 | Positives: Tons of easy-to-use technology, comfortable cabin and seats, spacious cargo space and storage compartments and a good audio system. |
 | Negatives: The punchy engine and sharp steering can be too much for FWD at times, making for little confidence in the corners and too much wheelspin from a stop. No third-row seating option. |
 | Bottom Line: The Ford Edge is a great vehicle. However, we'd urge people to buy it with AWD. It only adds about $1,500 and would make the Edge so much more enjoyable to drive. If you don't need a third row of seating and want a practical and easy to live with CUV with tons of technology, the Edge better be on your list of possibilities. It's better than or on par with almost all of the competition. |
Driving Experience
The Edge feels a little bigger from the inside than it actually is. This paired with the surprisingly sharp steering and handling makes for driving characteristics that take some getting used to. Also, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-pot engine feels powerful. It provides a little more thrust than we thought it would. This should be a good thing, but because all the power on our tester was directed to the front wheels, it led to torque steer and wheel spin quite often. In the corners, we had to be careful. If we got back into the throttle too soon, we experienced dramatic understeer. It rained one day we had the Edge, and that made for a few unexpected losses of traction. Still, once you become accustomed to these characteristics, you can adjust your driving habits to compensate.
We’d be willing to bet that the all-wheel drive version of the Edge doesn’t succumb to these issues as severely although we can’t say that for sure. Power going to all four wheels would help take some of the burden off the front wheels, which would ideally improve the car’s handling in turns and grip off the line.
Ride Quality: The Edge feels pretty refined over rough surfaces. The suspension soaks up bumps well and is comfortable in most situations.
Acceleration: Step on the throttle and the 2.0-liter turbo four cylinder does a very good job of moving the Edge along. Just don’t stab the throttle too suddenly or you'll get wheel spin instead of smooth forward motion.
Braking: Brakes are good. They're strong and progressive with decent pedal feel.
Steering: The steering is a little over boosted. It should require a little more effort than this and needs more feedback.
Handling: Like we stated above, the Edge doesn’t inspire much confidence in the corners. Understeer is noticeable. However, it doesn’t have too much body roll, and with its tight steering setup, we could see this CUV being much better with all-wheel drive.
Technology
While the Edge doesn’t exactly excite when it comes to driving experience, it is seriously well-equipped with modern technology. Ford’s really focusing on the connectivity of its vehicles. The company sees this as the future, and the Edge is designed with this in mind. The SYNC 3 system is one of the better infotainment systems out there, and the vehicle also has plenty of available driver-assist technology. Our tester came with voice activated navigation, blind spot monitoring, auto dimming mirrors, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and adaptive steering.
Infotainment System: Ford’s SYNC 3 system is smooth and feature packed. There’s plenty of apps, and connecting your phone gives you access to even more features. The 8-inch touchscreen in our vehicle functioned flawlessly. Its resolution and graphics were high, and it wasn’t too glossy to see in direct sunlight.
Controls: There’s a nice mix of buttons and touchscreen controls, but it does take a little while to get acclimated. Once you know where everything is, controlling everything is a cinch.
Bluetooth Pairing: Pairing a phone took very little time and reconnecting upon re-entry was seamless.
Voice Call Quality: Calls were crisp and clear with no connectivity issues.
Styling
The Edge doesn’t really stand out that much from other CUVs on the road. The large grille on the front of the vehicle is its most distinguishing attribute. However, many other automakers are going with big grilles on CUVs, too. The Hyundai Santa Fe’s grille is even the same basic shape as the Edge’s. In short, the styling choices by Ford make this vehicle blend into suburban landscapes. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll love the look of this vehicle.
Front: The grille dominates the nose of the CUV. It stretches between the attractive headlights. Overall, the front of the Edge has a look that mimics that of the rest of the automaker’s lineup. It’s obviously a Ford, but it’s not very flashy or very interesting.
Rear: The rear looks nice with a pair of attractive wraparound LED taillights connected by a light bar. Aside from that, there’s a dark plastic rear bumper and a dual exhaust system.
Profile: There’s a few character lines that run down the side of the Edge, the higher of which interacts with the taillights, blending the rear of the vehicle into the side seamlessly.
Cabin: The cabin is an attractive and fluid design. We’re not a huge fan of Ford’s interiors, but the Edge’s setup is much better than the Escape’s. There’s still some hard, cheaper looking plastics, but for the most part, attractive black soft-tough materials dominate the cabin.
Comfort
Our tester was a top of the line Edge and came with all of the bells and whistles. It was very comfortable and featured leather-wrapped seats, high-quality interior materials and an overall well-laid out interior. You don’t have to strain to see or reach anything in the Edge as Ford has placed everything at your fingertips. You sit very upright, which some people will like and others won’t.
Front Seats: Well-padded and supportive. Heated and cooled with plenty of adjustment and tons of room. Could use more bolstering to keep you in the seat.
Rear Seats: Plenty of leg room and support. Head, hip and shoulder room should be enough for most people. The fact that the rear seats are heated is nice as well.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): The Edge is a quiet machine. You get a little buzz from the engine and a bit of wind noise from the side mirrors. Otherwise, it’s solid and quiet.
Visibility: Seeing out of the CUV is pretty easy from all angles. The cameras and sensors help alert you to what you can’t see, though the C-Pillars are a little on the thicker side.
Climate: Heating or cooling down the cabin is extremely easy thanks to a dual-zone climate control system and heated front and rear seats and cooled front seats.
Safety
Safety in family vehicles is very important, and the Edge comes well-equipped to impress moms and dads everywhere. With tons of airbags and plenty of available sensors it’s ready to keep you from getting in an accident and prevent major injuries should something happen. The NHTSA gave the 2016 Ford Edge an overall rating of five stars.
IIHS Rating: The Edge did not receive a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. However, it did get good ratings in almost all categories. What kept the vehicle from receiving a top overall rating was the small overlap front test and the LATCH child seat anchors ease of use. In both of those categories, the vehicle got only an acceptable rating. So, while safe, it's not the safest option out there.
Standard Tech: AdvanceTrac with RSC, all around airbags, tire pressure monitoring system, LATCH child safety system, perimeter alarm, personal safety system, Securicode keyless keypad, SOS post-crash alert system.
Optional Tech: Blind spot monitoring, auto-dimming side mirrors, lane-keeping assist, enhanced active park assist system, 180-degree backup camera, rain-sensing wipers, and inflatable rear safety belts.
Storage/Cargo
The Edge, being a family CUV, should have plenty of storage space, and Ford does a decent job of providing it with plenty of places to stow away items. Also, the cargo space is reasonably large and should be plenty big enough for all your family’s baggage.
Storage Space: There are eight cup holders, spaces in the center stack and beneath the armrest. There’s also some generous door pockets and a roomy glove box.
Cargo Room: The 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in their upright position is on par or better than other vehicles the same size as the Edge. With the seats folded, you get 73.4 cubic feet of cargo space, which is a lot of space. It bests some competitors like the Nissan Murano and the Jeep Grand Cherokee but is beat out by other competitors like the Hyundai Santa Fe and the GMC Acadia.
Fuel Economy
Fuel economy for family and commuter CUVs is important, and the Ford Edge does a decent job. The EPA estimates come in at 20 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. This is on par or just a smidge better than the competition from other automakers. Once again, if you’re considering this vehicle, get AWD because it really doesn’t impact fuel economy much and would make the Edge much more enjoyable on the road.
Observed: We saw an average of 22 mpg over the course of the week with the Edge.
Driving Factors: We primarily drove the Edge in the city, with a only a few trips on the highway. We weren’t too heavy on the throttle, but also didn’t baby the vehicle for the sake of better fuel economy. We expect the EPA estimates to be right on the money for this vehicle.
Audio
The 12-speaker Sony audio system is a very good system in this vehicle. It offers a wide range and plenty of volume. Everything you play on it sounds good and even phone calls sound great. This system paired with Ford’s SYNC 3 system makes for an enjoyable experience. Controls for the system are easy to use and operate smoothly. Overall, it’s a great system.
