2011 Ford Edge SEL
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: First off, this is one of the nicest colors of red I’ve seen on a “regular” car in a long time. Love the color. And I also really like what Ford has done with the interior. The dash is all new, and while it might be considered by some to be a bit tedious to operate with the information window on the left of the speedometer and the infotainment window on the right operated via the steering-wheel-mounted buttons, I actually liked it--once I figured it all out. Plus, I also got the Sync system to work flawlessly, making the right changes via voice command for the first time ever.
The center stack and all the heating and air-conditioning controls are also new, and it’s a simple, clean look.
I think the steering is a bit light for my taste but overall, the ride is quite Taurus-like, which isn’t a bad thing. The utility of the Edge, with the ability to drop the rear seats, makes this an extremely practical package at what is an attractive price, considering the level of equipment here.
COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO-WRIGHT: Ditto Roger’s comment on the color; stylish and yet not too loud. And the interior is also stylish. I love the new layout of the center stack; the controls are easy to use with barely a touch of the finger. I didn’t get a chance to try out the voice commands, though. Next time.
Once I got on the road, I thought this Edge felt planted and solid. I breezed north up I-75 to a doctor’s appointment. Merging into traffic was effortless, but the transmission does take second to downshift when you ask for more oomph to pass other vehicles.
The interior is quite roomy and presents well. The seats, I thought, were just OK; the bottom felt flat. And, with having to move the driver’s seat forward quite a bit to reach the pedals, the seatbelt was overly constraining being mounted quite a bit back on the B-pillar. Those nits aside, the Edge was a fine drive and a nice mix of sport and style.
EDITOR WES RAYNAL: The sticker here is actually lower than I thought it would be. I was guessing it would be in the $40,000 range, so that was a pleasant surprise.
This is a nice trucklet. It looks better inside and out than the outgoing model, and it drives well. It has decent power, though an EcoBoost V6 engine in this would be great. Maybe Ford will offer that later on. One thing that jumped out at me was that the brakes felt quite a bit better than those on the last Ford ute that I drove.
The whole MyFord Touch system took some getting used to. Ford says it’s sort of the next-generation of Sync and it worked like the old one in that it didn’t work all that well the couple times I tried it. One time I asked it to set the temp at 70, and it took me from Sirius radio to 1070 AM. I asked it again and it shut the radio off entirely. Oh well, maybe I need practice annunciating.
MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON : I had a short stint in this car but I did like it. I was impressed by the nice interior design and the finish; Ford is really stepping up in that department. The exterior is nice as well, and I was extremely comfortable behind the wheel: good brakes, well-controlled chassis, enough power for what I imagine anyone who buys one will need for urban duties.
However, this “touch” interface for the various on-board controls really annoyed me. The small, smartly designed “buttons” look very fresh and modern, but my goodness, are they difficult to toggle accurately. Trying to change the temp settings and radio station quickly drove me nuts. The buttons couldn’t react quickly enough to my inputs, so I’d tap the channel up button a bunch of times and the actual registering of those touches was all out of whack and delayed. Same with the climate control. I was not thrilled.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: I spent a weekend plus in the Edge and found it pleasant to drive, but the lack of navigation system buried in all the Sync operation really hurt its utility in my book. I never really Sync’d up with the car, so not having a digital map on the big display screen made the lack thereof all the more glaring.
Aside from that complaint, the car is a steady cruiser, with some utility, enough comfort, sufficient power and a well-done interior to carry the day. The brakes, as noted, are particularly strong.
Though the price is reasonable, it seems like the Edge might be a car without a place in the showroom once the Explorer explodes onto the market and absorbs all of its sales. The Flex is, ahem, edgy enough in styling to survive, but I’m not so sure about this everyday-appearing crossover.
2011 Ford Edge SEL
Base Price: $32,845
As-Tested Price: $34,240
Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6; AWD, six-speed automatic
Output: 285 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 253 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
Curb Weight: 4,265 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 21/21.7 mpg
Options: Rapid spec 201A including Sync voice-activated systems, rearview camera ($1,000); red candy metallic tinted paint ($395)
Credit: Auto Week
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