Crossovers are all the rage in the automotive industry. A buzz-word, “crossover” is a vehicle that automakers market to sell to two or more niches. The most popular crossover is the small SUV that doubles as a sportwagon, and attempts to slide into the minivan field as well.
Ford has entered into the CUV (crossover utility vehicle) arena with its 2007 Edge. With a bold, athletic and classy American design, Edge is poised to create excitement and sales for the Ford line-up.
At 185.7 inches in length, the Edge is about 8 inches shorter than the top-selling SUV in the world, the Ford Explorer. The 67.2-inch-tall Edge is also 6 inches shorter than Explorer, but shares about the same width – 75.8 inches. This makes for a big, roomy ride inside, with 5-passenger seating, 40.0 inches of headroom in front (39.3 in row two) and 40.7 inches of legroom up front (39.6 behind). You also get cargo space of 32.1 cubic feet behind row two, and 69.6 cubic feet of area behind row one, with the second row folded flat.
In addition to roominess and design style, Edge offers first-class stability and a solid ride.
I took to the Carlisle Fairgrounds auto-cross track with a Ford executive in the passenger seat. Through quick S-curves, tight slaloms and pedal-to-the-floor acceleration, the rider experienced, not quite a thrill ride, but a testament to safety and stability. The all-wheel-drive and a low center of gravity make this a car one can drive confidently in all conditions. There is some yaw when one puts the Edge through its paces by making faster and quicker adjustments and moves than one should prudently make. But even with some wobble, I never felt as though the vehicle would let go – and I was pushing it hard through the slalom. The roll stability control was omnipresent and limited my speed around the corners. The Edge even applied brakes when it thought I was … well … on the edge. While my test ride is NOT a race track car, it IS a sensible family car, and that is the niche it is supposed to fit.
I expected more power from the 265-hp 3.5-liter V-6 engine under the hood. The 250 lbs.-ft. of torque should have propelled this 4282-lb. sports-ute in accelerative style. But I was only able to pop from zero to 60mph in 8.5 seconds, covering the quarter-mile in a sluggish 16.5. High-end torque is better distributed than low-end torque, so you do get decent velocity increase at high speed, but a quick pedal-mash delivers hesitant response. I was also disappointed in the fuel economy, as my test ride averaged only 17.3mpg, with a large portion of the tests performed along Central Pennsylvania and Northwest Maryland highways. While that is within the EPA rating of 17mpg in city driving and 24 on the highway, one reason for the crossover niche is to appeal to more fuel-conscious buyers who want smaller, lighter vehicles than full-blown SUVs.
Stopping ability is satisfactory, thanks to 4-wheel disc brakes, 4-channel ABS and Continental Cross Contact P245/60R18 rubber, but not as forceful and confidence building as the exemplary stopping power I have found in larger Ford F-Series trucks.
Still, safety is paramount with Ford, and the Edge provides an excellent array of safety measures. Standard safety features include Ford’s industry-leading Advance Trac with Roll Stability Control, seat-mounted side air bags, extended-duration side curtain air bags ,Safety Canopy air curtain system, Ford’s Personal Safety System, occupant classification system and side impact door beams. An energy-absorbing steering wheel and knee bolster for the driver, and an energy-absorbing glove box for the passenger, along with solid unibody construction and its cross-member ladder frame as well as a reinforced greenhouse, energy-absorbing side door trim create a vehicle with family safety in mind.
The cabin is comfortable, and road noise is kept at a minimum as engineers spent hundreds of hours fine-tuning Edge’s interior ambiance. Wind-tunnel tests on clay models and computer-generated replicas helped designers reduce interior noise to a level seldom experienced in SUVs.
The centerpiece of the interior might be the panoramic roof that opens to illuminate or shade the two cabin rows and it becomes nearly a convertible when it is fully open. My Carbon Clearcoat Metallic Edge SEL was mated to a Camel leather interior. The cabin was outfitted with a front console, manual air conditioning, power windows with one-touch down power locks, speed control and a premium AM/FM/MP3 capable, CDx6 audio system with nine speakers. The SEL comes with steering wheel audio controls, message center/compass, chrome exhaust tips, dual illuminated visors audio system and comfortable leather seats.
The base price on the 2007 Ford Edge is $30,720, and my test vehicle came in at $36,775, with the panoramic roof ($1395), 18-inch chrome-plated aluminum wheels ($750), DVD Navigation system ($2380), reverse sensing system ($254), Class II trailer towing system rated at 3500 lbs. ($350), satellite radio package ($195), lower cargo management system ($65) and destination and delivery ($675).
Will the Edge give Ford the edge in the crossover market? Time will tell, but this is a solid step in that direction.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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