I wanted to like the 2012 Ford Edge. I really did. I loved its rounded exterior almost as much as I loved its luxurious-looking, ambient-lit interior. However it just didn’t work for my family of four.
My family fit well enough in this sparkly crossover, but its lack of an easy-to-use entertainment system left me dying to drop this beauty off and climb back into my minivan. I could have done without the awful MyFord Touch. While I’m usually one to embrace new technology, this multimedia system left me with a headache.
The Edge has a standard V-6 engine, but my test car had the optional EcoBoost four-cylinder. It was fantastic. The turbocharged engine gives the five-seat crossover an extra boost of power — merging onto the highway was effortless — without the added fuel consumption. Basically, it’s the power of a V-6 with the fuel-sipping qualities of a four-cylinder.
The 2012 Ford Edge base SE is priced at $28,525, including an $825 destination fee. My luxurious Limited trim test car started at $35,760, but add on some upgrades such as the EcoBoost engine and voice-activated navigation system and the price jumped to $38,910.
EXTERIOR
The Edge’s exterior styling is where it really seems to shine. It’s a sleek-looking crossover that I’d be just as thrilled to take on a girls’ night out as I would to run errands with the kids. Thanks to the optional power liftgate and substantial cargo area, those errands are made much easier.
The crossover’s doors were too heavy for my little ones to open on their own. However, loading my toddler into the Edge didn’t strain my back, and my preschooler was able to climb in on her own.
The cargo area was large enough to hold my double stroller, but I’d have to drop it off at home if I wanted to hit any big warehouse stores. Also, the cargo area was at the perfect diaper-changing height.
The 2012 Edge comes with a standard 285-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine that gets an EPA-estimated 19/27 mpg city/highway. The optional 240-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four-cylinder on my test car got 21/30 mpg city/highway. Both engines pair with a six-speed automatic transmission and use regular gasoline.
SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Some
INTERIOR
If all I had to do was sit and look at the Edge’s interior, this crossover would be perfect. I adored the faux-wood trim mixed with the leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Unfortunately for the Edge, I had to do more than just sit and stare at the interior. And unfortunately for me, I had to use Ford’s optional multimedia system, MyFord Touch. This wasn’t my first run-in with MyFord Touch, and even with the earlier experience, I still struggled and cursed my way through trying to accomplish anything with this system.
There is a touch-screen that holds the key to basically anything you want do in the car: Change the radio station, control the climate or use the navigation system. There are no manual buttons to reach for and even the steering-wheel controls themselves are linked to another computer menu that leads you through a series of screens before you reach your preferred menu. This was headache inducing and left me listening to one radio station for most of my test drive because I was sick of trying to navigate MyFord Touch.
While I was less than thrilled with the functionality of MyFord Touch, the spacious, comfy interior softened the blow a little bit. Both my rear- and forward-facing child-safety seats fit well enough in the second row that there was little-to-no grumbling from my long-legged husband in the front passenger seat.
My test car also had ambient lighting that had seven color options to “match my mood.” Some may find this feature to be cheesy, but I was dazzled by how even the cupholders lit up at night. Although I never did fuss with changing the colors to match my mood; I thought that was pushing it.
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample
SAFETY
The 2012 Ford Edge has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It received the top score of Good in front, side, rear and roof-strength tests crash tests. The 2012 Edge gets four out of five stars overall in crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It received three stars of five in the frontal crash test, four stars in the rollover crash test and five stars in the side-impact crash test.
My two child-safety seats were snug as a bug thanks to the two sets of Latch anchors in the outboard seats. While my forward- and rear-facing convertibles fit well, seat bolsters pushed the booster seat over the recessed seat belt buckle in Cars.com’s Car Seat Check.
The Edge Limited has standard front-wheel drive, all-disc antilock brakes with brake assist, an electronic stability system with traction control, Roll Stability Control, a backup camera with parking sensors, and six airbags, including side curtains for both rows.
The Edge also has an optional Vision Package ($485) that adds rain-sensing wipers as well as a blind spot warning system. While I may always know when it’s raining, I don’t always know if someone’s in my blind spot. It’s an inexpensive package that’s worth adding on. Other optional features include all-wheel drive and adaptive cruise control.
Get more safety information about the 2012 Ford Edge here.
