![]() It’s not as fancy as a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it’s not quite as low-rent as a Toyota Venza, either. A soft-touch dashboard with respectable imitation-wood trim combined with leather seating on my test car to present an upscale environment. The Ford Edge’s interior was updated for 2011, and it still looks and feels like a modern, quality setting. The turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine is meant as the fuel-economy option, rated a better 21/30 mpg, but it costs extra to get the EcoBoost motor, and spending more to save money makes it something of a wash. The truck has plenty of electronic safety measures to prevent rollovers and skids, but you’ll quickly realize that this is not a vehicle made for driving with enthusiasm.įuel economy for front-wheel-drive models is rated by the EPA at 19/27 mpg city/highway for the base V-6 - not stellar by today’s standards but not awful for the category. The SUV’s weight feels even more pronounced in such conditions, too, with the Edge rolling on its suspension, feeling tippy and top-heavy. Even low-speed tight curves send lots of noise up through the wheel wells. A vault-quiet ride in a straight line turns into a noisy venture through the curves, as the tire scrub in corners is loud and pronounced. It’s when the road starts to twist that the Ford Edge feels out of its element. Long-distance interstate cruising is where the Edge truly shines, providing an amazingly smooth, quiet experience. At highway speeds, the Edge requires a kickdown in the transmission to get adequate passing power but never feels lacking or underpowered. Off the line, the Edge feels heavy, with acceleration coming in a smooth but unhurried wave. Our test model came with the 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which is a smooth and perfectly adequate motor to power the Edge around town and an even better one for highway motoring. All engines are mated to a standard six-speed automatic transmission, and the Ford Edge Sport model adds flappy-paddle manual shifters behind the steering wheel. A Sport trim level is available, bringing a larger 3.7-liter V-6 out of the related Lincoln MKX and bumping horsepower up to 305, which can be channeled to either just the front or to all four sporty alloy wheels. The EcoBoost makes 240 hp but is meant to be a fuel economy champ instead of a torque monster. The base engine is a strong, 3.5-liter V-6 making 285 horsepower and available with either front- or all-wheel drive (AWD) a turbocharged, EcoBoost 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is an extra-cost option on front-wheel-drive models only. The Edge offers three engines - a level of choice uncommon in the American market. Now that so many competitors have come up with their own new models, we figured it was time to take another look at whether Ford’s family-hauler is still fit for duty. No major changes were made from 2012 to 2013, but the popular SUV didn’t really need any, as its update for 2011 prompted many automakers to scramble in an attempt to catch up. The Edge has been around a while, introduced for the 2007 model year and last given a major update for 2011, when it got a new front and rear end and an upgraded interior featuring Ford’s controversial MyFord Touch multimedia system. ![]() In the Ford lineup, the five-seat Edge occupies the middle ground between the compact Escape and the larger Explorer and Flex. ![]() Midsize SUVs are a common sight on American roads these days, having largely taken over for minivans as the top body-type choice for family-hauling duties. It rides and drives well, but is ultimately let down by the unreliability of its electronic gizmos. The 2013 Ford Edge is a solid, if flawed, model in the highly competitive family SUV category.
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