Ford News: Ford's Flex Is Still Kicking Around

[William Maley]

The Ford Flex is loved by automotive writers, their owners, and Consumer Reports which recommends the model. But with all of this good news, you would think the Flex would be a big seller. Not at all. Ford Flex Sales in December 2014 totaled 1,786 units, a 24.9 percent decrease when compared to December 2013 and well behind Ford's other three-row crossover, the Explorer. Automotive News says that the average Flex sales totaled around eight models. Pair this with no hint of a next-generation Flex anywhere, it seems the model will be heading into the sunset.

Possibly not. Automotive News says there are two key reasons for why the Flex is still around.

• Ford makes a nice profit on every Flex sold.
  
• Flex is very popular in California. About a quarter of Flex models (around 446) were sold in the state.
  

"You either love it or you hate it. It's one of our top sellers. Lease loyalty on it is very high. People lease it and then come back and get another one," said Lee Dibble, a sales manager at Vista Ford-Lincoln of Oxnard - a city near LA.

"It's becoming a regional product that we're embracing as such," said Matt Zuehlk, marketing manager for the Flex and Explorer.

Helping the Flex is the sister model, the Explorer. With monthly sales around 20,000 mark, this helps reduce the costs and margins on both models.

As for why we haven't heard any hint of a next-generation, Zuehlk explained that the refresh done in 2013, "was progressive enough to carry us forward for the interim."

Editor's Update: The original version of this article incorrectly cited December 2014 sales as full year sales. Full year 2014 sales of the Flex are 23,882, down 8.2% I have corrected this. -DD

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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