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Why Is Flex Considered a Midsize SUV


bobbyd

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Why is Flex always placed in the SUV bracket rather than in the van categories like Nissan and VW?

 

The dictionary definition of a minivan: A small passenger van having a boxlike shape, side and rear windows, and typically removable rear seats for cargo.

 

If you look at the other vehicles that are categorized as minivans: VW Routon, Nissan Quest, Mazda 5, Kia Rondo and Sedona, and also the Chevy Orlando......what distinguishes them from the Flex!? I'm curious!

Edited by bobbyd
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Four regular doors. So it's more of a wagon in application than a mini van.

 

Yes, it does fill the same "need" as a mini van. But the execution is to be "un-minivan". For those that don't want the minivan stigma.

thanks. It receives many great reviews but sales are still not that great!

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thanks. It receives many great reviews but sales are still not that great!

But as a whole, the mini van market isn't what it used to be either. Which is why Ford decided it couldn't make enough profit to mess with, for now. But it could take the Taurus platform and make something that would fill the similar need and still make a profit.

 

Most here expect the Flex and MKT to be gone after their current refreshes. New Explorer is built off the same platform and can do everything the Flex can. Approach is different, but it fills again a similar need. That and the market has shifted to more of a Crossover anyway. Flex isn't exactly a Crossover.

 

Go where the profits AND market are...

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So the Freestyle it replaced wasn't a wagon?

 

Vehicles like the Suburban and Jeep Wagoneer were called wagons before the marketing term SUV was invented.

 

Yes, the Freestyle was lower so I would definitely call it a station wagon. Not sure why you're so defensive about the term SUV or CUV. Cars and station wagons are unibody and lower to the ground. SUVs are typically BOF truck based with 4WD and sit higher. CUVs are typically unibody/car based with AWD and sit higher. Obviously there are hybrids and tweeners and marketing folks may call a CUV a SUV or vice versa, but they are distinctive from station wagons.

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I said "typically BOF truck based" and I also said there were exceptions. The explorer is a good example of a crossover that's marketed as s SUV.

 

I thought Flex offered a much higher seating position than the Freestyle. I'm not arguing that you can't call the Flex a wagon - it was more of a general discussion about the differences between wagons, SUVs and CUVs.

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The Flex may sit slightly higher, but I think some are underestimating how large the Freestyle was and how tall it sat.

 

From the rear, the top of the roof was as high as the roof of the last gen Explorer (observing the two vehicles parked side by side). This was something I noticed about the car early on.

 

 

Back to the thread, the question was asked "why is it a mid sized SUV"

 

Apparently, it is a 2 box hunk of metal that can be called anything the marketing folks and owners choose to call it.

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  • 7 months later...
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A buddy of mine has a flex and loves it. Not sure if the styling is for me, but it is really nice on the interior. He said he was considering the MKT instead but really didn't like that look. I would agree with him there. The flex looks different than other cars on the road, but the MKT just looks like a hearse to me.

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  • 2 months later...

How does the Flex compare to the Edge? Anybody owned both, which on did you prefer?

Actually own both at the moment. Will be 4 years this week I have had my 2009 Flex SEL AWD. Was 2 years in September I bought a 2008 Edge SEL AWD for the wife. If I could have found a FLex for as good a deal as I got on mine the wife would be driving a Flex also.

My preference is for the Flex, being 400 to 600 pounds heavier it handles a tad better. It has the heated seats - great for my back, I like the flat hood out in front of me. It has the HID headlights which are way superior to the Edge standard headlights. The windshield has more rake on the Edge, this causes a glare of the dash on the windshield in sunshine. Also on the Edge the chrome around the AC dash outlets and trim above the radio reflect the sun into my eyes. The seat cushion is shorter in the Edge, so I do not have full leg support like in the Flex.

The Edge seems snappier which I attribute to the lighter weight and it only has 70,000 miles on it where the Flex has 85,000 miles. Fuel mileage is about same on both. Surprisingly the Flex gets better fuel mileage than my 01 AWD v6 Escape.

Interestingly at 5'11" i have to put the Edge seat almost all the way back to drive, so if one is over 6', choose the Flex.

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