surreal1272

Yeah, you need to learn to take a joke.

Having a craptastic CVT doesn’t help the capsule either. $42K for that is a joke.

Amazing how GM gets kicked in the head for alleged rebadge jobs by some folks yet this re-skinned RAV4 doesn't even register a blip by those same folks. I'm with ccap on this one and will that 169HP on ANY luxury brand is downright criminal.

We are talking about EVs, not diesels.

I should add that I am not including the portion up I-17. You know what that stretch of road does to gas mileage I’m sure. Yes the 3.5 NA. Couldn’t find an ecoboost with reasonable miles.

Averaged 21-22 which is under the EPA but it was also loaded to the hilt and I was averaging anywhere from 76-86 depending on location. No complaints whatsoever given the circumstances.

Yes. I have done this trip (in one direction or the other, sometimes both) five times now. For some reason, something flips the “truck driver” switch in me and I just keep driving. I get pretty dialed in for the most part. My wife said I must have been a truck driver in a past life lol. Having said that, I’m hoping to not have to do it again anytime soon if ever. At 47 years old, it is getting more laborious on parts of my body. This was the start of the trip up I-17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff.

Well, after 33 hours and 2200 miles on the road, I can safely say the Flex rocks for long drives. Left Phoenix on Sunday and showed up in Greensboro, NC Monday night with about 45 minutes of sleep in the middle lol. The Flex never flinched and it never wore me out. Even the cats I took with me, did great (save for puking after coming down the winding part of east I-40 after crossing into NC. Couldn’t blame them for that one. Any more of it, and I would have done the same damn thing lol!

Ridiculous expansive yet I’m still thinking of doing it. You can save $500 by forgoing the GPS which I would do since my phone GPS is more up to date and readily available anyway. Definitely an interesting DIY project regardless. I’m intrigued by it at the very least.

@dfelt-Turns out there are swap out upgrades but they are $1500-$2000 which is a deal killer for me. Sucks because I would swap it out myself. https://www.infotainment.com/products/2013-2015-ford-flex-myford-touch-sync-2-to-sync-3-with-apple-carplay-and-android-auto-upgrade

The wiring plugs for the Sync 2 systems and the Sync 3 are most likely not the same because of altered controls but I do plan on looking into it. Not 100% sure about it but history would suggest that there may be a compatibility issue.

Yeah, Sync 3 would have been nice for me by just having CarPlay but it wasn’t a deal breaker so here I am lol. The two tone color schemes do look best on them too.

Thanks @ccap41 While waiting on my lift gate actuator, I spot this at Bell Ford...

I should clarify that second sentence. I have NEVER been ashamed to admit that I have a thing for wagons.

That’s my line of thinking on it. I have been ashamed to admit that I have a thing for wagons. 8 years in a Magnum and now this pretty much confirm it lol. Really, the main draw is the 82 cubic feet of space with all the seats down. Now sure there is another CUV or SUV that can touch that without going up to a Tahoe or Expedition. The box shape absolutely helps here and confirms why I think bean shape CUVs and CUV coupes are a waste of space. Hell, I just like the old school beach cruiser look of it more than anything else. I get that Ford wanted the Explorer back in the fold and that’s one of the reasons why the Flex was left to die but they should have pushed both, in an ideal world of course.

It’s getting ready to go on a cross country drive back to NC so I’ll update it’s “performance” once I get situated there. So far, I love how it drives. It really is the hidden gem in a sea of mundane CUVs.

These tires seem pretty decent (will have to look at the brand again when I have daylight because I don’t recall them right now) but at that seize, they are pricy as hell and mine are about to see a lot fo miles. I’ll look those up though just to compare them out. Thanks. Edit: They are Nitto Brand tires.

2015 with 88K miles on it. It’s the SEL FWD (AWD models are tough to find unless its a EcoBoost) and is loaded. Did get an extra 3 year 50K Mile warranty on it for a little piece of mind. The only issue is the rear lift gate Actuator (the large single arm beneath the rear lift struts. I noticed it was bad (liftgate would open a few inches and then back down indicating the problem) so I got an extra $300 off while the actual part is $120 and easy as pie to replace. Other than that, everything seems to work well. Have to say that I never thought I would love heated seats but my back was thanking me for it earlier. Will post some more pics when the weather isn’t so crappy. My only real concern is my chewing through those twenty inch tires lol.

More on this later.

Same as everyone else my entire life lol. And regardless of past comments, thank you for the birthday sentiment. “ThunderCougarFirebird” (ode to Futurama).

“I knew about it long ago”. Sure you did. And you are the one who brought up Greta in response to SMKs post (shooting down your “fifthly” point because you started it, end of story) so how about holding yourself responsible for your own BS for once. “Everyone knows she speaks from a script” No $h! Sherlock. I’d advise you look up and actually research Aspergers before sounding completely dumb on this one. Ad libbing is not a strong point for those with the condition. That “obsessed” bs is just that, BS. No one is forcing you to respond to me, no one. I responded to your post like any person here would do. You just don’t like the responses. My advice to you on that is “suck it up buttercup”. This is just more whining like you did back in August on the Random Thoughts thread. You are the one who is “obsessed” hence your rabid trolling in various threads about subjects you dislike yet cant stop talking about. How about being a hypocrite and whiny baby on your own time and stop polluting this place with the same nonsense you have posted for years when things don’t go your way.

Are you really so insecure that you had to dig through the internet and all you find is this? You should have went one link further there. Here is her “IMDB” which are all interviews and docuseries from 2019. Poor little Blu, threatened by a little sixteen year old girl. Somehow, it doesn’t really surprise me. “oooh, her parents were actors”. So F’ing what. Our president is a reality tv with five bankruptcies and three marriages full of adultery but it’s the little girl that gets your panties in a bunch. It’s laughably sad. Read the actual link to her “shows” and you will see why Blu is just trying to troll extra hard here.

Again, irrelevant and especially since those same climate scientists echo her sentiments about the climate and back it up with actual data. I do get what you’re saying though but I just don’t think her “qualifications” are all that important in this context. Just my opinion and this has gotten a little too far off the subject anyway.

Says the fool who trolls subjects he clearly has no interest in. Now go back in the corner before Greta spanks you. And who says I’m trying to win friends? Your continued assumptions about my intentions over the course of this year has been nothing short of laugh out loud dumb. Of course, that’s familiar territory for you so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that you are so bitter.

So I’m guessing you’re requesting a box of Tic Tacs then? Seems like my signature was right on the nose where you are concerned even though it has nothing to do with you. And my dad would be plenty proud of me, may he rest peace you smug $h!. You would do well to leave this one alone. The plain and simple fact is that you jumped on this thread after bitching for it’s creation months ago on the Random Thoughts thread. Now one would normally see that as an opportunity to let said thread exist on its own since you have expressed no interest in the subject matter in the past, other than to talk $h! about it of course. We didn’t get that though. All everyone got on this thread from you was more trolling and snippy little remarks without merit and without facts. Take that as you will but the only ankle biting little bitch here is you.