We are thinking of replacing our 2005 Freestyle. Does anyone have experience with both the Flex and Explorer? We want all wheel drive. It needs be comfortable for long distance trips. There are five of us. Would like built in entertainment but not a requirement.

 

If you use car seats do not even bother looking at an explorer. When we were looking at cars we tried our rear facing car seat behind the passenger seat in an explorer and my wife's knees were in the dash and she is 5'4". This is why we got the flex. There is no comparison in the second row leg room between the two.

 

The Flex is an absolute limo for carrying 5 people and would be delightful for traveling. The Explorer has more belly clearance if you do any rugged driving or often drive thru a foot of snow but the back seat knee room is only an inch and a half bigger than an Escape. They compromised the 2nd seat in the Explorer to fit in the 3rd row. (The Edge has a roomier back seat than the Explorer but would have less cargo room as it's smaller and no 3rd seat.)

George

 

We had a similar car seat issue with the freestyle. Fortunately we are passed that. We like the space of the flex but my wife hates the style. The Explorer looks nice but I can't figure out why I don't like it.

 

You could always get a Lincoln MKT instead of the Flex (same vehicle but I think the Lincoln is uglier--and it's certainly more expensive). I like the space in the Flex but would most prefer driving an Edge Sport with the new EcoBoost engine. But the Edge is a 2-row, smaller vehicle based on the Fusion where the Explorer is based on the Taurus.

I like the Explorer too but it's just about the same footprint as the Flex and has less rear seat room.

George

 

For long road trips, I'd bet that the flex would be more comfortable, and the government says it'll get one MPG better on the highway.
Looks like the flex has four and a half inches more legroom in the second room too.

 

Honestly, unless you have a need for the ground clearance or have a desire to have higher seating position, I don't understand how people can choose the Explorer over the Flex. The Flex is/has:

- better use of space, especially 2nd row legroom
- lower ride height, which lowers the CG (better handling) and makes getting in/out easier
- slightly better fuel economy
- better looking (my $.02)
- somewhat fun to drive (especially with EcoBoost)

We have a 2010 Limited EcoBoost and love it. We bought ours because my dad has one and we liked his so much we had to have our own. My wife likes it because driving larger vehicles intimidates her, but the Flex sits and handles like a sedan (no surprise since it's basically an elongated Taurus). I like the Flex because I'm 6'7" and it fits me with room to spare, even in the 2nd row riding behind me 6'6" father. I'm also a big fan of the EcoBoost motor, although it's hard to keep your foot out of it and get that 'eco' thing going.

In contrast, the one time I rode in the Explorer, all I could think about was how poorly they used the space. Front seats felt cramped, back row felt cramped. I have NO IDEA what they did to screw it up so bad (especially since I'm pretty sure the Flex and the Explorer are built on the same chassis), but the Explorer reminds me of all the full-size SUVs and the issues they have with poor utilization of space. I can't even fit headroom-wise in the backseat of Suburbans and Navigators. How pathetic is that?

Be aware that the AWD versions of the Flex are known to have issues with the PTU (AWD equivalent of a transfer case). Not sure if the newer ones got this resolved, but I'm also pretty sure the Explorer would use the same unit. Knock on wood, my dad has over 90K on his and we have over 43K on ours with no PTU issues, but they do exist.

I'd also recommend skipping the entertainment system. Save your $$$ and buy everyone tablets instead. Vehicle systems are pricey, unreliable, and like any other technology will be outdated in 3-5 years, tops.

Mike

 

They fixed the ptu issue with model year 2013 and up flex.

 

This is great advice. in-vehcile screens are a waste of money. Tablets all-around are much better.

 

My wife and I love our flex. Go test drive both and let us know which one you like better.

 

We have a '13 Flex and it is great. We moved from our 4th Murano to it. We took it from TN to South Dakota last summer and it was like riding in a Recliner. We had it loaded and averaged 24mpg at 75-80mph. The only issues that I have with it, are that it wears the corners of the tires pretty fast and without a sunroof, all windows MUST be cracked to prevent wind buffeting. If you roll one down then you have to crack open all of them. They should have made the rear windows able to open electronically to prevent this issue.


As for the Explorer, we test drove one and it drove nice, but there was NO room behind the front driver seats. I adjusted the front seat to my liking and then sat in the back seat behind the driver seat, and my knees were touching the seat back. Done deal right there. Got out, test drove the Flex, did the same seat test, then drove home in it!

 

Our Flex is the only vehicle that we have owned that consistently gets bethere than the advertised MPG. We normally see 25 MPG on the highway and 20 in town. The Flex has three rows and all are comfortable. Good luck.