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Overall: Ford's new
crossover must rely on its appearance, because the rest is
not up to the competition.
Overall Rating: 4/10
Recommended: No
For the 2005 model year,
Ford introduced the Freestyle crossover based on its Five Hundred large
sedan. That vehicle is roomy, practical, safe, well-priced, rides and
handles well, and gets very good gas mileage for a midsize SUV. It has been
the IFCAR Top Pick among midsize SUVs ever since.
Sales of the Freestyle have been below
expectations, so when Ford brought out the Edge as a 2007 model, most
everything was done differently, and thus the Edge is one of the least
impressive vehicles in its class, sharing few of the Freestyle's strong
points.
Its dimensions and shape prevent the inclusion
of a third-row seat, and limit cargo space. Despite its smaller size, the
Edge heavier and more expensive than the Freestyle. Also, the second-row
seat, while roomy, is too low. The Edge is one of the first vehicles to use
Ford's new 3.5-liter V6, but this engine stands out neither in its
performance nor its refinement nor its gas mileage (though the weight of the
vehicle is no doubt partially to blame, and gas mileage isn't bad for a
midsize SUV).
The Edge rides comfortably, but it is more
softly sprung than much of the competition and the Freestyle, and is
consequently outhandled by them despite the sportier pretensions of its
styling.
The Edge's appearance and compromises in
interior space would suggest that it is chasing sporty SUVs like the Nissan
Murano and Mitsubishi Endeavor, but its soft ride and lack of agility play
it as a family car. An impractical family car, compared to the competition.
In addition to Ford's own Freestyle, a
comparison should be drawn between the Edge and GM's new crossover SUVs.
Those, the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia, focused on maximum practicality,
comfort, and refinement, making them far better family vehicles than the
Edge. GM clearly got its crossovers right, and Ford truly dropped the ball
on the Edge.
If the Edge's looks led you to expect a sporty
drive, look instead at the Nissan Murano and Mitsubishi Endeavor, as well as
the smaller but equally spacious Toyota RAV4. For comparable interior space
at a much lower price, look at Ford's own Escape, as well as the Honda CR-V,
Hyundai Santa Fe, and RAV4, though the first two have much less power than
the Edge. For maximum family practicality, look to the Freestyle, the
Outlook/Acadia, and the Honda Pilot, or, if you are willing, minivans like
the Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, and Toyota Sienna.
And a note to Ford: the Freestyle's problem was
not that it was too practical, not that it had too many rows of seats, not
that it handled too well, not that it was too inexpensive. It was boring to
look at and could have used some extra pep. In addition to the 2007 Edge, a
2008 update to the Freestyle gives it the Edge's engine (which, while not
superb, is a drastic improvement over its current one), new styling, and the
name "Taurus X." That is what Ford should have focused its crossover budget
on, not the impractical, overpriced, and overweight Edge.
See Vehicle Overview
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