sranger

All you really have to do is wait till November/December to get 2K off of MSRP. I do not think this year will be any different from previous years. If the economy slows down as much as is expected this year, we may see 2-3K below MSRP as early as July...

I hate to say it, but your best bet is to get you deposit back, get a local map and start searching dealer inventories in your general area until you find one you like.... Each of my four closest dealers has about three to four each. However, no dealer in the State of GA seems to have a AWD version. I guess that all of those are going to areas in the snow belts...

Congradulations, I hope that you guys enjoy it...

Good call, There is absolutely no reason to pay over MSRP at this time. In a month or two these things will be selling well below MSRP due to strong competition in the class and the less than flattering reviews the Edge is getting. The new Hylander based on the Avalon platform with the new 269hp V6/ 6speed should be out this summer and that will certianly cause the Edge Buzz to wear off.... Right now, I would think that $1,500 off of MSRP would be a reasonable price, but I personally would not buy one unless it was at least $2,000 under MSRP... In general, 2K under MSRP is the max I will go on any new car purchase. The only time I paied close to MSRP was on a 2005 Mustang GT. I bought one in Janurary 2005 for $500 under MSRP. I should not have done it, but in a moment of weakness I gave in.... That is just my opinion...

I saw that, I was glad to see that they were going to give it another chance. However they still seemed to be unhappy with the braking... To put it in prespective, the new 5000+lb Toyota Trundra stoped over 15 feet quicker than a 4100lb Edge FWD... I hope the Long term positives more than make up for the poor braking performance....

I hate to hear about your troubles... I wonder if there is a leak? I know you thought someone left a window down, but it could also be a leak... I would ask for a new car at this point. I would be worried about mold and mildew forming. You paied for a new un-damaged car. That is what you should get....

You are welcome. I hope you get exactly what you want. Just keep calm, do not get in a hurry and above all, don't take the process personal... The Sales person's job is to get you to pay as much as possible and your job is to pay as little as possible. Try to think of it as a challenge and have a little fun with it. Shop at two or three dealers if possible...

Here is my idea of how to buy a new Edge, Sorry it is so long.... Go to Edmunds.com and get the TMV ( true market value ) price for the edge with the options that you want. This will show you the dealer invoice price and MSRP. Ignore the "What others are paying" stuff. ( That is their problem ) Now subtract 3% of the MSRP price from the Invoice price. This 3% is known as the dealer hold back amount. It is basically a rebate that Ford gives the dealer. This price will be close to the actual amount that the dealers pays Ford for the vehicle. The dealer has other incentives, but they are hard to measure. Now, add about 5% ( usually 2-3% is sufficient, but this is a new vehicle in short supply ) to this price for your offer. Print all of this out and go to the dealer with folder in hand. If you have all of this printed out ahead of time it makes it harder for the dealer to confuse you when the negotiations start. Make no doubt about it, when you enter the dealership, they just declared physological war against you. They call this "handling" the customer. Their goal is to confuse you and wear you down with a long drawn out negotiating process. The longer they can keep you in negotiations, the more tired and confused you will get. Keep in mind they will Usually use 1-2 people on a rotation to wear you down. They counting on you getting tired and annoyed so they canslip stuff past you. I often tell the salesperson that I am giving them a time limit of 15 minutes to colse a deal. Any longer and I will walk out. Also make sure that you have eaten BEFORE you go to the dealership. They will typically try to add in things Like Documentation Fees, unusually high financing rates, undercoating, paint sealer, etc. DO NOT accept any of these. If they show you a contract with any of these items pre-printed on them, take a pen and mark a line through them and ask for a manager to initial it. A dealership will usually have the Documentation fees printed in bold on thier sale contract to make it look more "official". A dealer will ofter say thet they are mandidated by the state. DO NOT Believe any of their B.S. about these fees or adders. They are made up and are simply money they are trying to milk out of you. THIS IS VERY IMPORTIANT. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING until the bottom line price matches your price and request a photo copy of the contract BEFORE you sign anything. Do not be supprised if the contract changes when they go back to type up the actual sales contract. You have to keep your guard up every second. Most dealers will try to cheat you if you let them. I always negotiate as a cash deal. When I had to finance, I would always get pre-approved through a bank well ahead of time. The financing part of the negoations is when you are most vulernable. Also have a Kelly Blue book traid in value in with you for any car you are going to trade in. You can get it and print it out at www.KBB.com. However, you should never discuss traid in until you have a valid selling price set. Keep in mind that your sales tax is the difference between the selling price and the traid in value. Dealers will often try to charge you sales tax on the full sales price and only pay the state the difference. In most states the tag and title fee will be less than $50.00. This is ALL you should agree to pay. So your drive out price should be : Taxable Amount = Sales Price - Traid In Value Drive out = Taxable Amount + ( Taxable Amount * Sales Tax%) + TagFee + TitleFee. Here is an example I recently worked up: 2007 Edge SEL Plus with Vista Roof 18" Chrome wheels and trailer hitch. Total Dealer Invoice Price is: $31,685. MSRP: 33,890 x 3% = $1,016 So, the actual dealer cost is $31,685 - $1,016 = $30,669.00 Now offer him a fair profit of 5% or $ 1,533.45. So your total offer should be NO MORE than $30,669.00 + $1,533.45 = $32,202.25 My Current Car is worth about 14K so my drive out offer would be: Taxable Amount = 32,202.25 - 14,000 = $18,202.45. Drive out is: $18,202.45 + (18,202.45 * 0.06) + $3.00 State Tag Transfer Feed + $14.00 Title Fee = $19,311.59... Now, by doing all of these calculation in advance, I can do a quick check of the bottom line on any contract at any point in the negotations. This keeps the dealer from being able to pull a fast one no matter how much they try to wear me down... This is a fair price for the Edge SLE Plus right now. However, if you can wait, you can probably deduct another $2,000.00 - $3,000.00 due to rebates. Once the new wears off the Edge in a few months, I suspect there will be rebates.... I have always used this technique and I have always got my price. I should note that often the dealer resuses my deal, I say thanks and give them my card and say: "Call me if you change your mind..." They almost always call back because a 2-5% is a fair profit for them... When I bought my 2005 Mariner, I offered $1,000 below the Ford Famly Plan and I got it. The dealer tried hard to say it was not possible because the famly plan was already such a deep discount. Obviously, he was lying. My finnal sale price was 3K below dealer invoice!!! I also like to make my offers via EMAIL as well. It waste less of your time although, they will still try to tack on the add ons once you show up to buy...If you take your time and thing of it as a game, it can actually be fun experiance. I hope this helps....

The 17" vs 18" thing is more about acceleration that MPG. It will cost you a few 100th of a second in 0-60 and maybe a 0.05 sec in the 1/4 mile. I doubt it would affect gas milage enough to measure in a single tank fill... The resistance to acceleration is cause by the fact that a larger wheel increase the moment of inertia ( actually the radius of gyration ) of the wheel. Put simply, it moves more weigh to the outside of the wheel/tire combo and makes it harder for the engine to accelerate the vehicle because it takes a little more torque to overcome the extra inertia. Unless you are really into drag racing, get the 18" wheels you like....

I have seen 1 each at 3 dealers in the Atlanta Area... I suspect it be late Feb before they are stocked with any decent selection....

It is just a guess, but I think the problem is: 1) Too much weight.... ( It never helps... ) 2) Cheap Hard tires. Good for wear, but bad for traction... 3) Bad suspension tuning and Overly agressive ABS tuning. This can also be an issue when the car nose dives in a stop. If the Front suspension is too soft, all the weight shifts to the front and this causes the rears tires to loose grip. As a result, the ABS computer eases up on the front brakes to keep the rear tires from locking... By the way, I saw an Edge the other day and it had vented rotors on the front and rear. When I drove it, I did not do a panic stop, but I did notice that the front dives dramatically when braking a little harder than normal... I also wanted to add the the 2007 and earlier Escapes/Mariners all seemed to do the 60-0 in about 130-140ft ( Even the year models with rear drums ). However, the new 2008 Escape in Edmunds full test did the same long 150ft stop. They even recorded a hair raising 161ft stop? There is certianly somthing very wrong at Ford to produce two new vehicles with this type of pathetic stopping distances. If I was a Ford engineering manager, I would be in Super Sluth mode to find the problems...

I my opinion: Poor Design....

Sounds like a good idea... I am going to take the wait and see position. I decided to keep my Mariner for another year and see if the Edge proves to be reliable or not. I am also hoping that Ford puts the new engine and trans in the Escape/Mariner next year. I look forward to your report....

I stopped by and drove an Edge SLE FWD model today. It had the Vista Roof and leather interior. I think I annoyed the salesman by taking such a long test drive. So you will know a little about my vehicle preferences, I currently have a 2005 Mercury Luxury Mariner V6 ( tarted up Escape ) with the leather interior upgrade package and a 2005 Mustang GT with saleen supercharger making about 500hp . My previous two vehicles were a 2000 Ford F150 Extended 5.4L V8 XCab Pickup truck and 1995 Ford Ranger 4.0L V6 XCab truck. In other words, I like Fords and have had good luck with them in the past... Here are my thoughts... Looks Looks great! I though it looks better in person than in the pictures I have seen. The chrome grill is a little bright. I think a satin finish would have looked better. Hey, I had to have some comment other than it looks great. Comfort and Interior Quality It is a very comfortable vehicle for me. I am 6'-4" and about 230lb so I do not fit in a lot of vehicles. The seat is comfortable and with the seat's adjustments and tilt/telescoping wheel any size person should be able to made comfortable. The pedal placement was good. Visibility is good, but I had to lower the seat all the way down to get a good view of stuff like traffic lights. I have to do the same thing in my Mariner and Mustang. I would certainly be comfortable driving this vehicle. Some reviewers did not like the rear seat because it is a little low. I personally did not think it was a problem. Being tall, I preferred the headroom. I sat in it and chatted with several other people who were looking at it for about 15 minutes. There is plenty of legroom, so I could stretch out a bit and get comfortable. I do not think I would have a problem on a long trip in the back seat. As for appearance, I really like the look of the interior. It looks a lot like the new F150 and Explorer. I would say the interior is equal in looks and quality to my mariner. The dash is clear, un-cluttered and laid out by someone with common sense. Everything is where it should be. There are lots of cubbyholes to stash stuff. If you run out of room for your stuff, you are carrying way to much stuff. My wife, a hardcore packrat, would exhaust herself trying to fill every little nook with stuff. The cargo area is well though out and this vehicle will provide excellent hauling versatility... The stereo system is the same one that is in my 2005 Mustang GT and very similar to the one in the Mariner. I do think that the speakers in the Mustang are a little better. It is good, but it is not quite as sharp and crisp as some others that I have heard in competitive vehicles. The Bose sounded better in my opinion, but it was close... Performance and Handling Acceleration is good for a vehicle of this size and weight. It handles as good as most SUV/Minivan type vehicles. I think most SUV/CUV's are just a Minivan that men will drive. However, I would not say that it is “sporty” or “car like”. For comparison, my much lighter Mariner definitely handles better and is more car like. The Edge has a lot of body lean and the traction nanny really does kicks in too quickly even on moderate turns. ( it must be a lawyer thing... ) The turning radius is not that good. It is not as bad as the battleship like turns my old F150 did, but it is certainly more difficult to maneuver than my Mariner in parking lots. The ride quality is quite good and it is reasonably quite. It is far quieter than my Mariner. This is my #1 dislike of the Mariner. Even with the roof open, it is quite at Highway speeds. The engine noise is very subtle. It has a little growl at full throttle, but most of the time you do not hear it. The engine is very smooth and the 6 speed transmission shifts are excellent. Ford has a winning drive train on their hands with this combo. I know the braking has not got good reviews. I did note that the rear brakes are vented. Being a test drive I did not get a chance to really stand on the brakes. In normal driving, they worked fine. However, you can tell that you are trying to stop 2 ½ tons of vehicle. I believe that the long braking distances that have been reported are accurate. This is a big deal for me as I drive in Atlanta, GA heavy highway traffic ( 3rd worst in the country ) most of the time. All I can say is that if you like to tailgate, this is not the vehicle for you. Conclusion The Edge I like is about $34K. To put the price in prespective, I only paid $21K total drive out price for the Mariner which is currently worth about $14-15K. So, the question is: Do I like it $20,000 better than my Mariner which it would replace? It is a little faster, a lot quieter, and a little more comfortable. However, it does not handle as well, it will use more fuel, it does not really have any more cargo capacity or utility. Also, the braking issue worries me. To be honest, I just did not see anything that made me think it was that much better than what I already have. I like performance vehicles that are fun to drive and to be honest, I think the Mariner has more of that “fun to drive” feeling. If the pricing was not so high, or it handled better I might go ahead and take the plunge, but I just do not think it is worth the amount of money that I would lose in the trade. The Edge is close to what I am looking for, but not quite there. Maybe Ford will put that sweet new drive train in the new Escape/Mariner and throw in a telescoping steering wheel. That would be exactly what I am looking for. To be fair, I think Ford will sell a lot of these things. It has many desirable qualities. I think the only thing that might limit sales is the price and the fact that Toyota is going to have a new 2008 Hylander with the Avalon V6 / 6speed trans out later this year... Anyway, that was my first driving impression...

I found a few more reviews I thought you might like to read them.... Here are Motortrend's reviews in their SUV of the year evaluation: Edge: http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/suv/11..._ford_edge.html MXK: http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/suv/11...incoln_mkx.html Here is Edmunds Full test of the Edge: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=117551 Here is CarAndDriver's Full Test of the Edge: http://www.caranddriver.com/roadtests/1186...l-plus-awd.html Here is Road And Track's First Drive Edge Review: http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?se...article_id=4358

MotorWeek did a review and video on the MKX... Read Here: http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2614a.shtml View Here: http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/video/roadtests.shtml If if buy one it will most likely be the Lincoln since its standard features are what I want and is nearly the same price as a loaded Edge, but that silly grill would have to go....

I don't know, I think the BAMER Moon Roof is fairly unique..... Other than thay I agree with your comments...

He also did not measure it like several other reviewers did. I prefer fact to opinion... However, I hope Ford did fix the problem on the production units.... One can only hope....

Congrats on the Rav4. They are great vehicles and cost less as well. I personally think the AWD V6 Rav4 is better than the AWD Edge. It is quicker and gets better gas milage and ( at least from the reviews so far ) has better braking. I suspect that it will also handle better due to the edge's rathern heavy weight. The only thing I do not like about the Rav4 is the side opening rear door. The lift hatch is a better option especially in the rain in my opinion. The only reason I have not purchased a RAV4 is due to the fact that almost none are built and shipped to my area with the $160 towing prep option. ( Baiscally a trans cooler and larger radiator ) Also, since you cannot order a vehicle from toyota, I would have to agree to buy ( with deposit ) a vehicle that would most likely show up with options that are slightly different from what I agree to. This gves the Toyota dealer room to play price hike when it shows up. All of the Toyota dealers in the Atlanta area have a horrable reputation for trying to cheat people. I would never buy from them unless I could get a deal on a vehicle on the lot where I could certify the price before signing anything.... So, I had to write Toyota off as an option......Although the Rav4 is still my first choice....

I have no doubt that Ford quality is getting better. My last several vehicles were: 1996 Ford Ranger 4.0L v6 = 75,000 touble free miles. ( Brakes lasted 55K ) 2000 Ford F150 Ext Cab 5.4L V8 = 65,000 almost ( air idler valve replaced ) trouble free miles ( twoing a 3800lb boat about twice a week ) 2005 Mustang GT = Only 10K on it but I did add a Saleen Supercharger ( at 2.5k ) that up the HP from 300-500hp. Only problem is a couple oF dash squeeks and rattles. I am amazed that the stock engine/trans can handle an extra 200hp... 2005 Mercury Mariner = 24K almost trouble free miles. The fuel tank vent had to be replaced becaue it was inserted wrong and set off the emissions warning light. This happended in the first two days and was fixed in about an hour... Having said that, Ford still needs to understand that most people still do not trust them. It is hard to change the minds of people burned in the recent past. Basically you have to convience them that they are wrong ( not an easy thing to do with Americans ) I have never heard someone say: "I wanted a Ford ____ but I settled for a Toyota/Honda _____". However, I have heard the reverse many times. This points out the people tend to buy Fords only if they think that they are spending a lot less money for the compariable car. ( i.e. the big rebates that we have seen ) It is not really fair, but that it the reality. I agree that the 2006 Fusion was in general better than the 2006 Camry. On the other hand the new 2007 Camry kills the Fusion with the 269hp V6 from the avalon and 6 speed trans under the hood... I have no doubt the Ford will put the new 3.5L in the Fusion/Milan, but they will be comming to the party 1-2 year after Toyota and that gives the impression of lagging behind... Ford needs to realise that they need to do what the Koreancar makers did: Offer a lot more for less money for a couple of years and build your base, then raise the prices to be competative once you prove yourself. In my opinion, it is the only way for them to really gain any market share...

Both Edmunds and CarAndDriver put the 60-0 over 150ft on a AWD unit...

I agree. The one thing I do not like about the Edge and the Fusion is the gaudy grill. The body color paint looks much better. To answer your question, it could be painted... I have always thought that the satin finnish Mercury Waterfall grill looks better and more classy in the Milan. I wish Ford had made a Mercury variant of the edge. I thought the front of the Mariner was well done. ( Not the new 2008 version, I think it was a step backwards... ) Of course it looks 100% better than that silly looking thing in the front of the Lincoln. I can honestly say that grill alone would prevent me from buying the MKX. If I some how obtained the MKX, that grill would have to go....

I seriously doubt that it will retain 64% of it's value after two years....

Yep, but it will have a year ( probably two or three) of real world testing by the time top brass at Ford gets a clue and builds this combo. As usual, they will be about 2-3 years behind Toyota ( i.e. 265hp V6 Rav4 ). I test drove one of the Rav4's and it is fun to drive.... I took a chance on the new 2005 Mustang and have not be dissapointed. I think Ford is doing a great job in making their cars more reliable ( especially the new Fusion ) , but somthing does not seem right with this one for some reason.... Hopfully it is just my parinoia kicking in....

Some interesting comments.... I have decided not to try and buy a EDGE this year. With all of the delays and the fact that it is a new model, new engine, new trans, I have a really bad feeling that this new model is likely to be full of bugs and I don't want a recall queen to deal with right now.... I think I'll give it a year to see how it holds up and see if there are any recalls... Lets face it, a little time is the best insurance right now... I am also hoping that Ford decides to build an Escape/Mariner with the new 3.5L V6 and new 6 speed trans. I think that this combo would be a lot more fun and have much higher performance. The Edge looks good and has some nice features, but so far, it seems way to heavy and very well may have some significant braking issues.... However, I am looking forward to hearing how you guys/gals like your new toy.... Good Luck....