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Ford SUV - Click HERE for Original Thread
N2MURANOS
A fellow Nissan Murano owner passed by my house today to pick up some wheels. Instead of the Murano, he pulled up in this 2007 or 2008 Ford Edge. This is Ford's attempt to steal potential Murano buyers.


Note to self: When getting a new car, fill out the JD Powers survey so you can have a chance to test out news cars for 5 months.


I'm not a Ford fan, but this SUV looks fairly good for Ford.







This was my wife's Explorer before getting her FX35. That's the last time we'll ever own a Ford.

njjoe
When I was a kid I remember being able to easily tell the difference between a Ford, or Chevy, or Buick, or Plymouth, or Pontiac, and especially between foreign and domestics cars. Each brand had their own unique style. Not any more. One brand simply runs into the next.

-njjoe
Kris
I am not a big fun of Ford either, though have to say 3 previous Fords gave me less troubles than the Murano.....
I like this new Ford. At least on photos it looks OK. Nothing special but OK. Definitely much better than the Subaru Tribecka...I hope it will get a good engine, but Ford does not have a good engine at the moment...

Joe,
you are right. With the exception of Ferrari, Porsche and a couple of more exotic brands there is not much differentiation between auto makers it is comes to styling...
elliotgb
There's an old saying: "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

I like the looks of the Edge. What's under the hood?
njjoe
N2MURANOS-

How did your buddy get into such a program? Has he been given other cars to evaluate?

-njjoe
rtking
Progressive design - I kind-of like it. But sadly, I was formerly a Ford fan. After 25 years of being a Ford fan and owning many, many Mustangs and SVT products, the shoddy craftsmanship and horrible dealer service finally drove me away. I know people complain about Nissan service too, but luckily my Nissan dealership (Douglas Nissan, Huntington Beach) has been fantastic and I haven't had any issues with my MO. Having said that, it would take a lot to get me to buy a new Ford again.

Bob
hfelknor
A few years to go yet.
Will probably buy a new 2008 or 09.

The Edge will DEFINITLY be on the list.
It comes with a 250HP 3.5L engine.
The engine has been designed from the git-go to be a Turbo or SC engine (Heavy duty bottom end) and it comes with a 6 speed auto.
Nice things, like an Mp3 audio jack........
It fits neatly into the same class as the Murano and will likely be more troublefree than my Murano has been.

Will it be as smooth a cruiser as the the big M?
Well, I'll try it out when the time comes.
But this is a good move for Ford.

Homer
Kris
Just visited Ford's site. The engine is a new Duratec 265HP and 250 lb/ft torque. Not bad performance. Do not know about the vibrations and harshness. But then again there is not many engines that equals the VQ.

I like the Edge now even more after visiting the site. Problem - this is FWD, and this is a flaw for me. I need RWD car. Pity. Then again I still have almost 2 years to decide. A well spec Edge can be had under $30k. It will be a very competitive car....let's hope quality will be there
N2MURANOS
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
N2MURANOS-

How did your buddy get into such a program? Has he been given other cars to evaluate?

-njjoe



This person picked some wheels from me. He had just purchased a Nissan Murano for his wife. JD Powers and Associates sent out a survey about the new purchase. He was then called by JD Powers and was asked if he was interested in testing this new Edge. All he pays is gas. It's his for 5-6 months....SWEET GIG!

Car and insurance is covered. I asked my wife if she filled hers out (with the FX35 purchase) she says she tossed it away. :3:
njjoe
N2MURANOS-

That really is a sweet gig. While it is nice to have free use of any new car, what I especially like about this deal is that you get to drive and evaluate a car that has yet to be released to the general public.

Chrysler had a similar program in the early 60's when they chose 203 families to drive and evaluate 75 hand-built, turbine-powered, luxury sedans. Each family had the car for an average of 3 months. The engine (turbine) was rated 130HP @ 45,700 rpms, and 425 lb-ft @ zero rpms. Now that had to be fun.

-njjoe
Tyler_Canada
This looks like (especially from the side) to share a bit with the Mazda CX-7. From the sounds of it a very different engine, but possibly the same tranny.
elliotgb
When my lease is up in 2008, the Edge will be on my short list of possible vehicles to replace the MO.

I actually love the CVT in the MO and going to a vehicle without one doesn't appeal to me. I also like the quietness and power of the Murano and wonder how the Edge will match up to it.
Eric L.
I think the Ford Edge will be a competitive entry for the crossover sector. It is a few years late, but Ford is finally in the midrange V6 game with their Duratech35, and it should be competitive with the 250+ multivalve V6 engines from Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and GM. The engine will probably also migrate to the Ford Fusion, Freestyle, and maybe base Mustang.

The Edge is also the basis for the Lincoln Aviator, and from the initial pictures, I think its ghastly (the Aviator).

GM announced today (I think) that the Saturn Outlook crossover (which doesn't look that big in pictures but is over half a foot longer than a Honda Pilot, which is already half a foot longer than our MO's) will have a 270-275hp 3.6L V6.
hfelknor
Odd how we react to slightly different styling cues.
I don't care for the Outlook at ALL.

But I like the GMC Acadia.
Same car.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/12/...cadia-revealed/

Homer
elliotgb
For those Homelink fans, the Edge apparently is not so equipped. I like the ability to press the button up top and open my garage door automagically.

Not a show stopper for me, though, I think I'll demo one when they are available. Maybe they'll add Homelink later, who knows. No remote alarm system available, either.
elliotgb
According to the few reviews I've read so far on the Edge, it seems a bit underpowered. One reviewer had this to say:

With a curb weight of 4,282 pounds for the all-wheel-drive Edge, Ford's 3.5-liter V-6 engine has its work cut out. And it doesn't always measure up. Even with 265 horsepower, the engine can't move the car very fast from a stop, and the whine it makes when the pedal is held down is almost scary.

And another: Cons: The transmission, which is a new design, seems to hunt around when you step on the gas. There's 265 horses under the bonnet, but I'm not sure they have the right harness.

I'll wait and see if there's improvements by the time I'm ready to lease again in 2008. I still like the looks, but the performance doesn't cut it just yet.
hfelknor
Do you have a reference for this review?

The "reviews" I have read say quite the opposite.
Estimated 7.5 seconds 0-60 (about the same as a Murano ), outstanding Tranny, very, very quiet..........

However, I want to see everything, So, do you have a URL?


Homer
elliotgb
Homer

I had closed out my browser and then went back in again to redo the finds for Ford Edge. I couldn't find the negative reviews. Everthing else I read from this point on also has positive things to say about the acceleration.

All I remember reading though is that the negative reviews were both from the Bay area in California. I'm not sure why I can't find the same ones again. I guess Car and Driver and some of the better known reviewers might be better references than those I originally found.
elliotgb
Here's one reference, maybe not so reliable:

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/19/...rd-edge-in-s-f/
elliotgb
Here's another:
http://www.businessweek.com/autos/c...0531_page_2.htm
hfelknor
Cool.
Of course many of these folks don't know what they are doing so we are seeing the typical wild statements that are not consistent.

The blogger thinks the interior is cheap, Bizweek thinks it's sharp.
Bizweek thinks the tranny hunts, no one else has noticed this.

Several think that the car is on the slow side.
I rather suspect that it is as fast as the Murano but it just doesn't seem so.
That is the down side of a really solid, quiet vehicle. As an example, the murano at 70 is very quiet and feels like you are doing a good bit less, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee (I just drove a 2006 with 14K on it) feels like you are doing 90!
In any event, it won't be long before some trusted reviewers will put the thing through a real road test and we will find out.

Some of the things I like so far are
The "sunroof". - Now THAT's what I am talking about! Talk about a sunroof! None of that "tiny little, won't even open all the way" sunroof on the Murano.
Have to wonder tho.......will it bake us down here in Florida?????

Telescoping Steering wheel - You betcha. Not exactly a new idea, but not many have it. Certainly not the Murano.

Plug in your MP3 - Yes!! Murano didn't have it new and still has not delivered it.

Power retracting rear seats - Nice touch.


Dynamic skid control - or whatever you want to call it. And it's STANDARD.

Price - With more features at less money, it's potentially a better deal.

Things that don't thrill me so far

The rear cupholders are about the same as the Murano. Lame on both cars IMO.

I got used to the manual downshift to DS on my murano. I don't need the phony shift patterns on the CVT, but it is good to be able to downshift manually.
May not care for the D only Ford Tranny....

I LIKE the moveable pedals in my Murano. Cmon Ford, boys and girls are built different or didn't you notice?

Rear "sensing" system - is "OK" but I would rather have the camera system on the MO


Overall, I think Ford has done a good thing.
That's good for us, whether we buy a Ford or not.

Homer
elliotgb
I agree. I am excited about seeing what the future of this vehicle might be. It looks to be a strong competitor for the MO. I had pretty good luck with Fords before, so I will definitely give this a test drive in 2008. Now if it came with a CVT.....................
Tyler_Canada
quote:
Originally posted by hfelknor
Telescoping Steering wheel - You betcha. Not exactly a new idea, but not many have it. Certainly not the Murano.

I LIKE the moveable pedals in my Murano. Cmon Ford, boys and girls are built different or didn't you notice?



You don't really need both. If you have movable pedals and not steering wheel, you adjust the seat to a good arm comfort and then adjust the pedals to your legs. Do the opposite if you have the telescoping steering wheel but not the pedals.
Eric L.
If I had to have one, it would be a telescoping steering wheel. For some long legged folks, a nontelescoping wheel means there is limited space between the wheel and the dashboard, and you have to prop your knee or brush your shins against a hard surface. Extending the pedals forward lets me stretch my legs out a little. But its not as much as a telescoping wheel which would let me also move the seat back as well.

For an automatic its not a big issue. But long legs and knees brushing up against the steering wheel on a stickshift car, makes it very unpleasant to drive.
elliotgb
Edmunds.com finally has a review on the edge:

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/for...rchlanding.html
Eric L.
quote:
Originally posted by elliotgb
Edmunds.com finally has a review on the edge:

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/for...rchlanding.html



Not a surprising review. Powerful engine and drivetrain, good handling, space is fine, but interior plastics are kind of cheap. Sounds like the 03-04 MO's!

In Edmunds editor Karl Brauer's blog, he says that the Highlander and Pilot have better interior plastics than the Edge, but he hasn't been in a MO in a while so he cannot the two. I've seen the 05+ interior and I like the upgraded materials like the weaved headliner.
hfelknor
The braking thing is a concern.
Of course, as opposed to Edmunds, I think I would know the brakes are bad (60-0 152 feet vs 119 ft for the Murano) and would take it into Ford to have it fixed.
IMO something was wrong with their tester.
If not, I wouldn't touch one of these and wouldn't let my friends buy one either.

But as I figured, the things is not a lead sled and in fact can likely outgun the Murano.
It's not just the HP/Tqe. The CVT exacts a penalty off the line.........

I didn't know the headliner had been changed in the MO........ hmmmnnn. I need to look up more. :D

Homer
T.C.Lowell
At first, I found the Edge exciting. I love my '06 F-150, and I really wanted to like the Edge. Now, the more I look at it, the more I feel that the Ford Edge project manager must have told the design team to take a Murano and make it bland. Could have been exciting, but its bland.

The Murano has very bold styling and everyone is taking design cues from it. The new Acura's are getting more muscular and bold, as well as the new Honda CRV. The Rav4 is almost a Murano Mini-Me.
NVMYGT
Recently I've started to feel the need to come back to the crossover camp. Coming from a Murano to an RX-8 was fun, but I felt much more 'at home' in the Murano. All of my friends love the 8, but we still talk about our adventures in the Murano often.

When I started doing my car shopping the EDGE immediately caught my attention. Ford really has a lot banking on this vehicle and if it's interior comfort factor is similar to the Ford 500 then I'm sold.

I sat in every car at the auto show 2 years ago and the most comfortable car was the 500...I liked it so much that I practically sold one to my dad. Everytime we take a trip in his I remark on how nice the car is. Granted, it's not the most exciting exterior, but the ride is flawless.

If the EDGE brings this to the table I may have another PUMPKIN in my driveway sometime soon:
Sharlin
The Edge was aimed at the Murano according to automobile magazine... funny thing is, they mention that then don't compare it to a Murano but instead of other vehicles in the category - of course these are the same people who claim that CVT drones in the Murano :)


Edge == Overweight and Overpriced. Honestly if they want me to look at a Ford they need to be a lot cheaper than than the vehicles they aimed for.
tmnjmurano
Overpriced- you should check the prices on the Edge they rebadged as the Lincoln MKX. Crazy msrps - but you know they'll be throwing an 8k rebate on them pretty quick.

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