A Week In The Technology-Packed 2011 Ford Edge Sport

Hello, gorgeous. A 2011 Ford Edge Sport just hit my driveway and I’m in love. This vehicle is a looker inside and out. It’s funny how much more modern this model feels over last year’s model — I guess a bit of sheet metal plastic surgery can go a long way. There’s now a large grill and sweeping headlights up front that define the rest of the crossover’s lines. Even the wheels got hit with the redesign hammer, going from wannabe-luxury to urban.

The biggest update is inside, particularly at the infotainment suite. The 2011 Edge is one of the first vehicle’s in Ford’s line-up with a totally-redesigned center stack and gauge cluster dubbed MyFord Touch. Gone are the days of push buttons and analog gauges. This vehicle instead employs two totally customizable LCD screens on either side of a traditional speedometer along with a robust entertainment screen in the center of the dash. Think of it as the smartphone of in-vehicle controls. I would drive a Ford Pinto if it had this system.

This isn’t my first time with the MyFord Touch system. I used before and hated it. It’s the only in-vehicle system I’ve used that had a learning curve party because it has some nasty lag. It’s not as smooth as it could be. However, it’s so robust that it’s usefulness effectively counters the usability issue.

This learning curve somewhat applies throughout the whole car, too. I noticed almost immediately that the blinker works different in most cars. Instead of snapping into place when engaged, it uses some sort of dual-action trigger that always returns the bar back to its original position. It’s honestly strange will take some getting used to.

Like the 2010 Range Rover Supercharged and 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate we tested recently, we have this monster for a week. Still, my first overall impressions are positive. I’m a fan of the edgy style and massive 22-inch wheels. The ride is confident and the power coming from the 3.7L V6 is more than sufficient.

More to come later this week with a in-depth video look at the MyFord Touch planned for Wednesday followed up by the full review on Friday. Please, drop any questions concerning the systems below so we can address them in the upcoming coverage.

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

2011 Ford Edge Sport AWD

  • 3.7L TiVCT V6 Engine
  • 6-Speed Automatic Transmission with paddle shifters
  • MyFord Touch
  • Sirius Satellite Radio
  • Rear View Camera
  • Price as tested: $38,845

2011 Ford Edge Sport

Full Review: 2011 Ford Edge Sport


The 2011 Ford Edge Sport Brings Vehicles Into The Computer Age