By Drew Johnson
Monday, Aug 23rd, 2010 @ 12:01 am

It wasn’t all that long ago that a mid-cycle update from Ford meant a “new” headlight treatment that essentially looked like the one that came before it. Customers were forced to wait for all-new models to receive any semblance of new technology or style, but – thankfully – those days look to be behind us.

Enter the 2011 Ford Edge . Following the heavy-duty mid-cycle refreshes laid out by the Mustang and the Fusion, the Edge receives a major revamp for the 2011 model year despite being largely based on the outgoing 2010 model. Just about every aspect of the 2011 Edge has been tweaked, and for the better.

Big shoes to fill
Although the original Edge got off to a slow start when it first launched in 2006, its combination of good looks, good value and just-right sizing eventually caught on with buyers. The current iteration of the Edge has now topped 400,000 sales, meaning Ford designers and engineers were charged with the daunting task of not screwing up a good thing – at least one that sold well.

With the original’s sales success in mind, Ford took a careful scalpel the Edge’s face, giving it an updated mug with familiar ties to the last-gen car as well as the rest of the company’s lineup. A new, bold grille is most noticeable, flanked by smaller headlines that give the Edge a sportier look. However, move to the side or rear of the 2011 Edge and things start to look very familiar, which probably has something to do with those 400,000 sales.

The Sport model remains on offer for 2011, gaining dark tint chrome and 22-inch wheels to visually set it apart from standard Edge models.

More than skin deep
To go along with its revised exterior, Ford also bestowed upon the 2011 Edge a revamped interior. Although some bits are clear carryovers from the current car, most buyers will be hard pressed to find the similarities.

Keeping with the exterior’s theme of all-new in the front and kind of new everywhere else, the majority of the Edge’s interior changes appear in the front section of the cabin. A new dash graces the 2011 Edge’s cockpit, complete with a new steering wheel, standard 8-inch touch screen display and MyFordTouch center stack. The Edge’s gauge cluster heads to the future for 2011, featuring a single, center-mounted speedometer, with color LCD screens on either side. Those screens – along with the touch-screen monitor – play heavily into Ford’s new Sync system, but we’ll get to that a bit later.

But while the dash area of the Edge made us feel like we were piloting some sort of futuristic transport craft, the rest of the Edge made us feel like we were right back in 2006. For whatever reason, Ford decided to use soft touch materials for the top portion of the Edge’s dash, but opted for melted down milk jugs for the tops of the doors. We also questioned Ford’s choice of leather, especially since we’ve never come across a cow that felt like it was made of plastic. Those kinds of cost-cutting tactics might be acceptable on lower-brow vehicles, but we witnessed these foibles on range-topping Edge models with price tags over $40,000.

Performance infusion
Order a 2010 Edge and you’ll be stuck with just one engine choice – a 3.5-liter V6. While that mill remains on offer for 2011, Edge buyers will also gain a couple more choices.

Ford’s familiar 3.5L stays on for the 2011 model year, but gains an extra 20 horsepower, bringing the grand total to 285 ponies. Despite that extra power, Ford was able to squeeze a few more miles out of every gallon of gas, upping the front-wheel drive Edge’s highway rating to 27 mpg, a solid increase from the 2010 Edge’s 24 mpg rating.

For those wanting more performance, the 2011 Sport model is on offer with the same 3.7-liter V6 you’ll find under the hood of the Mustang. That unit is good for 305 horsepower, which cuts off 1.2 seconds from the 2010 Sport’s 0-60 time. The 2011 Sport is rated at 25 mpg highway, matching the previous model’s rating despite a 40 horsepower improvement.

Ford’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost motor will join the Edge lineup sometime next year, and it should offer 230-240 horsepower and close to 30 mpg.

To improve the Edge’s overall driving dynamics for 2011, Ford tweaked the CUV’s steering, suspension and brakes. Whereas “sport”’ was a term never earned by the previous Edge, we’d feel safe in giving that designation to the 2011 model. The Edge’s steering now has a surprising amount of weight to it, backed by a tauter suspension. Although we liked the feel of the Edge’s suspension, we have a feeling that some traditional CUV buyers could be turned off by the rougher ride.

The wow factor
Although the 2011 Edge features new styling inside and out, we came away most impressed with the car’s added technology. Appropriately, the 2011 Edge goes to 11.

Unlike the average car that features a number of static gauges within its gauge cluster, the new Edge has just one – a center-mounted speedometer. That single gauge clears up a lot of real estate in front of the driver, allowing for two 4.2-inch color LCD screens.

The functions of those screens can be accessed by five-way buttons – similar in design to what you might find on a TV remote – located on either side of the steering wheel. Cleverly, Ford has it laid out so that the left side is for vehicle functions – such as gauge displays and trip functions – while the right side is reserved for things like stereo functions and phone calls. The right side functions are also color coded for added ease.

The driver can control virtually all of the car’s systems through the two screens – which are also customizable – but the system is best utilized when using Ford’s Sync Services. While a more conventional navigation system is on offer for $750, every 2011 Edge comes standard with Sync Services and TDI, which is free for the first three years of vehicle ownership (after that it’s just $60 a year). Although Sync Services is already available on a number of Ford products, the 2011 Edge adds a new wrinkle.

For those unfamiliar with the technology, Ford’s Sync Services uses a cell phone connection to access things like local weather, horoscopes, the lasts news and even traffic reports. TDI is based off the same technology, but allows for GPS guidance using a system developed by Telenav, which can now be better taken advantage of with the Edge’s dual LCD screens.

Hit the Sync button and say “Sync Services” and you’ll be taken to the main interface of the system. Looking for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up? Just use the Microsoft-based cloud system to find the nearest Starbucks and the TDI system will download the directions via your cell phone right to the vehicle. Those turn-by-turn directions will then show up in the LCD screen to the right of the speedometer, even though you didn’t shell out the extra $750 for the navigation system. That’s value, although if you’re often defeated by your home computer, you should also probably look elsewhere.

Leftlane’s bottom line
The 2011 Ford Edge is a tough one for us. We really like its new looks, class-leading technology and improved driving dynamics, but it’s also hard to overlook the cheap-feeling bits. However, on a day-to-day basis, the good will probably far outweigh the bad, and we really like the Edge’s electronic goodies, which can’t be found anywhere else.

While the high-tech nature of the new Edge will probably turn away at least a few of the current Edge faithful, we have a feeling Ford will make up for that with a new crop of buyers, adding to the Edge’s already impressive sales record.

Words and photos by Drew Johnson.

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