A FORD Edge that is…….
(Me nestled comfortably in the cockpit of a 2011 Ford Edge Sport)
Thanks to Kristine Simpson of Ottawa’s Marketing Agency Thornley Fallis and the good folks over at Campbell Ford for putting me in one sweet ride last weekend.
Over the years I have reviewed and field-tested pretty much every gadget under the sun including: spotting scopes, trail cameras, GPS units, hunting apparel, sunglasses, fishing tackle, rifle scopes, remote control fishing boats, digital range finders, field binoculars and even boots, but I can honestly say I have never tested out a vehicle.
And considering the 2011 Ford Edge Sport is my very first, I’d say I’m kicking things off in style!
My time with the Edge over the May long weekend included a trip up the Ottawa Valley to our trailer in Cobden. I found the Edge to be roomy enough, and the automatic lift gate was a play toy I would never tire of. Press the button hatch goes up, press the button again the hatch goes down. I was like Homer Simpson with a donut….a big shiny silver donut….mmmmm donuts!
The Edge’s interior is a must see. It is laid out in a functional yet extremely modern and stylish manner. Once you have mastered the ‘voice command system’, you simply press a button and tell the car what you want.
“Radio….106.1 FM, please” Your system seamlessly switches over to Ottawa’s Classic rock, and all that’s left is to control the volume; which is conveniently located on the steering console.
Pretty much every aspect and feature of the Edge can be monitored from the control panel: the navigation system, heating & cooling, sound system and so on. You can use the touch screen, or live life on the ‘edge’ and go with the soothing voice command system.
It even tells you how many KM’s you have before you need to fill up, I thought that was neat, and the kids really enjoyed the MP3, USB and SD memory card slots.
As far as performance and practicality goes, the Edge was top notch. We flew up the Ottawa Valley like a ‘Bat out of Hell’..I actually had a Meatloaf CD playing, in case you were thinking something else.
As a member of the Crossover Utility (CUV) Class, the Ford Edge provided an ideal ‘apples to apples’ comparison for me since my regular vehicle is a Highlander – Toyota’s popular crossover a direct competitor.
But this was certainly a fancier machine than I’m used to driving.
With perhaps the most aggressive looking grill I’d ever seen, a beefy 305 horses purring underneath the hood and 22 inch wheels, the Edge is a real head turner. Even the lad at the McDonald’s drive-thru in Arnprior was smitten with it. (And once you’ve impressive the younger generation, you know you’ve made it big time)
“Hey man, you got 20’s on that?” he inquired. “No my friend, 22” actually” I replied proudly.
I have never been a particularly ‘showy’ type, but when it came to this vehicle I did feel somewhat like a show-off. Was it the big wheels, mean looking grill or all leather interior, I wasn’t quite sure but I did feel rather pompous and important whilst driving it.
As far as outdoor utility goes, I can see how the Edge would fit in; although I would go with the standard 18″ wheels for heading off road to the hunt camp. The Edge’s AWD system handled very nicely on the wetter days that weekend and having owned a Subaru I say that with experience.
In the end, the Ford Edge Sport was a great long weekend diversion and a vehicle I was very sad to return. Recently named the 2011 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, as well as the Top SUV/CUV in the $35,000 to $50,000 price range, the Edge has evidently attracted a lot of people’s attention.
