I had a date in Cleveland three hours away and as usual, my BMW 328i was misbehaving, desperately in need of rear shocks and bushings, decimated by a pothole. On Priceline I found a deal on an SUV from Avis, a 2018 Ford Flex Limited. “Limited” in this case is more than just leather, a stereo, chrome, and heated seats.

Ford’s twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 flings 365hp to all four wheels, promising 60mph in a hair over 6 seconds. Sync 3 infotainment bundles Apple Carplay, a competent navigation system, a glass vista roof giving every passenger a view of the sky, adaptive cruise that actually works, a heated steering wheel, power folding third row, swaths of exterior glitz, and powerful Sony audio that will wreck your ear drums.

My rental was affordable but taking one home for good, optioned like this, would run you over 45 grand. That’s a lot for a vehicle with guts and bones dating back to 2008.

With my backpack full of clothes and toiletries stowed in the back, power seats and mirrors set, and my iPhone blasting Biggie over Carplay, I floored it on to Woodward Avenue.

“Wow,”I said to myself, as my back pressed into the seat. Sure, I’ve driven and owned faster cars but you don’t expect a midsize three-row wagon to move like that. The gap between expectations and reality was wide enough to swallow a planet.

After hooning around Detroit I merged on to I-75 and cruised east toward Ohio. The steering wheel is huge, a bit like driving a boat. Like all cars these days, power assist is overboosted but adequately precise. Despite larger wheels, it did a perfectly competent job of soaking up Michigan’s horrible potholes. And unlike crossovers trying to blur the line between wagon and coupe, the Flex’s confident rectilinear styling provides spectacular visibility in all directions. Refreshing!

Pairing with my iPhone 7 Plus was easy and Carplay worked flawlessly with Waze, getting us around the Cleveland metro area with ease. My one infotainment gripe was not being able to jump directly to the climate control display while in Carplay mode, having to press home first. A separate display, even a small segmented LED cluster showing fan speed and temperature, would have been appreciated.

Cleveland

When I pulled up to her place she asked where my white convertible was, a date night favorite offering unfiltered views of Lake Erie and the stars with top down. There’s a sense of occasion and romance to a long, low, and topless car on a cool, clear night. So much for that.

The Flex, by stark contrast, is a box. Sharp corners and a brawny face drenched in brightwork suggest back seats full of screaming children and a “mom in charge” unafraid to ask for a manager when her expired coupons are rejected.

In fairness, that’s an image typical of all family-minded people carriers regardless of whether it’s a Chrysler Pacifica, Ford Explorer, or Honda CRV. And among boxes that hold people, the Flex stands out with a low stance and upright sides making for an airy interior and a ride that’s more car-like than bus-like (despite the gigantic steering wheel).

I was delighted with how easily the second and third rows folded down and flipped forward, the rear being power operated with four buttons, similar to my old Lincoln Navigator. You can even tilt the third row backward for tailgating and camping, creating a small bench that faces the rear. Borrowing a feature from the Dodge Caravan, the seats can be stowed flat to create a large, continuous cargo area or the seat backs can fold to reveal a deep storage bin for groceries.

Fast Tube by Casper

The main area of disappointment, however, was fuel economy. At 16 city and 23 highway, the aging Flex isn’t much of an improvement over the newer and far more luxurious Ford Expedition (17 city, 22 highway). I averaged 19mpg with a heavy right foot and mostly highway miles.

The interior, while competitive for 2008, lags competitors with soft but not particularly special dashboard, arm rest, and elbow surfaces and hard plastic panels everywhere else. Switchgear and leather seating surfaces have a quality feel but that extra bit of modern refinement isn’t quite there. It’s a nice enough place to hang out but $43k for this environment in 2019 seems like a bit of a reach.

But the Flex’s biggest selling point is the low, spacious, and accessible form factor. As the anti-crossover crossover, it’s still worth considering if you can knock a few grand off the Limited model.

I’m not often sad about handing back the keys to rental cars. This is a unexpected exception.

Try the olives at Fire in Shaker Square.