Long-Term Test: 2007 Ford Edge
Introduction
By Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager | Published Jan 10, 2007
1 Rating
With the 2007 Ford Edge, the Ford Motor Company has a lot at stake. It's trying to reinvent itself for the future, and this compact sport-utility is meant to reinvent the American automobile at the same time. We'll soon discover if Ford is standing at the Edge of a bright new beginning or financial disaster.
The 2007 Ford Edge is certainly the kind of vehicle we need in our test fleet. It offers best-in-class horsepower and torque, competitive fuel economy, ULEV-certified air emissions, available all-wheel drive and a treasure trove of safety features.
What we bought
We decided to pass on the base-model Edge SE (MSRP under $26K) and opt for the midlevel SEL package with front-wheel drive. Minimal negotiation knocked $610 off the sticker price and we paid $29,500. Additional options added $2,120 to the bottom line pretty quickly. First, the Seating Flexibility Package ($985) adds leather-trimmed seats, a six-way power passenger seat and a fold-flat second-row seat with a rear EasyFold remote release. Second, the Rear Cargo Management System ($65) includes a storage compartment below the rear floor. Other options include 18-inch painted aluminum wheels, roof rails and Sirius Satellite Radio. Finally, we included the upgraded audiophile radio with six-disc CD changer.
All Edge trim levels feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine beneath the hood that's built to deliver 265 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. Paired with the 24-valve DOHC V6 is a six-speed automatic transmission, which helps achieve a projected 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Our actual observed fuel economy, however, is only 17.8 mpg to date.
Our eagerness to purchase the Edge from current dealer stock meant we had to make some compromises, and in this case it was the color scheme: Dune Pearl Metallic for the exterior with a Camel interior. Yes, that's two humps in the front and a 60/40-fold-flat seat in the back, which means seating for five passengers in total. It will be interesting to see how the beige interior holds up considering our experience with our long-term BMW 330i.
Why we bought it
Crossover-utility vehicles (CUVs) are poised to become the auto industry's largest segment and Ford is betting the farm on this notion. The Edge is arguably the future of the company, and while this alone makes the car significant enough to test, it's not the only reason for our purchase.
Our recent full test of the Edge SEL AWD left us less than completely impressed, and with so much riding on the success of this car we wanted to give it a fair shake over the long term. For one, the extra time allows us to test the aspects of utility for which the car was built that we could not do justice to in a short-term test. Further, this is the only way to test the fuel economy, family-friendliness and durability that consumers carefully consider before they buy. It also gives us the opportunity to see how the Edge holds up against competitors like our long-term 2007 Toyota RAV4.
Track test and impressions
We expected our FWD Edge (4,195 pounds) to perform right on par if not slightly better than the aforementioned (and 335 pounds heavier) AWD variant. We were right.
Both our dynamic tests were limited by Ford's stability control system. A slalom speed of 58.4 mph and skid-pad grip of 0.73g were the best the Edge could muster and the same in both variations. Acceleration from zero to 60 mph arrived in 7.4 seconds, a full second faster than the Edge AWD. The quarter-mile fell in 15.8 seconds at 87.6 mph, a half-second faster than its heavier AWD counterpart.
When it comes to cars geared for family duty, stopping is more important than going fast. In the case of the Edge, stopping from 60 mph in 158 feet is not getting the job done. Relatively low mileage may be a factor in this poor result, but even with only 818 miles on the odometer we expect better.
Over the next year we'll record the durability, cost of ownership, real-time fuel economy and overall utility of our latest long-term test vehicle. Ford has a lot riding on the Edge, and in the coming months Inside Line will have a lot of writing about the Edge.
Current Odometer: 818
Best Fuel Economy: 19.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.6 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 17.8 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None.
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
The 2007 Ford Edge is certainly the kind of vehicle we need in our test fleet. It offers best-in-class horsepower and torque, competitive fuel economy, ULEV-certified air emissions, available all-wheel drive and a treasure trove of safety features.
What we bought
We decided to pass on the base-model Edge SE (MSRP under $26K) and opt for the midlevel SEL package with front-wheel drive. Minimal negotiation knocked $610 off the sticker price and we paid $29,500. Additional options added $2,120 to the bottom line pretty quickly. First, the Seating Flexibility Package ($985) adds leather-trimmed seats, a six-way power passenger seat and a fold-flat second-row seat with a rear EasyFold remote release. Second, the Rear Cargo Management System ($65) includes a storage compartment below the rear floor. Other options include 18-inch painted aluminum wheels, roof rails and Sirius Satellite Radio. Finally, we included the upgraded audiophile radio with six-disc CD changer.
All Edge trim levels feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine beneath the hood that's built to deliver 265 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. Paired with the 24-valve DOHC V6 is a six-speed automatic transmission, which helps achieve a projected 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Our actual observed fuel economy, however, is only 17.8 mpg to date.
Our eagerness to purchase the Edge from current dealer stock meant we had to make some compromises, and in this case it was the color scheme: Dune Pearl Metallic for the exterior with a Camel interior. Yes, that's two humps in the front and a 60/40-fold-flat seat in the back, which means seating for five passengers in total. It will be interesting to see how the beige interior holds up considering our experience with our long-term BMW 330i.
Why we bought it
Crossover-utility vehicles (CUVs) are poised to become the auto industry's largest segment and Ford is betting the farm on this notion. The Edge is arguably the future of the company, and while this alone makes the car significant enough to test, it's not the only reason for our purchase.
Our recent full test of the Edge SEL AWD left us less than completely impressed, and with so much riding on the success of this car we wanted to give it a fair shake over the long term. For one, the extra time allows us to test the aspects of utility for which the car was built that we could not do justice to in a short-term test. Further, this is the only way to test the fuel economy, family-friendliness and durability that consumers carefully consider before they buy. It also gives us the opportunity to see how the Edge holds up against competitors like our long-term 2007 Toyota RAV4.
Track test and impressions
We expected our FWD Edge (4,195 pounds) to perform right on par if not slightly better than the aforementioned (and 335 pounds heavier) AWD variant. We were right.
Both our dynamic tests were limited by Ford's stability control system. A slalom speed of 58.4 mph and skid-pad grip of 0.73g were the best the Edge could muster and the same in both variations. Acceleration from zero to 60 mph arrived in 7.4 seconds, a full second faster than the Edge AWD. The quarter-mile fell in 15.8 seconds at 87.6 mph, a half-second faster than its heavier AWD counterpart.
When it comes to cars geared for family duty, stopping is more important than going fast. In the case of the Edge, stopping from 60 mph in 158 feet is not getting the job done. Relatively low mileage may be a factor in this poor result, but even with only 818 miles on the odometer we expect better.
Over the next year we'll record the durability, cost of ownership, real-time fuel economy and overall utility of our latest long-term test vehicle. Ford has a lot riding on the Edge, and in the coming months Inside Line will have a lot of writing about the Edge.
Current Odometer: 818
Best Fuel Economy: 19.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.6 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 17.8 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None.
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.