BON DIA

I heard lots of receiver rattling & hitch on ball noises too. It due to the way the hitch is bolted directly to the body. The Edge is not the quietest car on the road, we hear lots of highway noise always.

Yes and I strongly recommend you get the brakes on 2000+ lb trailer working before pulling with your Edge...Edge can pull tons more than it can stop adequately with its brakes alone.

Towed 200 miles back & forth from Lake Travis to SAT...moderate hilly drive at 70 mph. Edge downshifted a bit more than normal during acceleration & accending....braking was sufficent....milage decreased ~ 10%...19.5 vs 21.5 mpg (math) I had intended to take a picture of the rig but a cold front (50º & 25 mph wind) beat us to the lake & I didn't waste any time off-loading & returning ski 1/2 mile to slip.

all the mods are debated within the forum...bumper saver is a rubber pad that you glue to the top of the bumper to protect it from scratches as you load & unload thing in the "trunk"....door protectors are horizontal strips glued to door to keep neighboring cars from dinging you with their doors....hitch is a trail hitch...I added a Draw-Tite (sp)...took 30 mins, had to trim the heat shields a bit but did not have to cut the bumper...hitch fits below bumper. Trailer light kit ordered from seller on EBay...also made by Draw-Tite.

It's one of the things I mention to those who drive our Edge. It's most notable on a hill when put into park & brake released. The beast rolls downhill more than any car I've ever driven, maybe a couple of inches more...be forewarned not to park too close to anything below you.

can't swing a dead cat without hitting Creme Edges around here...I have to customize ours so I can see it coming. Maybe tint/paint the chrome grill?

Phoenix wrote...Manual shift option -- because I do want to move from "D" to "3" on mountain roads. (this is the biggie) May I suggest Ford look at the '07 VW Pasast Automatic shifter... before it was totalled last Nov I had auto Normal & Sport modes plus I could pull it into manuel & ship on the fly by slapping the shifter sideways.

I'll give them 90 days of interest so my dealer benefits...he's been a decent guy. So far I've added the forum's recommended rear bumper saver, trunk cargo liner & trailer hitch. Next the door protectors.

tspat wrote.....I found a great product for the Edge and MKX rear bumper. This item is called a Bumper Saver. It is made of a black rubberized compound, looks like the bumper pad found on a Explorer, is easy to install and only cost me $29.95. This item is so nice that I am considering distributing the item. If anyone is interested shoot me an email and I will forward a photo. If you are interested please call my office (914) 633-1550 and ask for Josephine. I also installed one of the above mentioned bumper saver. Only negative is Josephine charged me $34.95. If tspat has changed his price he hasn't posted it anywhere I see plus the flyer included with the saver states price as $29.95. Shipping in my case was ~ $9. A couple of tips. Terms used to describe the sides of the saver...Right & Left...Top & Bottom...Front & Rear 1...Let the rubberize material set in the sun to warm, makes it more plyable thus allowing it to bend a bit to fit the curvature of the bumper exactly. 2...Figuring out where you want the saver to lie...right to left, just center it. Forward or back is owners preference. I placed mine 1/8" forward of the angle in the bumper so not to leave a lip for something to catch on. This alignment is critical because this is what you'll see so keep it the same the entire width of the bumper. 3...After I determined where I wanted it I traced around the ends with a #2 pencil so I knew where to align the saver. 4...If possible, ask someone to help you hold the saver up as you begin to stick it down. 5...Next, look at the width of the adhesive tape & apply the liquid adhesive activator in the little tubes to the top of the bumper wherever the tape will lay. Word of caution....the adhesive is strong so make sure you get it right the first time, if you have to pull it off, go very slowly 6...the side of the saver most important to stick 1st is the rear edge. From the REAR SIDE ONLY, peel back ~ 6" of tape from one end. With your buddy holding the saver above the bumper, very carefully align the end of saver with the pencil marks & the bumper edge. After you get this set, then slowly peel more tape back & carefully lay the saver along the bumper line you established earlier. 7...after you get the rear side stuck down, then slowly peel the forward tape off & stick the saver down.

In late Feb.... I know two persons who requested a brochure for a new Ford vehicle, received it ~ 10 days & both had named $750 incentives attached. One's been used & the other's been verified by the dealer via their secured Ford link. I think both stated they intended to buy within 30 days. http://www.fordvehicles.com/brochures/ No reply needed...nothing else I can add...good luck

When we purchased in late Feb we received a $1000 credit to finance with Ford Credit at 6.99%. Dealer stated & we read the loan paperwork, no penalty for early payoff. He even said he could get us 5.6% at our credit union later but we needed to keep the Ford loan for at least 90 days. I asked where it was written & he said it was not written on my contract. Why is he wanting us to keep our loan with Ford for 90+ days? Does it have something to do with him getting a kickback from Ford credit > 90+ days? Not that it matters, for $1000 off I'll pay a bit more interest for 3 months. I'm just curious.

The rest of the story http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3608754

Had my first opportunity to floor it today while merging & I was pleasantly surprise. Also, we have a new flyover in SAT that in my '07 Passat (totalled Nov 07) I could take 30+mph faster than recommend & if an open outside lane could pass 20 cars in the curve & subsequent downhill...While not as sure footed, the Edge can hold a curve much better than I expected. Maybe there should be a NASCAR circuit for Crossovers.

'07 SEL Plus FWD, 4000 miles....actual ~ 21.5...80% interstate at 70+. Have seen 27 on the computer with a 30 mph tailwind.

The type you see at Target or Walmart, $10 ~ $20, that twist up for storage & pop-out for use...if you bought one that fits well, share your source & important data....thx