2011 Ford Edge: Up Close
The biggest exterior difference between the 2011 Edge crossover and its predecessor is its new front end, and Ford has managed to get a lot of mileage from that change despite keeping the rest of the crossover’s styling mostly the same. I always thought the Edge’s chrome grille was kind of showy, and the new one is even more so. I’m not sure I like it. Sport models get standard 22-inch wheels, but I can’t understand why rims this large are on a family-oriented crossover. It also sports a black chrome grille, which is less showy, but I still don’t like it.
Ford really came through on the interior redesign of the Edge. The cabin was one of the most underwhelming elements of this crossover, but it’s now one of its best. Nicer dashboard materials are pleasing to the eye, and the available Sony-branded version of Ford’s MyFord Touch gives the Edge a piano-black center control panel with touch-sensitive controls. It’s an attractive-looking interface, one you might expect from a company like Apple but perhaps not Ford.
The Edge’s cabin is roomy enough to comfortably seat four taller adults. Even with the driver’s seat adjusted for a lanky person, there’s good knee and legroom in the backseat. The rear backrest reclines by pulling on a handy lever near your hip, but the seat doesn’t slide forward or backward. It’s the same setup as the outgoing 2010 model.
The Edge’s driving experience has been one of its strong suits, and hopefully that will continue with the newly available engines for 2011. It looks like the crossover now has a cabin to match its road manners.
