2007 Ford Edge AWD

[brucepick]

2007 Ford Edge "crossover" vehicle
All Wheel Drive
3.5 liter V6, 6-spd auto tranny
.37 drag coefficient
Stability and anti-roll control
Curb weight: 4098 lb
EPA: 17/24

20.31 mpg actual in our combined driving.

Drove 235.5 mi, using 11.595 gal.
Mix of town/country/highway.
A/C all the way.
Mostly 60-65 when on highway.

When I made the rental reservation I reserved a compact car.
When they run out of the size you reserved, you get something else.
This was definitely an upgrade from what I would normally have received.

The car was very comfortable and also quite roomy.
Leather interior in a medium light tan color.
A/C was very effective. The four dash vents were about ten inches top to bottom and just over an inch wide. This gave very even and good distribution of the cooled air. I believe there were rear vents also.

This Edge had a potentially useful mpg display. It displays an average mpg since the time when it was last reset. You can reset it at any time by pushing a single dash button. You can use this to get a near-instantaneous readut of mpg provided conditions remain consistent for a moment after you hit the reset button. Example: with cruise control set for 40-45 mph, you can see that mpg's are in the mid-thirties. However that's not going to turn this 4000+ lb awd beast into a gas sipper; the numbers drop dramatically when you pull away from a stop and at highway speeds. Our average over 235.5 miles of mixed driving was 20.31 mpg.

Now for the bad news.

OK, I don't really like large vehicles, especially tall ones. This one is called a crossover but at over 4000 lb. it's no lightweight. Also it's fairly tall, so any curves or corners had me cutting back speed to keep things steady. Instead of taking curves faster than posted or at the posted "recommendation" on the yellow sign, I took them well under those speeds. Even on the highway, I stayed around the speed limit. I was OK at maybe 5 mph over the limit but I didn't feel like I wanted to be 10 or 15 mph over.

The Edge does have a form of stability and roll control. However I certainly wouldn't take corners and curves quickly expecting the automation to save the day. That would be like driving too fast for conditions, while counting on antilock brakes to save you in the event of impending disaster.

Another note - and this could pertain to any vehicle with a light colored interior:
The dash and upper dash were covered in material the same color as the rest of the interior, a medium-light tan. This gave a reflection of brightness across the entire windshield, reducing the contrast of the view through the glass. There was some near-black trim on the dash; where those areas were reflected into the windshield the view was much better.

Had the upper dash been uniformly covered in a dark colored material the reflection would not have occured and the view would have been better.
Most people would not notice this but the view would be impaired just the same. I have a strong awareness of anything visual or optical following decades of interest in optics, photography and the graphic arts.

[bfg9000d]

Also its a Fix Or Repair Daily. I have been screwed way to many times by owning fords and the massive problems they have. I have hundreds of mechanic repair bills to prove it from owning 6 ford cars. From a rent a car stand point Ford is fine to drive. But never buy one. You might think your getting a good deal until your warranty runs out.

[rh77]

Good review

Of the "Big 3" I'll take a Ford first at the rental lot (depending on size).

-Rick