A co-worker and I drove down to Delaware, for a training seminar. The session was for the AWD Fusion, F150, new Expedition, and lastly, the 2008 Super Duty, and Ford Edge. While it wasn't a ride and drive like normal shows, I did get to go for a ride in an Edge. 2 of the zone reps from PA had the keys, so I asked to go for a ride. He're my take: It will sell terrifically!!!!!!!! The power is there, it feels alot lighter than it is (very nimble around a parking lot), roomy, the most comfortable leather seats in a Ford vehicle by far. Very soft. This one had the Vista Roof. Let me tell you, open it up all the way, put down all the windows (the rear windows go all the way down), and it truely feels like your in a convertible. The wind was blowing the ladies hair all over.

Now I have heard a few complaints on that show on Speed, Autoline Detroit. Frank Markus (from Motor Trend) and Wes Raynard (from Autoweek) both had nothing good to say about the car. They said the car was "1000 lbs too heavy, and since there is no 3rd row, whats the point to bring this vehicle out. What a bunch of posers!! They should both just have the Honda emblem tatooed to their rears!! What I did, to see the power aspect, I had the one driving, stop, and then just stand on the gas! So much torque, and power, the front wheels spun, and it got up to speed very quickly. Plus, Consumer reports stated that the rear seats were too low. I have a 34" inseam, and with the front seat where I would keep it, I went to the back seat (this was a car inside the building), I had nice room, and my legs didn't hit the front seat, when I crossed them. The rear seats were fine. To sum up, this car will sell VERY WELL for Ford. While the pictures show it as a nice car, it is REALLY nice in person. Can't wait for these to arrive.

And BTW, I did see the '08 Super Duty. While I didn't really mention about it here (there has been enough good words for it) but I can truely say this truck is SICK GOOD!!! A real truck!!! If anyone has any questions on the Edge, feel free to ask. You all will be pleasantly suprised.

 

does have a interior that feels like top quality products were used, feels more refined? reason is, im really lookin as a posible new vehicle, in the next 2-3 years im goin to get a new superduty and crossover, recently had a raise

 

I got a raise two....but it was only enough to get a used Grand Am...

 

The interior is beautiful inside. The leather seats are the most comfortable I have ever sat in, from a Ford product. They almost feel like Town Car seats, they are so soft, and cushy. The paint felt like high end cars. The interior has nice plastics used. They don't look cheap at all. The power this has is incredible (for a cross-over). This car won't stay on lots long once they arrive.

 

Well, personally, I think the Edge looks spectacular. That being said, those guys you referenced at Autoline Detroit (which you can watch here, by the way) make the following specific points:

- Engine feels sluggish (especially going up hills) - no variable resonance or dual length intake manifold, or variable exhaust valve timing, or swirl valves in the "new" design (still behind the imports when it comes to V6 engine design and refinement). The newly developed 265 HP, 3.5-liter V6 powering the front wheels or all wheels, depending on the model, was overwhelmingly underwhelming. Considering the two-plus tons it's being asked to motivate, it provides barely adequate grunt no matter where you mash the carpet in the rev-range. -- Autoblog
- Stability control system is too intrusive.
- Should have a third row of seats (the Santa Fe and GM's forthcoming CUVs will), ESPECIALLY given that it weighs a portly 4500 lbs fully spec'd.
- Interior materials still not up to Hyundai and new GM levels.

I can't wait to see one to form my own impressions.

 

More commonplace Ford bashing by publications. Your continual posting of this garbage is really getting old.

 

As is your inability to accept any legitimate and selective criticisms of Ford products as anything other than "garbage".

Instead of whining about "Ford bashing by publications," why don't you try answering the question as to why the Edge doesn't offer a third row of seating when its competition does...especially with 4500 lbs of weight?

 

holy crap lay off BC. He's obviously a ford fan or he wouldn't be on this site, and even started off the post saying he likes the edge. He's just pointing out what professional car testers (professional, as in its their profession - i'm not saying anything about whether i agree with them or not) are saying about this crucial for ford product. And the points he's brought out are things i've read elsewhere, they seem to be complaints common to many testers. We'll just have to see whether the general public feels the same way, which they often don't. We can all name several "awesome" cars that hardly sell and really crappy cars that still manage to impress the public.

I personally imagine the Edge being a pretty sweet car with a couple drawbacks that people won't really notice too much, cause most people who are looking for this car don't flog it around on twisty roads or do all out acceleration tests.

Its heavy, that's for sure, I woulda hoped Ford had made some advancements in terms of that. But I'm sure that Vista roof doesn't help, safety equipment and... well.. its generally a pretty chunky design, its not a sedan we're talking about. Is it really that heavy compared to its competitors? Somebody posted this in the comments of the autoblog review:
Ford Edge 4098 lbs, 265 hp, 250 lb-ft
Nissan Murano 3851 lbs, 245 hp/246 lb-ft
Acura MDX 4451 lbs, 253 hp/250 lb-ft
BMW X3 4067 lbs, 225hp, 214 lb-ft

If those are all true, then this car fits right in.
I don't think it should have a third row. I can say that when i was a kid, we always had wagons, my folk's still have a grand marquis wagon, and whenever there were those extra seats outback we'd take em out. (Granted that still left 6 seatbelts elsewhere in that car...)
Some people simply don't ever carry more than four passengers, and would gladly trade off two extra seats that might get used once in a blue moon for a cargo area that benefits from a little extra space. No matter what kind of stow-and-go contraption you got going, the seats themselves will always take up space... unless they come out with some crazy fabric over aluminium tube skeleton... that's not gonna happen.
People who need the extra seats will have several options a little higher up in the product line: Freestyle (that to me is the direct "bigger brother" to the edge, in the crossover line of things) or the Fairlane or even the Explorer. I'm very happy they opted for only two rows.

 

Here's another review of the Edge and it yields a much different opinion of the engine performance:

 

BC I am not whining, simply stating fact regarding how so many publications just enjoy beating up Ford products be they old or new. I also feel you absolutely enjoy posting negative press about the company and their products. This is a pro Ford board. I don't understand your need to continually mine the internet for negativity toward Ford and then post it here. Why not do that and post it on a Toyota or GM forum? It would be much more welcome there I'm sure.

BTW, I'm sure if Ford WANTED the Edge to have a third row seat, they would've designed it that way. Perhaps YOU should embark on a mission to be employed at Ford and show them how to truly do their jobs.

 

OK, I'm going to again, post what I thought of it, since I actually rode in one (unless BC wants to believe the fellows that were on Autoline Detroit). The power of the Edge at takeoff, when I was in it was very good. Didn't feel underpowered AT ALL!!! It was also very nimble around a parking lot. It didn't feel underpowered, or overweight during manuvering in parking spots. Its amazing that these two pinheads were the only ones so far out of alot of paper media to bash the engine. As said in a post above, all other reviews were positive on the power.

About the weight of the vehicle. Remember, that all the safety features that are STANDARD will add weight. If Ford came to market with this vehicle and made side airbags, ABS, ect, options, to save weight, everyone would be blasting them for not making them standard!! Come on now, you can't have it both ways. All the airbags, ABS, sability control, Personal safety system, it will add weight. I'll take all the standard safety items over less weight anyday.

Lastly, the whole 3rd row thing. Has anyone critisized Nissan's Murano for not having a 3rd row. No, they don't. They just say, how good that vehicle is, and how well its sold these past years. If they were to put a 3rd row in the Edge, no one over the age of 8 would be able to fit in it, and use it! Then everyone would be B(*^&ing that the 3rd row isn't really usable! So the Acura has a 3rd row, has anyone actually tried to sit in the MDX's 3rd row? I did, and its a total joke. I'm only 6" tall, but I have long legs, and it wasn't comfortable at all. My knees were near my chin! Plus, I had to slouch, to keep my head from hitting the headliner! A true kids seat, is all its good for.

You know, it seems that when Ford actually brings out a vehicle that looks good (for a change), and is priced MUCH LESS than the competition, and has all the safety items standard, yet Ford still gets beat up for it, I just don't understand some people. Trust me, the Edge is a great vehicle, and will sell well. Before anyone else wants to sit here and trash the car, why don't you just wait till they arrive at dealers, and drive one. Then you can make your own mind up.

Oh, about the 2 dopes on Autoline Detroit. Frank Markus, he's a total speed freak! He has (or had a 911 GT3), so anything that doesn't have that type of power will be a negative in his eyes. And Wes Raynal, from Autoweek, he's a bit biased, due to his love of all cars import! OK, now off my soapbox.

 

You know, it seems that when Ford actually brings out a vehicle that looks good (for a change), and is priced MUCH LESS than the competition, and has all the safety items standard, yet Ford still gets beat up for it, I just don't understand some people.


I think the highlighted piece says it all. This is what I mean about Ford bashing. If the equipment wasn't there, we'd hear all about it. It's all there and I'm sure this will be a VERY solid product but of course the haters immediately have to say something about the weight. I mean come on, is this a race vehicle? Are people going to be tracking it on the weekend? The third row thing is rediculous. The MDX is a perfect example of a band-aid approach to addressing the third row seat on their completely unprepared vehicle. That vehicle was not designed to have a third row seat yet they threw one in there to try to compete with other manufacturers who DO have product designed for that. NICE MOVE HONDA! I bet that third row seat is unsafe for the people riding there in the event of a rear end collision yet no one says BOO because it's a Honda.

Just more of the same in my book.

 

Hey, lay off guys - I think the Edge looks incredible (I believe I said "spectacular" above). I'm just trying to stoke a healthy debate by quoting what some other reviewers have observed. If we can't have a little honest discussion about the pros and cons of our own vehicles (and where there might be room for improvement) without attacking each other as somehow "disloyal," then that's pretty sad. Besides, Ford is in trouble, so if we can't mete out a little "tough love" now...then when?

And for the record, I really do think some of you have got to get over this "the media hates domestics and are out to get them," philosophy. That's paranoid. In fact, I'm seeing a lot of those traditionally critical media saying good things about a number of new GM products lately.

News Flash: If I were in the market for a CUV right now, the Edge would be near - if not at - the top of my list. OK?

I DO NOT want to see this company fail.

With respect to reviews, here's one of the ones that is definitely more positive:

 

Hey BC, fair enough dude. The thing that gets my blood boiling, is when some people saw how bad it is, jus off of a review, and they haven't even been in the vehicle themselves. I just want people to hold on totheir opinions until they actually see one (and drive one) in person.

And about the reviewers being biased. I only say it cause I have seen it for my own eyes. Take CandD. They just recently did a big writeup on sports cars. They bashed the Mustang in the article. The thing is, the car that they used for their test, was the exact same car from their 10 best story over a year ago (which was an article where they praised the Mustang!). Being the same car, no wonder the car didn't perform well, its been flogged ALOT since then! I just want them to be fair on their reviews, thats all. When they do a new test like this, get a new car from Ford's media fleet. I know that they can.

 

Well, I think the Edge is one of the best looking vehicles on the road, frankly!

The design is far and away Ford's best North American effort since the Stang. The three bar grille seems to integrate much better on the Edge than it does on the Fusion, in fact. It's a look that Ford should continue to adopt and refine for most of its vehicles, IMHO.

Well, a lot of them are offering praise to GM now for many of its new vehicles. My only personal complaint against Ford (and the Edge falls into this category) is that the interior design and switch gear could be better. The seats look terrific...the center console looks fine, but the HVAC controls appear to be the same ones in the Stang, and many of GM's new vehicles have them beat in this regard. Also, I think it's time for Ford to move to full LED/electroluminescent guages for the instrument cluster. They're easier to read and offer a more upscale, modern aesthetic. The exterior of the Edge is sensational; the interior doesn't quite keep up, IMHO.

Below is a pic of the interior for the new Saturn Outlook (Edge competitor), which I think is a slight cut above the Edge >>

 

I wont go so far as to claim that blatant media bias is ruining what should/would be perfectly good Ford reviews otherwise...but I think the example of the less than glowing Ford 3.5L review printed earlier does show an odd "love it or hate it" trend with some of Fords newer product. (hate may be too strong of a word, but the analogy fits)

I have seen at least two prominent new car mags describe the 3.5L as buttery smooth and more than powerful enough...while others complain that it lacks tech and is rough around the edges. This reminds me of some GT500 reviews, with Motor Trend and Car and Driver providing perfect polar opposites.

Often, you've cited magazines to express your opinion that the GT500 is too heavy, not as fast as it should be, and poorly balanced. While I cannot say that I agree, Car and Driver would appear to agree wholeheartedly given their reviews of the same. So you have a basis for your complaints.

However, Motor Trend...well, couldn't agree less if you'll excuse my play on words. They talk about how refined the car is, and how it is a proper GT in a world where there aren't many proper GT's. They discuss how well it steers, how well is handles, and how fast it is, especially from a roll where they think it's positively sublime. (ironically the same thing used to be said of the twin blown Aston V-8's, a car whose character MT has compared the GT500 to on occasion)

And in strange keeping with this Motor Trend consistently get faster times from the GT500 than their crosstown rival C&D does, blowing those numbers clear into the weeds for that matter. And while we might normally attribute such a thing to a generic difference in how rags get their acceleration data I'm not sure that is the cause here since this doesn't hold true for these two rags as we don't see this kind of glaring difference in tested numbers for cars like the C6 Vette.

Even stranger Motor Trends head scribe, good old Angus M., is apparently the GT500's biggest fan by far at that rag...and he has often been accused of having an anti-Ford bias. Go figure. And even more ironic it becomes even more difficult to hang the Ford bias tag on any of these guys because they aren't typically sweeping as an organization, or even as a writer, in their praise or condemnation of these new Ford products

But while I'm not ready to attribute the above to bias against Ford, I will lend an ear to the idea that simple preferences in specific areas sometimes affect our judgement regarding a product as a whole...we all do it. Have some folks read the tech sheet on the 3.5L and unwittingly doomed it before it even got out of the gate due to an inherent Jones for all things tech? I'm sure it happens, and could have occured here, especially given that a lot of these guys are engineers. Even if it did happen do I think they were out to get Ford? No....no more than I would accuse somebody who just cannot wrap their brain around high winding/low-torque four cylinders of being out to get Honda for being less than friendly to a Civic Si. It just isn't their "thing"

Could it also be that the 3.5L really could stand to be a bit more refined? Sure, I suppose. I haven't driven one as yet so I can't really say. Could the GT500 have been so much faster in the hands of MT because they have a better handle on trickier cars to drive than C&D does? Sure, and as much has been said before. If MT conducts a direct test between the C6 and GT500 in the future, and in spite of a good run for the C6 the GT500 is notably faster, does this mean that thosw who claim the GT500 isn't faster are wrong? Could be. Or do those better MT acceleration numbers for the GT500 really just point to a good day for MT? I suppose that could happen too.

I really don't know why we are seeing so much disparity in Ford testing of late. But I do think that, since it is there even among respected authorities, we really need to be certain that we weigh their opinions, consider their approach, and try to account for the fact that sometimes it isn't as much about good or bad or right or wrong as it is about simple preference. We have seen this with the above review, regarding wether high tech is necessary for a truly competitive V-6, and..dare I say it,wether IRS is a necessity for good handling in the GT500. Obviously on these points, given the reviews concerning the above V-6 and GT500, not even the authorities can agree so I certainly don't expect to find agreement here.

As for the switchgear issue...I wish Ford would sell Volvo just so they can rip off Volvo's superb center stack layout, and execution, in the parting instead of shorting Ford products with a far more generic, and not nearly as well executed, version of the same in an attempt to maintain an engineered sense of superiority for high line Volvo. Of course, we have ambiguity even here...is it really Volvo's center stack? Would Ford really be ripping it off or simply appropriating for their "home brand" what is theirs anyway?

I'm stopping now before my head starts to hurt.

 

A really stellar review for the Edge can be found here.

 

Another pretty good review here

 

Thanks for the reviews BC.