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The 2010 Ford Flex is one of those vehicles that's edgy and innovative on the one hand, practical and utilitarian on the other, with the twain meeting somewhere near the midsection.
 The Flex SEL AWD was my ride for the week I was in Durham, N.C., and it served well. I was grateful for the all-wheel drive version, too, since I had just missed a big snowfall, even by Michigan standards, and some remnants remained on ground. And, there was more white precip during my stay, just to make me feel at home. Not enough to compound inches, but enough to make roads slick. And darned if one day it didn't rain a full 24 hours. That's what I grudgingly call a day of weather integrity, since around Michigan the clime can, and will, change hourly. And not always for the better. But, I digress.
Some days I liked the crossover's boxy, MINI Cooper-on-'roids styling; others, not so much. Neither I nor my host could decide whether it was a tall station wagon, or what. At times I could see Ford's cool derivative verve: there's some Land Rover Range Rover resemblance, what with Flex's white or silver rooftops, reminiscent siding and front end. But there are plenty of folks who flat out dig Flex's looks. Point: Upon leaving an Indian restaurant in Chapel Hill and approaching our vehicle, my friends and I were weighing in on said ride's appearance. This was not one of those days when we were particularly enraptured. Then just like that, a gas station mechanic comes racing over to my driver-side window inquiring about the vehicle's color (steel blue metallic), going on about how he loves Flex's aesthetics, including the standard 20-inch aluminum wheels, and couldn't wait to tell us so.
So there.
 I'm now done with grousing, except for bulky headrests and a third-row seat that folds flat, but that could use a smidge more headroom for we six-foot types. Let us now celebrate Flex's roominess; the vehicle can fit six adults with ease (it was such a pleasure to be able to cart around my two hostesses plus a boatload - pardon the mixed metaphor - of luggage and other stuff). The second-row seats were really comfortable, and there was lots of legroom back there. This model year consumers can opt for a split bench with a new AutoFold feature, which my loaner came with. And wow, the two leather front seats, which can be heated, surprised with their sumptuousness. I could have sworn I was in some European number.
Elsewhere inside, Flex's instrument panel features soothing blue lighting; red for front-seat cupholders. The leather-wrapped steering wheel had a nice tactile touch, and the woodgrain trim lent elegance to the ride, which runs with the likes of Honda's Pilot and Buick's Enclave, although the manufacturer likes to match it with the Chevy Suburban and Toyota Sequoia.
 Performance wise, gone are the clunky handling and so-so brawn, thanks to the 3.5-liter V6 with Ecoboost engine, which provides the juice of an eight-cylinder powerplant without the pump guzzle. Mated to a six-speed auto tranny, the ride gets 16 mpg city, 22 highway -- not bad for a vehicle that can tow 4,500 pounds. But really, the quiet, torque-y Ecoboost, which also can be found in other Ford rides, markedly changes Flex's profile, that and the reworked, stiffened suspension. It took on, with pep, every kind of terrain N.C.'s Triangle offered. The brake pedal also had a good feel.
The Flex nabbed a top five stars in government safety testing for front and side crashes, plus four stars in rollover tests. Other standard safety features include AdvanceTrac, driver/passenger airbags, side airbags with safety canopy, and the SOS post-crash alert system.
With a base price of $36,115, options can quickly jack up the ultimate tag. But after all, it's the little of this, a touch of that, that makes Flex a ride to consider.
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