Ford Edge (2016 – 2019) Review

When Ford needed to broaden its SUV range beyond the Ford Kuga, there was a ready-made solution from the US in the form of the Ford Edge. With right-hand drive sorted, it made a strong case for itself against rivals such as the Honda CR-V, and another Japanese contender, the Mazda CX-5. But buyers were curiously unmoved, and the Ford Edge faded away after only a few years. As a used buy, it now makes for an astute purchase. Read on for our full Ford Edge review.

Given the popularity of SUVs, it’s surprising that the blue oval had only offered the Ford Kuga in the UK by the middle of the 2010s.

That all changed in 2016 with the launch of the Ford Edge, a car that had already been on sale in the US for some time.

So why the wait for its introduction here? Well, some significant changes had to be made to the Ford Edge, including the addition of a diesel engine, plus steering and suspension tweaks.

Plus there were other alterations such as the fitment of acoustic glass, which massively cut noise levels inside.

The results were impressive. The Ford Edge was the quietest large SUV around and felt like a luxury car on the motorway, with near silence at a 70mph cruise.

The suspension was excellent too, giving a superb ride that was not ruffled by big potholes or poorly surfaced roads. 

The Ford Edge was designed to meet demand for a more upmarket SUV, and it certainly felt like a premium car.

The interior may lack the design flair of an Audi, but the quality was and still is impeccable, plus it feels well finished and solidly built. This makes it a very good prospect as a used purchase.

Compared to the alternative options, it seems very competitive. However, the Ford Edge was never sold with seven seats, so the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and stablemate the Kia Sorento have the jump on it in this respect.

Another way to look at it is the Ford Edge provides vast amounts of room for five passengers and a large boot.

All that space is down to the model’s sheer size. It may not look it in the pictures, but the Ford Edge is a big SUV – longer than a Volkswagen Touareg in fact.

Plus, it’s wide, which is good for elbow room, but less helpful in a tight multi-storey car park.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Ford Edge review here.

There were significant changes made to the Ford Edge that sold in the US. In Europe, we got a firmer suspension set-up and tweaked steering that is more responsive.

The results were impressive, with the Ford Edge riding superbly and very little road noise on the move.

Even big lumps and potholes in the road don’t upset it. We’d go as far as to say it’s one of the the best SUVs of its size for all-round ride comfort.

Not only is it very refined, it’s also incredibly quiet. That’s down to another change made to the Ford Edge for Europe – the addition of acoustic glass.

An acoustic windscreen and front windows really help to cut out wind noise, adding to the premium feel when on the move.

Get the Ford Edge out on the motorway and you’ll be able to appreciate its real strength. It’s superb at high speeds with hardly any noise, a relaxed engine and a reassuringly stable feel.

Even at unrestricted autobahn speeds, it remains unruffled.

Potential buyers should be aware of the Ford Edge’s size, though. It’s a lot bigger than it looks, and is, in fact, even slightly longer than a Volkswagen Touareg.

That has obvious benefits for interior space, but isn’t so appealing in narrow multi-storey car park spaces, or when negotiating narrow country lanes.

You don't want to kerb those big 19-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels either.

Ford Edge models are AWD, with an on-demand four-wheel drive system identical to that used in the Ford Mondeo and Ford S-MAX of the same period. The benefit being that in normal driving it defaults to front-wheel drive, saving fuel.

The SUV was also available with Adaptive Steering, which was standard on the Sport and an option on the Titanium.

It’s designed to make the steering easier to handle at low speeds, plus more agile at high speeds. It works well, but we think the standard steering on the Titanium is more than good enough, so wouldn’t suggest paying any more for this feature on a used car.

The 2.0 TDCI 180PS comes with a six-speed manual gearbox. If you go for an entry-level Zetec trim model, this is the only choice.

In truth, the 180PS model has more than enough power, with 400Nm of torque available from just 2000rpm. It never feels as sprightly as those figures suggest – this is a car that weighs close to two tonnes – but it has plenty of pulling power in the mid range.

We’d suggest going for the more powerful 2.0 TDCI Bi-Turbo with 210PS, though.

It’s not the increase in power or extra 50Nm of torque that makes it more desirable, but rather the fact that it comes with a six-speed PowerShift automatic as standard.

It’s no rocket ship from 0-62mph, taking 9.4 seconds, but it’s very easy to drive and always manages to be in the right gear.

Plus, it doesn’t suffer from the indecisiveness of Volkswagen’s DSG gearbox and tends to be one step ahead of you, for example when slowing down for a roundabout and then accelerating again if it’s clear.

There was no holding back when it came to kitting out the Ford Edge with safety gear.

Every model comes with seven airbags, which includes one for the driver’s knees, plus inflatable rear seatbelts to further protect those in the back.

There’s the expected ESP and ABS, but you also get automatic emergency braking, lane assist, blind spot monitoring, hill start aid and a front camera that helps you see out of junctions.

Little wonder the Ford Edge notched up a full five-star rating when tested by Euro NCAP.

There's no official figure for the Ford Edge to tow with an unbraked trailer.

However, all models are good to haul up to 2000kg with a braked trailer, so they should have no problem with most caravans.

Thanks to the sheer size of the Ford Edge, there’s plenty of room.

You won’t have to worry about knocking elbows when sharing the centre armrest with your passenger and even with a six-footer in the front, there’s more than enough legroom and headroom in the back for another adult of a similar size.

Those in the back seats are equally well looked after, whether there are two or three people sitting there.

Storage is impressive with big door pockets, another large box under the armrest and some of the deepest cup holders we’ve ever seen.

In the boot, the Ford Edge has a hefty 621 litres of carrying capacity under the retractable luggage cover, with vertical sides allowing the space to be maximised.

There’s no boot lip thanks to a raised floor, but the space underneath hasn’t been wasted.

Usefully, there’s a proper spare wheel (a space saver, true, but better than a can of sealant) and a polystyrene tray moulded round it that you can use to place odds and ends.

You can also drop the rear seats in one go using a button in the boot, although the bulky luggage cover is awkward to remove and then needs to be stored somewhere.

But, the Ford Edge does come with an electric tailgate as standard on Titanium and Sport models.

Ford was aiming for premium quality with this interior, and it’s certainly close.

The design is down to personal taste. Some might suggest it’s a little plain, while others may appreciate the lack of frippery.

We’re not convinced by the Sony radio panel, which doesn’t look or feel especially upmarket, but the rest is top-notch, with leather on the doors and dash top, comfortable yet supportive seats and a black piano gloss finish on the centre stack.

Along with the acoustic glass, the cabin gets active noise control, which combined with good sound insulation, makes the Ford Edge one of the quietest SUVs on the move.

The infotainment touchscreen is a highlight of the Ford Edge. The system is far better than previous Ford efforts, with easy-to-use functions and good navigation that’s quick to route.

We’re not too sure about the display between the dials, though. It's a little haphazard and not especially neatly laid out, plus there’s no digital speedo, which seems odd.

However, you soon get used to it and, as with the infotainment package, it’s far easier to use than previous offerings from Ford.

Look for a Ford Edge from the beginning of the car’s time in UK showrooms, and you’ll pay around £11,500 for an eight-year-old example with 80,000 miles on the clock in Titanium spec.

Opt for one of the newest models, and a five-year-old Vignale with less than 20,000 miles to its credit could set you back as much as £29,000.

However, we’d aim to find one for nearer £24,000 with 30,000 miles under its wheels.

While the Ford Edge offers a lot used car for the money, it’s not as cheap to run as some of its main rivals, so keep this in mind when doing your overall calculations.

The most powerful 238PS 2.0-litre turbodiesel version is the best to drive, but it comes with a claimed 41mpg that works out to 30mpg in daily driving.

The other turbodiesel engines on offer are better for economy, as they all claim up to 49mpg officially. Our Real MPG data shows this equates to an mpg figure in the high 30s.

These engines also offer lower emissions than the twin-turbo 238PS motor, which saves a bit on road tax costs for cars registered prior to 1 April 2017.

At the time of writing, this means an annual Vehicle Excise Duty bill of £240 for the less potent engines, and £320 for the 238PS unit.

Cars registered after that 2017 date all pay the same £180 flat rate.

Servicing a Ford Edge at a dealer won’t be too costly, but using an independent garage will save you a bit more.

In terms of insurance, the Ford Edge sits in groups 26 to 27 depending on spec (out of a range of groups from 1 to 50).

This puts the Ford on a par with its main contenders when it comes to the cost of an annual premium.

The Ford Edge Zetec gets 19-inch alloy wheels with 235/55 R19 tyres, DAB radio with nine speakers, touchscreen and SYNC 2, a rear view camera, keyless start, active city stop with pedestrian detection and rear privacy glass.

There’s also a rear spoiler, automatic windscreen wipers, automatic headlights, Quickclear heated windscreen, Lane Keeping Aid, Traffic Sign Recognition and Active Noise Control.

The Ford Edge Titanium adds different 19-inch alloys, front and rear parking sensors, a hands-free power tailgate and key-free system, chrome roof rails and exterior detailing, Ford DAB Navigation, illuminated scuff plates, acoustic side glass and heated front sports seats.

Choose the Ford Edge Sport and it comes with 20-inch black alloy wheels with 255/45 R20 tyres, unique front, rear and side sports bodystyling with dark exterior detailing, sports suspension, Sony DAB navigation with 12 speakers, Adaptive Steering, alloy pedals and black roof rails.

In 2018, the Sport version was replaced by the more familiar Ford Edge ST-Line with sports suspension, powered and heated front seats, part leather upholstery and a Bang & Olufsen stereo.

The Ford Edge Vignale was introduced as the most luxurious model. It comes with quilted leather upholstery, improved infotainment, a unique grille, LED headlights and adaptive cruise control.