Review: 2009 Ford Edge Sport offers big wheels, key improvements
by Dan Roth on Jul 9th 2009 at 11:56AM 
2009 Ford Edge Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery
Twenty-two inch wheels. A chocolate bar shy of two feet, the 2009 Ford Edge Sport has alloys the size of manhole covers. Despite being made of aluminum, these wheels pull the eyes of onlookers magnetically. The big rollers are not everyone's cup of tea, but they're the defining feature of the Edge Sport – even the standard Sport model kicks it with 20s. Ford adds even more visual slickness to the Edge Sport with smoked lenses for the head- and tail-lamps that go along with an uncommonly tasteful bodykit. We spent a week to-ing and fro-ing with an Edge Sport just to see if those rollers crushed our kidneys into renal failure, or if this crossover's aggressive looks are matched to a chassis that you can get along with every day. Click on the jump to find out.
Gallery: Review: 2009 Ford Edge Sport
Photos Copyright ©2009 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.
Surprisingly, the Ford Edge Sport is not a four-wheeled meat tenderizer. Ride quality is always a subjective land mine where one man's buttoned down is another man's harsh, but the Edge Sport pulls off its outsized sneakers. The Sport is firmer than other Edge models, partly due to the tires matched with the 22s – high performance 40-series Pirelli all seasons sporting a 265 millimeter cross-section.
Beyond tires that would be aggressive for any street car, the unsprung mass of such gigantic hunks of metal at each corner could make for terribly bad vibes from behind the wheel. To bolster its chance for success, Ford set its suspension tuners upon the big CUV. The result is increased damping rates all around, stiffer rear springs and an additional millimeter of diameter for the front anti-roll bar, now 34mm.
The attention given to the suspenders works well out in the wild, with the 22s costing surprisingly little in terms of ride quality over the standard 20s with which the Sport ships. The Edge's normal poise is there, with noticeably tight rebounding that keeps ride motions on the well-disciplined side of firm. For drivers that find the typical soft, slow-witted dynamics of most SUV/CUVs objectionable, the Edge Sport shows that the segment can be tuned for something other than lumbering mush.
Mechanically, the Edge Sport isn't terribly different from its other brethren. The same 3.5-liter V6 and slick-operating six-speed automatic transmission are here. The 265 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque that this engine delivers will pull the 4,000-plus pounds around with satisfying snap when the tachometer needle swings north. Admittedly, however, those gigundo hoops promise performance that the engine bay can't muster. EcoBoost anyone?
The Edge Sport's braking prowess is a bit of a letdown from the rest of the mechanical harmony. While pedal feel is reasonably good, there's surprisingly little return without a firmer-than-normal braking foot. Peering through the spokes of those big wheels just adds aesthetic disappointment to the performance shortcoming. With Conestoga-sized wheels, the standard rotors and calipers appear puny. More rotor diameter would not only add visual horsepower, but might actually result in more responsive brakes to boot. At the very least, a color on the calipers would have been a nice touch, though perhaps it's better to avoid drawing any attention to the otherwise stock hardware.
Ford's 6F transmission is smooth like butter and still responsive in this age of recalcitrant self-shifters. Gear changes do not slam harshly or snap heads, even at wide open throttle, and the optional all-wheel drive system flattens any torque steer that may try to rear its head. The front-drive Edge Sport would save you some bucks and a little weight, and AWD doesn't figure to be as helpful in foul weather thanks to those those big wheels and steamroller rubber. If you live where it snows, a winter wheel/tire package for this vehicle would be money well spent.
In any weather, the Edge Sport's interior is a comfortable place to spend time. Seats are covered with a combination of leather and perforated Alcantara, held together by French stitching. They're some of the best in Ford's furniture warehouse, but having power adjustment for fore/aft and seat bottom tilt teamed with a manual lever for rake seems strange. At least the mechanisms should remain reliable over time with no drive cables for the seatback.
Metallic trim accents the center stack with the Sport logo embossed as a pattern, lest you forget where you are. It's an Edge SEL inside otherwise, meaning attractively designed, rendered nicely, mostly in good materials and long-haul comfortable. Most option boxes are pre-ticked for Edge Sports, but there are ways to spend more than the $35,770 base price of our AWD tester. $1995 will buy the Premium Package that nets you heated, power-operated front seats; climate control; a power liftgate; integrated garage door opener and heated mirrors with puddle lamps. Additionally, those wheels that have everyone talking will cost you a grand, and the massive Vista Roof, which makes the interior feel open and airy, will lighten your wallet by another $1595.
Switchable ambient lighting is more of a novelty than anything else, but it comes standard, along with Sync. Ford's world-beating navigation system is only available with the Premium Package, so while the nav option is $2380, you have to spend nearly two grand just to get the chance to spend even more. The only other high-buck option is a rear-seat DVD system that puts screens in the headrests. Smaller additions to the options list will run you in the hundreds. All tallied, one can easily push the Edge into market waters infested with exceptionally stiff competition.
The Edge Sport we borrowed from Ford was solidly in the low $40,000s, with room to go. That pricing level sees the Edge Sport butting heads with a Lexus RX350 that carries a more luxe interior – one possibly even optioned up with a premium package. While a topped-out Edge is going to have more stuff for less money than a similarly priced Lexus and the Ford may be more pleasing to enthusiasts, it's out of its league when the needle on the cash-o-meter swings past $40,000. Also puzzling is the fact that the Edge Sport fits in above the Limited trim level, while actually offering less off the bat.
At least the body enhancements look like a million bucks, making the extra thousands feel like a bargain when you set your gaze upon the Edge Sport. The unique lower fascias front and rear and rocker panels are body color, exhaust tips are larger on the Sports, and of course there are those chromey wheels, either as 20s or 22s. With the Edge Sport, Ford takes an already good vehicle and trims, tucks and tweezes it into something entirely more compelling. The actual reasons for the Edge Sport's existence might be murky – perhaps Ford didn't want Toyota to have a lock on titanic wheels with its Venza.
The Edge Sport delivers a lot to like. It's very comfortable, performs well and looks great. Price-wise, it's mildly painful and flirts with competition that, while admittedly focused on a different buyer, offers much more prestige for about the same price. There's a lot of pleasure to be had behind the wheel, though. We drove the Edge Sport all over the place while enjoying the change in attitude these tweaks have wrought. It may not be a sports car or stuffed to the gills with bone-crushing horsepower, but the Edge Sport does live up to its badging with a touch more capability and discipline, and it adds a big wallop of style inside and out that's unique among blue-collar Detroit offerings. That distinction may be exactly where the Edge Sport belongs, as it offers something that's a bit of a reach for the brand, yet has no direct competitors, preferring instead to crash the party of a more elite clique.
Gallery: Review: 2009 Ford Edge Sport
Photos Copyright ©2009 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.
UPDATE: The Edge Sport in the gallery is a different vehicle than the one the reviewer drove. The review car was equipped with navigation and climate control, but not with the Vista Roof.
| 2009 Ford Edge Sport | ||||
| Performance | Brakes/Tires/Wheels | |||
| Engine | 3.5-liter V6 | Front Brakes | Ventilated Discs (ABS) | |
| Configuration/Valvetrain | DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder | Rear Brakes | Solid Discs | |
| Max Horsepower @ RPM | 265 hp @ 6,250 RPM | Wheels (front) | 20x7.5-inches | |
| Max Torque @ RPM | 250 lb-ft @ 4,500 RPM | Wheels (rear) | 20x7.5-inches | |
| Drive Type | All-wheel drive | Tires (front) | 245/50 R20 all-season | |
| Transmission | Six-speed Automatic | Tires (rear) | 245/50 R20 all-season | |
| Fuel Injection | Sequential Multi-Port | |||
| Compression Ratio | 10.3:1 | Exterior Dimensions | ||
| Recommended Fuel | 87 octane | Length | 185.7 inches | |
| Fuel Capacity | 20 gallons | Width | 75.8 inches | |
| EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy) | 15 / 22 mpg | Height | 67.0 inches | |
| 0-60 mph time (MFR est.) | Not Available | Wheelbase | 111.2 inches | |
| Top Speed | Not Available | Curb Weight | 4,288 pounds | |
| Suspension/Steering | Interior Dimensions | |||
| Front | MacPherson, w/ anti-roll bar | Maximum Seating | 5 | |
| Rear | Independent w/ anti-roll bar | Luggage Capacity | 32.2 cu-ft | |
| Steering | Power rack-and-pinion | Head Room (Front/Rear) | 40.0 / 39.3 inches | |
| Turns Lock-to-Lock | 3.1 | Shoulder Room (Front/Rear) | 58.9 / 58.8 inches | |
| Turning Circle (feet) | 38.6 | Leg Room (Front/Rear) | 40.7 / 39.6 inches | |
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Swede 12:03PM (7/09/2009)
Woooooooow thats... blue. They make interiors like that still? I don't get it.
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happyfun86 12:14PM (7/09/2009)
What's wrong with the interior? I think it looks great.
Matt 12:16PM (7/09/2009)
The interior uses Fisher Price materials.
God that thing is ugly. The Edge is not good looking to begin with, but this is hideous.
Kitko 12:53PM (7/09/2009)
Agreed, interior looks ... well, dated....
Visually, I'd be more concerned with the black paint on those shiny alloy wheels, what happened, they used to put rubber there....
Ride quality aside, brake discs look rather ridiculous in these huge rims. I don't know whether they're really that small or what's the extent of optical illusion. But does this thing brake? My experience with Explorer and Taurus suggests that it doesn't. OK, different cars but the these brakes on the Edge do not inspire confidence.
Kitko 12:56PM (7/09/2009)
add on - it says Sport on the central console trim but the aircon is MANUAL???? Right on pulse of the late 90s. My mid-level trim 1998 Mazda 626 (European model) had digital climate control standard.
Tomac 1:39PM (7/09/2009)
@ Kitco:
While I agree with you regarding the wheels and brakes, since when did "Sport" imply anything about the aircon? I'd take more issue with the fact that the TRANSMISSION is an automatic rather than a manual. Without a third pedal, there's nothing sporty happening here.
As for automatic climate control, I always try to avoid it. It's just another potential malfunction, and with a manual setup adjustment is quick and easy. Why complicate something that's so simple to begin with?
Za 2:43PM (7/09/2009)
happyfun86, that interior looks incredibly cheap for a $35,000 car. Hell, according to the article and the pictures, it doesn't even have climate control! For $35,000, dual-zone climate control should be absolutely assumed, and that's just the beginning. In comparison, http://pitstopbrasil.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/cruze-interior.jpg is the interior to the Chevy Cruze, which is supposed to slot in about where the Cobalt is right now.
Kitko 2:52PM (7/09/2009)
Tomac
a) It's Kitko, not Kitco
b) Shiny huge rims and "sport" allusions usually point to top level equipment and trim, some call it bling but whatever....
As to your "Why complicate something that's so simple to begin with?" attitude, I believe typewriters are proven technology as well, yet I don't see Dell or Apple selling typewriters by truckloads. How's your tapes?
Automatic air-con is more efficient, both in what it's supposed to do and in energy it needs to do what it's supposed to do. See, I simply dial the temperature and then I adjust it accordingly as the conditions change, sometimes in 0.5 degree celsius steps, a feat that can't be achieved with manual air-con sported by the Edge.
I had no issues with the auto aircon in that Mazda when I sold to a friend in 2006 and as far as I know, it still works.
tuxchown 3:32PM (7/09/2009)
It's a nice looking vehicle, inside and out.
Tomac 4:29PM (7/09/2009)
Sincere apologies to the name, Kitko-- I typed from memory without double-checking. And I agreed with you regarding the wheels, no need to hammer the point home yet again.
Perhaps you are sensitive to 0.5 degree differences in temperature, but I'm not. I'd honestly prefer the windows be down, the aircon off, and the iPod tunes jamming. And my point wasn't primarily directed at the aircon but at the fact that you implied "sport" equated to "luxury". I'm apparently ill-suited to argue with someone who takes issue with the climate control settings when a very objectionable slushbox gear selector sits in front of it.
Do yourself a favor and buy a Lexus-- the brand that embraces isolation from driving.
Kitko 6:02PM (7/09/2009)
Tomac,
Apology accepted.
Sport and automatic/automated transmissions are not necessarilly mutually exclusive. The 8-speed auto in the Lexus IS-F shifts quicker than most humans would using clutch. Going by your logic, Porsche 911 with a PDK, which is actually quicker than a classic manual version, is not a sports car. Having said that, Edge is not a sports car by any stretch of imagination. My point was, manual air-con is substandard given what the car is supposed to be - definitely not an econobox.
I prefer driving with iPod on, aircon on (when there's 35 outside and 80% humidity) and windows shut. Driving with windows open increases fuel consumption, disturbs car's aerodynamics and stability. And frankly, driving with windows open on a typical European highway at 130-140 km/h is just plain stupid.
Tomac 8:58PM (7/09/2009)
No offense mate, but if you're concerned about fuel economy you're not shopping the Ford Edge, either. Windows up or down it sucks dinosaurs.
And to your point, there are some "fast" automatics out there, no doubt. Certainly the Porsche with the PDK is a sports car. Perhaps it might even be faster than one driven with a true manual. But is it as engaging to drive? Connection with the machine is what it's all about, lap times be damned. There may come a day when the auto tranny is guaranteed to be quicker throughout the market, but the enthusiast will still be buying the manual. I'd even pay more for it!
Drachen 12:05PM (7/09/2009)
Smoked lenses make it go faster!
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info 12:40PM (7/09/2009)
Smoked headlight lenses definitely rank right up there in the stupidity scale. Why anyone would want to permanently lower the light intensity of their headlights is beyond me.
Dan Roth 12:42PM (7/09/2009)
I'm shooting from the hip here, but I think you'll find that while the lenses are smoked in appearance, they suffer little, if any, with light transmissivity. There's probably a spec that they have to meet for lens transmissivity, too.
Level 12:49PM (7/09/2009)
If you look closely they only blacked out the frame of the head lights which would of been chrome as the taillights leaving the actual light projection the same which is clear...they are not breaking any laws or making the light dim...
info 1:13PM (7/09/2009)
I was referring to smoked lenses in general. I can't tell if the lenses on this car are smoked or not. I have, however, seen many cars with definitely smoked lenses, mainly Mustangs. I can assure you, if the glass is smoked it will diminish light transmission. They function exactly as a neutral density filter does in photography and, all excuses for the above car aside, that is idiotic.
AndrewNoNumbers 6:11PM (7/09/2009)
I say the only places where smoked lights look good are on black or grey cars. They really don't make sense on this car since it already has so much chrome everywhere heck the stock chromy lights would go right along.
AndrewNoNumbers 6:33PM (7/09/2009)
Best smoked lense I've seen.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2416/3381/31039190002_medium.jpg
Jim 12:08PM (7/09/2009)
it's strange to me- as well as Ford is executing pretty much everywhere, they can't seem to get brake performance nailed down. Almost every review of a Ford vehicle has at least some gripes about the brakes, be it fade, or feel, or whatever.
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