2009 Ford Flex

Ford Flex 2009

The 2009 Ford Flex is a great alternative for families who want minivan features without the clunky, retro minivan styling. The Flex is an affordable mid-size SUV (MSRP runs between $28,300 and $36.600) that looks like no other SUV on the market. Inspired by the long defunct Ford Fairlane, the Ford Flex is the largest crossover vehicle yet, with lots of headroom and seating capacity for up to seven adults. Kind of sporty but boxy in an offbeat way that is likely to appeal to younger families, the 2009 Ford Flex is already winning praise from media reviewers such as Road and Travel, Automobile Magazine, and Wheels Media, which named the Flex the Urban Truck of the Year. 

The Ford Flex gets 17 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway, better than you might expect for a crossover vehicle of its size and weight. With a top safety rating, plenty of cup holders, and a new cap-less fuel filler system, the Ford Flex looks likely to inspire plenty of copycats in 2010.