Bench Seats Versus Captain's Chairs

I've been test-driving the 2013 Ford Flex this week, which I've been waiting to drive for years. Overall, my impressions are highly favorable (stay tuned for the complete review) with the exception of one major point. My test car came equipped with a second-row bench seat, so the car seats a total of seven. Captain's chairs in the second row are also available, taking the number of seats down to six. While many families may think they want the extra seating capacity that comes with a second-row bench seat, I'm here to save you from making that mistake.

If you have kids in child-safety seats or booster seats, you're most likely to put them in the second row's outboard positions where a parent, grandparent, caregiver or carpool driver has the easiest access to help them climb in and out and get buckled and unbuckled. The problem is in most three-row SUVs like the Flex the only real access to the third row is by sliding, folding and/or flipping one of the outboard seats in the second row. When a car seat is installed in the outboard, there are limited options as to getting to the third row.

Top 10 Underappreciated Cars and Trucks

Good products usually sell themselves … but not always. We've assembled here a list of cars and trucks that should be more popular than they are. In some cases the sales figures aren't bad, but in none of the cases below do the sales match our assessment of the cars' relevance or excellence. That usually means car shoppers can find a bit of a deal, too. Here are our Top 10 Underappreciated Cars and Trucks in no particular order.

What's the Most Affordable Full-Size Crossover?

The full-size, three-row crossover segment is relatively new to the automotive landscape. You need to look back only four or five years to see how quickly the segment has changed from just a handful of models to more than 15 models today.

For folks who find minivans anathema, these large crossovers are the best alternatives. Some — like the Chevrolet Traverse — are roomy enough that there's little tradeoff in terms of passenger room. The unibody architecture of large crossovers makes them generally more maneuverable and fuel efficient compared with three-row, full-size SUVs, like the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition.

Check Out: $37,000 SUV Shootout

Recent converts from SUV to crossover pedigree include the Dodge Durango and Ford Explorer, which are now competing against fairly old stalwarts like the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.

The full-size crossover market will expand soon, with the three vehicles on the horizon: the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder (which switches to a crossover platform), the 2013 Infiniti JX35 and the upcoming Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

Did the New Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT Change Enough?

The Ford Flex has one of those love-it-or-hate-it vehicle designs. It's boxy, it's square, it's retro and apparently it's also totally L.A. (It turns out Los Angeles is one of the Flex's hottest markets). Case in point, when we hosted actor Joey Lawrence and his family at one of our recent Cars.com Shootouts, he kept comparing the cars we were testing to his own Flex.

More 2011 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The Flex isn't as popular in other markets, and neither is the Lincoln MKT. Both sell in meager amounts next to mainstream crossovers like the Chevrolet Traverse and even Ford's own Explorer. Can some refreshes to these two vehicles skyrocket them onto families' radars?

2013 Ford Flex: Up Close

There's not a lot to say about the changes to the Ford Flex because there aren't a lot of changes. The most noticeable, of course, are the alterations to the front and back ends. Gone from each is the big blue Ford oval.

More 2011 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Up front, it's gone entirely, replaced by an uninterrupted silver bar bracketed by new headlights. On the back, the logo has been relegated to the lower right-hand side. All that being said, I really like the new look. Full disclosure: I think I'm one of the few who loved the old look, but the update is sleeker, and it speaks more to the luxury feel of the Flex. Some colleagues think it looks like a giant Scion xB. I suspect that before, some consumers thought it was a more pedestrian crossover, but it always felt pretty lux to me inside.

2013 Ford Flex Video

The Ford Flex undergoes a mild refresh for the 2013 model year. This already unique-looking Ford crossover is now nearly devoid of any Ford branding. Besides the cosmetic changes, the Flex is now offered with MyFord Touch, which has been upgraded to be more responsive, according to Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Patrick Olsen.

2013 Ford Flex at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show

• Competes with: Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9
• Looks like: The Flex is embarrassed to wear the Ford logo
• Drivetrain: 285-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 or 355-hp, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 with six-speed automatic transmission; front- or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: 2012

For the 2013 model year, the Ford Flex undergoes a mild refresh, adopting a new front end as well as getting some interior and performance upgrades.

In a bizarre move, Ford has removed its logo from the Flex’s grille. There’s now broad “Flex” badging along the hood’s leading edge. On the back, the decal again takes dominance with the (only) exterior Ford emblem pushed to the far right of the tailgate. Dual chrome exhaust tips are now standard out back, too.

Nearly 250,000 Owners Will Get MyFord Touch Upgrade

As we reported earlier, Ford will upgrade the performance speed and usability of its MyFord Touch system and will deliver the upgrade via USB jump drive to existing customers starting early next year. The 2013 Ford Escape, Flex and Taurus will be the first new Fords equipped with the upgraded system.

We’re now learning that the performance upgrade will affect some 250,000 existing Ford owners — purchasers of the Ford Focus, Explorer, Edge and Lincoln MKX, according to the Los Angeles Times blog. MyFord Touch debuted more than a year ago, on the 2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX.

The jump drive will be mailed to owners, and Ford says the upgrade should take about 45 minutes to complete. If owners don’t feel up to upgrading the system themselves, Ford says you can bring your Ford to a dealership that will perform the upgrade for free. Another 200,000 Fords equipped with MyFord Touch were sold outside the U.S.; Ford is still deciding on how to upgrade the system for those owners.

The improvements come after intense customer and critic complaints that the system was confusing, slow and buggy. In fact, the prolific introduction of MyFord Touch over the year, apparently much to chagrin of Ford buyers, was enough to dramatically decrease Ford’s reliability and initial quality scores with Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates, respectively. Ford says that nearly 85% of people who own vehicles with MyFord Touch find it easy to use, before the upgrade.

MyFord Touch Gets Upgrade

Ford has upgraded its MyFord and MyLincoln Touch systems to be faster and simpler to use, according to the automaker.

Prominent differences are simpler graphics and larger, bolder fonts used throughout the interface. We have images of the old and new screens below. It might be hard to judge if the newer versions are indeed an upgrade until people actually use them. What you can’t see is a noticeable jump in performance. The new software is at least two times faster than the current system, Ford says.

The upgraded system will launch early next year on the 2013 Ford Escape, Flex and Taurus. Existing owners of MyFord and MyLincoln Touch are eligible for upgrade at no charge.

Ford Flex, Two Lincolns To Get Inflatable Seat Belts

Ford announced more vehicles will be getting rear-inflatable seat belts that are currently available on the 2011 Ford Explorer. 

The Ford Flex three-row crossover and two as-yet-unnamed Lincoln models will get the belts when they go on sale next summer.

Not surprisingly, Ford says early data suggests parents are ordering this option.

The airbags deploy for rear passengers in the event of a crash and help keep people located properly in the seat, as well as distribute the force of the impact traveling through the belts across a broader area of the person's body. 

Unlike traditional airbags that use a heat-generating chemical reaction to inflate, the seat belt bags use a small compressed-gas canister that's located under the seat to inflate.