box hard into a corner. Those who just have to play F1 driver and haul their family will get an Odyssey, but Flex is significantly quieter than the Honda. You'll be able to hear "are we there yet?" easily from the third row.

Flex has all the safety stuff people demand these days. There's electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, and six airbags. If it's anything like its sister vehicle Taurus X, it will receive 5 star crash rating from the government. Also, if you've been paying attention, Ford's quality ratings have soared lately. The "major consumer magazine" gives Ford a thumbs up on almost every car they make these days. This is comforting when making a major investment.

My gripes are few. I really think they picked the wrong name for this rig. Yes. It's a "flexible" vehicle and I'm assuming that's where its moniker comes from (and not the Braun Flex shaver). In concept form this family hauler was called Fairlane. To me, the Flex badge belongs on a small spunky car, not a large vehicle with Ralph Lauren styling cues. There's no telescoping steering wheel, though there is adjustable pedals. Finally, those who like a "manual mode" with their automatic transmissions will be disappointed here. 

Flex starts at 29 grand and can climb past a "chilling" 45 large if you check all the option boxes including the fridge and the terrific sunroof ensemble with four glass panels. For those who dismiss the polarizing style, remember, reserve judgment until you see it in person. The shape makes this overgrown wagon supremely usable and the bulldog stance is unique in a hip-to-be-square sort of way. Ford says they want it that way. Don't like it? Buy something else. Whoa, Ford's got attitude. Must have been the old ad slogan. It will be interesting to see how buyers react as Flex hits dealerships. Ford has finally created a Bold Move.