I dont always have to be the one driving. Really, I dont. Especially if riding is the only way to get an early feel of a car that we think could be poised to become one of those once in a decade vehicles of rare perfection.

When customers take their new Ford Flex for its first spin this summer, they may be surprised by whats missing: the noise. Flex delivers a quieter ride than competitors including the Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander and GMC Acadia, according to Ford tests.

To a certain extent, the new Ford Flex embodies todays Western society, personifying excess in one of its most pleasing forms.