2007 Ford Edge: First Look
Ford expects crossover SUVs — Nissan Muranos, Chevy Equinoxes and the like — to outsell all other vehicle segments by 2010. The Detroit automaker hopes to grab a slice of the pie with its five-passenger Edge, which goes on sale this November for around $26,000. At a media gathering yesterday near Chicago, I had a chance to see the Edge up close.
In terms of styling, it’s clear Ford has finally hit its stride. The Edge’s razorblade grille looks like a Gillette scaled 500 to 1, and it’s sure to set the car apart from other crossovers circling the mall parking lot. From most angles, the car looks bullish and hunkered down — so much so that the Toyota RAV4 I drove home seemed spindly in comparison.
Inside, the Edge packs comfortable front seats and large dashboard controls. Gauges are enormous and so flashy they’re almost absurd. A futuristic gear shifter took up my entire hand, and a two-panel moonroof spans both rows of seats.
The backseat folds down manually or with optional power release buttons in the cargo bay. If it’s folded along with the fold-flat front passenger seat, there’s enough space inside to pack an entire dorm room. And since the roofline doesn’t taper off until just before the liftgate, there's plenty of headroom for rear passengers and a smaller blind spot for drivers. Even so, that Toyota RAV4 somehow has more interior cargo room.
The function aspect of the Edge seems to override form almost completely when you sit in the driver’s seat. The dashboard is a mix of ill-fitted panels, while the climate controls come from Ford’s parts bin. We see them in everything from the Fusion sedan to the Lincoln Navigator SUV, and they’re not the most attractive bunch. Headrests for all five seats feel flimsy and unsubstantial, and the center rear armrest is awfully thin.
Luckily for Ford, the Edge is not meant to be a luxury vehicle. That ball falls in Lincoln’s court, with the Edge-based MKX. Edge shoppers, meanwhile, are looking more for on-road utility in a maneuverable package — as opposed to the towing and offroad capabilities in Ford’s Explorer and Expedition, Edge marketing manager Jeri Ward said.
Unlike GM’s plans to scale back the Chevy TrailBlazer and its siblings in favor of crossovers, Ward said Ford is committed to sustaining the Explorer and other truck-based SUVs because it wants to give customers as many choices as possible.
That’s fine, as long as the Edge goes front and center. After my face time with the Edge, I think it’s likely to be a strong contender in this ever-expanding segment.
Related: Ford Prices New Edge Crossover Under $26,000
More Photos
Cargo room (above) is plentiful and the rear seats are easy to flip down with the optional power button (below).
Ford's new 3.5-liter V-6 engine is a marked improvement over past powerplants. You can't tell by looking at this rather dull engine bay though. Most cars today feature sharp looking engine covers. Even if engine covers are just for show, where's the show Ford Edge?
The two-panel moonroof (above) shows-off the architecture of the room the Edge was sitting in. The roof-mounted buttons (below) are easy enough to understand.
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If Ford were to slap a $5,000 rebate on it I would consider it, but only if it was in year 3 of production. I've learned in the past to never ever buy a Ford or GM that's in the first two years of production. To date my family has been forced to lemon law one Ford and two GM vehicles. Ironically even though we have owned more German and Japanese cars, never once have we had to lemon law any of them.
Looks like a real winner. Can't wait to drive one.
buying first year vehicles is always risky no matter the brand. sometime it even changes depending on month of production. A bad launch can really hurt a vehicle as ford discovered with the Focus. Although in recent years the trend hasn't been quite as noticeable.
My 1995 Ford Explorer was a first year remake. It now has over 130,000 miles on it and it's still going strong. I understand this was the best year in terms of durability for the Explorer. I've had very few problems. The CD changer was made by Sony and it's been replaced twice and now broke again (all sonys). The rest of the truck is doing fine.
I BOUGHT A 1994 MERCURY GRAND MARQQUIS 5 YEARS AGO WITH 100 THOUSAND MILES ON TEH ODOMETER. I HAVE DRIVEN IT 80,000 TROUBLE FREE MILES SINCE THEN WITH ONLY ONE TUNE UP ONE SET OF BRAKE PADS
FORD MAKES GOOD CARS THEY JUST NEED BETTER DESIGNERS IN THEIR CAR DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE STILL USING THE SAME BODY DESIGN THAT THEY BROUGHT OUT IN 1992 ON THE MERCURY MARQUIS AND THE CROWN VIC. THEY HAVE PUT ON NEW TAIL LIGHTS HEAD LIGTHS GRILLS BUT THE CAR IS STILL THE BASIC CAR THEY DESIGNED IN 1992 THAT IS 15 YEARS RUNNING. SINCE THEN 2007 WHILE CHRYSLER AND OTHERRS BRING OUT NEW DESIGNS FORD STAYS THE SAME. THEIR DESIGNERS HAVE BEEN ASLEEP AT THE CONTROLS
WAKE UP BEFORE IT IS TO LATE IF NOT ALREADY.
I agree with you...FORD does make strong lasting cars...but most of their designs suck bigtime...they need to design their cars better...not continue to make the same look on a car for years...
I like what I see so far, but it still seems that Ford is still a couple of years behind their competition.
Dave is right.Never Never Never Never buy first year production.Even the japs have first-yeat problems.Most of these new models are made with new tools, on new lines and by workers who have never done the job they are doing before.A recipe for trouble.reliability testing is expensive and impossible as far as on the long term.ultimately,a first year buyer is the reliability testing.historically im GM, but im unbiased.GM makes better powertrains,Fords are put together better with better plastics.Thats my life experience not rhetoric.
I like this edge and I like the MKX even better,that car is beautiful.
but fully loaded its around 40k
putting it in a class with lexus,infiniti, even cadillac,ect ,a class I feel that it cant compete in.thats a different subj. tho...
Results from fusion/milan consumer reports is good sign Ford can create new product sucessfully.
My driving is devided between Canada & US....50/50. It is impossible for me to read the minor numbers on the spedometer. The Edge is not the only car with this oversight however,as I was considering purchasing a new edge it is the one that I find most aggrivating.
I recently had a chance to hop into a new 07 Ford Edge. I was fairly excited due to the new design. At first glance the vehicle looks fresh and new, something I am not really used to from Ford but after a little while in the vehicle the cons started to outweigh the pros. Physically its a substantial vehicle, bigger than you would expect when standing next to it. Visibailty is good and the vehicle runs quiet. The ride is also smooth and the seats were supportive. With the tapered rear roof over the cargo bay one would think it hampers the interior room but it is suprisingly big. Unfortunately, this for me is where the good impression of the vehicle ends. Upon closer inspection the build quality becomes very apparent with mis-alignment and irregular gaps. The most noticeable one was the passenger door not lining up at all with the rest of the vehicle. When the door panel sill line is a quarter inch higher than the rear passenger door, it begins to raise questions. The interior of the edge has to be one of the worst designs ive seen on a new vehicle. I understand the necessity to cut production costs but I literally hopped into a plastic hell. I saw the "modern and simple" style ford was going for but it fell short by miles. It looks like they knew what they were aiming for originally but found out they had half the interior production budget they were hoping for. At the very least I know there are better plastics out there. A few months back I drove the freestyle... er taurus x... er dropped explorer, and that interior while not groundbreaking was much better than the edge. The only part of the interior that looked moderately inspired was the shifter with the inlayed faux metal. The version of the edge I jumped into did not have the nav system, just the CD player. I can honeslty say that I have never been more tempted to rip out a stock unit and replace it with anything else as I did when I saw it. I left the vehicle rather dissapointed that Ford would finally have an inspired exterior design but completely forgot the "edge" when it came to the interior. The thought had crossed my mind that maybe I was being too critical on the interior when the rest of the vehicle is decent. However the average vehicle owner will have the car for about 6 years if not more and i believe the dash that already seems cheap and outdated will be almost an uncomfortable embarrassment down the road. But then again this is just my opinion. There are obviously thousdands of edge owners that like it.
I bought the new MKX 2 months ago as a replacement to our Lexus RX and I could not be happier. Not only is the exterior and interior more exciting and stylish (with the exception of the fake metal), but it is quieter and gets more looks in Los Angeles at a cheaper price. I am actually proud to drive my MKX and feel that Ford is finally starting to get it right.
I drove the new Edge a few weeks ago, it drove very nicely. Lots of power and very smooth ride. The headrests really suck, they are at a 45 degree angle to the seat, my neck was stiff after only 15 minutes of driving. I wouldn't even think a roadtrip in this car without removing the headrests. There is no front to back adjustment on the headrests either.
I bought the first edge from my dealership. i have over 59k miles on it already driving around the country. I have only changinged the oil in it and one air filter. I open the sunroof and windows almost everday a few times. I have been getting 27mpg highway with it. Great car.
The edge on road drives superbly but then I have only about 1800km on it. I live in Dubai and driving here is sometimes a mess with so much traffic. This morning the car refused to start and then while I was fiddling I happened to pull the bonnet open and lo! behold! the car started I dont know how? Does anyone have any clue, also the alignment is bad, the car is pulling towards the right.
Please someone offer advice.
Suomo, haha, I used to live somewhere near Dubai, but for your problem, you need to check with your Ford dealer there in Dubai.
Does anyone else notice a similarity between the Edge's styling and that of the Juggernaut from X-men? I personally don't like it. But then again, I don't usually like SUV styles.
Headrests that are designed by and for insurance companies TOTALLY and COMPLETELY SUCK and I'm removing mine!