strungmind

Thanks everybody for your input! It was extremely helpful to help gather all the opinions and thoughts. @delldell , I agree about expecting some wear and tear off a 6 yr old vehicle, just thought it was strange on mine that most of the area where the text was rubbing off was where I least touched it, but I suppose they assumed less contact, less protection needed there? So, I drove an hour out to a dealership, spent about 6 hours there, looking, thinking, and asking alot of questions, and ended up driving home with a brand spanking new 2012 Ford Edge. After test driving it and playing around with it, I just couldn't resist, it felt better, rode better, and looked better (all in my opinion of course). What made this purchase even more special was that this was my first brand new car purchase (past two cars purchased used), so new that the car still had it's factory seat protection and all, by the time I finished the test drive it ended up having only 3.5 miles. I'm going to create a new thread talking about my first impressions in the appropriate place, both good and bad, but hopefully a quick question can be answered, since I have to go back with head rest for my trade in car tomorrow, and it's an hour drive one way that I don't want to be making that often if I don't have to... My Edge has the remote start, which we tested at the dealership, seems to work fine, however, after using it at home, I noticed something odd. When I turn the car on using the remote started, MFT doesn't start with it, the engine turns on, but the screen either stays black or white. In order to get MFT up and running, I have to press the engine button, which then turns MFT on, but turns the engine off. Then I have to press it again to turn it off, and then once again, turn it on (with the brake) to turn everything on at once. I have a buddy who says he has a relative who has the same situation, but with a different system on a different make, and that it's because the remote start is designed just to warm up/cool down the vehicle, but to me it seems like too many steps to be normal. I have yet to finish the manual or search the threads more, it's been a very long and busy day, and thought I would check here to know if I should have the dealership investigate more when going there (I may ask them about it anyway just to be sure). Thanks as always for all of your great replys!

I thought I remember coming across pictures of the 2013 lineup on Ford's website, but now I can only find 3 or so "future" vehicles. I can't say much about changes to the car itself except for what was provided with the previous link, but I do know they are planning major updates to the My Ford Touch system's interface and performance that is scheduled to be standard with 2013 Edge models (but I imagine most 2012 and 2011's can update also), the link to that write up can be find here... http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31166_7-57318217-271/myford-touch-gets-graphics-performance-update/ Hope this helps somewhat

Thanks! What year did she have? It's funny because when people see that I have an Escape Hybrid, and ask my MPG, they expect some crazy number, but in truth, it's been going downhill, this current winter in the midwest, which is only started to get to it's rough season today, has been averaging 20-23 mpg according to the computer, and when it hits single digits it's usually down to 18 mpg or so, and I'm not heavy footed either, I use to get about 30-33 mpgs fairly easily. So while I expect a huge drop, I can't see it being all that huge for me, but that's just my opinion, maybe I'll be in for a shocker if I decide to go with the edge. Thanks for your tip!

I think that sentence says a lot to me even though I already came to that conclusion... the MFT system is what initially drew me into the Edge, but also what worries me the most, and something I'm going to have to think about the longest and hardest. Funny thing is, I have enough problems with the current in dash nav system on my escape hybrid, especially in colder whether, the screen will just seize up and and take awhile to get out of a white blank screen. I think I'm going to have to look into that before making the purchase, and seeing exactly what it will cover. Being a hybrid owner, I'm all to familiar with the horror stories of advanced electrical failures causing more repair money than it's worst (luckily I've dodged the bullet so far, knock on wood). I took a look at Ford's website, haven't really seen the interior in person, I guess it's something I should take a look at when I go to the dealership. I just feel like if I'm going to upgrade to a newer car, I should have a change of scenery, and I do like the wider feel of the Edge over my current Escape. I took at look at the 2013 lineup, and chuckled a bit, it looks closer to the Edge than ever, and with almost all the same features. Thanks to both wlepse and akirby for the tips and thoughts, hope to hear them keep coming!

Hello everyone, I currently have a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid, just about fully loaded, that I'm thinking about trading in for a Ford Edge Limited, and was hoping that you great guys and gals can give me your opinions on if I'm looking at it for the right or wrong reasons, and if their is anything else that I should consider based on my criteria. First of, I'm looking to get rid of my 2006 Escape Hybrid mainly because my warranty expired mid 2011 (based on mileage, not years), and all I can think about is how much more expensive it is going to be if I wait for major hybrid parts to go out on my car vs trading it in now for a nicer, not hybrid car with a brand new warranty. Not only the warranty issue, but the past couple of years I've been very unhappy with my car. The interior trim on my particular car seems to have been made very cheaply. Almost a year after purchasing, I've had problems with doors seals constantly falling off no matter what I did, latches becoming way too loose or way to stiff, and you would swear that I never washed my hands and spent all of time in the car rubbing the buttons, because all of the text and other things have become seriously smudged and discolored. My first car was a ol' used 1996 police interceptor Crown Victoria, and the interior was of much better quality. After looking at Fords for awhile, both new and old, I feel that they had serious hiccups in the quality of materials in various years and models seeming to be from 2001sh to 2008sh, varying depending on the models. I had to buy a vehicle for my fiance on an emergency basis since her old beater car finally died, and by instinct, I went to a reputable used car dealer and started looking at the Fords. I ended up purchasing her a 2009 Ford Focus, and was very impressed by the quality interior compared to mine. Now on the Edge, the first time I was drawn to the Edge, it was from the tech community, taking a look at the My Ford Touch technology. I admittedly can be a bleeding edge technology type of person, but in a car it both intrigues me but scares me knowing how buggy new tech can be. I have read through this forums and others enough to know what I'm getting myself into regarding the MFT technology (although I still have a couple of questions), but I want to get some other opinions on whether I'm going with the right fit for me and if their are alternatives to the Edge I should check out. Things that really impress me about the Edge and why I'm considering: I test drove a friends rental and it definately felt smoother and more spacious than my Escape My Ford Touch Technology Better quality interior My Key technology (ok, I don't have much use for this as I don't have any children anywhere near driving age, but I like the concept itself) GPS integrations with phone contacts and google maps (My Escape has the optional GPS console, but at $300 to update to newer Nav CD's, and having to swiitch CD's when going to another state right next to mine, I end up just using my phone's GPS) Back up camera Things that scare me about the Edge So many electronics, so much more to go wrong and fix Will a good new warranty cover everything I live in the Chicago suburbs, and work in the city, is it big enough to transport what I need (cu sq ft is good, but the shape of it seems sometimes awkward to work with) Is it going to be a high target for theft (I don't live or work in cruddy areas, but their close enough that things have happened from traffic nearby) Finding a good dealership since it seems people either get really lucky and not much time at a dealership or spending every other week there That being said, is their anybody reading this that lives in the Chicago region that can recommend a good dealership, the one I bought my Escape from was awesome but unfortunately didn't make it through the economic downturn. If not, I guess I'm going to have to stick with just the reviews from Edmund's and Yelp, and my most local Ford dealership I refuse to deal with because it is so awful, and I know some of the others around me are a matter of rolling the dice on customer service. Also, I'm not a haggler, and for a good reason, I usually end up making what many I could have saved on haggling by being a good customer for a good dealership (and in turn getting great offers and customer service), but since I'm starting with a new dealership it may end up being my only point of contact, do most people find it worth to haggle a bit? Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to reading your responses!