Weekend Athlete: 2009 Ford Edge Sport
I already tested the Ford Edge once, but I decided to give it another look considering it was 10 below zero the first time and I remember thinking how much I enjoyed things like spring-loaded rear seats, a power hatch and anything else that let me load the Edge quickly in inhospitable weather. I wondered then if I’d like those features as much when things were less Hoth-like.
Yes and no is the short answer.
This time around, I liked the spring-loaded rear seats even more than I did the first time. I had to alternate between ferrying a sick bike to the shop, carrying people, carrying groceries and bringing the bike home, which meant I was flopping and folding the seats quite a bit. Pressing a button to fold them down is a major convenience. The Mazda CX-7 and a few other SUVs this size have similar switches.
What’s even better is that Ford managed to place the rear seat belts in such a way that when you push the seatback upright, the seat belt doesn’t get caught between the side of the seat and the side of the car. That’s a rarity, and for that someone at Ford (and any other automaker that designs their seats this way) deserves a medal.
An interesting difference this time around was we had a Sport model. Like you, I assumed “Sport” would mean, you know, good at sports, or helpful for doing sports. I’m thinking of interior bike holders, a container for wetsuits, an interior ski rack, storage for both kick and glide waxes. You know — typical stuff we all use.
Sadly, “Sport” meant revised suspension for better handling, some bodywork and 22-inch wheels (sigh). You can find more on those differences in my full review of the Sport here.
However, for the Weekend Athlete crowd I can say that whoever decided a crossover needed 22-inch rims does not deserve a medal. My problem isn’t that the wheels make the Edge Sport’s ride rougher or that they make the Edge look bad — which they do — it’s just that they’re easier to damage by either hitting a pothole or striking a curb when parallel parking. Nobody needs to be spending money replacing SUV rims when they could be using it on more important things. Like fixing bent bike rims.
All in all, I think after testing the Edge again it maintains its score of 8.5 assuming you don’t go for the large rims. The things that hurt it the first time — its price and a slight blind spot —remain, and its positives retain their favor in this Weekend Athlete’s eyes.
2009|Ford|Edge
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I think it looks sweet with the wheels and that bodywork. You can "make" your own edge "sport", kinda. I was at the Lincoln dealership having my car serviced one time and they had an MKX with aftermarket body work like that- so i'm pretty sure some is made for the edge. I would order a limited (or maybe an SEL), which has more equipment, and add my own wheels (20") and the kit. The cost may be a little more, but the Limited comes with more equipment to begin with, if you got an SEL or a base you would save. You would only lose the tinted lights and the sport package, ah and those added things wont be covered by ford, but they should their own warranty of sorts. :(
Broq
How is the gas mileage?
Those tires are oversized too.
264/40 22, where tires with the same diameter as stock should be 245/40 22.
I have an '07 Edge SEL + with ~20k and I usually get ~19-20mpg mixed driving. Overall, it's a nice ride and one that I'd like to keep longer, but my lease is up in a few months.