When considering a new car recently I found myself at a place I never thought I’d wind up - a Ford dealer. Recent years have been less than fortunate for the ailing blue oval and their efforts to get back into the black have resulted in a dramatically improved lineup on the showroom floor.

The brand new Edge is offered up as an entry into the wildly successful crossover utility vehicle (CUV) market that fills the gap between the stigmatized minivan and the gas guzzling, harsher riding SUV. So now that Ford has gotten its sights properly aligned it comes down to a question of execution. Folks at Ford have been touting the Edge as the vehicle that will save the company. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a little CUV in its freshman year. Ford even delayed the debut a number of times to make sure they worked out as many bugs as possible before consumers got into the vehicle. This jaded car nut was so impressed with the vehicle that I not only bought one, but I’m here to tell you that even with its flaws (detailed herein), Ford knocked this one clear out of the ballpark. The blue oval just may have turned a corner.


From the curb

There seems little question as to which car the Edge is trying to mimic. Looking at its’ side profile, you can easily take it for a Lexus RX at a casual glance. The front however is pure ford. The triple bar chrome grill is a love-it or hate-it design. It’s still growing on me – however Ford must have gotten a lot of positive feedback on the front end because it also adorns the Fusion and soon to be re-released Taurus – which is actually just a re-badged 500 with a new nose and the Edge’s motor and transmission. But getting back to the Edge – there are three trim levels to choose from: the SE, the SEL and the SEL PLUS. I opted for the SEL PLUS with all the toys. The headlights are augmented by fog-lights which are set in a molded gray plastic lower fascia, which carries on to molded gray plastic rockers, etc. My vehicle is dark gray (‘carbon’ per the window sticker) so the contrasting color does not stand out but it didn’t look so hot on the lighter vehicles IMO. The side profile is sleek and sophisticated. A short whip antenna is perched above the windshield in the center of the vehicle and is swept back at a similar rake. A rear spoiler juts horizontally from the back of the roof, shading the rear hatch’s window. A satellite antenna is mounted to the top of the spoiler. The vehicle apes the shape of the RX well but it does so while being slightly larger (within inches) in every direction both inside the vehicle and out. My SEL PLUS came optioned with 18 inch painted aluminum rims wrapped in 245/60 series Continentals. The painted aluminum rims are very nice and are much better than the chrome rim option. The 18 inch chrome rims are just regular rims with chrome plated PLASTIC snap on hubcaps – for lack of a better word. Seven or eight hundred bucks for plastic? The party line is that they are better because they’ll never pit like real chrome rims do. But it does get bonus points for the dual, chrome tipped exhaust system. Roof rails are available – but not if you opt for the panoramic roof.


Under the stars

The sunroof on the Edge is phenomenal. The main glass is a massive 29 inches wide and 27 inches long. About a foot behind that is the rear glass roof which is 31 inches wide and almost 15 inches long. Both are covered by an opaque cloth barrier which retracts automatically with the touch of a button. A second button can then be pressed to open the main glass, which lifts up and back to reveal the sky in a way that I’ve never seen a sunroof accomplish. The rear glass is fixed. Upon opening, a perforated cloth deflector pops up at the front of the sunroof to baffle the air flow into the cabin. This roof was one of the main selling points for me. I used to love my old convertible, but that wouldn’t be practical for me at this point and this is as close as I’m going to get for a while. If anyone reading this is considering buying the Edge I can’t recommend strongly enough that you owe it to yourself to at least test drive one with this option before buying one without it.


Interior

The Edge is just as impressive on the inside. Six-way power, heated, leather clad front seats provide a surprisingly comfortable ride. The driver also gets a manual lumbar adjustment and two-position memory settings. I’ve got the charcoal leather with white stitching. The rear bench is an expected 60/40 split with a fold down armrest. The rear seats fold with the touch of a button located just inside the rear hatch. They must be manually put back up but they are very light and easy to manipulate. A really nice feature of the rear seat is that they recline – and I don’t mean just a little. With the fold flat capability of the front passenger seat you could comfortably take a nap back there. Black carpeting and mats are contrasted by the gray and silver plastic that most of the cabin surfaces are comprised of. There will no doubt be complaints of the over usage of hard plastic but they actually did a pretty good job of making the plastic feel very warm and comfortable. Will it give you goose bumps the way the brushed wool and burled walnut interiors of a Bentley will? Of course not, but considering the price they’ve come close to making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Tinted rear glass is standard but in South Florida I needed to tint the front windows the day after I bought it. The dash is wonderfully simple and the gauges light up red and green at night and are very easy to read. A trip computer has more features than you’re likely ever going to use. So far I’ve just left it in the ‘miles to empty’ mode. A compass is always displayed no matter what feature of the trip computer you’re using. The directional / wiper stalk is easy to decipher and also operates the rear wiper / washer. To the left of the wheel is the headlight switch. One thing that I really like about the automatic headlight setting is that is gives you the option of having the fog lights turn on and off with the automatic headlights. The Mercedes I traded in for the Edge did not have that ability which disappointed me. Redundant controls on the steering wheel include cruise control – which is the simplest I’ve come across. Audio controls are also on the wheel as well as climate control. That’s a first for me and I predict many will really appreciate that little extra. The steering wheel is manually adjustable up and down. Moving on to the center stack – The dual zone automatic climate control works great. It allows for as much as a 20 degree variance which is perfect for me and my wife. An average sized glove box is backed up by a very large center console. A removable tray can hold smaller items and change and beside it is a deep compartment designed to hold a laptop computer. A power port is inside the console next to an aux-in jack which is there to plug in your Ipod to play through the car’s stereo system. Another ‘must have’ item for me was a navigation system. I’ve never had a car with navigation and after a short time owning one I can’t imagine how I got by without it. The touch-screen, talking system is just amazing. I have nothing to compare it to but I can tell you that I mastered it without reading the manual in less than 20 minutes. In addition to navigation, the touch-screen head unit is also the stereo system. AM & FM are supplemented by Sirius satellite radio and an in dash 6-disc CD changer that is capable of reading MP3 files. Of course an AUX option is there for your Ipod. Having a toddler sort of necessitates a DVD player but that panoramic roof eliminates the overhead console option so I had the dealer install new front headrests with DVD / video screens incorporated. They are genuine Ford parts that exactly match the interior and are covered by the factory warranty. Power windows, locks and power, heater exterior mirrors and an auto dimming interior rearview mirror round out the interior goodies. In a few weeks I will be adding Ford’s blue tooth which also works through the Nav head unit. I’ll update with my thoughts on that technology when appropriate.


Safety Minded

Well the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety seems to love the Edge. It’s been rated a ‘Top Pick’. The list of safety equipment is impressive. Ford's ‘Advancetrac with Roll Stability Control’ is a management system that monitors and uses the Edge’s traction control system, ABS and electronic stability control system to keep the vehicle safely in line with the driver’s intentions. Four wheel discs, crumple zones and side impact door beams add to the safety factor. Front dual stage airbags are backed up by side airbags and side curtain airbags. Additionally, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System alerts you if a tire drops to an unsafe air pressure level. Lastly, backup sensors warn if anything at all is behind the vehicle within 6 feet while the car is in reverse.

So with all this safety equipment so thoughtfully engineered it’s unfortunate that Ford hasn’t done anything about a known problem. When I first drove the Edge it was late afternoon and I was heading west, into the setting sun. The long dash and raked windshield combined to create a glare off the dash onto the windshield that was almost blinding. Putting on my sunglasses just about eliminated the glare. That vehicle had the light interior. The next one I drove (the one I bought) had the dark interior which in itself reduced the glare to acceptable levels and the wearing of sunglasses eliminated the glare altogether. During some pre-purchase internet research I came across an article (of course I can’t locate the link now) which spoke about Ford hosting a group of car editors to test drive the Edge before it was released and the Ford reps were nice enough to give each of the editors a free pair of polarized sunglasses prior to the test drive. Ok Ford – obviously you know about the issue, how ‘bout fixing it for the 08s. Maybe a matte dash?


Can it be safe and fun to drive?

Yeah, it is kinda fun to drive. The new 3.5 liter ‘duratec’ all aluminum motor pushes 265 horsepower through the smoothest 6 speed automatic transmission you could imagine, with 250 foot pounds of torque backing it up. The big grippy tires and two ton vehicle weight make for a very sure-footed feel on the road. Cruising at 80 is quiet and smooth. Shifts are seemless and braking is reassuring. It does take corners a little better than the height of the vehicle would lead you to believe but of course this car wasn’t designed for those who really care about cornering ability. Recent TV ads have boasted that the Edge will outrun BMW’s X5 off the line – but who cares? This isn’t an enthusiast car. I’m more impressed with another ad which showed the cabin as being quieter than the Lexus’. The peppy engine is great, but the smoothness of the ride is what buyers of the Edge are more likely to be impressed with.

As an aside – the sticker promises mileage of 18/25 on the Edge. Stickers are rarely accurate and the Edge is no exception. I’m still in the ‘break in’ period and my mileage is significantly below 18/25. In a few months I’ll update with my mileage numbers.


Space & Storage

This is a great family hauler and as such, storage capacity is of the utmost importance. With the back seat up you can get a good four or five suitcases in the back. Double that if the rear seats are down. More importantly, with a car seat installed I can easily fit the stroller, pack ‘n’ play, diaper bag and all the accoutrements any self-respecting 13 month old travels with. It would be a breeze to add a second kid and accompanying ‘stuff’. When traveling with adults it’s nice that three six footers could comfortably travel long distances in the back seat. The rear deck is low enough for anyone to be comfortable with and the rear hatch raises and lowers with little effort.


Final Thoughts and some Heartfelt Advice for Ford

First off, bravo. Take a bow Ford – you might be on the road to recovery. Whoever got this vehicle off the ground and into the showrooms deserves a raise. The quality and thoughtful engineering behind the vehicle are many levels above what I would have expected from Ford. Now that I’ve given you props, there is a little room for improvement still. I know keeping the sticker down is a pretty big concern so I’m suggesting that the addition of the following options would probably be appreciated by a large enough segment of the demographic to make it worth it.

Rear fog light – this one should be a no-brainer.

Xenon headlights – Ford is among a shrinking group of holdouts here. Why not make Xenons available across the board?

Turn signals incorporated in the mirrors – another safety no-brainer.

Air conditioned seats – I may be alone here but after driving the Expedition with the optional A/C seats I really wished it was available on the edge.

Body-color valances and rockers - It’d just look nicer.

Power tilt and telescopic steering wheel - Always a nice feature.

I’m sure I’ll think of some more items to add to my wish list, but for the time being these are the most obvious missing options that I think a good number of people would gladly pay for on the Edge.

In closing, this one has great promise and I expect this vehicle will keep a smile on my face for quite a few miles. This one gets my highest praise and recommendation.