CORNWALL, N.Y. — Angola Road is best driven with caution, especially at night when it twists into the darkness, sometimes seeming to disappear altogether. It is a rural, two-lane road often bereft of shoulders or guardrails.

You pay close attention when driving on Angola, a road potentially as unforgiving as its surrounding Hudson Valley scenery is beautiful. Still, Angola is one of those roads automotive writers dream about. It twists, turns, dips, rises, slants, and in doing all of those things speaks volumes about the worthiness of any vehicle traversing it. According to that truth, Ford, recently more accustomed to bad rather than good news, has a winner — the aptly named 2009 Ford Flex wagon.

This column uses “wagon” the same way automotive marketers and the journalists who honor them employ “crossover.”

A wagon is an eminently sensible vehicle, one that combines cargo and passenger capacity in a manner flexible enough to accommodate both on a variety of travel missions.

Wagons have always done that work, as have wagon surrogates — minivans and sport utility vehicles. The Flex acts as all three.

Had the Ford Flex Limited with all-wheel-drive also come with a low-sulfur diesel engine, I might have applied for a loan to buy one. I like it that much. The members of my crew — my wife, Mary Anne, and my associate, Ria Manglapus — like it just as much.

We like the looks of it, which is no small thing. The trouble with wagons and other family haulers is that they too often have a boring exterior and interior design. But there is something wonderfully in-your-face about the Flex — its horizontally grooved side panels; its bold, three-bar grille; its optional, two-tone paint job and multi-panel glass roof; and an elegantly versatile interior that looks compact but feels generously spacious.

I used the Flex to haul appliances and other goods to a family home here. Ria used it in Virginia to transport teenagers to tennis matches. The Flex served us well, performing as a truck without consuming fuel like one and carrying the passenger load of a minivan without looking like one.

But, again, on the matter of fuel, I wish Ford would have released the Flex with a diesel engine as an alternative to the 3.5-liter, 262-horsepower V-6 it offers as standard equipment.

We averaged 23 mpg in highway driving and 20 mpg in urban traffic with the V-6, all-wheel-drive Limited edition. That’s not awful for a big family wagon.

But neither is it as good as it should be. A diesel engine would deliver 30 percent better fuel efficiency. Initial costs would be higher than those of a gasoline-powered Flex, but a diesel-powered Flex would save fuel. Better fuel efficiency, combined with the extra torque generally afforded by diesel engines, could be worth the higher price.

It’s just an idea, and a bit of a nudge to Ford to give the go-ahead to a diesel Flex. What the company has done so far with this vehicle is admirable. It handles night running on Angola Road with confidence and aplomb, even under the weight of yet another load from Home Depot. I just wish it were designed to make even fewer stops at the gas station.

The bottom line

Suggestion: The Flex currently comes in three trim levels — SE, SEL, and Limited, all with 3.5-liter V-6 engines. Ford should consider a diesel version in the higher-priced Limited models. Even at the generally higher prices for diesel-powered vehicles, here’s betting that Ford would sell every diesel-powered Flex it made. Ride, acceleration and handling: This one gets excellent marks in all three categories (as long as smaller people are assigned to the third-row seats). Handling on the twists and turns of Angola Road was impressive. Head-turning quotient: It’s the automotive equivalent of a rock star. People were drawn to it. And to all who asked: Yes, it’s a real production vehicle. You can buy it. Yes, believe it or not, it was made by Ford. Capacities: There are seats for seven people. Maximum cargo capacity is 83 cubic feet. (Luggage capacity with rear seats up is 15 cubic feet). The Flex can be equipped to tow a trailer weighing 4,150 pounds. The fuel tank holds 19.2 gallons of recommended regular unleaded gasoline. Safety: Standard equipment includes four-wheel antilock brakes, side and head air bags, electronic stability and traction control, and Ford/Microsoft Sync communications system. Purse-strings note: This is one of the most enjoyable family wagons available. It gets a “buy” here.

2009 Ford Flex

Base price: $36,555 (for the limited edition)

As tested: $43,720

Type: Front-engine, front- or full-wheel-drive, full-size family wagon

Engine: 3.5-liter, 24-valve V-6, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission

Mileage: 20 mpg city, 23 mpg highway