CorporateEdge

My authorized dealer called back today (hey, i give them bonuse marks for actually calling back based on some other dealers). I quote "yes you can bring it in and we can update Sync. It will cost about 100.00 plus taxes". They also said that it was not necessary to bring it in and that I can "download the update on to my lap top and then connect the laptop to the car and do the update yourself". I would have to say that based on my limited review of the sync website they are discussing the update checker not the actual update. I am not paying anyone for an update that should be covered by Ford as it is "fixing" problems inherited with the car when they sold it to me. I will wait until someone figures out how to do it yourself or just turn the car back in at the end of the lease with no update. No biggie.

It gives me such a warm secure feeling that the "industry software giant" can't even produce a download for the version checker that works. I didn't read about any issues doing the down load but it didn't work twice so just said ...w it and moved on. It will be interesting to see if the dealer calls back and what they say. The new Blackberries have begun to show up to replace all our corporate Treo 700's so i would like to update prior to the switch. That way I dont have to figure out the upgrade wiped out all my settings/pairings after setting up the new phone. I still love the concept of the hands free set up. Haven't used a blue tooth head set for 6 months since getting the Edge.

What is the mileage on your edge? A fluid change is good preventive maintenance and it will be interesting to hear if you notice a change. As far as it being "normal" thats crap. Based on your description it doesn't sound like the delay happens if you jump on the gas so it might have something to do with the "learned" behaviour of the tranny. I would think the shift point is based on rpm or fluid pressure so I don't really understand how that one set of conditions is impacting your performance. keep us updated !

Its a fleet lease vehicle so I won't be doing anything to it. The few times I really have to jump on the binders in my daily driving are few and far between so fade is not really an issue. ABS is a god send as long as you use it correctly and brake/steer at the same time. I only killed a few traffic cones this time out !

We are talking about several issues in the same thread 1) vent design - doesn't point air where it should go. (everyone seems to agree this is a weakness) 2) Ability to cool the car down. Most who apparently have "working" AC say it is adequate but not great 3) Air flow & the glove box trick. I would agree that if you have the fan set on max speed and you get no or very little air movement out of the dash vents then this is a major problem. Assuming the fan is making soothing whirring noises the likely culpret is a blocked or disconnected duct buried somewhere in the dash. The glove box open/better air flow would seem to indicate a possible location for this problem. I have no problems with air flow and tried the glove box open trick. all I got was more noise but no change in air flow settings. Unfortunately the last issue is a service one. It should be easily repeated with the service advisor sitting in the car so they can't say no codes, no problem. Still a pain but what are you going to do ?

Thanks for the heads up Lex Called the "authorized Ford Dealer" where I got my car. Service had NO idea what the heck I was talking about. Gee... why am I not surprised. Gave them the information and asked them to look in to it and see if it is available and if a charge applies. I agree, it is complete BS if there is a charge to upgrade something to fix errors in it in the first place. Hey, this is Microsoft we are talking about so...... Why they can't have it downloaded via computer on to a flash stick by the owners (send us a one time use passcode like any of the on line software sales companies use) and then just have it inputted via the USB port in the car is a mystery to me. That would be to logical. Oh, by the way. I live about 5 miles from the Oakville plant that actually builds the Edge. Glad the dealers are all up to speed !

I'd buy one based on my experience year to date (Nov/2007 company lease) Other than the inspection suggestions and the question of the low mileage (my bet, its the dealer demo or daily driver for the owner) I would ask some hard questions about the AWD and the transfer case. Do a site search to get the various opinions but it looks to me that some of the AWD models had specific problems with long back orders on the PTC. I have a FWD and love it. If you live in snow country snow tires are a must so factor that in.

It isn't as if the AC is bad, it just doesn't measure up to some other vehicles in terms of being able to direct the airflow exactly where you want it and it doesn't "instantly" cool your car down like some other vehicles. Its been 31* C up here recently and my car is comfortable to drive in after a couple of minutes. If you live in an extremely hot and sunny area and constantly get in and out of your car then I might really investigate it. Why don't you stop in at any Ford dealer at the hottest part of the day and ask a rep to sit in a parked car and turn on the air for you and determine for yourself if it is a problem for you.

I prefer to sweat a little while the car cools down but still be in the optimal driving position in terms of orientation to the pedals, controls and steering wheel. It is just sad that something so easily fixed by common sense design got missed. Perhaps the Ford people that visit the site will take this to heart and address the issue on subsequent updates. I like the Edge and the two or three irritants are not enough to make me look elsewhere, especially given the value the total package represents. That said the AC does appear to be a much greater issue in the US South West. Up here we are more concerned with how the heater and block heater work !

It was a blast just to be on a closed track and I now have a much better understanding of my Edge's capabilities and limitations. To be honest, I did not even notice the stability control which most likely means it worked well and didn't do anything intrusive. The only limitation I had was my own confidence, my driving skills and noticeable brake fade which slowed me down. The down side of the whole thing was leaving the track and getting on the highway to go home. I don't think I impressed to many people by clipping the apex on the on ramps etc......

Sweet. Nice clean installation and you obviously have some electronics skills (I'm a plug and play type of guy). We are still using the strap on dual head sets we bought from costco 4-5 years ago. No video games and only 1 dvd at a time plus corded head sets but it keeps the 5 & 7 year old quiet just long enought to make 4-5 hour road trips. I have NO plans to try a 24 hour drive to Florida with the kids (they can watch video on the JetBlue flight out of Buffalo thank you very much). How are the head rests in terms of forward tilt versus the stock units. There are some complaint postings about the stock units being tilted forward to much and causing people to be uncomfortable (myself included). Just wondering

I agree with the comments about our ability to "aim" the airflow by adjusting the dash vents. I have no idea why it is impossible to aim them across a full path (left-right/up-down). Given this weeks hot/humid temperatures it was disappointing to not be able to aim the drivers side vents directly at myself to maximize cooling. I am 5-8 which is pretty average. I would have thought someone at Ford design sat in the seats and tried aiming the vents before freezing the final design but apparently not. The air flow is also disappointing. When you selected recirculate on my last car (GM / Bonneville) you noticed that the fan speed/air flow really picked up and the temperature cooled down significantly faster. Nada on the Edge. I have notice the glove box difference but it only increased the noise not really the airflow. I will pop it open and see if there is a filter in there but given the car is relatively new I can't see how it would be even close to clogged. If it is there I plan on taking the filter out and seeing if that changes air flow to any significant degree. Hopefully it is an easy access filter. The Honda van (2003) had one that required major surgery to get at and cost a fortune to replace. The owners web site has huge "how to" postings on how to replace the air filter and save yourself 100's of dollars in dealer service cost. One of the most ....ed up designs I have ever seen.

Jaak Do you club race up at Mosport at all ? The last couple times I've been up there the Porsche Club had the main track for the day. Some of the members have way to much cash and look to be running the next thing to a pro team. Transporters, real mechanics as opposed to shade tree ones, etc.... Never thought about the side air bag issue. It probably would interfer but I don't see how it would be that big a deal as the airbag deploys out and away ?

It was a little "tippy" but I never had it even close to getting up on two wheels. Brake fade was the most obvious (and concerning) issue. The instructor shot around the course like we were out for a sunday drive. I don't think I would have spilled an open cup of coffee when he was driving. So smooth it was embarassing. One thing a coworker did comment on was that he wished there were the grab handles mounted on the ceiling by the doors but that was when I was driving. Now that he pointed it out they probably would be a good thing for getting in and out of the car if a person has mobility issues.

My company sent me to a driving safety/skid school yesterday. We used our own vehicles for various emergency braking/skid control and emergency avoidance exercises which were extremely beneficial. The day ended with everyone doing fast laps on the road race course (Mosport, Ontario Canada) with the excuse being to teach smooth vehicle handling. I have an 08 SEL and I flogged the living XXXX out of it on the track. We were on the smaller of the two tracks and I got it up to about 130 kph on the back straight which was plenty fast when you dive in to a hard right corner. The instructor took it out for a spin and was significantly quicker than I was but it was mainly due to being way smoother as opposed to a higher "top" speed. Things I learned on the track 1) the brakes suffered very noticeable fade after only a couple of laps. They never quit but they went very soft which slowed me down as I didn't want to put it off the track or in to a wall. 2) The brakes REALLY stink when they get used very hard. 3) Not surprisingly the Edge has a high center of gravity and shifts its weight fairly suddenly and significantly when thrown in to corners. 4) If you want to see really bad gas mileage take your edge to the track and drive it hard. My mileage was about half again in my worst mileage to date. I will not complain about my normal highway mileage now ! It would have been interesting to compare an awd version with my fwd SEL both on the skid pad and on the track. Fun day and someone else paid for it ! :happy feet:

there are various postings about the "comfort" of the head rests. If you are happy with your solution great BUT as it is pointed out in another thread the crash test performance/safety performance dictated the positioning and angle on the head rests. Do I personally think its a huge issue, no. Look at cars with no head rests (60's & 70's) and cars with head rests that don't adjust properly and actually only line up with your neck. Air bags might change the dynamics regarding whiplash etc but at least you are limiting your rearward travel even with them facing backwards. Congratulations on the new Edge and enjoy !

Well they finally cut off my free Sirius and I won't miss it. I was listening to the comedy (everything else can be found on free radio or my mp3). The stuff on the comedy channels is actually fairly repetative and the constant commercials are a complete turn off. I swear the free radio has fewer commercials than the Sirius. Won't renew and won't miss it.

Don't the air bag sensors require an impact in order to fire the air bags? Based on the damage photos and descriptions it looks like the accident was a squeeze play as opposed to an impact. Obviously the vehicle got bounced around significantly (hanging up in the air on the concrete median!) but I also imagine the sensors are adjusted to avoid firing in some pretty rough vertical and lateral motion. Off roaders would be discharging their air bags all the time if those motions were sufficient to set off the sensors. The photos also make it apparent that the crumple zones, frame reinforcing and other safety features work as designed.

I believe the point is that the dealer likely had a hard time keeping a straight face when they offered him 16,000 for the trade assuming the car is considered average or better condition. The largest depreciation hit is during the first year but I agree that 16,000 seems a wee bit low. I am uncertain how the Edmunds and KBB books list values. The Blue/Gold books in our area list wholesale, average condition, good condition pricing (good better best). If the values noted in the first post are projected good resale (ie best) then the 16000 might not be a complete and total low ball. If you go with the 17,500 number as the project resale price then the dealer is looking a making at least 1500 less any costs. 10% ROI is pretty good now adays. Let us know what you end up "selling" it for

First you will always get more selling the vehicle privately. The big problem is most people don't like the hassle that it can be to sell privately (fielding calls, setting up appointments that people don't show for, haggling with people that run your car down trying to get a better deal, paperwork etc...). Dealers almost always make significantly more money selling used cars versus new cars as they can low ball trade ins, do minor work in house and then ask what ever they want. The dealer down the street likely won't have exactly the same used car for you to do a direct comparison over. In our area the game is the trade in value comes off the new car purchase prior to taxes being calculated so that tax savings is presented as additional dollars they are giving you on your trade. The other game is to offer you a higher trade value but then they work the new sale or lease cost to cover the higher number. Good luck on the sale and let us know how you make out. I know we won't be buying our Edge when its off lease just because its such a gas pig.

I hope everyone is okay. What exactly happened? looks like the semi decided to squish you up against the concrete divider. Was the semi cut off or did he/she just drift over and push you in? Looks like a nice sunny day so I doubt weather was a factor. Any charges pending? You will have to let us know what the insurance people say. I would imagine one look and they will just write it off. Did you have replacement coverage ? (i.e.: get a new Edge with no depreciation)

Given the way gas prices are going we decided we will not be buying our 2008 SEL when it comes off lease. The family loves the Edge but we have a Honda Van for the kiddie mobile. It holds more and is getting better mileage than the Edge. Not nearly as good a looking car but by the time we are off lease the kids will be old enough to down size to a much more fuel efficient small car. I am really impressed with the Edge as I have avoided Fords for years but our next purchase will be focused on fuel efficiency first and then looks. At 1.23 per litre driving a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a fridge and a nice big powerful engine is not really an option anymore.

Price out aftermarket before you talk to the Ford Dealer. My free Sirius is over in another month and I am letting it lapse. Personally its not worth the money for how much we use it.

I will not be signing up once the six month freebie is over. I have my mp3 and 6 disc CD but all I really listen to is talk/traffic/sports and there are lots of free over the air stations with local content. I actually like the comedy offerings for the few spots where free radio gets crappy or drops off but it is not worth it. I also get ticked at the commercials and would be more irritated if I were actually paying. The commercials are just going to get worse also. When they first went to pay TV in our area it was "going to cost extra but you would not get the commercials". Yeah, and our check was in the mail ! With what they are paying some of the "stars" and the subscription rates I don't see how it is a viable economic model in its current state. Rates will need to go up which would likely reduce subscribers or alternate revenue streams will have to be found. Can you say more Ads ?

My Edge showed up from the dealer with new plates.... Truck ! My coworkers took delivery of Edges and all got passenger vehicle plates. I asked two cops from two different police forces if I had the correct plates. Cop 1.. I don't know... looks okay to me. Cop 2.... that doesn't seem right ... and by the way the plate with the val-tag needs to be on the front not the back.... Since it is a company vehicle my fleet person had it replated with passenger vehicle plates. Note that this is in Ontario Canada. Get what ever registration is cheaper since no one seems to have a definitive answer.