2009 Ford Flex Interior Review

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Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The Ford Flex's six-seat (seven-seat-optional) interior boasts spacious theater-style seating and plenty of cargo versatility. Though most reviewers are impressed with the quality and look of the cabin, a few still say there are too many hard plastics.

• "For the first time in years, we are actually impressed with a Ford vehicle's interior materials, such as the nice seat fabrics, decent leather, lots of padded surfaces, and the tasteful splashes of shiny chrome." -- Car and Driver
• "Materials quality is at least on the level of the GM Lambda three-row utilities (Acadia, Enclave and Outlook), and it's a far cry better than the bargain bin that is the Dodge Grand Caravan's interior." -- Edmunds
• "The Flex is one of the more quiet vehicles we have tested in a longtime, which is amazing considering the last time we drove a boxy vehicle down a highway, it whistled like a teapot at full boil. Not so with the Flex." -- Left Lane News
• "The 2009 Ford Flex is an exceptionally roomy crossover vehicle, and quality seems to match Ford's best intentions." -- The Car Connection
• "While the primary dash surfaces are covered in decent plastic, secondary surfaces on the transmission tunnel are very low rent. Worst of all, start feeling around and sharp plastic edges abound." -- Jalopnik

Front Row Seats

Interestingly enough, the Flex's front-row seats don't get as much praise as its second and third rows -- largely because more than one tester had trouble finding a good driving position.

• "Ironically, for me, the Flex's least comfortable seat was the left front, thanks to an aggressively raked (per federal mandate) passive head restraint that forced my noggin too far forward. The only alternative is an active headrest, which Ford needs to find the budget to offer." -- Motor Trend
• "The front seats are the place to be, not only because they're comfortable, but because most of the fun entertainment systems are within hands' reach. The seats themselves show that Ford is picking up lessons from Volvo, which has the best seats on the planet. " -- The Car Connection
• "Even with power-adjustable pedals, the driving position for our six-foot two-inch frame wasn't optimal. The steering column adjusts for rake, but does not telescope. To get the legroom we needed, our arms were forced awkwardly outstretched. The headrests, oversized to limit head and neck injury in a crash, rested uncomfortably close to our heads even after we tweaked them." -- Autoblog

Second- and Third-Row Seats

The Flex seats six with captain's chairs in the second row, or seven with a second-row bench. Reviewers generally find the seats to be surprisingly comfortable, but the biggest surprise of all is that the two-person third row is big enough for adults.

• "The second-row seat is best for leg- and headroom. The seats move to and fro for limousinelike room, and a single lever folds the seatbacks down and tilts the seat forward for easy access to the third row. There's also a power button that will do the same for you." -- The Car Connection
• "Adults will occupy the third row without protest, and still remain on speaking terms with the others. With above-average legroom, and skylights overhead in our Limited model, it is far from claustrophobic sitting in the 'way-back.'" -- Autoblog
• "Access to the third-row seat is as easy as pressing a single button on the C-pillar that electrically folds and dumps the middle seat. Once back there, moderately sized adults can easily tolerate a cross-town commute, enjoying reasonable legroom and stadium-seat forward visibility that can be further improved with the headroom-expanding $1495 Vista Roof option..." -- Motor Trend
• "Another deal maker is the standard two-butt third row that is quite comfortable for average-size adults -- knees and toes included -- and getting back there is a snap, thanks to a single-motion second-row release and huge, tall rear doors." -- Car and Driver

Interior Features

The Flex is available with plenty of hi-tech features. Highlights include an optional Family Entertainment System (with eight-inch screen and DVD player) and multi-panel vista roof.

• "The 2009 Ford Flex outfits its passenger cabin with a glorious amount of electronic and commonsense features that are meant to set it miles apart from the current crop of crossovers." -- The Car Connection
• "As vehicles become more technology-laden than a 757 passenger jetliner, the Flex follows the trend with Ford's popular SYNC with next-generation navigation and Sirius Travel Link. Navigation, weather, movies and even current gasoline prices are displayed on the 8-inch touchscreen within easy reach from the front seats." -- Autoblog
• "The multi-panel Vista Roof extends a glass skylight over all three rows of seats. Also available is a real refrigerator that can chill drinks rather than simply keep them cold. Ford claims its cool box will chill seven 12-ounce cans, four half-liter bottles or two 20-ounce bottles from room temperature to 41 degrees in two-and-one-half hours, or 40 percent faster than a conventional home refrigerator." -- New Car Test Drive
• "Typical Ford controls occupy places in the center stack, and they are all logically placed and easily identifiable." -- Left Lane News

Cargo

The Flex is appreciated for its extreme cargo versatility. In fact, every seat except the driver's folds flat for optimum capacity. There are also several innovative storage options, including a cool box that can chill drinks.

• "The Flex will carry almost everything for sale at the home improvement store, thanks to its 10-ft. cargo-length capacity (from instrument panel to liftgate)." -- AutoMedia.com
• "As in most other vehicles with three rows, there's not a whole lot of room for luggage when the third row is in use. The Flex does have additional room in a well under the third row when the seats are up. With one or two third-row seats folded flat, there's lots of room for stuff but obviously less for people. With all seats folded flat, the Flex can swallow just about anything." -- AutoWeek
• "The cargo-area width is a full four feet, so go crazy at Best Buy -- it's going to fit." -- Car and Driver
• "A grocery net fills in the very back, and the auto-opening rear door allows easy entry to the rear cargo areas. It also comes in handy during frequent rain showers that are so prevalent here in South Florida." -- Left Lane News