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Focused on family: The 2016 Ford Flex is staying on top with technology and safety

June 27, 2016 by Wendy S

It’s been a few years since I was in the Ford Flex.

Here’s my review of the 2013 Ford Flex: http://www.mapsgirl.ca/2013/06/ford-canada-2013-flex-awd-limited-review.html

At First Glance

The 2016 Ford Flex has remained consistent with the location of all the controls. The seats are still very comfortable and there is lots of space for family, pets, and gear!

The fun features that the girls loved from the 2013, like the multi-panel vista roof, made their time in the 2016 Flex so enjoyable.

A beautiful day to have the roof open! #FordFlex #fordcanada @FordCanada
A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 1:24pm PDT

The 2016 Flex Limited model I tested had room for 3 passengers in the middle row rather than the 2 captains chairs.

Getting around

The handling was just as I remembered it! Fun to drive on the highway or on city streets.

Traffic report doesn’t look great, but my ride in the #FordFlex will be fun! @fordcanada
A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 12:18pm PDT

I still love the Ecoboost engine. Our F-150 has it and it would definitely be something that I would look for when purchasing a Ford vehicle. To learn more about this engine, read “Ecoboost: Efficiency without Compromise” from Ford Blue.

Ford continues to provide amazing features, and it’s nice to know they are still offering the blind-spot information system (BLIS), cross traffic alert (collision warning system) and adaptive cruise control. Adaptive cruise is one of the features that I miss. My regular vehicle doesn’t have it.

I was really hoping that Ford would offer the Ecoboost engine in the FWD version of the Flex. But not yet. I’ll keep my fingers crossed! Another feature that is really nice to have, that comes standard on all Ford vehicles, is the Easy Fuel® Capless Fuel Filler. You never have to worry about forgetting to put the cap back on the fuel tank at the pumps, or having gasoline stolen from your vehicle. An integrated spring-loaded door opens when the gas nozzle is inserted into the tank. Upon removal, the door springs back and seals the tank closed. Brilliant!

A technology geek’s playground!

Of course, I had to check out the navigation system! The detail of 3D buildings is a nice touch! Also, enter the address and city is very easy.

I love the 3D buildings on the SYNC 3 Navigation! #FordFlex #GIS #map @fordcanada
A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:24pm PDT

The 2016 Ford Flex has SYNC® 3 with SYNC® AppLink™. SYNC® 3 is Ford’s easy-to-use next generation infotainment system. I love MFT, as Craig has it in his F-150 – but I really love SYNC® 3. The interface is cleaner, more responsive, and amazingly fast!

Via SYNC® AppLink™, you can launch and voice-control some of your favorite mobile apps or access them in the organized apps section, which automatically loads SYNC-enabled apps from your paired and connected smartphone.

Listening to Spotify or checking the weather using AccuWeather was so cool!

You can check out the SYNC AppLink catalog here.

Family fun!

We had fun in Toronto one evening. A nice family dinner out and a scenic drive through the CNE. It was nice to just relax and drive without the stress of traffic. We had fun capturing photos and videos of the 2016 Flex.

Site seeing with my family in Toronto in the @FordCanada Flex. It’s roomy, comfortable, and the multipanel Vista Roof allows us to see the beautiful clouds above. #FordFlex #Toronto #the6ix #Ford
A video posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:40pm PDT

BMO Field provided a great backdrop for the @fordcanada Flex. This would be a great vehicle to take to a @TorontoFC game! #FordFlex #FordCanada #Ford #The6ix #Toronto #GTA #TorontoFC #BMOfield
A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 9, 2016 at 3:53pm PDT

Driving south on Dufferin Street from Liberty Village, I had to stop at Dufferin Gate. Such a beautiful backdrop for the @FordCanada Flex. #Ford #FordFlex #The6ix #CNE #DufferinGate #LibertyVillage
A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 8, 2016 at 5:45am PDT

I was excited to find out that @FordCanada retweeted my tweet of this photo:

Dufferin Gate. Such a beautiful backdrop for the @FordCanada Flex. #FordFlex pic.twitter.com/KZNDe6Gfy3
— Wendy [mapsgirl] (@mapsgirl) June 10, 2016

And even more excited that it appeared in an article from CNW featuring Diane Craig, Ford Canada’s CEO

Four Communications Takeaways from Canadian CEOs

Let’s check out the back seat!

As a car seat technician, parents will frequently ask how car seats fit in their vehicles. Let’s see how the Ford Flex did with a Maxi Cosi Mico!

The middle row has lots of space for a rear-facing car seat! And there are 4 seating positions with top tether anchors! This gives you more options for installing forward-facing car seats. Many SUVs and crossovers only have 2 or 3 top tether anchors.

You’ll have to be a bit more careful if you have a wider car seat to ensure that the plastic hinges don’t interfere with getting a good installation.

The middle seat of the middle row isn’t wide enough to install this car seat. If you were to install a car seat in the center position, the drivers-side passenger seat would be unusable due the overlapping seatbelts.

Passengers have access to a lot of features in the 2nd row. There are cupholders, storage spaces, and an electrical outlet!

The inflatable seat belts are a nice safety feature. These are optional in the Ford Flex.

The 3rd row has seats for 2 people with low anchors and top tether anchor in one seating position. As the 3rd row is a bit smaller than the 2nd row, forward facing seats would work best.

This rear facing seat doesn’t fit.

The 3rd row does have the power folding capability! The girls and I had breakfast at the park one morning and the tailgating position came in handy.

I really enjoyed my time with the 2016 Ford Flex. From it’s large spacious cabin, to the technology and safety features, to the comfortable ride, it was a hit for our family. If you are looking for a spacious family vehicle that is capable of hauling your family and all their gear up to the cottage, or to your kid’s baseball or soccer game, the Flex is a great choice.

Head over to Ford.ca for more information!

~ Wendy

Pros:
Roomy, comfortable, luxurious, lots of fun technology and sunroofs!

Cons:
Larger vehicle, tricky car seat installations

Specs (as tested):
• 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 twin-turbocharged, direct-injection engine
• All-Wheel Drive
• 7 passenger
• City: 15.7 L/100km
• Hwy: 11.2 L/100km
• Maximum Towing Capacity: Class I; up to Class III with optional Trailer Tow Package
• Horsepower (SAE net @ rpm): 365 @ 5500
• Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm): 350 @ 3500
• Transmission : 6-speed SelectShift® automatic with paddle activation
• Steering: Electric power assist Rack-and-Pinion
• Braking: Power 4-wheel disc with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Front suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts with rear-facing lower L-arms
• Front shocks: Gas-pressurized twin tube
• Rear suspension: Multi-link, fully independent suspension, fully isolated rear subframe
• Rear shocks: Gas-pressurized twin tube
• Wheelbase: 2994mm
• Length: 5125mm
• Height: 1726mm
• Passenger Volume: 4412
• Cargo Volume Behind First Row: 2355
• Cargo Volume Behind Second Row: 1224
• Cargo Volume Behind Third Row *Including rear seat well: 426*

Available in 3 models:
• Flex SE – Starting at $29,799
• Flex SEL – Starting at $36,799
• Flex Limited – Starting at $43,599

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. Ford Canada loaned me the vehicle for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

#FordNAIAS Day 3: #Mustang Redesign Process and #Flex test drive

January 28, 2014 by Wendy S

Tuesday morning was our third and final day at #FordNAIAS . We were up early, packed and checked out of our rooms before our 9am breakfast. We would all be heading home after our morning of activities.

We headed over to the Dearborn Inn for some “behind the scenes” sessions to learn more about Ford, their process, their technologies and their style.

First #FordNAIAS Session: “Big Data”

As a cartographer and GIS Analyst, I deal with a lot of data all day long. Going in I was very excited to hear how Ford uses data analysis. The session didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I was hoping for a deep analytical conversation about databases and data collection process, but this conversation was much more high level and generalized.

John Grinder – Manager, Systems Analysis
Michael Cavaretta – Technical Leaders, Data Science
John Viera – Director, Sustainability & Vehicle Environmental Matters
Sheryl Connolly – Futurist

It was nice to see Sheryl Connolly again. I first heard her speak at ShesConnected.

Second #FordNAIAS Session: The re-design of the 2015 Ford Mustang

Inside Sketches

Sketches become digital

Clay Models are crafted and 3D printed parts are designed

It was really hard to believe that it was all clay.

Fabrics and interior details are chosen

Fabrics and details are added to the model

Exterior Sketches

Exterior Clay Model is crafted

Watching the modeller work with this tools to define the lines and curves of the Mustang was amazing. A true artist!

Exterior Model is built

Once the clay model is ready, 3D photographs are taken and the clay model becomes digital. From the digital designs, the prototypes are created.

This one was a hollow plastic shell.

Exterior Paints are chosen

There are 10 colours that customers can choose from for the 2015 Mustang:

Race Red
Competition Orange
Triple Yellow
Deep Impact Blue
Ruby Red
Black
Magnetic
Guard
Ingot Silver
Oxford White

Prototype is built

From Clay to Model to Prototype

It truly was an amazing experience to talk with the designers to hear about the re-design process for the 2015 Mustang. They all had passion and excitement about their work and you just knew that they had the heritage and love for Ford in their hearts.

Read more on the FordConnect page — Inside the Ford Design Studio

Time to drive!!

We all had a chance to drive a new Ford vehicle. On Day One they had us fill out a little questionnaire to decide which vehicle we’d be driving. I was chosen to drive the Ford Flex. I had driven the Flex before so I knew what to expect, but seeing different sights around Detroit was very fun!

This totally set the tone for my drive!

First stop: Comerica Park — Home of the Detroit Tigers

We ran into some friends!

We drove by Ford World Headquarters

Time to go home

After a great lunch at the Dearborn Inn, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. After a bit of a wait, we went to the airport to make our way back to Toronto!

The plane’s propeller outside my window

Can you see Ford Canada Headquarters?

Bonjour!

Thank you to everyone who made #FordNAIAS spectacular!

Thanks to my new Canadian blogging friends. It was only a few fun-filled days together, but I feel that I’ve made friends for life!

Thanks to Ford Canada’s Social Media Team — Mike Ellis, Craig Silva and Anson Dixon. Thanks for bringing all of these great bloggers together!

A huge thank you to Ford Canada for inviting me on this amazing trip!

Thanks to the Ford US team for making the whole FordNAIAS experience beyond my imagination! The things that I saw and learned will be with me forever!

#FordNAIAS posts:

Before FordNAIAS

Day 1

Day 2

Disclosure: Ford Motor Company paid for my transportation, accommodations and food. I was not compensated for my time. I was not asked to write blog posts or promote the show or the experience on social media. I did this on my own. All opinions expressed are my own.

#FordNAIAS Day 2: F-150, Mustang, Behind the Blue Oval Room and so much more!

January 28, 2014 by Wendy S

Our second day at #FordNAIAS started very, very early, Monday morning. We were finished breakfast and on the bus heading to Joe Louis Arena by 6:45 am.

Why so early?

Ford Press Conference and reveal of the new 2015 Ford F-150

The Ford Press Conference was at 8:10 am. Due to a broken down vehicle on the highway, it was a mad dash to the arena, but we arrived just in time to see this:

After the Press Conference

All of the media people got to go down to the floor for a closer look

After the Press Conference all of the bloggers had access to Ford’s Behind the Blue Oval room and the full Auto Show!

Upon entering “Behind the Blue Oval”, there were different displays showcasing some of the research and ideas behind the Ford vehicles.

The New F-150

Ford Edge Concept

The All-New 2015 Ford Mustang

Mustang featured in the Need for Speed movie

FordNAIAS Need for Speed Mustang with @AskMamaMOE

Hanging out in the Need for Speed Mustang with @AskMamaMOE

Ford Police Interceptor

Ford Mustang Pool Table

Ford’s Green Technology

More Ford Technology and Innovations

NASCAR Ford F-150

Visual Performance Evaluation Lab

They use special lighting to see how the vehicle reacts in different lighting conditions and what the experience for the driver and passengers will be like.

Clay Modeling

Ford Hot Wheels

On a big media screen, they were showing the social media buzz from the #FordNAIAS hashtag, check out Behind The Blue Oval!

Talking with CEO Alan Mulally and COO Mark Fields

Ford really gave the bloggers a unique experience!

We go to talk with www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HdlFm_c5TQ. I taped the discussion, and even got to ask a question myself!

During our conversation with Mark Fields, COO, he expressed how important bloggers and social media influencers are to Ford and getting Ford’s message out as well as hearing feed back from the customers.

Photo op with Scott Monty

FordNAIAS Ford & Ford Canada Social Media

Mark Ellis, Scott Monty, Craig Silva

#FordNAIAS at #NAIAS

After spending some time learning about the new technology and vehicles, I headed out to the Auto Show floor to see what else was going on. I was blow away at the display that Ford put on!

All the new Trucks!

The New F-150

Ford Tremor and Raptor

Celebrating the Mustangs 50th Anniversary

Ford had an amazing display of all things Mustang to celebrate the 50th Anniversary!

1965 Mustang

Custom Mustang magazine cover with YOU on it!

More Ford Vehicles

Ford Taurus

Fusion

Fiesta

Behind the Blue Oval Diner

At the end of the day, all of the bloggers were invited to the “Behind the Blue Oval” room to have dinner and get a sneak peek of the Need for Speed movie.

Craig playing the Need for Speed video game

Cute BTL appitizers

Need for Speed preview

Interview with the Need for Speed director and lead actor

Relaxing back at the Hotel

After a long, full day, the Canadian bloggers sat down and reflected on all they saw.

Now if you thought that was full day, wait until you read what we did on Day #3!!

#FordNAIAS posts:

Before FordNAIAS

Day 1

Day 3

Road trippin’ with the 2013 @FordCanada Explorer #3GirlsInAFord

October 2, 2013 by Wendy S

In July, Aeryn, Christy and I loaded up the 2013 Ford Explorer and headed off to Chicago! We even had our own hashtag #3GirlsInAFord

It’s going to be a fun ride to Chicago! We’re test driving a 2013 @FordCanada Explorer! #3GirlsInAFord http://t.co/VC4ihoEjW7
— Wendy [mapsgirl] (@mapsgirl) July 24, 2013

I have driven several Ford vehicles now and have found all of them great to drive. However after driving the 2013 Ford Explorer to Chicago and back, I have come to appreciate a lot of the amazing technology. Driving in the city is fun, but a long drive really gives you a chance to get to know the vehicle. There were many features that made the 8 hour drive so much easier.

Driver Seat Memory

Christy and I shared the driving, so the Driver Seat Memory came in very handy. Each of us was able to set the seat in the position that was comfortable for us and program the button. When we switched drivers, with the quick push of the button, the seat was back the way we wanted it.

Adaptive Cruise Control

My favourite feature, that really blew my mind, is the adaptive cruise control. I was able to drive for several hours on the highway without touching the gas or the brake pedals.

How the Adaptive Cruise Control works:

you set the cruise on the speed that you liked to travel
you set the distance that you’d like between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you
you drive
if you approach a vehicle that is going slower than you are, your vehicle will slow down and only be as close as the gap that you set
once you change lanes, your vehicle will speed back up to the speed that you set

It’s really amazing!

Collision Warning

The sensors at the front of the vehicle are also used for the approach warning. If you approach a vehicle too quickly, an alarm sounds and lights flash up on the windshield. The vehicle will precharge your brakes so they react faster when you finally press the brake.

Blind Spot Information System (BLIS)

It really is bliss! There are sensors on the sides of the vehicle which warn you if someone is in your blind spot by turning on a light on the side mirror. The sensors on the back of the vehicle alert you if anyone is behind you when you’re backing up. Read more about BLIS on Ford.ca

Watch the video to learn more:

Navigation System

The Navigation System was very helpful in getting us to Chicago and back. I really like that the images on the screen match what you see on the road.

Storage Space

Now when you get 3 women together to go to a big city for a big blogging conference, they are bound to have some luggage.

On the way home, we had the same luggage, plus some shopping bags and a whole lot of swag! Thank goodness for all of the space in the Explorer!

A big Thank You to Ford Canada for letting us give the 2013 Ford Explorer a great test drive! We really appreciate all of the great technology that you have put in to your vehicles to make the driver’s and passenger’s experience so much better.

The 2013 @FordCanada Flex AWD Limited is family-focused {review}

June 7, 2013 by Wendy S

Thanks to Ford Canada, I had the opportunity to test drive the 2013 Ford Flex AWD Limited for a week and it was a lot of fun!The 2013 Flex AWD Limited I tested had a 3.5L V6 Ecoboost Engine. Features included: leather seats, adaptive cruise control, power fold 3rd row seat, 2nd row 40/40 auto fold seats, voice activated navigation system, rear inflatable seat belts, class 3 trailer tow package and dual headrest DVD entertainment system. (MSRP $59,579)

At First Glance

The 2013 Ford Flex is amazingly spacious and nicely organized.

And the panoramic roof (a sunroof that extends almost the entire length of the vehicle) definitely caught everyone’s attention! The girls liked that they each had one above them and they could decide if they wanted to the shade open or closed.

I’m not a huge fan of the silver roof. Personally, I’d prefer the vehicle to be one complete colour.

Getting around

I really enjoyed driving it. It handled very well and was fun to drive on the highway or on city streets.

The Ecoboost engine is a great feature for me to have on a vehicle. It “[improves] fuel economy for drivers, without sacrificing power or performance”. To learn more about this engine, read “Ecoboost: Efficiency without Compromise” from Ford Blue.

It has lots of great safely features, but I especially loved the blind spot indicator, collision warning and adaptable cruise control. The vehicle has sensors around the outside that can tell how close you are to other vehicles or if one is your blind spot. If you’re using cruise control, the speed will automatically be adjusted if you get too close to the vehicle in front of you. This is an amazing feature!

Like with the 2013 Edge, if I was to purchase this vehicle, I’d choose the front wheel drive (FWD) option instead of all-wheel drive (AWD). Unfortunately, this means that I could not get Ecoboost Engine as that is only available with the AWD model.

One thing I noticed is how much the rear headrests block the rear window. If there were passengers in the 3rd row, the headrests would be blocking the back window if they were up. Since we are a family of 4 and the 3rd row seats won’t be used that frequently, I can keep the headrests down when there aren’t any passengers using them. With the headrests down, the rear window is not obstructed.

Let’s check out the back seat!

When the girls first climbed in the back seat, they was so thrilled with all of the neat features. “Oh, Mommy, there’s a DVD player! Mommy, there are cup holders. Mommy, the thing opens, and we can put stuff in it!” They were talking about the center console between the two seats.

They really have put a lot of thought into all of the passengers in the vehicle. Usually in vehicles all of the fun stuff is only in the front for the driver and front passenger, but in the Flex, the rear passengers have lots of extra features to increase the passenger experience. There are lots of storage compartments and cup holders. A place to charge your phone or game system. The DVD player has individual screens on the back of the front seats with head phone jacks for each person.

And there are storage compartments in the rear seats! I show photos of this a bit further down.

I like the addition of the inflatable seat belts for the rear passengers. In a collision, the airbag will deploy to help support the head and neck. You can see a video, on Ford Canada’s website. Because the tongue is different than on a standard seat belt, it took the girls a little while to get the hang of buckling it properly.

And look at the legroom! I’m not that tall so legroom usually isn’t an issue, but I could stretch out!

The power folding 3rd row seat is very convenient! It has 3 positions: normal, stow and tailgate.

Child Seat Installation

Installing Lauren’s forward-facing car seat was very easy, even easier than it was in the 2013 Edge. The UAS anchors were very easy to locate.

Ford does a great job in their owner’s manual with the instruction for the use of car seats.

I use the same process every time I install a seat: I like to attach the tether first so that I can ensure that it’s tight enough. Once the UAS connectors on the car seat were clipped to the UAS anchors in the car, I knelt in the seat and pulled the UAS belt tight. When I tried to shake the car seat at the belt path, the whole vehicle moved so I knew it was tight!

Great storage!

There are storage spaces all over this vehicle! It seemed that everywhere I looked they had created a unique storage space.

Family approved!

The Edge is a great vehicle for our family of 4 and some friends! I know Rachel and Lauren would love for this to be our next vehicle as they didn’t want me to give it back.

Six thumbs up from this mom and two girls!

I was not compensated for this post. I was lent the vehicle for review purposes. All opinions are my own.