Ford has been hard at work building the finest arsenal of in-cabin technologies in the auto industry, and our recent reviews of its products suggest the effort is paying off. But offering a huge collection of amenities means the customer must choose from a laundry list of options that can make the car-buying process overly complicated. Some options aren’t available on some trim levels, while those same options come standard on others. Ford also uses “Rapid Spec” packages that can range in price from $1,000 to well over $4,000, depending on how much luxury and technology you care to pile on. And, of course, there’s nothing worse than checking a box with an asterisk, a bit of punctuation that means you have to add another option before earning the right to check the box you wanted in the first place.
Ordering a new vehicle gets a lot easier when you use the “I’ll take everything” approach. This is the simplest way to shop, but it’s also the priciest. And what happens if “everything” isn’t enough? Ford thinks it has the answer to that question: a Titanium model that bungees on every conceivable extra to already loaded-up Limited models. Already a hit in Europe, Ford’s Titanium trim level is chugging across The Pond this year with a maiden voyage aboard the S.S. Flex. We just spent a week with the 2011 Flex Titanium to see if the Blue Oval’s ultimate trim level is worth its premium price.
