2007 Ford Edge Review

What We Drove

Our test car was a front-wheel drive 2007 Ford Edge SEL Plus. Base price for this model is $29,745 including the $675 destination charge. Options add up quickly: The navigation system is $2,380, the rear entertainment system is $1,295 and the big 18-inch wheels were $395. Other options included the Class-II towing package for $350, a reverse sensing system for $245 and Sirius satellite radio for $195. Add everything together (including the $75 floor mats and $65 cargo management system) and you have $34,745 of Ford crossover.

Performance

Powering the Edge is Ford’s latest V-6, a 3.5-liter that packs 265horsepower. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, the drivetrain’s well sorted transmission made the Edge satisfying to drive. The engine’s power is good enough to get it up to speed with reasonable quickness, engine noise is not too intrusive (although it’s not particularly elegant either), and the transmission shifts quickly and smoothly. Note that the supposedly sporty Edge lacks manual shift control for its transmission, a feature standard on many Edge competitors.

Handling

The Edge features a comfortable and well controlled ride. However, it gives up quickly when pushed, rolling and bouncing on its soft springs, giving lie to the sporty image cultivated by Ford’s ads. The brakes are decent in day-to-day traffic, but fade quickly under heavy use. The tires also give up grip early, although they probably help with the comfy ride. The steering is the biggest dynamic low point. The effort is agreeable, but there is a huge dead spot in the center that requires constant steering adjustments to keep the Edge straight as you cruise down the highway.

Visibility

The best view out of the Edge is to the sides, as the front’s high cowl and rear’s small window and thick pillars conspire to obscure your forward and rear vision. Those thick rear pillars leave only a little room for glass. What little view there is to the rear is blocked by the second-row head restraints, and if the folks back there are watching a movie on the flip-down DVD screen, kiss your rear view goodbye. At least the side view is good, with large mirrors. If you prefer a backup camera, you’re out of luck; none is available, just the sensors on our test car.

Fun to Drive

The Edge doesn’t offer a lot of excitement to its driver. Dynamically there are few flaws, but neither is it outstanding compared to its competition. Power from the engine is good, but it has a lot of vehicle to haul around, the suspension offers a comfortable ride but doesn’t offer sporty handling, and if you like to row your own, even with an autobox, you’re out of luck. The Edge isn’t a chore to drive, just not very exciting.

Front Comfort

The Edge delivers on comfort. The seat is a little on the small side, but otherwise it’s comfortable, and the controlled ride eliminates one of our major complaints about the wallowing MKX. The wheel adjusts manually for tilt and reach, which helps the driver find a good driving position. The seat offers power cushion and manual seatback adjustments, a configuration common in cars these days and equally frustrating; are power backrests really that expensive? One notable ergonomic quirk is the manual lumbar adjustment, which looks like a manual ratcheting height adjustment.

Rear Comfort

There is no third row in the Edge’s large interior, so rear comfort is maximized to great effect. There is plenty of leg, head, foot and shoulder room, and the seatbacks recline considerably; you could take a nap here. The door opening is quite large, too. Of course, this advantage comes at the expense of a missed opportunity: A third row of seats. Ford’s counterargument is that other crossovers such as the Taurus X do have three rows, which is a little more convincing now that the rebadged Freestyle shares some of the Edge’s styling.

Interior Noise

One of the more annoying ads for the Edge (directed by David Mamet) features two Edge drivers talking about how the Ford crossover is quieter than a Lexus RX 350. We think those sound meters should be rechecked. Noise isn’t bad in the Edge, but it’s not Lexus-quiet, either. Wind noise is notable, if not terribly intrusive, and tire noise is more pronounced than we expected. The engine is inaudible at idle or cruise, but it makes itself known under the slightest tickle of the throttle. None of this is too bad for the class and price, but Lexus? C’mon.

Loading Cargo

There’s plenty of cargo room in the Edge. The large hatch lifts high for big loads, but the leading edge slopes downward, forcing taller drivers to stoop under it. The liftover is low, but the large protruding bumper is guaranteed to be covered in scratches before long. Our test Edge had Ford’s power folding second row seatbacks, but note they only fold down; you have to put them back up manually. Also, the seatbacks are angled slightly toward the hatch when folded, so cargo will slide to the back. The front passenger seat folds forward for long loads though, a nice touch.

Build Quality

The beveled edges on the dash panels in the Edge may have been an homage to the car’s name, or may have been an attempt to get away with lower build quality standards. Either way it backfired, since the result is junky cutlines everywhere. There’s nothing to hide the poor fit of the pillar covers to the cheap mouse fur headliner, or that the door panels have four different textures, or that the navigation screen was slightly crooked in the dash. Exterior panels fit better, although the gaps around the hatch were visibly wider on one side than the other.

Materials Quality

The high point in the Edge’s materials quality is the leather. It’s not Jaguar buttery, but it’s pretty good for the class. Otherwise, the interior leaves a lot to be desired for $35,000. Even the spots where Ford got it right they still got it a little wrong. For example, the soft padding for your elbows on the door panels is cheap; you can feel it smush under your fingers in a way that tells you it won’t be long before it just stays smushed. The hard, hollow-sounding plastic on the door panels and dash shout “built-in rebate.” We like the metallic center stack panel though.

Styling

The Edge is a bright spot at Ford, probably due in part to its styling, which has grown on some of us. The bulldog stance at least gives the impression of being low and aggressive – which the Edge isn’t – and we like the stubby nose and tail. Even the grille has grown on us, although we sometimes still think “Gillette.” An improvement would be a slightly smaller and flusher Ford oval. The standard-issue Ford switchgear in the Edge is functional, effective and looks good here. The interior appearance would be improved with more single-piece panels, but overall it’s a little bland and not very edgy.

Storage

Ford knows Americans keep lots of crap in their cars, and has accommodated them with lots of storage cubbies in the Edge. The deep center console bin features movable trays to help organize your stuff – although we wish they were made of sterner stuff. Bins on the dash top and center console feature rubber mats to keep belongings from sliding around, and there are two different sized cup holders in addition to the big bottle holders in the oversize door pockets. Rear storage is limited to seatback pockets, small pockets in the doors and a center armrest with poorly placed cupholders.

Infotainment
Controls

The standard Ford-issue navigation system is good. It’s easy to understand and program and has a logical layout with clearly labeled buttons. The screen is a little small, but it has the advantage of fitting in a double-DIN hole, which means you can upgrade it to an aftermarket system if you see fit. There are redundant controls on the steering wheel, almost to a fault, but overall this is one of the simpler systems to use.

Climate Controls

This is standard issue Ford stuff, too, and again it’s pretty good. Big buttons control the temperature for the left and right side of the cabin, and there’s a “dual” button to shut off the separate controls if you want. The manual functions are below the automatic settings and are simple to understand at a glance, even if the icons are a little bit small. The seat heaters are quick and effective, but there is too much of a gap between the two settings; a third right between the two would make Goldilocks happy.

Secondary
Controls

Secondary controls are a mixed bag on the Edge. The window switches, mirror adjustment and headlight switches are all good quality, but the switch for the power locks feels cheap. The seat memory is handy, but the switch placement is an afterthought. By far the most egregious flaw is the gauges. Dark gray numerals on a platinum face sound good in theory, but we haven’t seen gauges lit this poorly since the 70s. At dusk or dawn they’re virtually illegible in their dark little pod. Poor gauge lighting is a retro touch we could easily live without.

Competition

This is one of the most competitive segments in the market today. There’s the Honda Pilot, the Toyota Highlander and Nissan Murano for starters. Throw in the Hyundai Veracruz and/or Santa Fe, the Mitsubishi Endeavor, Subaru Tribeca, the Saturn OUTLOOK…heck, virtually everyone has a mid-sized crossover with the kind of utility and features of the Edge. Few have the distinctive styling of Ford’s offering, but many offer a third row of seats which, even if it goes mostly unused, is worth its weight when needed.

2ND Opinion – Chee

So Ford builds a stylish, decent-to-drive and comfortable crossover with a credible 3.5-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic powertrain. Then they slap an “edgy” name on the thing. We like edgy, sure, but we love dependable and convenient cars even more. Engineer a small and optional third row, cut the price and sell the Edge as what it is: a stylish and convenient crossover with enough power and handling to make the road feel like a mini-adventure. You want edgy? Go to those import brands good at building low volume superstars. Ford doesn’t need another low volume superstar. And they sure don’t need David Mamet.