Ford Flex
A Winding Road Magazine feature video.
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Comments
John
Your write up about Flex is terrible.
Just a one or two short paragraphs regarding driving impressions, if you can call that. Mostly regurgitated marketing pitch, as horrible as video. This video prepared by Ford is made for all the idiots with the attention span of 2 seconds. How do you explain constant blinking and shaking; and why do you show it ?
Maybe the Flex has a big potential. But, we'll never know from your site.
What a shame.
Ed Jaehn
This "video" was all about the music. The music was fine, but what I really
want from a CAR video is the sounds the vehicle makes-- on the inside and the outside.
Also, the shaky camera and quick cuts are ridiculous. All you created on this video is some kind of rock musical. The car was hardly the focus.
I have complained to Edmunds about this. They have lowered the volume of the music on their videos and allowed a bit of engine and road noise to filter through to my ears.
How about viewing some of Jay Leno's videos. They are pretty much perfect.
Slow panning, accelerating engines, in car comments, etc.
If you want to focus on the auto in question (the subject of the video, right?) then turn up the mikes, slow down the camera, get a tripod, and lovingly portray the car in its best light.
I believe the basic problem here is that everyone involved in the video is under 25 years old.
Andrew R
I have to disagree some of you. I think the video accurately depicts the concept behind the car: fun, youthful, and active. The design is obviously not for your middle aged family types, but for a younger audience who are looking for style and utility. If you want to listen to the engine, go look watch the Lambo or Mustang Bullitt movie. If you want a slow paced movie with amateur editing and conventional photography then Winding Road probably isn't for you. Also, I don't see why the actor being under 25 is the "basic problem." Perhaps you'd prefer to see grampa roll out of the passenger door to unload his wheelchair from the trunk?? Way to look at the film critically, Ed.
Anonymous
[The design is obviously not for your middle aged family types, but for a younger audience who are looking for style and utility.]
Woah. You've really misssed the boat on this one. All the reviews, and even what I've read from Ford, says this "car" is targeted to families, was orignally envisioned and promoted by them (when it was shown as a concept vehicle a few years ago) as a replacement idea for minivans as a new kind fo cross-over. Those "middle-aged" family types are now downsizing from minivans and SUVs into more fuel efficent vehicles, which is THE change that's happened since Ford began the Flex design-to-production journey...thus the reasoning behind the latest critical reviews of the Flex questioning whether it will actually succeed now, given its "tanky" weight and relatively poor fuel mileage coupled with no option is sight for a diesel engine (note: nothing mentioned in Winding Road about that, which is interesting in itself).
Anonymous
A wagon is all about family. No post teen wants a wagon. How many 25 year olds can afford a 30k car in this economy? They better bring back the Focus wagon if they want the 25 crowd. It would be wise for Ford to show Dad, Mom and Grandpa with this vehicle along with enough kids to fill this on a road trip to Wally World. Why cant auto makers be traditional and keep with what they know. What ever happened to the Country Squire and the Colony Park? For shame for comming up with the term cross-over vehicle. This video would make anyone car sick. Its no wonder the stock is going in the toilet. Buyers are tired of smoke and mirrors with fancy names and "new concepts" Keep it real. Atleast offer a woody package!
J. Keady
Fun, hip, expressive... I think this video is something of a moving photo spread. It shows the Flex in what Ford intends to be its natural environment. Flex is aimed at that 25-ish crowd, it's designed for the spirited Ann Arbor romps that we're shown.
Verdict: fun video, interesting car, good work Winding Road.
Anonymous
cool vehicle! this is aimed at the younger crowd and is what american manufacturers need to get back their customer base. once again, adam morath has done a super job on the video. i loved his "bullit" video of the mustang.
stivo
It looks nice, but I think the demographic portrayed in the video is not exactly an accurate reflection of the customers interested in a vehicle like this. 20-somethings are interested in cheap vehicles. Winding road wrote that thier tester was in the $40K range... not quite cheap.
This looks like a good family car, but at 17 miles per gallon in the city, I will still search for a smaller vehicle.
It does look nice though.
Bezlenborq
I cannot imagine Gen-Xers driving this car unless their parents buy it for them. The Flex is too expensive.
It's too bad that it arrives at a time when gas is so expensive.
Looks like a nice vehicle in the "commercial."
kjaba
What a horrendous missing of the mark this video is! Anyone watching it to learn about the Flex will come away empty handed and empty minded. This is a thumping video about music, not about a car. It's apparently aimed at a youthful audience but how many young people have 30+ thousand dollars to spend on a large gas guzzler whose design was inspired by the International Scout of forty years ago? If the Flex has any redeeming qualities they are nowhere to be seen in this video. The Ford Flex should more accurately have been called the Ford Atrocity. What a huge automotive shame this is!
Uffie
Perhaps some of you would rather spend 1 and a half minutes of your life watching a balding 40-something white guy with delusions of hipness dragging his whiny kids to soccer practice in his new Ford Flex. He could get lost because he's too technology-phobic to figure out the nav system, he could listen to some classic rock on the radio since he can't figure out how to hook up an ipod. He could even drive while on his cellphone and get into a minor accident because he can't SYNC his phone. The video could end with him throwing up his arms in despair at his local BP. I, on the other hand, would rather see people enjoying the finer points of the Ford Flex. Who cares if they are young, who cares if maybe their parents bought them the car, who cares if they would rather listen to a custom-produced track than the sounds of a V6 engine? If you want an in-depth analysis of the Ford Flex, read an article on it. If you want a 90 second synopsis that is more innovative and entertaining than the embarrassing and stodgy commercials produced by Ford, then Winding Road is the place for you. And no offense, but when did automotive enthusiasts become experts on film editing and cinematography? This video is great.
frustrated
Wow, what an amazing movie, the flickering, shaky, loud music, close up of the guys stumble, drums and other non flex focused images made me so excited, that I am going to rush out tomorrow and buy not one but two of these Flex cars, because I am so emotionally overcome with desire....NOT !
Nothing frustrates me more, when overly creative, out of touch media types try and tell us car enthusiasts how a car movie/review should be shot. Listen Mr.media, I don't ride bicycles, or drive happy clappy green cars. I like to hear the engine, the noise, close ups of the seats, controls, gadgets.
I want an opinion and review of the car, not a rock movie because you think that winding road is all about cool, 20 year old’s. Winding road is not about your ‘trendy’ videos, it's about car enthusiasts who want real reviews on cars they wish, may, could, would want to buy.
20 year old’s and 50 year old’s alike appreciate seeing the inside of a car, hearing a big V8 engine, etc… How patronizing that you think that 20 year old’s are more excited by a bloke with stumble drinking a soft drink, whilst laughing and getting a headache from a flickering, shaky movie. It looked more like a preview for the next ‘Blair witch 3’ movie.
I read Winding Road, because of the excellent reviews...your videos are out of place and I recommend that the creative director behind these takes another job, if their creative energy has been offended.
You think I'm wrong - watch Top Gear videos, funny, objective and made for car enthusiasts... and popular with the young and old alike! Learn from what works.
Adam Morath
Winding Road feature videos are meant to supplement the reviews found within our magazine, not replace them. In that way, they are inherently different from long format video-reviews seen elsewhere. That is not to say that our approach is somehow superior (I'm a big Top Gear fan myself), but has a different end in mind. For thorough driving impressions and technical specifications please refer to our magazine articles.
Our video shorts aim to provide the viewer with a sense of the driving experience, as well as a developed concept of a vehicle's personality. Admittedly, engine-sound is often essential to shaping a complete impression of a car; however, in this case we felt aspects of the Flex's performance were very much secondary to its utility and lifestyle potentials. That said, we tried something a bit different and I apologize if it missed the mark in the eyes of some. Either way, thank you for your feedback.
Adam Morath
Associate Art Director
Winding Road Magazine // NextAutos
ben
Winding Road did the right thing with this video. It's right on the mark.
len gwilliam
Your article was nicely done. Of course you did the best you could with the product you had! This Ford is a detuned LandRover without the balls of the V8. It has appalling Mileage in a time when that is what counts! Where was Fords Brain when the day to day mileage can't break 18 MPG and 30 on a trip.Ford has GROSSED out the price..Look at the price of the model you tested $45,000.00 , Come on , they will be lucky to sell 3 of these!! All in All a terrible car, Honda and Toyota will clean their clock!! Len
Mike
This car is down right ugly..... Ford is so out of touch.
Peter Thoppil Scaria
As i go through the video i have found that the music and the video shot get along. Quite good to showcase the Flex model in a different way
Peter Thoppil Scaria,
AutomobileDon
No mention in the article if any Volvo safety equipment made its way into the Flex. Does it have a luggage net separating the cargo area from the second seat so that the drums in your video don't hurtle forward and strike the occupants during a panic stop? Or at least some D-Rings on the luggage floor so items can be tied down?
My Expedition is sorely lacking these features and I realize they cost more but it would be a nice safety touch.
Tim
Nicely done!
lennartk
This is one of the worst ad-vids I have ever seen in my entire life: shaky and blurred with a lot of utterly stupid and confusing clips of some young people. C'mon, Ford, surely you can do better.
- The car? Oh, from the little I saw, interesting, but too big for European roads and gas-prices.
Anonymous
Like the rest of the Ford's lineup, it's out of touch with was people really need and want. It's too big, too heavy and unrefined! It's too little too late! this kind of vehicle should have been introduced 4 years ago and it would have had a chance to make it! I predict that this product will be discontinued or greatly changed within it's first year!
A fairer approach to reviewing
Showing 20 something year olds drinking and playing music does not distract the look of the car too much. As a worker of Ford's maintenance and services in Springfield Massachusetts, I have at numerous times driven the newer models. This commercial has a few erroneous camera techniques but does a good job showing the age group that it's trying to attract. For all of you ostentatious car reviewers, news flash, It's just an ad! Sure, this doesn't do the test drive of the car any justice but you know what, if I DIDN'T LIKE THE COMMERCIAL then I would FIND ANOTHER ONE and not act like such a KNOW IT ALL, HENCE OSTENTATIOUS! In my opinion, I had many paroxysms of joy watching these young people genuinely show the Flex and even if there were subtle sounds of the engine, this commercial was a **** of a lot better than other car commercials I have seen even if it was only decent. I have leased a Flex and I must say that it handles well plus its navigation and audio systems work well. I think it's ugly, but my wife thinks that it looks sexy. Just looking at it causes rivulets of tears to come out of my eyes (and sweat). There is nothing wrong with having the music in the commercial because it is trying to be creative. This is pretty good work from Winding Road videos.
Anonymous
C'mon... That video is okay... Chick Bass players are always hot!!!
Brother skinny
car snobs talking about car commercials is way more annoying that music snobs talking about cars. the music is great Brian.
Lee
Disappointed in Ford Flex video. I was getting excited about the vehicle while reading the article, but the video evidently is selling the band. To artsy and peoplely (new word) and not enough video of the Flex. Try again if you are selling the truck. Good job if you are selling the band's field trip.
Don
I've only visited this website a few times, so i can't say that i know exactly what your website is about. But, i am very excited about this car & have been talking it up to freinds & family for a while now. Unfortuantley this video does very little to show what this vehicle is about. I'm not really sure you hit on any of the great features of this vehicle at all.
I would rather look at a 30 second clip of a stationary vehicle that shows the great (unique) exterior styling & then highlight some of the interior features available then watch this video for a minute & half.
Then again, the video i saw during prime time tv with the dark scenes & trailing lights was'nt much better.
wilbur
This is one `cool machine.` This takes the cream away from Hummers and Range Rovers.
Will you bring it to Great Britain please.
Eddie
Altho I would have liked to watch the video, I had to stop about halfway. The camera movements are awful, with the zoom in and out and way too frequent cuts.
This video is supposed to be about the car, right?
Dakota
Way to go... I think? Flex means E-85? What is up with the 16-24 mpg? Thats about what my 1967 Fairlane Squire Wagon (67-Woody) was getting. With a 289cu.in.V-8. Way to get with the TIMES FORD.
Maybe you have not heard about the $4.00 a gal gas? I want no less than 24mpg town /30-40 on the highway. My Dad gets 30 something on the Highway with his Caddy/GM. Speaking of GM they seem to be winning the battle of the MPG?
The Flex Looks good but why would I buy it? There are a lot of cars that look good and get MPG's worth buying them for... When is Ford going to get the picture, The oil company's aren't going to buy your cars, the public must!
Dakota Dan
Nolan
I saw a Flex at Costco. I was impressed with the large size, the interior room, the appearance and the 22 mpg. Then I looked at the price, got sticker shock at the $39,750 price and left.
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