Auto Amar news : Ford Edge long-term test review – First report

Contributing editor Pete Tullin spent six months living with Ford's largest SUV, to see how well it can cope with the challenges of everyday life.

I make no secret of the fact that I'm a bit of a fan of Ford.

Of course, like any manufacturer, the crew of the blue oval has produced its fair share of wrong'uns under a decade, and I was the first to shout about them - just ask the press office of Ford. But I really can say that in all the years I've been doing this show, I have driven Ford is significantly better than the bad.

So where Canada ranked Ujung built the best ever in the history of Ford? After all, Ford previously manufactured outside the control of meticulous chassis and powertrain development team has not exactly set the world alight Europe. Remember Explorer, anyone?

As things stand, I am not completely sure about the Edge, and it is a big part of the reason I spent six months with the latest and greatest Ford SUV.

The reason for my hesitation is as much to do with the price as anything else. At a shade over £ 35,000 for the 2.0-liter diesel version of Sport, it does not mean the most expensive, but it's also not cheap. I've listened to endless spluttering guffaws from experts and laymen alike as I've fessed to the Edge list price. The cry, 'For that sort of money I could have Audi Q5 or BMW X3 stands on my drive,' or, 'How much is that the animals will depreciate in a year?' Typical.

Well, I can shoot holes in at least 50% of those protesting directly, because Edge is closer in size to the BMW X5 than X3 - more of this later. It is also stacked with toys as well, including items that a BMW salesman would be jealous. It is one of the main reasons Ford is great, because you always feel you are getting a lot of car for your money.

Think about it this way. Volume automaker said lower sports want a new piece of technology and asked suppliers for price to 100,000 components. A quote will come, but when buyers Ford came knocking, asking 'how much are several billion of these babies will set us back?' Well, no prizes for guessing who will get a preferential rate.

This is why Ford is able to kit Edge with technologies such as active noise control. I can only guess how noisy Edge would be without this, but I'm not stupid enough to think a car the size of a small bungalow can cut through the creation of air nowt more than a ripple without some kind of magic that is brought to bear. All I know is that various microphones dotted around the cabin Edge read the sign from the road noise and wind-unwanted-noise, then the opposing sound waves which are channeled through the stereo speakers to magically transform the cabin Edge into a haven of peace and tranquility.

I'm glad I plumped for the Sport trim as well, because I think the combination of golden syrup paint scheme surprising - it's actually called Electric Spice - oppose caramelized black slim body and their alloys smoking bad-boy looks pretty ace.

Moreover, the Sport trim is equipped with adaptive steering and this is much better for a standard steering songs (I know because I drive two cars at the international launch). Not only is the adaptive steering more accurate, it's also a lot less aggressive on the return to the center of the standard set-up, making it much easier than my carpal tunnel syndrome.

Inside, Edge felt as big as a barn. It is huge, even my 6'5 '' son-in-law did not moan when he was relegated to the back row, which is all the more impressive when you consider he is from Yorkshire.

As for the boot, it was so cave I swear there may be a colony of bats roosting there and I would not know it.

Also, because I've reached an age where I can remember exactly where I was when John Lennon was shot, but I'm blowed if I can remember where I put my reading glasses, I like keyless entry, which saved me from looking like some kind of beads Morris dancers while checking my pockets to try to find the key. The powered tailgate automatically, either plipping button twice or waggling my foot under the bumper to activate it in the style of 'open-sesame', never fails to tickle Tommy Cooper in me.

Key specs:

• Model: Ford Edge Sport 2.0-TDCI AWD
• List price: £35,250
• Price as tested: £38,595
• Engine/gearbox: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, six-speed manual
• Power: 178bhp
• Torque: 295lb/ft
• Top speed: 124mph
• 0-62mph: 9.9 seconds
• Economy: 47.9mpg
• CO2/BIK tax liability: 152g/km / 30%
• Boot space: 602-1788 litres

Optional equipment:

An exhaustive list of everything fitted to our long-termer, and the price of each item:

Metallic paint: £545

Front facing camera: £150

Park assist, parallel and perpendicular: £150

Adaptive cruise control with pre-collision assist: £500

Lux pack, including powered perforated Dinamica variable climate seats, heated rear seats, panoramic roof and powered folding door mirrors: £2,000

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