2016 Ford Flex Road Test and Review

2015 Ford Flex ・ Photo by Ford

If you’ve come to our Autobytel road test and review of the 2016 Ford Flex Limited looking for a highly practical, three-row crossover, you’re definitely in the right place. The Flex is flexible enough and large enough to handle big families and big-time cargo needs, and the top-of-the-range Limited model lavishes its owners with plenty of infotainment and safety technology—all at competitive pricing. Yet while observers can agree that the Ford makes a fine choice based on its cabin, it’s a lot harder coming to a consensus on the Flex’s appearance. With its boxy proportions, modernistic grille, and contrast-color roof options, the design recalls the heyday of “retrofuturism” at Ford, and some would say that day has come and gone. Luckily, the Flex's inherent good value is still in style.

Pricing

The MSRP of the 2016 Ford Flex Limited is $37,800, which provides some immediate advantages against its rivals. For example, The Flex Limited complements its standard heated front seats with a standard memory function for the driver, and that also remembers settings for the vehicle’s exterior mirrors and power-adjustable pedals. If you want a standard memory feature in vehicles like the 2016 Chevy Traverse or Honda Pilot, you have to pay thousands more. You also have to pay more for standard perforated leather surfaces in those rivals. Similarly, if you’re interested in safety measures, you’d need to fork over a few thousand dollars extra before the Toyota Highlander can match Ford’s standard setup.

Photo by Ford

Powertrains, Performance, Fuel Efficiency

This being a Blue Oval product, the 2016 Ford Flex Limited naturally provides an EcoBoost engine. However, that twin-turbo V6 is an option here. On the other hand, the standard naturally aspirated V6 is a fairly strong motivator that makes 287 horsepower and 254 lb.-ft. of torque, for noticeably more output than the three-row entries from Toyota and Nissan. There is a tradeoff in fuel efficiency, though. The Flex’s EPA ratings are 16 MPG city/23 MPG highway/19 MPG combined; those same competitors are at 22 and 23 MP combined.

Dialing up the EcoBoost powerplant—only available paired with all-wheel drive—delivers 365 horses and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, far more of both than is available from rivals at Chevy, Toyota, Honda, or Nissan.

Photo by Ford

Exterior Design and Lighting

The 2016 Ford Flex Limited is one of the longer three-row crossovers in the country, but what really makes an impact is its angular, upright design. A notable highlight up front is the Flex’s slim single-bar grille, and the Limited edition sports standard HID headlamps among its upgrades. Also eye-catching are its 19-inch aluminum wheels, accented by spokes that echo the Flex’s grille treatment, along with the bold “FLEX” name at the leading edge of the hood. Ford is at the leading edge of roofing, too, with a Multi-Panel Vista Roof. It’s a $1595 option that boasts a power moonroof over the front row, plus two skylights for second-row passengers and a fourth, larger skylight for the rear row.

Photo by Ford

Interior Design and Capacities

We began our review of the 2016 Ford Flex Limited discussing the vehicle’s versatility, and here we can report that the Flex has more headroom in all rows than the Chevy, Honda, or Toyota three-row choices, and more legroom for all rows than the Chevy, Honda, or Nissan. Also, Ford furnishes the Flex with 20 cubic feet of cargo space when all seats are in use, plus 83.2 when they are folded. Also, there's a helpful auto-fold feature for the “40” side of the vehicle’s 60/40 split second row to aid ingress/egress for the Flex's third row.

Impressive interior design cues for the Flex Limited include the supple perforated leather that’s standard on its first and second rows, as well as the wood inlay that details its leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Photo by Ford

Audio and Infotainment

High-tech electronics supply an additional high point for the 2016 Ford Flex Limited. Ford’s next-gen SYNC 3 system is standard, complete with improved voice recognition, faster processing speeds, a capacitive touchscreen, and an easier-to-use interface with enhanced destination-entry capability for the vehicle’s also standard navigation system. That, in turn, is bolstered by a 5-year complimentary subscription to SiriusXM’s Traffic and Travel Link services. Meanwhile, audiophiles will love the Limited model’s standard Sony audio system, since it’s backed by 390 watts of power and 12 premium speakers—including a separate rear subwoofer for cabin-shaking bass performance.

A dual-display rear-seat entertainment system, with screens integrated in the back of the front-seat headrests, is on the Flex option list.

Photo by Ford

Available Equipment

Beyond the bonus content touched on in other areas of our 2016 Ford Flex Limited review, a trio of option packages can be ordered to bring together some customer favorites. One blends the EcoBoost engine with 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, and a second combines safety tech—such as adaptive cruise control and collision warning—with heated and cooled front seats, along with a power-folding third row.

Moreover, Ford has introduced a fresh appearance package specifically for the 2016 model year. That setup serves up black exterior mirrors, black exterior molding, a black center grille bar, and a black or body color roof, all set off by 20-inch high-gloss black aluminum wheels. Among the inside upgrades: Meteorite Black steering wheel bezels and Light Earth Gray seat inserts in perforated leather.

Photo by Ford

Safety Ratings and Technology

The 2016 Ford Flex Limited may not have an IIHS Top Safety Pick rating, but it did pass all of the crashworthiness tests, and that’s something the Chevrolet Traverse and Hyundai Santa Fe haven’t done. Further, the vehicle does showcase a relatively robust range of sophisticated safety measures: a rearview camera with grid lines for assistance is standard, and so is Ford’s Blind Spot Information System with rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control and collision warning, with brake support, is optional.

The Flex also has Ford MyKey technology as part of its standard content. With this system, owners can set limits on audio volume, top speed, and more, to increase the potential for safe operation by young drivers.

Photo by Ford

Other Cool Features

Helping to cap off the style features for the 2016 Ford Flex Limited are four different roof treatments—body color, Oxford White, Ingot Silver, and Black—that can be mixed and matched with nine different exterior colors. As a result, customers can fine-tune the design of the 2016 Ford Flex to meet their own preferences, and do so in a way that other rivals don’t allow.

Inside, the available power-folding third row allows owners to reconfigure the rear seats with a few quick button pushes, and it’s worth pointing out that this is a multi-mode system: Owners can operate both sides of the 50/50 split rear seat together or individually, or they can use the setup to flip over the rear row so that it’s facing outward and can be used as tailgate seating.

Photo by Ford

Final Thoughts

The 2016 Ford Flex Limited lines up well with most crossover expectations, offering the space, technology, and comfort that are so popular with modern-day three-row entries. It does have some minor disadvantages in safety and fuel-economy ratings, yet what really limits the appeal of the Flex has more to do with its boxy design, which is far out of the norm in this segment. Indeed, if so many people didn’t judge this book by its cover, it would probably be a best-seller by now.

Photo by Ford