The 2019 Ford Edge ST | The First SUV from Ford Performance???

The 2019 Ford Edge ST | The First SUV from Ford Performance???

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The 2019 Ford Edge ST is interesting. It is advertised as the first SUV from Ford Performance, and a number of ST and Ford Performance badges are in place to make sure that you don’t forget it. Marketing campaigns play a big part in most new car sales, but they have traditionally been absent from SVT and Ford Performance products. That is certainly not the case with the Edge ST. Ford threw some serious coin behind the TV commercials and web ads for this SUV. So what makes this car different? More on that later.

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The Performance Blue paint absolutely pops in the sunlight.

We didn’t have as much time with the Edge ST as we have had with the past few new Ford’s we’ve reviewed, but we did have enough time to get a good idea what this car is all about. Over all, it’s a decent car. We liked the styling, and feel that it is fairly close in keeping with previous ST vehicles. The new frontend and grill look great. We would have preferred actual exhaust tips (like the Fiesta ST), rather than the faux ones integrated into the rear bumper. The interior is nice, but the reality is “2014 nice.” There’s nothing wrong with it, but you can tell that it’s been a while since the Edge has had a comprehensive update. And word has it that Ford plans to continue using the current platform for some time to come.


As always, we have a review video for you.


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The Edge ST interior is very comfortable, but not overly sporty. I think it would be great on a trip though.

Performance wise, the 335HP 2.7L Twin-Turbo EcoBoost V6 pulls strong. No matter how you feel about Ford’s move towards smaller boosted engine, there’s no denying the impressive amount of low-end grunt these diminutive blown DI engines produce. While that tabletop like torque curve insures there’s pretty of thrust available when needed, like most needed Ecoboost engines, the ride ends pretty quickly as the RPMs start to rise. The small turbos that gives us that awesome torque way down deep just mean they tap out and run out of breath around 5,700RPM. There’s also some weird stuff going on with the transmission.

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There's a lot going on under the hood of the Edge ST, but it is still equipped with previous generation 2.7L EcoBoost. That means that you don't get the Port-Fuel Injection system along with the DI.

The Edge ST is equipped with Ford’s new 8 –Speed Transmission. So here is the weird thing, that new trans is heavily based on the 6-Speed found in earlier Edge models. What Ford essentially did was add a couple more gears to the old box. This resulted in a couple of things. First, the gap between 2nd and 3rd is so small (only about 300RPM) that it’s nearly pointless. Second, the shift from 3rd to 4th is around a 1,400RPM jump. That one makes the car feel like it’s falling on its face. Finally, because they essentially stuck more stuff in the same footprint the trans is not as stout as the old unit. This can be seen in the substantially increased level of torque management tuned into the Edge ST versus the surprisingly similar past Edge Sport. More on that later.

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That innocuous gear-selector dial is a major point of contention among performance enthusiasts. I'm not a huge fan of it, but it looks like it's here to stay because it's coming to a 2020 GT500 Mustang near you.

Moving on to the overall driving experience, I’d say it’s not bad at all. The suspension is tight and performs in a properly sporty manner. It’s not overly harsh, and I would say that it would be comfortable on a day-to-day basis. There’re all the creature comforts you would expect from a vehicle at this price point. You get heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, navigation, a premium stereo, and a wireless charging pad. The back seat and cargo areas are larger than you would expect from a vehicle this size, and the rear seats are power folding. The lift gate is also has an electric motor to raise and lower it. Probably the highlight of the interior is the massive glass roof/sun roof. If you like a sun roof in your car you will love the one in the Edge ST. Overall, I give the car a thumbs-up on being a somewhat sporty DD or grocery getter. It would make a nice family car.

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One thing that is surprising about the Edge is cavernous volume of space that the Ford engineers managed to squeeze into a relatively small overall package.

So I’ve told you a couple of times that I would expound on couple of issues in greater detail later. Well here’s where I’m going to tell you my problem with the Edge ST. To put it bluntly, it should not be wearing the ST badge. Mechanically, it’s about 95% the same as the previous Edge Sport. In fact, other than the ST badging, the seats are identical to the Sport. Probably the biggest change was the move to the 8-Speed automatic from the older 6-Speed auto. And as I’ve mentioned, that was not a positive. The increased level of torque management in the ST tuning actually results in it being slower than the old Sport model. That’s not exactly progress.

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I feel that the Edge ST taillights (and overall exterior styling) are a major upgrade over every previous Edge model. It's the best looking one yet.

So how did this come about? It’s pretty simple actually, the Edge ST was not designed and engineered by Ford Performance. It was essentially badge engineered by the marketing team. They took the already good Edge Sport, made a handful of upgrades/changes, added some good looking styling, and put a few ST badges on it. That does not make it a bad car, though I wish Ford Performance had a little tighter control over its brand. To the contrary, with a few mods (specifically a tune) I think

the Edge ST would be a nice daily driver (though the fuel mileage is a little rough). So if its origins don’t concern you, the Edge ST might just be the sporty mid-size Ford SUV you’ve been looking for. One thing is certain, I’m looking forward to getting some seat time in the upcoming Explorer ST.


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One place where all Edge models are starting to show the platform's age is the gauge cluster. Another is that 17.4 MPG fuel consumption figure.


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The inclusion of a wireless charging pad is one of the welcomed upgrades to the Edge platform. Less wires running around the cabin is better, and everyone loves a quick charge while running around town.


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At the end of the day, it's a handsome car. If you're going to buy a CUV give it a look.


-SID297
 
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I hope this is a total failure. The outgoing Sport name was fine as is. No need to dilute the ST brand by slapping some badges on an old Sport model and calling it "brand new".

If it really is slower than the outgoing Sport model then someone at Ford Performance needs to be fired.

Ford Performance ST model this is not.
 
This reminds me of the SVT focus lol...

this is a whatever... ford does away with cars then tries to "spruce" up the suv lineup... cmon' now.
 
First, great review, Sid. We've got to get you onto TV. LOL. That said, the new ST, IMO, is a failure. With the industry focus switch from cars to SUVs, Crossovers and trucks, Ford had a great opportunity to make this ST a true performance SUV. One that would make a bold statement and capture our attention. One that the consumer would take very seriously. Unfortunately, Ford blew the opportunity and gave us a slightly warmed over Ford Edge Sport with ST badging. Performance purists will easily/quickly see that this is not even close to being a true ST performance vehicle.

This quote from your article really summarizes the new Edge ST IMO. "So I’ve told you a couple of times that I would expound on couple of issues in greater detail later. Well here’s where I’m going to tell you my problem with the Edge ST. To put it bluntly, it should not be wearing the ST badge. Mechanically, it’s about 95% the same as the previous Edge Sport. In fact, other than the ST badging, the seats are identical to the Sport. Probably the biggest change was the move to the 8-Speed automatic from the older 6-Speed auto. And as I’ve mentioned, that was not a positive. The increased level of torque management in the ST tuning actually results in it being slower than the old Sport model. That’s not exactly progress." Yeah, a warmed over Sport model that has less overall performance than the last Edge Sport. It would suck driving a Ford Performance ST model and get beat by a last gen Edge Sport.

I got to test drive an Edge ST a few months ago. At that time I was 90% certain that I was going to move from my 2016 Edge Sport into a new Edge ST. My test drive, however, was a huge disappointment. The ONLY thing I liked was the 8-speed transmission. Acceleration felt better, but I think that was because of the revised transmission and torque management since I didn't do a WOT run to redline. Low and mid range acceleration "felt" better, although in reality, performance was down a tad from the previous Sport model. Handling, even in Sport mode, didn't feel much different from my 2016 Edge Sport. Nor did braking.

My second biggest disappointment was the interior, which hasn't changed very much. Discounting the new shifter rotatory knob (some will like it, others will hate it), the interior is pretty much the same as the old Edge. Which means while the seats LOOK nice (and sporty), they're way too soft with pretty much zero side support. On long trips, they're actually uncomfortable due to being so soft. My wife hates my Edge Sport seats. Lastly, I'm not a fan of the ST wheels. IMO the last gen optional black Sport wheels look so much better.

My ST test drive quickly convinced me that the new Edge ST was NOT a vehicle that I was any longer interested in. Within weeks, I settled on my 2019 Genesis G-70 3.3T Sport. Which I'm thrilled with.

Sid, you mentioned the fuel cap housing being so large, and maybe done so for a future diesel application. Do you think that maybe it is that large to accommodate a future electric/hybrid Edge charging port? Ford already has an electric F-150 on the way, so it would make sense for an electric/hybrid Edge to be in the mix as well. Just a thought.
 
So, hate to jump on the bandwagon, but this thing is disappointing. Really bubbly and boring looking.

And why would an Ecoboost V6 only be putting out 335 HP in 2020? The Taurus SHO V6 has been putting out 365 since 2010. My only guess there would be that Ford is holding back power to ensure the Explorer ST has more.
 
So, hate to jump on the bandwagon, but this thing is disappointing. Really bubbly and boring looking.

And why would an Ecoboost V6 only be putting out 335 HP in 2020? The Taurus SHO V6 has been putting out 365 since 2010. My only guess there would be that Ford is holding back power to ensure the Explorer ST has more.

It's probably a couple of reasons. The first is Ford seems to lack confidence in the 8-Speed FWD transmission and drivetrain to hold significant power. The other is the choice to stick with the 1st gen 2.7L.

The fact that the Explorer will be using the 10R80 says a lot.
 
It looks nice. Was hopeing to see more out of this using the ST name. And i dont see why they choose the gen 1 2.7 unless they had a bunch still left over.
 
We own a 2016 Ford Edge Sport. I can tell you we didn't buy it for performance and handling. We bought it because I am tall and we have two kids in car seats. Where the Edge really shines is interior legroom room for tall people. I don't take the thing tracking and I really don't see where Ford thought people would flock to dealerships to buy the Edge ST to track it.

I don't get the Edge ST idea personally.


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We own a 2016 Ford Edge Sport. I can tell you we didn't buy it for performance and handling. We bought it because I am tall and we have two kids in car seats. Where the Edge really shines is interior legroom room for tall people. I don't take the thing tracking and I really don't see where Ford thought people would flock to dealerships to buy the Edge ST to track it.

I don't get the Edge ST idea personally.

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Bingo! You hit it on the head!

The Edge provides enough to the consumer to keep it in the Ford lineup. The Sport model offered a more sporty appearance, nice black wheels and a slight bump in power/torque. It wasn't a performance SUV. It didn't pretend to be. I bought mine for the reason you gave. It offered nice room for tall people and 2-row seating. And it was comfortable. Like you, I just don't get the Edge ST idea. This is not a true ST. It's still more a Sport model. Ford should have stuck with the 'Sport' and added a couple of new Sport-only features with a modest power increase to maybe 350. JMO. The same with the upcoming Explorer ST if it is more of a warmed over Sport Explorer.
 
It's hard to believe that the "Market" has driven Ford to this but stuff maybe it has??:confused:

Is the Mustang gonna be the only "car" Ford offers anymore??:rolleyes:
 
It's probably a couple of reasons. The first is Ford seems to lack confidence in the 8-Speed FWD transmission and drivetrain to hold significant power. The other is the choice to stick with the 1st gen 2.7L.

The fact that the Explorer will be using the 10R80 says a lot.
I don't think the 10R80 was ever intended to be used in a transverse application. The 8F57 is working fine in my Nautilus.

I test drove the Edge ST hoping to trade in my 2016 Sorrento for one but the interior looked dated compared to the Sorento.
I ended up ordering a nicely equipped 2.7 Reserve and am really impressed with it so far. It doesn't pretend to be something it isn't.

Here is a comparison chart of the difference in ratios between the 8F57 and the 6F55:
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I sat in one of these at the Carlisle All Ford Nationals this year. It's certainly comfortable but the interior really is dated. If they're going to carry on with this platform, they need to give the interior a full facelift to make it more in line with other current models.

Also, why is it that the "sporty" Edge, shall I say, has been getting progressively more boring? The first two looked very unique from the rest of the lineup, but after that, they really don't look that interesting.

2010 Sport

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2011 Sport

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2016 Sport

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I also do remember that the second variant of the sport with the 3.7 was actually slower than a normal trim 3.5, due to the 22" wheels.

I think at the end there you answered your own question why “Sporty” Edges look less unique with each successive generation: Ford started investing their development dollars on performance rather than eye candy.

When the Edge Sport started out it was really just an appearance package with bigger wheels and tires and a retuned suspension to handle said unsprung weight. The first generation even kept the same 3.5 V6 so the “Sport” model was actually slower than the luxury models. The second generation Edge gave the “Sport” a unique 3.7 V6 from the Mustang that nearly made up for the huge 22” wheels, but still didn’t feel any sportier than the rest of the Edge Family at best.

The third generation Edge Sport arrived in 2015 and wow what a difference. The money now went into installing the hot 2.7 Twin Turbo Ecobooost V6 that Ford has developed to our muscle the 5.0 Coyote in the F150. The Edge Sport has finally stopped being an appearance Package and finally started to have some actual performance!

It’s sad to see that with the 2019 refresh and the name change to “ST” that the pendulum is starting to swing back the other way again. As the article states, the ST was more about marketing than performance, and in fact the new Edge is quite a bit slower than the 2015-2018 models.

I purchased a 2018 Edge Sport. I originally wanted a Fusion Sport or even a Lincoln MKZ with the 400ho 3.0 EB, but my wife needed something easier to get in and out of. I almost waited for the 2019 because I knew the ST was coming out, but I’m the end decided to pull the trigger on the 2018 Sport because the discounts were too good to pass up and the ST Price was going up to boot. Now that the ST is out and everyone is getting slower test results, I’m even more glad I made my decision.
 
This reminds me of the SVT focus lol...

this is a whatever... ford does away with cars then tries to "spruce" up the suv lineup... cmon' now.

The SVT Focus was an amazing little hatchback for the time. It wasnt a screamer but it had plenty of power/torque along with the suspension and chassis tuning of a true hot hatchback.

Drive one and you will see how enjoyable they are. Might not be ST quick or agile but at the time it held its own against some of the best cars in its price point.
 

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