Photos: 2009 Ford Flex

With the success of the retro-styled Mustang, Ford adds another bolt to its quiver of nostalgia vehicles with the Flex. Built on a crossover platform, the Flex follows the form of a 1950s station wagon, and includes distinct styling cues such as a white or silver roof cap and ribs along the sides.

Ford's signature three-bar grille is prominent on the front of the Flex, the nose of which shows off a trucklike squareness.

High intensity discharge lights are a modern option on the Flex.

This 3.5-liter V-6 power plant provides 262 horsepower and 248 foot-pounds of torque, enough to get the Flex moving fast enough for most driving situations.

One key aspect of the Flex is that it puts a non-SUV seven-seater in Ford's lineup, with a body style more attractive than the Taurus X. The cabin looks surprisingly low from the outside, but feels spacious inside.

Ride quality is good, if not particularly luxurious. As expected, there is body roll in cornering, but it is kept under control. We didn't think the handling felt floaty.

The third row folds flat, adding significant cargo space.

The Flex has more sunroofs in a single vehicle than we've ever seen, with one powered roof in front, two fixed roofs in the middle, and another fixed roof in back.

The dashboard uses Ford's chunky design, but with decent materials in this Limited version of the Flex.

As this Flex has Ford Sync, the steering wheel gets a voice command button. Push it, and you can play music just by saying an artist's name.

A six-speed automatic transmission comes standard with the Flex. There are no shift options besides Drive and Low range.

You can also get Sirius Travel Link in the Flex, which gives you information about gas prices in the area around the car, along with traffic information.

Sirius Travel Link also includes weather information, with forecasts for many areas around the country.

Sirius satellite radio naturally comes with Sirius Travel Link.

The Sync system means you can hook up an iPod, other MP3 player, and even a USB drive for full integration with the stereo system.

As the navigation system is hard-drive-based, you can rip CDs to the car.

Ford Sync also has Bluetooth cell phone integration, letting you place calls by saying the name of anyone in your phone book.

A refrigerator sits between the rear seats, and can hold seven 12-ounce cans.