2011 Ford Edge Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Ford Edge overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Edge, and includes Ford Edge safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Ford gives the 2011 Edge a substantial makeover, including new styling, a quieter and more upscale redesigned interior, a more powerful and fuel-efficient 3.5-liter V6, a Mustang-sourced 305-horsepower V6 engine for the Edge Sport, an upgraded transmission, Sony premium sound, and new MyKey and MyFord Touch technologies. The brakes and suspension are reworked, new tire-and-wheel combinations contribute to better handling and road feel, and standard blind-spot mirrors help make lane changes easier. New features include Hill Start Assist, Trailer Sway Control, Brake Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Warning with Brake Support, and a Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert. Finally, the Edge is available with a reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, remote engine starting, and HD Radio with an iTunes song tagging feature.

Though nearly everything about the 2011 Ford Edge is different, but the lineup remains the same. The least expensive Edge model is the SE, and it comes with air conditioning, power windows, power blind spot mirrors, power door locks with remote keyless entry, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, floor mats, a stereo with a CD player and an auxiliary audio input jack, and MyKey programmable vehicle settings. A set of 17-inch alloy wheels is also included, along with dark tinted rear glass, a reclining 60/40 split folding rear seat with a center armrest, a cargo net, speed-sensitive wipers, and an Easy Fuel capless fuel filler neck.

You might think the Edge SE leaves little room to upgrade with the Edge SEL, but you’d be wrong. The SEL includes a manual shift feature for the automatic transmission, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power driver’s seat, upgraded cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Easy Fold rear seats with a center armrest. Bigger 18-inch alloy wheels, a standard SecuriCode keypad entry system, and reversing sensors in the rear bumper help to identify the SEL from the outside, and this model also has cruise control, satellite radio, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, illuminated visor mirrors, a cargo management system, and headlights that come on when the wipers do.

If that’s not enough stuff, the Edge Limited might be the right model for you. To look more upscale, it has chrome wheels and extra chrome trim on the outside. Inside, leather seats beckon, heated up front, equipped with 10-way power adjustment for the driver and 6-way power adjustment for the front passenger. The front passenger’s seat folds in half to carry long items, there’s a memory system for the driver’s settings, and the Limited model includes ambient cabin lighting, a HomeLink universal remote, and heated side mirrors with approach lighting. Technology upgrades include a rearview camera system, MyFord Touch technology, Ford Sync technology, and an HD Radio system with iTunes song tagging.

The Edge Sport is outfitted like the Limited model, but adds a larger V6 engine, paddle shifters, bigger 22-inch wheels and tires, a sport suspension, and unique interior and exterior trim.

Generally speaking, the SE is offered with only a handful of the SEL’s features in terms of upgrades. All the good stuff requires the purchase of the SEL model at a minimum, and the SEL model can be upgraded to near Limited levels of specification. Leather, Sync, MyFord Touch, a reversing camera, ambient lighting, a navigation system, a panoramic sunroof, and a dual-screen rear DVD entertainment system are all offered on the SEL model. Limited and Sport models can also be outfitted with navigation, the sunroof, and the entertainment system, and are exclusively offered with keyless entry and ignition, a power tailgate, and remote engine starting. The Limited can be upgraded with 20-inch wheels, HID headlights, and an Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning system, and all but the SE model can equipped with all-wheel drive and a Vision Package that includes rain-sensing wipers, a Blind Spot Information System and Cross Traffic Alert technology.

For 2011, Ford has upgraded the Edge’s standard 3.5-liter V6 engine, and now offers a more powerful 3.7-liter V6 engine in the Edge Sport model. The 3.5-liter V6 receives Ford’s twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT), which means that it makes more power and gets better fuel economy than before. Standard in the SE, SEL and Limited, this engine makes 285 horsepower and is paired with a six-speed automatic that features a manual shift mode in the SEL and Limited models. Fuel economy with front-wheel drive is 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway (27-highway for SEL and Limited), and with all-wheel drive the Edge gets 18-city/26-highway (25-highway for SEL and Limited).

This year, the Edge Sport receives the same 3.7-liter V6 engine that’s installed in the Mustang. With 305 horsepower, the Edge Sport features plenty of grunt, which is delivered to the front or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic with a manual shift mode. Fuel economy ratings are 18/25 with front-wheel drive and 17/23 with all-wheel drive.

You may have noticed that Ford added a slew of safety-related features to the Edge this year. In addition to four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, a traction and stability control system with Roll Stability Control (RSC), and six airbags, the 2011 Ford Edge has standard blind-spot mirrors and new MyKey programmable features. MyKey allows parents to program volume and speed limits for the vehicle, defeats the ability to turn off the traction and stability control systems, and encourages seatbelt use.

Safety related options for the Edge include a reverse sonar sensing system, a reversing camera, a Blind Spot Information System, a Cross Traffic Alert feature, and an Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning system.

At the same time Ford has upgraded the Edge’s safety features, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has updated its crash-test program, making it harder to achieve 5-Star ratings. Since the 2011 Edge’s structural elements date back to 2007, it does not perform as well as it has in the past, but nevertheless achieves an overall rating of 4 Stars. Frontal protection rates 3 Stars, side-impact protection rates 5 Stars, and rollover resistance rates 4 Stars.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2011 Edge is once again a Top Safety Pick – but only for models built after February of 2011. To be a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of Good in the frontal-offset, side-impact, rear-impact injury prevention, and roof crush strength tests. Prior to March of 2011, the Edge’s roof crush rating was Acceptable rather than Good.

Because the Edge is dramatically improved, Consumer Reports does not provide a reliability prediction as this review is written. J.D. Power and Associates, however, believes the Edge will return slightly better than average dependability over time.

The 2011 Ford Edge is so dramatically upgraded that it might as well be a brand new vehicle. From the styling to the mechanicals, from the cabin to the technology, almost everything is new. We liked the old Edge plenty, and this new one is terrific.

By Christian Wardlaw