Five Months Later

[Bingo]

I have a 2010 Edge Limited in Tuxedo Black that I purchased used (18,000 miles on it) back in June. Got it because my VW Passat wagon was dieing and the Edge had all the features my wife wanted and none of them she didn't want. It's the car that I drive daily (wife's car is a 2001 Mustang convertible) but it was picked based on what she felt we needed in a vehicle for our current lifestyle. Our kids are both grown so it's normally just the two of us. Wife wanted something that was comfortable for occasional road trips, capacity to haul stuff (dirt, lumber, groceries) big enough to have at least two adults in the back but not so big as to be a land yacht (e.g., no Crown Vic or Grand Marquis). Didn't want an SUV (been there, done that) and Ford no longer makes a station wagon, so our choice got pretty well narrowed down to an Edge. We also test drove a new 2011 Edge SEL but did not like the electronic displays of the redesigned, more confined interior.

 

As I reported in this Forum back in July under the "Does Anyone Like Their Edge?" topic, my initial impressions were not very favorable, primarily because I was not used to the different configuration and was uncomfortable with driving in traffic (it's wider than I am used to and I can't figure out where the front corners are). But in fairness to the vehicle, I thought I should give it a longer chance to see if it grows on me. Since then, my wife and I have taken it on four road trips, one with our adult daughter, one with our daughter and my mother and two with just the two of us, plus I have been driving it to and from work (12 miles each way) and in and around town daily. So I think I have gotten a more fair and balanced opinion of the 2010 Edge Limited.

 

Good news -- great on trips for riding comfort, especially for the passengers. Seats are comfortable, ride is very quiet and smooth, sound system works great and navigation system was a big help. Cargo capacity for four adults for four days was good. I have gotten used to the extra width so I am not quite so uncomfortable in traffic (no longer feel like I am going to sideswipe cars or pedestrians to my right). Really like the sideview mirrors with the blindspot inset mirror. Wife loves it as a passenger, particularly the roominess and the height. Very reliable, safe and pleasant to ride in (for the passengers)

 

Bad news -- milage sucks, both in town and on the road. I'm used to 22+ mpg in town and 28-30 mpg on the road. This barely gets 17mpg in town and maybe 23 mpg on the interstate. That might be considered good for the class of vehicle, but I still think it is terrible. Despite having gotten more used to the size, I still find the Edge too tall (unlike my wife, I don't like sitting up high when I drive) and too wide. And I still am not comfortable with turning left into a parking space -- can't tell where my right front corner is. Internal cargo capacity is good for luggage and groceries, but poor if you want to fold the seats down and carry something long like furniture or lumber. The seats don't fold flat and the space is too short (which is weird in such a big vehicle). There is no external cargo capacity since it came with Panoramic Vista Moonroof (aka BAMR) and you can't put roof rails on a 2010 Edge with the BAMR. So skis, kayak and bike stay in the garage. The sound system controls are poorly designed if you want to change back and forth between AM, FM, CD or Jukebox. I prefer separate button for each function instead of having to scroll through the menu, particularly since you can only scroll in one direction. Takes 8 to 10 clicks to go from FM 1 to AM; should be a single click. Still haven't gotten used to the exterior design. It just looks weird to me, kind of like a big shipping box on wheels. This is strictly a subjective, personal opinion, but I just find the appearance undistinctive and blah. And even though it is a very smooth ride on the interstate or US highways, its just not fun to drive. I feel like I'm guiding a barge instead of driving a car.

 

Bottom Line -- in fairness, the Edge is a great vehicle for what it's intended use is, but I just don't like it. And the more I drive it, the less I like it. Given my choice (and an unlimited budget) I would have gotten a new Ford Ranchero with a manual transmission, high performance engine and suspension, bucket seats and a bed liner -- except Ford doesn't make that or anything like it anymore. The Edge is great for a "soccer-mom" or "hockey-dad" with two kids that need to be chauffered, entertained and taken on trips to grandma's or Disney World. But it is not the vehicle for a man or woman that enjoys the pleasure of driving instead of the mechanical process of getting from point A to point B.

[fishx65]

I would say that you made a really bad choice when you decided to purchase an Edge. Sell it and go get what ya like but make sure you test drive it first and pull into some parking spots that are on your left. Getting stuck with a vehicle you don't like is pretty easy to avoid.

[cal3thousand]

Seems like you need a Wagon. I would go with the Subaru Legacy Wagon in your case.

 

Just re-read your last sentence. I now change my recommendation to BMW. 5 Series Wagon.

Edited November 10, 2011 by cal3thousand

[wlepse]

Seems like you need a Wagon. I would go with the Subaru Legacy Wagon in your case.

 

Just re-read your last sentence. I now change my recommendation to BMW. 5 Series Wagon.

You just made me sad. I traded in my 05 Legacy GT wagon that I modified. Really nice vehicle but they no longer make them.....if you want a wagon you have to get the Outback with the lifted suspension.

[akirby]

Bad news -- milage sucks, both in town and on the road. I'm used to 22+ mpg in town and 28-30 mpg on the road. This barely gets 17mpg in town and maybe 23 mpg on the interstate. That might be considered good for the class of vehicle, but I still think it is terrible.

 

There is no external cargo capacity since it came with Panoramic Vista Moonroof (aka BAMR) and you can't put roof rails on a 2010 Edge with the BAMR. So skis, kayak and bike stay in the garage.

 

Still haven't gotten used to the exterior design. It just looks weird to me, kind of like a big shipping box on wheels. This is strictly a subjective, personal opinion, but I just find the appearance undistinctive and blah. And even though it is a very smooth ride on the interstate or US highways, its just not fun to drive. I feel like I'm guiding a barge instead of driving a car.

 

I don't understand these complaints. All of this was clear at the time you purchased it (EPA sticker, no roof rails, exterior styling). Why would you buy it knowing all these things?

 

The sound system controls are poorly designed if you want to change back and forth between AM, FM, CD or Jukebox. I prefer separate button for each function instead of having to scroll through the menu, particularly since you can only scroll in one direction. Takes 8 to 10 clicks to go from FM 1 to AM; should be a single click.

 

Or you can just touch the source you want and go directly there (with Navigation). Or use the dedicated CD and AM/FM buttons without Navigation. Worst case it's 2 clicks.

[wlepse]

Bad news -- milage sucks, both in town and on the road. I'm used to 22+ mpg in town and 28-30 mpg on the road. This barely gets 17mpg in town and maybe 23 mpg on the interstate. That might be considered good for the class of vehicle, but I still think it is terrible.

This is about the only point I can agree with you on and understand being dissapointed about (providing you're FWD). This is the first vehicle we have owned that we can't get the hwy rating for our normal driving routine which is mostly rural roads and some highway. We are consistently 20% below the sticker. Granted that is within th EPA ranges given but even our 2001 Audi A4 with 190k gets better than what it was stickered for on a commute full of lights. I don't know if the EPA changed their guidelines or what but it seems many people I know that have purchased cars recently are seeing the same thing.

[NatG]

I don't have the built in Navigation on my Edge, so I cannot comment on that. However, I otherwise love the controls. The Voice Controls function fine (some confusion with similar album/song/artist titles). The redundant touch controls make up for any issue with reach or feel in my opinion.

 

Regarding mileage, with respect to all, I don't know what others were expecting. The Edge is a large vehicle and catches alot of air do to it's height and width. Even with those factors, I think the Mileage is great given it's size. I average around 21mpg (mixed city and Highway, 2011 EDGE V6 w/ AWD). I took a 3 hour trip for work, and clocked in at a bit about 24mpg for that haul.

 

The Size versus manuverability is a trade-off for interior capacity. The seating, in my opinion is comfortable for 5 people. I agree, the Edge's turning circle is wide (compared to my Xterra, for instance), but its on-par with comparable vehicles save for the Murano and Journey (felt tighter to me).

 

I'd say I wish the back of the car was more square, or longer, for more cargo capacity. However, Ford builds the Explorer for that need.

[wlepse]

Regarding mileage, with respect to all, I don't know what others were expecting. The Edge is a large vehicle and catches alot of air do to it's height and width. Even with those factors, I think the Mileage is great given it's size. I average around 21mpg (mixed city and Highway, 2011 EDGE V6 w/ AWD). I took a 3 hour trip for work, and clocked in at a bit about 24mpg for that haul.

Normally wouldn't be expecting much from an SUV but when the sticker lists something I would use that as some sort of expectation of performance. But that rating doesn't seem to be acheivable it does make you wonder. The rating should be taking into account the size, shape engine etc; that is why I question if the EPA rating is even relevant. As I stated before every vehicle we have purchased we have always gotten the highway rating when used for commuting. With the Edge we can't even get that on pure highway driving. Even my modified Legacy Gt was getting the sticker rating and it was driven a lot harder than the Edge gets driven.

[NatG]

Normally wouldn't be expecting much from an SUV but when the sticker lists something I would use that as some sort of expectation of performance. But that rating doesn't seem to be acheivable it does make you wonder. The rating should be taking into account the size, shape engine etc; that is why I question if the EPA rating is even relevant. As I stated before every vehicle we have purchased we have always gotten the highway rating when used for commuting. With the Edge we can't even get that on pure highway driving. Even my modified Legacy Gt was getting the sticker rating and it was driven a lot harder than the Edge gets driven.

 

Perhaps you might have an issue with your particular Edge, given you can attain EPA numbers in other vehicles in the same environment. Or it's another factor: I'll agree that EPA numbers can be optimistic, given they represent a specific set of conditions. Also, the EPA numbers are usually driver only. Packing the Edge with people and accelerating will drain the fuel more quickly.

 

The Advertised EPA is 18MPG City, 25MPG Highway (V6 AWD) is achievable: I've been able to get 24mpg. I keep my tires around 40psi cold (cold max is something like 44psi on my tire I think, filling to MAX may improve mileage), and I don't avoid using HVAC when I need it. I usually drive alone but will load 3 to 5 people into the car frequently enough. I hope you don't think I'm being argumentative, I'm just stating my experience.

 

I know they list ranges for Highway EPA (something like 22 to 27 off the top of my head). Do I think it's possible to get to 27mpg with my configuration? No, not in NJ at least.

[Bingo]

I would say that you made a really bad choice when you decided to purchase an Edge. Sell it and go get what ya like but make sure you test drive it first and pull into some parking spots that are on your left. Getting stuck with a vehicle you don't like is pretty easy to avoid.

Yes, in absolute terms, I made a really bad choice with the Edge, but it was still the best choice of available options. We wanted a Ford for product reliability and local dealer ability to service. Dealer service in our town is either Ford or General Motors (no foreign car dealerships or Chrysler with service department) and we absolutely will not own a GM product -- local dealer service ruined my wife's Bonneville and tried to claim it was our fault. Won't go back. Based on the feature's the wife wanted in the car, the Edge came closest -- had everything she wanted and nothing she didn't want. I would have preferred the 2008 Taurus X that was sitting next to the 2010 Edge in the Ford used car lot, but the wife didn't like it. VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR! We did test drive it but we test drove the used 2010 Limited after we had test driven the new 2011 SEL. The 2010 interior was so much more comfortable and the instrument panel and controls so much better than the 2011 version, that we were more impressed with the acceptable 2010 in comparison to the really bad 2011 than we would have been evaluating the 2010 "stand-alone" compared to an absolute standard.

 

Trading it in is not an option -- not financially feasible and the wife likes it. And it is very good for trips (just took it to Florida and back this weekend). But for day-to-day commuting or in and around town driving (unless you are hauling kids to school and after-school) this is not a good choice of a vehicle. If I could afford to, I would keep it parked in the garage for trips or the occasional haul something pick from the store and get myself a older model used Mustang coupe with manual transmission for my personal car. But finances don't allow, so I'll just learn to live with the Edge.

[Bingo]

I don't understand these complaints. All of this was clear at the time you purchased it (EPA sticker, no roof rails, exterior styling). Why would you buy it knowing all these things?

 

There was no EPA sticker -- it was a used vehicle. And the on-line research I did indicated the highway milage should be in the 24-26 MPG range with in-town 18-20 mpg. Neither of these are accurate.

 

The absence of roof rails is obvious, but what is not obvious is that with the BAMR you cannot add roof rails. My previous vehicle, and other Ford vehicles that I have seen, to have roof rails with a powered moon roof. I did not know the Edge with BAMR would not accomodate this option. Yes, I should have asked -- that's my bad. But my comment reflected what I have found after purchasing the vehicle that have made me dissatisfied with it. Had I known this before purchasing, I may or may not have bought it anyway, but it would still be a valid drawback to the overall satisfaction with the vehicle.

 

Exterior styling -- the wife likes it. I don't. If you are married, you will understand which is the more important opinion.

 

Or you can just touch the source you want and go directly there (with Navigation). Or use the dedicated CD and AM/FM buttons without Navigation. Worst case it's 2 clicks.

 

Sysem has Navigation. To go to Radio I first have to select Radio button to the left of the screen, then select which radio I want with on-screen touch, hoping my stubby fingers hit the correct spot for the the tiny on-screen button. And I have to take my eyes off the road to do this. Better human-factors engineering would have made the Media select button on the steering wheel capable of toggling back and forth between systems instead of unidirectional toggle and the other side being Voice command. Voice command does work pretty well, but still takes longer than I would like.

[akirby]

Sysem has Navigation. To go to Radio I first have to select Radio button to the left of the screen, then select which radio I want with on-screen touch, hoping my stubby fingers hit the correct spot for the the tiny on-screen button. And I have to take my eyes off the road to do this. Better human-factors engineering would have made the Media select button on the steering wheel capable of toggling back and forth between systems instead of unidirectional toggle and the other side being Voice command. Voice command does work pretty well, but still takes longer than I would like.

 

There is only one button - it has to cycle through all the available inputs to access all of them. Do you use navigation all the time? We leave ours on Media unless we're actually using the navigation, so all you have to do is reach over and hit the right button. Which is exactly what you have to do with a traditional radio that has hard buttons. It's exactly the same. And 2 button presses (Media, then source) is not 8-10.

[Bingo]

Seems like you need a Wagon. I would go with the Subaru Legacy Wagon in your case.

 

Just re-read your last sentence. I now change my recommendation to BMW. 5 Series Wagon.

I really would have preferred a wagon, but the only dealership we would consider was Ford/Lincoln/Mercury (American made, not General Motors or Chrysler, service at dealership in town) and Ford no longer makes a wagon. Choice was Edge or Flex and the Flex was too big and too expensive.

[cal3thousand]

You just made me sad. I traded in my 05 Legacy GT wagon that I modified. Really nice vehicle but they no longer make them.....if you want a wagon you have to get the Outback with the lifted suspension.

 

Funny thing. Before looking at the Edge, I wanted a 05 or 06 black Legacy GT wagon with the 2.5T. Couldn't find one, so I'm driving an '11 Edge.

[wlepse]

Well if you wanted stick they were only made in 05, mine was one of the very few LGT wagons with a stick. Fun fun fun. But the wife just couldn't do the clutch on that car and I kept reading more and more major failures on the forum. Got to the point I figured it was best to get out of it before it might be worth nothing. I do think when I replace the Audi I will be heading back in that direction though. Tough to beat the performance and great aftermarket support.

[randyf]

Yes, in absolute terms, I made a really bad choice with the Edge, but it was still the best choice of available options. We wanted a Ford for product reliability and local dealer ability to service. Dealer service in our town is either Ford or General Motors (no foreign car dealerships or Chrysler with service department) and we absolutely will not own a GM product -- local dealer service ruined my wife's Bonneville and tried to claim it was our fault. Won't go back. Based on the feature's the wife wanted in the car, the Edge came closest -- had everything she wanted and nothing she didn't want. I would have preferred the 2008 Taurus X that was sitting next to the 2010 Edge in the Ford used car lot, but the wife didn't like it. VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR! We did test drive it but we test drove the used 2010 Limited after we had test driven the new 2011 SEL. The 2010 interior was so much more comfortable and the instrument panel and controls so much better than the 2011 version, that we were more impressed with the acceptable 2010 in comparison to the really bad 2011 than we would have been evaluating the 2010 "stand-alone" compared to an absolute standard.

 

Trading it in is not an option -- not financially feasible and the wife likes it. And it is very good for trips (just took it to Florida and back this weekend). But for day-to-day commuting or in and around town driving (unless you are hauling kids to school and after-school) this is not a good choice of a vehicle. If I could afford to, I would keep it parked in the garage for trips or the occasional haul something pick from the store and get myself a older model used Mustang coupe with manual transmission for my personal car. But finances don't allow, so I'll just learn to live with the Edge.

Not to be a smart ass, but it seems like the car was more for her & not you. Not everyone has the same tastes - I like my Edge & the wife likes her Baja & we each complain about the others car.