First Drive: 2011 Ford Edge

[Edge Guide]

First Drive: 2011 Ford Edge

Sharpened Tech Claws More Than Scratch The Surface

 

Ford Edge Forum - If you checked Ford's bloodstream right now, you'd probably find trace amounts of Ritalin floating along with the 5w-30. The company is an absolute blur of product development – churning out new models (Fiesta), entirely reworking staples (Focus) and honing beloved and established products (Mustang), into cars that can swing well above their intended weight class. The Blue Oval isn't sitting around waiting for the competition to guilt it into making its vehicles better. Instead, the company is constantly improving what needs attention, even in the case of the Edge – a crossover that's had no problem establishing itself as a market force to be reckoned with.

 

Just recently, Ford announced that 400,000 Edge crossovers have found homes in the U.S. since late 2006, making it king of the high-riding crowd in the process. Ford credits much of that success on the Edge's styling, which the rest of this crowd just can't seem to match. There's no mistaking this five-door with anything in its segment (MKX aside), and that won't change anytime soon. For 2011, Ford has given the Edge a detailed once-over, plopped a few new engine options under the hood and given the interior the kind of remake that doesn't typically pop up mid-cycle. If the rest of the segment was hoping to catch up, it can keep dreaming.

 

When we say that styling is as important to the Edge DNA as the wheels the crossover rolls on, we aren't exaggerating. Ford's researchers say the number one reason buyers choose the vehicle over its competitors is not because of its efficient V6 or the impressive onboard tech. Nope. The number one reason buyers take home an Edge is because of its duds. And who can blame them? The crossover segment is a mire of vapid design that's more likely to induce rigor mortis than to tickle your pulse. If you absolutely have to drive something that can fit the family and gives a commanding driving position, why not go with a vehicle that stands out from the rest of the mall crowd?

 

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