The Ford Edge sport utility vehicle received its first major overhaul in 2015 and is now bigger, sleeker and quieter than before.
The mid-size SUV's back seats now have as much legroom — well over 40 inches — as those in the front row and are comfortable for adults. And it has more cargo room, too, offering 73.4-cubic feet of space behind the front seats, which is more than what's in many other mid-size SUVs.
A much-needed rearview camera is standard and its monitor shows lines to help drivers back up.
Surprisingly for an SUV the size and weight of the Edge, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine is standard. It has been revamped for 245 horsepower and generates more torque — 275 foot-pounds — than the Edge's naturally aspirated V-6.
Most passengers won't notice the Edge has a 2-liter four-cylinder engine, but neither will drivers, if the test-driven model is any indication. Driven mostly in city and country road traffic and without a load of passengers and gear, the tested version averaged less than 19 miles per gallon.
On the plus side, the 2015 Edge received five out of five stars for occupant protection in federal government crash tests. Previous Edges only earned four stars.
Among Ford's five SUV offerings, the 2015 Edge ranks second-lowest in starting price, behind the compact Ford Escape.
Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for a 2015 Edge SE with front-wheel drive is $28,995. The lowest starting retail price for an all-wheel drive 2015 Edge, including destination charge, is $30,490.
A new 2015 model — the Edge Sport — is the priciest, with a starting retail price of $38,995. It's the only Edge with the new 2.7-liter, turbocharged V-6 that produces 315 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque at 2,750 rpm.
The tested Edge was a front-drive Titanium model that looked and felt so sizable that the driver checked to be sure there wasn't third-row seating folded under the cargo floor.
This flat floor was so lengthy, even with the second-row seats in use, that it took a long reach to get to cargo items that had rolled to the back of the seats.
No wonder, then, that the push-button release and fold down of the second-row seatbacks that was in the tested Edge was greatly appreciated.