By Kevin Harrison
When I was in university I befriended a guy named Matt who was such a political junkie he could have made Rex Murphy sweat. His political enthusiasm wasn’t limited to Canadian politics either, he could have eaten Bill O’Reilly or Keith Olbermann alive on their own shows. Politics is what Matt lived and breathed, and he wanted to be a politician very badly despite the horrible reputation they hold. A recent survey showed that politicians are the second least trusted professions in Canada just beating out used car salesmen.
But there were a lot of people that bet against Matt ever becoming a politician. Despite his obvious passion for the sport, Matt wasn’t exactly the most approachable individual and sometimes having a conversation with him would be like talking to a gnat. His appearance was a bit menacing for some reason, mostly because he was about 6 foot 5 and weighed about 250 pounds. His resting face was the same face you’d make if you found out your significant other was cheating on you. And on top of it all, his past wasn’t exactly squeaky clean. Let’s just say that Matt was known to the police.
But despite all that, I was one of the few people that believed he would achieve his dream of becoming a politician. That much passion doesn’t just go away because of road blocks. Ford knows this all too well.
While Ford’s reputation may not have quite overcome the days of Explorers rolling over, Windstars blowing their transmissions or Escorts rusting to the frame, Ford recently kept its head high and decided to move forward without the bail out money that was begged from its rivals. The idea was so simple it’s a wonder why they didn’t think of it before: just make better product.
One of the recent models to come of this new found mantra is the Edge. Does it have what it takes to put Ford back in the game?
The Edge’s appearance is fairly unique to any other SUV on the road. The only one that looks similar is its cousin, the Lincoln MKX. I’ve always sort of wondered why anyone would take an MKX over an Edge since the Edge can be equipped with 20 inch chrome wheels, leather, touch screen navigation and a host of other luxurious goodies. From a strictly subjective point of view, the Edge’s exterior looks good if not prestigious. While I’m no fan of chrome, it’s something that I’ve come to expect of domestic automakers so the amount of chrome used on the Edge isn’t exactly shocking. The side profile exudes a unique sport like appearance, while dual exhausts tips seen from the rear along with, what seems like standard tinted windows (seriously, I haven’t seen an Edge that doesn’t have tinted windows), gives the Edge a very sporty appearance. The Limited Sport model ups the performance touches even more with sport 22 inch wheels (yes, 22!) and blackened out grille – not to mention a power boost to boot. The Edge sport uses the same 3.7 litre V6, which produces 305 horses, that the Mustang uses. The overall design is quite eye-catching.
The good news continues inside as high quality materials are in abundance. There is a decent amount of rear leg room, likewise for cargo room. The Edge can swallow 69 cubic feet with the seats down, although they don’t fold quite flat. There’s a respectable 32 cubic feet with the rear seats up. Most of the Edge’s controls are used from a touch screen which I found difficult to get used to. The layout, while large and clear, isn’t logically thought out in my opinion and sometimes it takes two or three touches to get the system to respond. The goal of having everything in one touchscreen spot is likely to reduce clutter and confusion, however the latter seemed very prevalent anyway. I found it especially difficult to manage the satellite radio.
The Edge uses a 3.5 litre V6 which makes a class leading 285 horsepower and 253 pound feet of torque. Despite those impressive numbers, the Edge takes about 9 seconds to get from 0-100 and that’s because the Edge is a bit porky weighing in at about 1935 kilograms. The Edge feels heavy too when you first put your foot down, as if there’s some lag until it gets up to higher RPM’s. Once it’s there though, the Edge will happily blast away from the guy in the lane next to you.
As for handling, well the Edge’s weight can be felt here too. There is some body roll, however that is quite common of SUV’s in general, especially in this class. Still, with some care, the Edge will take a corner without too much fuss as long as it’s not pushed too hard. The weight is not an issue in emergency braking however, as the Edge feels solid and will brake from 100-0 in about 40 meters.
Highway cruising is where the Edge really shines. It is quite comfortable, stable and controlled. The engine sounds very much relaxed at as it stays in the lower RPM range, which is great for fuel efficiency. Ford is also going to introduce an Eco-boost model which promises to be 10% more efficient than the 3.5 litre V6. The Edge is rated at 11.8 L/100 kms city and 8.0 L/100 kms highway. I actually returned 13.6 L/100 kms of mostly city driving.
The Edge has a 6-speed automatic which shifts fairly smoothly, however I found it worked even better in manual mode. That said, the small toggle like button used to shift gears yourself is a bit unconventional and does take time to get used to.
Around town, the Edge is fairly easy to drive. Despite large 20 inch wheels, the Edge is comfortable over potholes, mostly thanks to the fully independent suspension. While rear visibility is a bit impaired thanks to the third row rear head rest, the excellent rear view camera makes parallel parking and backing out of a parking space very easy. This back up camera is one of the best I’ve experienced.
There are a few little things about the Edge that annoyed me however. When you push the stop/start button to turn the engine off the driver’s seat automatically moves back about a half a foot for easy egress and entry, however when waiting to pick up a friend and not wishing to idle, I turned the engine off and the seat moved backwards which made accessing the touch screen more difficult. I had to really reach to change the radio station or lean forward altogether. And then there’s all the sounds the Edge makes. Every time you push a button or use your indicators, it makes very goofy noises as if it’s in a Bugs Bunny cartoon or something. Push the power button for the radio? “BOING!” It even got to the point where I pondered not signaling at all when waiting in a queue at a red light until the light turned green because of the silly noise it makes. For the record, I did signal well ahead of time and dealt with the noise by turning up the radio. And while I’m on about the indicators, the indicator stalk is angled more upward than what is considered conventional which also takes some getting used to.
But I’m nitpicking at this point because the Edge really is a great vehicle – easily one of the best in its class and definitely worth a look. It exudes value, prestige and style – something a typical Ford owner of the past may not expect. Hell, this is something that any owner may not expect.
In the end, Matt was elected by his constituency in the provincial government. Although he has currently moved on in another field, he proved that he could do it. His passion and drive helped him achieve his goal. And judging my Ford’s product portfolio of late, their passion and drive also helped them to achieve their goal as well because you’d be hard pressed to find a ‘bad’ model in Ford’s current line up. The Edge is an excellent example, which is why it was nominated for Car Driven’s car of the year this year.
Welcome back to the game, Ford. The bar has been risen.
Starting price: $34,661
Pros:
- Attractive exterior
- High quality interior
- Comfortable ride
- Excellent rear back-up camera, easy maneuverability
- Good cargo space
- Prestigious, solid feel
- Strong power engine at high RPM’s
- Excellent highway cruiser
- Impressive safety equipment
Cons:
- Touch screen confusing/glitchy
- Could use a diet
- A bit bogged down at lower RPM’s
- Annoying noises from buttons/ turn indicators
Overall: 9/10
nice features…gr8 car