New member trying to stay with Ford (at least my wife is...)

[tourproto]

Hello,

 

New member to this forum. I found the site while doing some homework on the Ford Edge. Looking for a new car for my wife who has owned only Fords for her entire life.

 

First Ford was the Escort, with non-powered steering, manual windows and no rear-window defrost. Sucked driving that car on a cold morning, always having to lift the tailgate and wipe the rear window from the inside so you could see out the back :0

 

Second car was a Ford Tempo that really was a piece of junk, always had problems. Was surprised she wanted another Ford after that one.

 

Third and current car is a Ford Explorer XLT that is now 14 years old and about 180K miles on it. Despite having around 10 recalls, it has been surprisingly reliable, although now it is on its last legs. Isn't causing any problems per se, but you can just tell that it is getting tired, so we are in the market for a new rig.

 

My personal preference is that she get a Japanese SUV like a Highlander or a Pilot. Having owned foreign cars my whole life, I have been pretty happy with them and their reliability (Honda, Acura and Toyota). My wife has looked at them but is also looking at Fords. We were at the dealership last weekend and she immediately nixed the new Explorer. She disliked it so much just sitting in it that she wouldn't even test drive it.

 

She did drive the new Escape and the Edge. The Escape was pretty tiny inside and while she was OK with it she really liked the Edge. After doing a lot of online research on the car (and how I found this forum), I have a couple of concerns about the Edge. The main one is that the overall reliability ratings appear to be going downhill since 2009. Is this something that the frequent posters on this forum would agree on? I was wondering if a large portion of those lower reliability ratings is due to the massive influx of new electronics going into the car.

 

I travel quite a bit and rent a lot of different cars and my experiences with the Ford Escape with MyFordTouch is pretty abysmal. IMHO, it is a really nifty system that has way too many bugs in it. In the half dozen or so times I have rented a Ford with the MyFordTouch system it was a 50/50 chance that my iphone would not properly connect to the system after the initial pairing. I would literally be driving in the car, everything working fine, stop somewhere, get back in the car and I would get an error message and the iphone would not connect to the system. Then I would stop again, and when I got back in the car, the iphone would connect. Very irritating to say the least.

 

So here are my questions:

 

1. Is the non-electronics reliability a problem with the Ford Edge? Is it going downhill?

2. Is the MyFordTouch a problematic system? Seems very buggy to me.

3. How many people who buy the Edge are getting the extended ESP plan because of concerns about reliability, electronics or otherwise? (I am considering getting the 7 year/100K mile top-of-the-line plan just because of #1 and #2 above if we go with the Ford due to how long my wife keeps her cars)

 

I won't be driving the car, it will be my wife's car so I just want her to be happy with whatever she gets, and as I've stated, I would rather her get either a Subaru Outback, Acura RDX, Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander which are all in the same ballpark and she has driven and liked all of them.

 

So a final question is who ended up buying an Edge over the other cars I mentioned? The price differential is not an issue for us, we can afford any of these cars. So I would really be interested to know the opinions of folks who selected the Edge over other choices when price was not an issue.

 

Thanks, and sorry for the long first post.

 

David

[JOEHIO]

Hey Dave,

Owning a '12 MKX, I wouldn't say that MyFordTouch has had a few problems, maybe 3 or 4 minor issues in the 11 months that I have had the vehicle, but nothing major. Just had a upgrade a few months ago, everything has performed flawlessly since.

Concerning extended service plans, if you are talking about extended warranties, I would get it regardless if it isa American, Korean, Japanese, whatever, way too much electronics in today's cars.

Truely love my MKX, which is just a heavily optioned out Edge. even my wife thinks that it's a great car to drive, and normally, a car doesn't have much influence on her.

I've always owned & driven American cars (mostly Ford products), had 1 Honda Accord, and am happy that I support AMERICAN MADE !

Joe

[Edgieguy]

Hey Dave,

I purchased my 2011 Edge sport after owning a 2005 Ford Escape and then leasing a 2008 Edge Limited. Ive had my share of hiccups with the MFT but overall nothing that would make me want to get rid of my Edge. Honestly, if I totaled it tomorrow, Id buy a new one rather than look at other SUVs. Months after purchasing my Edge, we got an Explorer for my Wife.

[ls973800]

I have always purchased the extended warranty regardless of the brand of car or truck. I buy the longest (Factory backed only, no aftermarket) ones with the most miles I can get, with the zero deductible. I have never lost money by doing so for the last 10 warranties or so I've purchased except for one. That was on my 2003 F150 which I owned for 10 years and 180000 miles. I will be buying one this year for the 2013 Edge I purchased in July, and one for my wife's 2012 Acura MDX she purchased in April.

 

We test drove all of those you mentioned plus many you didn't mention. Since we were replacing both vehicles this year, I did a lot of test driving and research. I felt the best handling, power, creature comforts, and value for me was the Edge Limited. My wife hated the size, handling, and lack of many features in the new RDX. We walked out of two different Toyota dealers because of the "games" they played when pricing out a Highlander, plus we both felt it was overpriced for the features we wanted. The MDX she ended up buying is the first non GM or Ford product in my garage or driveway in 44 years. It was a toss up between the Explorer and MDX for her, with the MDX having higher quality materials, sportier handling, and more power for not much more cost.

 

The SYNC and MFT have been almost trouble free for me with just one or two minor quirks which were really operator (me) error. I almost pounded my fist through the dashboard last week when I was using voice command telling it I wanted XM channel 56. It kept asking for a valid command or doing everything but what I wanted. After several minutes, I finally remembered I was in a Ford with a Sirius account and not in a vehicle with an XM account! Soon as I said Sirius 56 the problem was solved!

[tourproto]

I am glad this is an active forum thank you for the replies.

 

ls973800, the Edge Limited AWD is what we are looking at as well. I agree the Explorer is way overpriced. The version my wife rejected was an XLT that stickered at $47K. The full-blown Honda Pilot was only $41K MSRP. While I know there is a lot more room to negotiate on Fords, I can't believe that Ford thinks their product is worth more MSRP than a Pilot. Sorry but I don't get that at all.

 

The 2013 RDX is vastly improved over the 2012 version. If I can get it with the "tech package" for the same price as the Pilot EX-L with navigation, that would be my personal choice. It looks like the out-the-door price for the Edge Limited AWD is about $3-4K less than the Pilot. Even after adding in some $1600 or so to get the 7 year/100K ESP it is still cheaper getting the Edge. Resale value is a moot point because my wife keeps her cars for 10+ years at which point we just donate them to charity and don't even bother trying to sell them.

 

The dark horse in all of this is the Subaru Outback. The top of the line version, optioned out the wazoo is still $3K less than the Edge. I don't know squat about Subarus, but I gotta say that I was very impressed with the fit and finish of the Outback.

 

What I haven't heard much about is the mechanical reliability, so I am guessing that this hasn't been a problem for the folks on this forum who read my original post. I take that as a good sign.

 

The MFT is still a concern for me. My wife is techno-phobic (she doesn't even want an iphone), and I am concerned that the MFT may really irritate her. I guess that if the Edge is her choice, then she can't complain... still a concern though...

[ls973800]

My wife and I did drive the 2013 RDX and the steering felt very loose and not connected with the road at all. Sitting in the back felt like being in a cheap car from the 70's considering this was an Acura fully loaded.

 

The MFT is still a concern for me. My wife is techno-phobic (she doesn't even want an iphone), and I am concerned that the MFT may really irritate her. I guess that if the Edge is her choice, then she can't complain... still a concern though...

 

I am 60 years old and used to use the signature "Still spinning at 33 1/3 RPM's in an MP3 World" if that gives you any indication of how techno inclined I am. Got my first "smart" phone last year and know how to make a call from it, that's about all!

 

The MFT has really done what I need it to do with just a slight learning curve. I have for the first time recorded music onto a USB flash and got it to work in the Edge! I know I am never going to use the system to more than 30 percent of what it is capable of (streaming music, setting up mobile hot spots, etc) but that's OK. I can work the basic climate controls, the navigation, the radio, and the phone connection. Little by little I am learning more and I have no regrets in my purchase. I even did the first download off the web for a MFT update last month without a problem.

 

The Ford SYNC and MFT website leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. I have found better answers and more information on various forums than over there.

 

Good luck in whatever decision you make.

[edge1217]

Is973800: I love it -- still spinning at 33 1/3 RPMs in an MP3 world. Reminds me of Joe Walsh's song "Analog Man in a Digital World." BTW, I'm 62 years old so I can totally relate! And like you, I'm fine with MFT.

 

tourproto: I bought 4 Hondas in a row and defected to Ford when I bought my 2013 Edge Limited AWD with MFT. To me, Honda was getting very pricy and the dealers won't deal with you. My Honda sales guy on the last 3 visits had his hand so deep in my wallet that it was the worst car buying experience I've had in the past couple of decades. But in earlier years, this same salesman always seemed to give me a fair deal. The Honda guys now have the "3 TO's" (3 Turnovers) and "4-Square" selling methods so drilled into their heads that they've lost sight of what the buying experience is all about. The guy had the audacity to tell me that Honda was immune from the recession so they can keep their prices up. Really? Not sure about the other import dealers, but I did get the same treatment at Toyota when I looked at the Highlander (so frustrating that I never even took the test drive). Honda quality ratings have taken a hit or two over recent years too. I haven't bought a new Ford since I bought my shiny new '71 Maverick, but after visiting 4 dealers this time out, Ford treated me the best, gave me the best deal, and sold me the best looking, best handling, smoothest, and quietest car of the bunch, and I figured it was time to buy American again. Well, errr, Canadian, but that's ok.

 

Keep in mind I'm an old guy (analog man in a digital world). I'm very pleased with my decision not only on the Edge, but also on the MFT. As far as MFT, so far so good. Yes, there is a learning curve for the first week or two, but even at my advanced age this old dog can learn a couple of new tricks. I had one little glitch with the keyless entry but I'm pretty sure it was something I did, and the car did reset itself. I have no connection issues whatsoever synching with my iphone or my wife's, and there have been no dropped signals. I stream music via Bluetooth on my iphone with no problems. The nav system is the best I've ever had, very clear turn by turn directions and so far no dropped signals in areas where my other systems always lost the satellites. I had no issue at all downloading and installing the new software version. The voice commands on all devices (phone, climate, nav, audio) work well, much better even than Siri on my iphone, which is pretty decent.

 

No issues on the mechanical systems. Body and interior are really tight and well-fit, and no squeaks or rattles.

 

I did opt for the ESP plan, but as others pointed out I would have definitely done that with any car, import or domestic. The electronics are just too complex on any car these days. I got the 75k/7 year Ford ESP plan and a great price (that plan suited my tendency to hang onto cars a long time and rach up only about 10k miles per year). BTW, the price my dealer quoted for ESP was a lot less than the price I was quoted by Ford via phone.

 

If I was due to bring the car in for its first service visit, I wouldn't have a single thing on the list for the guys to fix, check, or explain. My Hondas all had small lists of things that had gone buggy, so this is a first for me.

 

My advice? Buy the Edge. Get MFT. Enjoy!

Edited October 28, 2012 by edge1217

[ls973800]

Is973800: I love it -- still spinning at 33 1/3 RPMs in an MP3 world. Reminds me of Joe Walsh's song "Analog Man in a Digital World." BTW, I'm 62 years old so I can totally relate! And like you, I'm fine with MFT.

 

tourproto: I bought 4 Hondas in a row and defected to Ford when I bought my 2013 Edge Limited AWD with MFT. To me, Honda was getting very pricy and the dealers won't deal with you. My Honda sales guy on the last 3 visits had his hand so deep in my wallet that it was the worst car buying experience I've had in the past couple of decades. But in earlier years, this same salesman always seemed to give me a fair deal. The Honda guys now have the "3 TO's" (3 Turnovers) and "4-Square" selling methods so drilled into their heads that they've lost sight of what the buying experience is all about. The guy had the audacity to tell me that Honda was immune from the recession so they can keep their prices up. Really? Not sure about the other import dealers, but I did get the same treatment at Toyota when I looked at the Highlander (so frustrating that I never even took the test drive). Honda quality ratings have taken a hit or two over recent years too. I haven't bought a new Ford since I bought my shiny new '71 Maverick, but after visiting 4 dealers this time out, Ford treated me the best, gave me the best deal, and sold me the best looking, best handling, smoothest, and quietest car of the bunch, and I figured it was time to buy American again. Well, errr, Canadian, but that's ok.

 

Keep in mind I'm an old guy (analog man in a digital world). I'm very pleased with my decision not only on the Edge, but also on the MFT. As far as MFT, so far so good. Yes, there is a learning curve for the first week or two, but even at my advanced age this old dog can learn a couple of new tricks. I had one little glitch with the keyless entry but I'm pretty sure it was something I did, and the car did reset itself. I have no connection issues whatsoever synching with my iphone or my wife's, and there have been no dropped signals. I stream music via Bluetooth on my iphone with no problems. The nav system is the best I've ever had, very clear turn by turn directions and so far no dropped signals in areas where my other systems always lost the satellites. I had no issue at all downloading and installing the new software version. The voice commands on all devices (phone, climate, nav, audio) work well, much better even than Siri on my iphone, which is pretty decent.

 

No issues on the mechanical systems. Body and interior are really tight and well-fit, and no squeaks or rattles.

 

I did opt for the ESP plan, but as others pointed out I would have definitely done that with any car, import or domestic. The electronics are just too complex on any car these days. I got the 75k/7 year Ford ESP plan and a great price (that plan suited my tendency to hang onto cars a long time and rach up only about 10k miles per year). BTW, the price my dealer quoted for ESP was a lot less than the price I was quoted by Ford via phone.

 

If I was due to bring the car in for its first service visit, I wouldn't have a single thing on the list for the guys to fix, check, or explain. My Hondas all had small lists of things that had gone buggy, so this is a first for me.

 

My advice? Buy the Edge. Get MFT. Enjoy!

 

Very well said and I agree with everything you pointed out. I just did my first oil change and tire rotation (I do all my own maintenance work) and this was a pleasure to work on. No need in these first 5000 miles on my end either to return to the dealer for ANY adjustments or fixes!

[akirby]

Statistically speaking, Recouping your costs on extended warranties on 9 out of 10 vehicles is like almost like winning the lottery. What make/models were you buying?

[RJG]

Can't you order a SEL model with leather , hands free phone, and most of the goodies..... without MFT?

 

We have a 2012 Edge Limited with NAV, no special problems that have not been worked out, but I could live just fine without MFT. I just like how the car drives, and suits our needs.

[tourproto]

Thanks again for all the replies!!

 

My wife and I did drive the 2013 RDX and the steering felt very loose and not connected with the road at all. Sitting in the back felt like being in a cheap car from the 70's considering this was an Acura fully loaded.

 

The MFT has really done what I need it to do with just a slight learning curve. I have for the first time recorded music onto a USB flash and got it to work in the Edge! I know I am never going to use the system to more than 30 percent of what it is capable of (streaming music, setting up mobile hot spots, etc) but that's OK. I can work the basic climate controls, the navigation, the radio, and the phone connection. Little by little I am learning more and I have no regrets in my purchase. I even did the first download off the web for a MFT update last month without a problem.

 

The Ford SYNC and MFT website leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. I have found better answers and more information on various forums than over there.

 

 

Very surprised about your comments about the 2013 RDX. I thought it was a pretty nice car. My wife liked it too. The only disappointment in the back seat was no separate ventilation controls. The leather seats were quite comfy IMHO.

 

I am pretty sure my wife will also use at most 30% of the MFT. Microsoft builds crappy products IMO, was overly complex and not intuitive. And that is my concern that they bundle in climate control, nav etc. into one interface. Using the RDX as an example again, the nav is the nav. There are separate (analog) controls for audio and climate. That seems much smarter to me and also drives the concern about needing and ESP with Ford because if the MFT craps out, it will be big bucks.

 

tourproto: I bought 4 Hondas in a row and defected to Ford when I bought my 2013 Edge Limited AWD with MFT. To me, Honda was getting very pricy and the dealers won't deal with you. My Honda sales guy on the last 3 visits had his hand so deep in my wallet that it was the worst car buying experience I've had in the past couple of decades. But in earlier years, this same salesman always seemed to give me a fair deal. The Honda guys now have the "3 TO's" (3 Turnovers) and "4-Square" selling methods so drilled into their heads that they've lost sight of what the buying experience is all about. The guy had the audacity to tell me that Honda was immune from the recession so they can keep their prices up. Really? Not sure about the other import dealers, but I did get the same treatment at Toyota when I looked at the Highlander (so frustrating that I never even took the test drive). Honda quality ratings have taken a hit or two over recent years too. I haven't bought a new Ford since I bought my shiny new '71 Maverick, but after visiting 4 dealers this time out, Ford treated me the best, gave me the best deal, and sold me the best looking, best handling, smoothest, and quietest car of the bunch, and I figured it was time to buy American again. Well, errr, Canadian, but that's ok.

 

No issues on the mechanical systems. Body and interior are really tight and well-fit, and no squeaks or rattles.

 

I did opt for the ESP plan, but as others pointed out I would have definitely done that with any car, import or domestic. The electronics are just too complex on any car these days. I got the 75k/7 year Ford ESP plan and a great price (that plan suited my tendency to hang onto cars a long time and rach up only about 10k miles per year). BTW, the price my dealer quoted for ESP was a lot less than the price I was quoted by Ford via phone.

 

 

No question on the snootyness of Honda and Acura. Haven't heard from either of them since we visited them and did the testdrive, and they have our phone numbers. Ford has called twice in the past week, not to pressure us per se, but more to ask if there is any information they can provide to help with our decision making. The call we got today was to tell us they will provide us with an Edge Limited AWD to drive for two days so my wife can experience the car in real-world conditions driving to work, sitting in traffic, dealing with wet roads etc. I thought that was pretty smart of them.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay for the 7yr/75K ESP plan? and what was your deductible? I have gotten a price of $1600 for the 7yr/100K plan with $50 deductible.

 

Can't you order a SEL model with leather , hands free phone, and most of the goodies..... without MFT?

 

We have a 2012 Edge Limited with NAV, no special problems that have not been worked out, but I could live just fine without MFT. I just like how the car drives, and suits our needs.

 

The problem is that navigation is a requirement for my wife and that means MFT so regardless of whether we go SEL or Limited, we are stuck with MFT to get nav.

 

I am also trying to figure out what the cost is to get map updates in the nav system so if anyone has any data there, it would be appreciated. I am a little concerned that I have to keep a Sirius XM contract in order to be able to keep the nav data current and if that is the case ,that doesn't make me too happy.

 

David

[mtbalser]

If you dont have MFT I believe sync provides verbal nav.

[edge1217]

If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay for the 7yr/75K ESP plan? and what was your deductible? I have gotten a price of $1600 for the 7yr/100K plan with $50 deductible.

 

 

Hey David,

 

I think you're getting a better deal than I did on the ESP. I paid $1595 for the 7 Year/75,000 Mile Premium Plan with $100 Deductible. I paid less than you but my mileage plan is lower because I only do 10k a year. Be sure you're getting the Premium Care plan level. It covers more of the things that are likely to go wrong than either the Basic or Extra Care plans. I called Ford over the phone before I went to wrap up the deal with my dealer, and they came in somewhere around $1800 for the plan I got, if I remember correctly (looked for my notes for the exact quote but I must have tossed it -- it was definitely around $200 more than my dealer quoted). BTW, Premium Care will cover MFT beyond the standard warrany period. Other ESP plan levels probably do too, but be sure to check into that if MFT is the main reason you want to get a plan. For me, having MFT coverage was a good thing, but I decided to buy the ESP more for the complexity of the overall car. Everything is electronic these days, right down to throttle mapping, and those electronics can be very expensive (not to mention the cost of the labor to get at them!).

 

I never used to buy extended service plans until I bought my '07 Honda Accord. Glad I did, because they replaced the steering unit one time and a broken strut another time, which more than paid for the contract. Plus I had piece of mind of having coverage time left while my Honda was dying a premature death. The reason I got that plan was because my prior car (Maxima) needed transmission work in Year 4 that wasn't covered, and I paid a LOT more than a service plan would have cost. Ditto for a Chrysler Town & Country where I also passed on the service plan (a very expensive lesson at 73,000 miles!). I always used to view these plans as pure BS, but given my personal experience and the increasing complexity of all the systems in all makes of cars these days, I figure the ESP has better odds of paying out now than they used to in the past, plus I have piece of mind. The cost of the plan was about 4% of the total cost of the car, which is spread over 7 years so at about 1/2 a percent per year, I can justify it in my mind based on my personal experience.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited October 29, 2012 by edge1217

[akirby]

I always used to view these plans as pure BS, but given my personal experience and the increasing complexity of all the systems in all makes of cars these days, I figure the ESP has better odds of paying out now than they used to in the past, plus I have piece of mind.

 

pet peeve alert - it's "peace of mind" not "piece of mind"..

 

Plans aren't BS - they're just insurance. But the odds of paying out more than they cost hasn't changed. As repair costs have gone up the number of repairs has actually gone down. Ford knows exactly what their average payout is on every vehicle and that's calculated into the cost of the ESP up front. You can always make out ok on individual vehicles but it's like winning in Vegas - it's done every day but over the long run the odds are not in your favor.

[ls973800]

Statistically speaking, Recouping your costs on extended warranties on 9 out of 10 vehicles is like almost like winning the lottery. What make/models were you buying?

 

The nine "winners" were all GM products! Several Oldsmobile 88's, an Alero, several Pontiac Grand Ams, Chevrolet Corsica, and a Buick Rendezvous. The most common item replaced on most of them were numerous wheel bearings front and rear (complete hub assemblies), A/C compressors, the infamous GM lower and upper intake manifold gaskets on the majority of them, and various other sensors, etc. All of these vehicles were well maintained with oil changes every 5000 miles using factory filters and parts. All were sold or traded in in very good condition with no abuse or lack of service during my ownership.

 

Several of them which I sold privately returned a higher sale value because of their condition and because I still had warranty left which was able to be transferred to the new owner with a modest fee to GM. That's why I get the longest term and most miles with 0 deductible. Helps the resale value if there is any warranty left, even if the car has mileage in the 90000 range. The 2003 F150 with almost 180000 miles was the one that I didn't get my money back on. The 2013 Edge replaced this truck.

 

The repairs were sometimes a inconvenience, but with the warranties I always had free towing and a free loaner car. Only once did a breakdown actually leave my wife stranded in the middle of a snow storm for two hours before getting help. I stuck with GM because I really liked their cars versus any Ford cars. The funny thing is, I always bought Ford trucks and liked them over the GM offerings. Never had anything but Fords or GM's for the last 44 years until now with my wife's MDX.