2009 Ford Flex priced starting at $28,995

Ford 's anticipated six- and seven-passenger crossover, the Flex, will start at $28,995 including shipping charges, according to a report in Automotive News citing dealer sources. via Motor Trend

[Tom Loy]

Its basically a full size SUV. Ford still doesn't realize people don't WANT something that big anymore. Cost in gasoline is too high. And nowhere can I find the MPG for this, so it must not get great mileage.

[Built Ford Tough]

Tom Loy wrote:

Its basically a full size SUV. Ford still doesn't realize people don't WANT something that big anymore. Cost in gasoline is too high. And nowhere can I find the MPG for this, so it must not get great mileage.

People that have 4 and 5 kids do. Maybe you don't want a large SUV but others do.

[Truckin]

This thing is DOA...just like the Ford Freestyle.

[Tell-It]

I think I need to give this one a look!
If it can tow at least 4k lbs I would be very interested! Not to mention, I just love the style!

[Tom Loy]

Built Ford Tough wrote:

<quoted text>People that have 4 and 5 kids do. Maybe you don't want a large SUV but others do.

People with 4 or 5 kids will buy a minivan that gets much better gas mileage, especially the honda odyssey. Its going diesel late this year and will get mid 30's.

[TRD Tundra]

Tell-It wrote:

I think I need to give this one a look!
If it can tow at least 4k lbs I would be very interested! Not to mention, I just love the style!

This thing would be a pig with anything more than 1,000lbs on the back of it and any more than 200lbs of tongue weight.

I expect HWY mileage to be no more than an optimistic 24mpg. City MPG will more likely be 16mpg. That 3.5L Cyclone motor is thirsty expecially with high curb weight.

[Built Ford Tough]

Tom Loy wrote:

<quoted text>
People with 4 or 5 kids will buy a minivan that gets much better gas mileage, especially the honda odyssey. Its going diesel late this year and will get mid 30's.

Really, I guess you know everyone and you know what they are going to buy. For one thing there are a lot of people in this world with money that could care less about MPG and I am the same. I don't care about MPG I think my truck gets 10-12, but I don't care because I have never checked. The Flex will get better gas mileage than the large SUV's soccer moms are driving now. It is all a matter of taste. I think in some way the Flex may be a hit, sometimes these strange looking vehicles become desirable, we will see..

[Built Ford Tough]

TRD Tundra wrote:

<quoted text>
This thing would be a pig with anything more than 1,000lbs on the back of it and any more than 200lbs of tongue weight.
I expect HWY mileage to be no more than an optimistic 24mpg. City MPG will more likely be 16mpg. That 3.5L Cyclone motor is thirsty expecially with high curb weight.

Just cheap penny pinchers like you would care about that.

[Tom Loy]

Built Ford Tough wrote:

<quoted text>Really, I guess you know everyone and you know what they are going to buy. For one thing there are a lot of people in this world with money that could care less about MPG and I am the same. I don't care about MPG I think my truck gets 10-12, but I don't care because I have never checked. The Flex will get better gas mileage than the large SUV's soccer moms are driving now. It is all a matter of taste. I think in some way the Flex may be a hit, sometimes these strange looking vehicles become desirable, we will see..

Well, some of us are concerned as we cannot afford 16 mpg at $4 a gallon. And you will find the majority of people are concerned with mpg. Ford Flex will flop.

[Built Ford Tough]

Tom Loy wrote:

<quoted text>
Well, some of us are concerned as we cannot afford 16 mpg at $4 a gallon. And you will find the majority of people are concerned with mpg. Ford Flex will flop.

But again, some are not..Diesel fuel is now $3.75 a gallon, so you little girly Honda van is not that appealing

[Truckin]

Built Ford Tough wrote:

<quoted text>Just cheap penny pinchers like you would care about that.

When this thing flops I'll be laughing. Enough with the "crossovers" already.

[Tell-It]

I do not like crossovers either, but they do their job. They keep soccer moms higher up in the air and feeling happy without the plastic minivan appearance. They also have awd (some) for good traction and get comparable gas mileage to a minivan.

[Tom Loy]

Built Ford Tough wrote:

<quoted text>But again, some are not..Diesel fuel is now $3.75 a gallon, so you little girly Honda van is not that appealing

Diesel here is $3.60 a gallon and yes, its currently more expensive, but that is more than compensated by the additional mileage diesels get. The vw golf hybrid gets 69 mpg, and nothing powered by gas even comes close to that.

[Built Ford Tough]

Tom Loy wrote:

<quoted text>
Diesel here is $3.60 a gallon and yes, its currently more expensive, but that is more than compensated by the additional mileage diesels get. The vw golf hybrid gets 69 mpg, and nothing powered by gas even comes close to that.

Sounds like a great car for someone who really cares about gas mileage. One thing people don't relize is, that the better mileage a car gets the more the gas prices are going to go up. Oil companies are not in the buisness of losing money, the less gas they sell, the more the price goes up. So your little kraut car could push the price of gas to $6.00 a gallon..

[Tom Loy]

Built Ford Tough wrote:

<quoted text>Sounds like a great car for someone who really cares about gas mileage. One thing people don't relize is, that the better mileage a car gets the more the gas prices are going to go up. Oil companies are not in the buisness of losing money, the less gas they sell, the more the price goes up. So your little kraut car could push the price of gas to $6.00 a gallon..

Boy, thats some convoluted logic. I don't think the oil companies have any reason to worry about losing money for a few years. It will take probably 5 years for vehicles like this to be manufactured in sufficient numbers to have any reasonable impact on gasoline refining. And the more the oil companies raise gas prices, the more people will jump to other forms of energy, like ethanol and solar. The smartest move the oil companies could do now would be to drop the price of gasoline in order to increase consumption.

[Tell-It]

Built Ford Tough wrote:

<quoted text>Sounds like a great car for someone who really cares about gas mileage. One thing people don't relize is, that the better mileage a car gets the more the gas prices are going to go up. Oil companies are not in the buisness of losing money, the less gas they sell, the more the price goes up. So your little kraut car could push the price of gas to $6.00 a gallon..

EXACTLY!!!

finally someone who gets it besides me!

Oil companies have a quota to meet: theyre not here to negotiate prices because you dont want to pay!

If every car got 50 mpg, they would still need to fill that quota by charging $25 for that gallon!

[Tell-It]

Tom Loy wrote:

<quoted text>
Boy, thats some convoluted logic. I don't think the oil companies have any reason to worry about losing money for a few years. It will take probably 5 years for vehicles like this to be manufactured in sufficient numbers to have any reasonable impact on gasoline refining. And the more the oil companies raise gas prices, the more people will jump to other forms of energy, like ethanol and solar. The smartest move the oil companies could do now would be to drop the price of gasoline in order to increase consumption.

Consumption was down in 07 from 06, where are the lower prices we were promised if we cut back? Ohh wait theyre at record highs!

[Built Ford Tough]

Tom Loy wrote:

<quoted text>
Boy, thats some convoluted logic. I don't think the oil companies have any reason to worry about losing money for a few years. It will take probably 5 years for vehicles like this to be manufactured in sufficient numbers to have any reasonable impact on gasoline refining. And the more the oil companies raise gas prices, the more people will jump to other forms of energy, like ethanol and solar. The smartest move the oil companies could do now would be to drop the price of gasoline in order to increase consumption.

Oil companies are not going to lower their prices until there is competition. There is no competition at all, nothing gasoline is alone by itslef. Car companies can make cars that get better gas mileage, but the gas companies are just going to raise the price, nobody is saving anything. Until their is a true competitor to gasoline, the prices are going to hold firm and continue to grow. Oil companies know that they are soon to be challenged by, Electric, Hydrogen and Bio diesel, so prices are going to climb until these alternatives are proven.

[70plyRR]

Think back to the first term for Bush. Can anyone remember how long it took to get an energy bill passed? The tree hugger Dems would not pass the bill due to the opening of ANWAR. They yelled and screamed about the devious oilmen known as Bush and Cheney. Now look, they still do the same thing and in the meanwhile, ANWAR is still closed, thus we pay more for oil. Let’s not forget the Chinese who are diligently drilling in the Gulf, sucking the precious oil right from under our nose. Democrats and tree huggers are still perplexed as they save another caribou, and Bush/ Cheney are still dubbed the devious oilmen, ridiculous.

[Tom Loy]

Built Ford Tough wrote:

<quoted text>Oil companies are not going to lower their prices until there is competition. There is no competition at all, nothing gasoline is alone by itslef. Car companies can make cars that get better gas mileage, but the gas companies are just going to raise the price, nobody is saving anything. Until their is a true competitor to gasoline, the prices are going to hold firm and continue to grow. Oil companies know that they are soon to be challenged by, Electric, Hydrogen and Bio diesel, so prices are going to climb until these alternatives are proven.

I would love to see competition for the oil companies. Unfortunately ethanol is really the only thing on the horizon that would challenge the oil companies. Thats why you don't see it at any of their stations. Electric isn't really at a point yet where it can challenge oil. Battery technology needs to improve. If it gets to the point where a car can go 200 miles between charges, then you have something.