Edge vs Freestyle

[J-150]

looking for a family hauler.

 

Edge vs Freestyle.

 

Which one and why.

[Edgy Girl]

If you need 3rd row for up to 7 passengers - that crosses the Edge off.

 

Im a single - Edge is more than enough vehicle for me...

[campbell53]

we have 2 kids (6 and 7). My wife chose the Edge due to looks and color choices (go figure) and sacrificed the slightly more room in the rear. of the Freestyle/TAurus X. 3rd seat not really an issue.

[tim kakouris]

we have 3 kids, 1-6-7 year olds. edge not an option. freestyle is the perfect car, and i was trying my best to find an alternative. glad i got it.

 

plenty of room. very versatile with the quick folding seats. good milage (usually 22mpg mixed). great hvac system. handles fine. all the conveniences that spoiled people want.

[Wanderinglost]

I can't speak about the Edge since I've never driven on before. However, we have a Freestyle, and I'll admit it isn't much to look at, but I love the car. Plenty of room, decent gas mileage, and for all the bashing it's taken for being underpowered, I personally don't think it's that bad. The CVT takes some getting used to but thats more of a psychological thing in my opinion.

 

looking for a family hauler.

 

Edge vs Freestyle.

 

Which one and why.

[sim]

You already know about the 2/3 row thing - otherwise why would you be comparing them?

 

If you use the 3rd row in the Freestyle be prepared to get a roofrack mounted luggage hauler or trailer - there is no room back there, and certainly not enough for the amount of stuff 7 people might bring along wherever you go. I was not impressed with the CVT, it seemed quite slow to accelerate - other than that i am sure its great on gas and at speed, but getting there could take some time. We only took it on a test drive, so cant say with the same insight as those who own. I sat in the back with my wife on the 3rd row and found it bearable, almost spacious for a 6'3" guy. It certainly is a stationwagon, the very fringe of a CUV IMO. Its less expensive and depending on what you are using it for might be a better or worse option. The question is quite open ended, no real example of what you want to use it for apart from hauling family - from where to where, on what type of road, with how much stuff, etc? The trunk space with only 2 rows up is larger than the Edge and the platform is a little lower which might make for easier loading. I bought the Edge after test driving both and a variety of others. It fit my situation more than the Freestyle. I dont have kids yet, but do have two dogs and the kids are going to start coming in the next couple of years - but i probably wont have too many for the back row for quite some time, probably as long as i intend owning this car or we replace our other car. I found the acceleration better, ride smoother and quieter, trunk was more boxy, even if not as large in length (but the fold down seats are helpful). Its a very comfortable ride that is quite good on highway mileage, only slightly shy of the Freestyle estimates. It is also capable of going around campgrounds and such with relative ease which some more sedan like cars might be a little harder to work with (and probably was the death of my previous one). All in all it fit our requirements, but it may/may not fit yours.

[macattak1]

looking for a family hauler.

 

Edge vs Freestyle.

 

Which one and why.

 

Greetings,

 

In at Ford the other day. Sat in the Edge. I am short. I do not like the hard plastic inside door trim. Where you rest your elbows. Hard platic, 500 mile trip, bruised and sore elbows. That is a deal breaker for me.

 

The Freestyle is more practical IMO.

 

Peace and Blessings

[ANTAUS]

I remember that was peoples complaints with the previous generation Explorer, so Ford "cushioned" it for that specific reason....because many rest their elbows on that part.

 

Then again, depending on the vehicle, I dont see how someone can rest their elbow for 500miles str8...

[mkaresh]

I remember that was peoples complaints with the previous generation Explorer, so Ford "cushioned" it for that specific reason....because many rest their elbows on that part.

 

Then again, depending on the vehicle, I dont see how someone can rest their elbow for 500miles str8...

 

I drive this way myself, and find hard armrests very uncomfortable on long drives.

 

The Freestyle is more practical, the Edge is more stylish.

 

Performance won't be an issue with the Taurus X, which replaces the Freestyle this summer. It'll have the same engine as the Edge.

 

My site collects reliability data. I won't have any reliability info on the Edge until August. The 2005 Freestyle's reliability was iffy, but the 2006 has been outstanding so far, and I'd expect the 2007 to be at least as good. Ford appears to have made a number of running improvements.

 

http://www.truedelta.com/results1206.php

[TruckLarry]

I had a hard time with this too, except it was the Taurus X (freestyle) and Edge.

 

I went with the edge because:

 

1. I don't need 7 passanger seating, and in fact the rear seat would take up room I need for the dogs.

2. The edge looks better.

3. The residual was better on the Edge, being an all-new vehicle.

4. The Edge has Puddle Lamps. I LOVE Fords puddle lamps

5. For whatever reason, the Taurus X does not have telescoping steering. The Edge does.

6. The Edge has more shoulder/leg room. Hard to believe, but the Taurux X is narrower than the Edge.

7. Without the back seat, Ford was able to give rear passangers outstanding leg room, even with the front seats all the way back.

 

What the Taurus X has that I wish the Edge did.

 

1. I don't need them, but I found it odd the Edge, even in highest trim, did not have adjustable pedals.

2. Auxiliary Heat/AC. I'm a winter rat. I love it COLD in my car, be it summer or winter. The Aux A/C would have been nice.

 

I don't know about the Taurus X (but I expect it applies since the 08 gets the same new 3.5 engine), but is anyone else disappointed that the Edge is not E85 compatible?

 

Now I'd probably have to drive 2000 miles to even find E85, but this day and age it seems E85 compatibility is a major selling point and you never know. It could come in handy in the future.

 

Oh, and I can't STAND CVT transmissions. Don't like em', don't want em' thank you very much

 

-Larry

 

looking for a family hauler.

 

Edge vs Freestyle.

 

Which one and why.

Edited August 24, 2007 by TruckLarry

[hbalek]

FYI The Taurus X does not have a CVT. It has the same 6-speed transmission as the Edge. The Freestyle had the CVT.

 

I had a hard time with this too, except it was the Taurus X (freestyle) and Edge.

 

I went with the edge because:

 

1. I don't need 7 passanger seating, and in fact the rear seat would take up room I need for the dogs.

2. The edge looks better.

3. The residual was better on the Edge, being an all-new vehicle.

4. The Edge has Puddle Lamps. I LOVE Fords puddle lamps

5. For whatever reason, the Taurus X does not have telescoping steering. The Edge does.

6. The Edge has more shoulder/leg room. Hard to believe, but the Taurux X is narrower than the Edge.

7. Without the back seat, Ford was able to give rear passangers outstanding leg room, even with the front seats all the way back.

 

What the Taurus X has that I wish the Edge did.

 

1. I don't need them, but I found it odd the Edge, even in highest trim, did not have adjustable pedals.

2. Auxiliary Heat/AC. I'm a winter rat. I love it COLD in my car, be it summer or winter. The Aux A/C would have been nice.

 

I don't know about the Taurus X (but I expect it applies since the 08 gets the same new 3.5 engine), but is anyone else disappointed that the Edge is not E85 compatible?

 

Now I'd probably have to drive 2000 miles to even find E85, but this day and age it seems E85 compatibility is a major selling point and you never know. It could come in handy in the future.

 

Oh, and I can't STAND CVT transmissions. Don't like em', don't want em' thank you very much

 

-Larry

[FordBuyer]

I had a hard time with this too, except it was the Taurus X (freestyle) and Edge.

 

I went with the edge because:

 

1. I don't need 7 passanger seating, and in fact the rear seat would take up room I need for the dogs.

2. The edge looks better.

3. The residual was better on the Edge, being an all-new vehicle.

4. The Edge has Puddle Lamps. I LOVE Fords puddle lamps

5. For whatever reason, the Taurus X does not have telescoping steering. The Edge does.

6. The Edge has more shoulder/leg room. Hard to believe, but the Taurux X is narrower than the Edge.

7. Without the back seat, Ford was able to give rear passangers outstanding leg room, even with the front seats all the way back.

 

What the Taurus X has that I wish the Edge did.

 

1. I don't need them, but I found it odd the Edge, even in highest trim, did not have adjustable pedals.

2. Auxiliary Heat/AC. I'm a winter rat. I love it COLD in my car, be it summer or winter. The Aux A/C would have been nice.

 

I don't know about the Taurus X (but I expect it applies since the 08 gets the same new 3.5 engine), but is anyone else disappointed that the Edge is not E85 compatible?

 

Now I'd probably have to drive 2000 miles to even find E85, but this day and age it seems E85 compatibility is a major selling point and you never know. It could come in handy in the future.

 

Oh, and I can't STAND CVT transmissions. Don't like em', don't want em' thank you very much

 

-Larry

 

 

The TaurusX/Freestyle has puddle lamps. Only the Edge SEL Plus comes with puddle lamps. And the TaurusX only comes with 6 speed auto...no more CVT.

[sranger]

One other difference is that the Edge can Tow up to 3500lb. The Tarus X cannot...

 

That was the deal breaker for me as I tow my boat often...

[Roadrunner]

3,500 lbs towing capacity for the Edge? That's good to know.

 

V6 Explorer/Mountaineer had a max towing capacity of 5,000 lbs

V8 Explorer/Mountaineer can handle 6,500 lbs

 

How big is your boat?

[td284]

The Freestyle was ahead of its time. It got a lot of bashing for the sluggish engine and CVT, but the mileage figures were best-in-class for a very roomy 6-7 seater. Now the engine and transmission are upgraded and mileage is way down, even when compensating for the 08 EPA changes. Too bad they didn't really market it as an efficient people-hauler. It's incredibly roomy and versatile for a 3-row family car, but if you don't need the third row, it's probably not for you. Ford should consider a 2-row-only option.

[twintornados]

The choice will get even more difficult when the Flex hits the scene. Have you looked at the Mazda CX9? From what I have read, the CX9 is a CX7 with a stretch job, and since a CX7 and an Edge are the same vehicle under the skin, the CX9 would be like a stretched Edge with 7 passenger seating. It kinda makes me wonder that when Ford replaces the Explorer with a uni-body vehicle, the CX9 will be the "donor" chassis with a more powerful V6.

 

 

looking for a family hauler.

 

Edge vs Freestyle.

 

Which one and why.

[diablos30]

The Freestyle was ahead of its time. It got a lot of bashing for the sluggish engine and CVT, but the mileage figures were best-in-class for a very roomy 6-7 seater. Now the engine and transmission are upgraded and mileage is way down, even when compensating for the 08 EPA changes. Too bad they didn't really market it as an efficient people-hauler. It's incredibly roomy and versatile for a 3-row family car, but if you don't need the third row, it's probably not for you. Ford should consider a 2-row-only option.

 

i just recently got a '07 freestyle and absolutely love it so let me set a couple things straight for people.

 

the third row folds flat so if your not using it you have a ton of room to haul things back there.

 

the gas mileage is simply amazing for a car this size. I'm really impressed by that.

 

the 3.0L might be under powered if this car had a regular transmission, but with the cvt is moves the car along nicely.

 

as for the cvt; it was a bit weird to drive at first, but now that we have had the car for a couple of weeks i rather enjoy it. it is incredibly smooth.

 

any questions, ask away.

[mgazak]

I have driven both vehicles as my father has an 05 Freestyle SEL AWD and my wife has a 07 Edge SEL AWD. Both are great vehicles and it comes downs to being a matter of taste.

 

Freestyle:

 

-Tons of room, I can't believe how much stuff can be hauled inside with the seats folded, there's more room than in an Explorer though a slightly lower roofline

-Excellent AWD (my parents live on a hill) in our snowy upstate NY winters

-Decent performace, excellent fuel economy (avg. 20 city, 25 hwy)

-Comfotable 3rd row that real people can fit in

 

Edge:

 

-Great powertrain

-Excellent space for front and rear passengers (cargo area suffers, not bad but coming from an Explorer it is tight)

-Vista Roof is a must-have option

-I find myself constantly admiring the great styling of this car

-Haven't had it through a winter yet but I expect the AWD to be just as good as the Freestyle enough though it is a different system (this is Ford's vs. the Freestyle's Haldex system)

-Advance Trac with RSC

-Fuel mileage appears to avg 17 city and 25 hwy

 

Both have top-notch safety ratings and good reliability. My recommendation is to test drive both and pick which ever you prefer. Now is clearance time for the 07's so you may be able to get a good deal. The 08 Taurus X is out already and seems to have built on the Freestyle's strengths so you may also want to consider that. Good luck!

[Shawn704]

The choice will get even more difficult when the Flex hits the scene. Have you looked at the Mazda CX9? From what I have read, the CX9 is a CX7 with a stretch job, and since a CX7 and an Edge are the same vehicle under the skin, the CX9 would be like a stretched Edge with 7 passenger seating. It kinda makes me wonder that when Ford replaces the Explorer with a uni-body vehicle, the CX9 will be the "donor" chassis with a more powerful V6.

The CX-7 is a C1 derivative (not a complete C1) and it is not a CD3 based platform, the CX-9 is on the same platform as the Edge minus a few different tweakings such as transmission, a longer wheelbase and 3.7 V6 in the 2008 model. As much as I love Ford and want to support it, I hate the hard plastic feeling of the dash on the Edge, the CX-9 has a better interior than its platform mate. However I do love the feel of the ride in the Edge, my best friend recently bought one.

 

A unibody Explorer is likely to be the next generation D3, the CD3 and the EUCD can only be stretched so much. The Flex uses D3 because that platform can accomodate its 118' wheelbase where the CX-9 rides on the longest CD3 wheelbase of 113'.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Shawn704

[Jazzhead]

I was just in a Ford showroom yesterday, looking closely at the Taurus X and Edge. What I really need is a pick-up truck to assist with a major move, but I'm trading in a 300C and that breaks my heart. But regarding the vehicle's capacity of hauling stuff (thousands of books, records and assorted emphemera from 25 years of adult life, plus shelving broken down into 7-foot long sections), I've been thinking whether a crossover could do most of the job.

 

What struck me when comparing the two is that the Edge is significantly wider and with the front seat flipped flat can easily accomodate the 7-foot shelving. That fold-flat front seat is standard on the SEL Plus. It apparently can be special ordered on the Taurus X but the dealer didn't have a single one on the lot with that feature. On the other hand, the load floor on the Taurus X is much flatter than that on the Edge and would therefor accomodate boxes easier.

 

Don't know what I'm going to do yet but from my narrow perspective (I don't need the 3rd row of seating) the Edge probably gets the, er, edge.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Jazzhead

[2000SableWagon]

I was just in a Ford showroom yesterday, looking closely at the Taurus X and Edge. What I really need is a pick-up truck to assist with a major move, but I'm trading in a 300C and that breaks my heart. But regarding the vehicle's capacity of hauling stuff (thousands of books, records and assorted emphemera from 25 years of adult life, plus shelving broken down into 7-foot long sections), I've been thinking whether a crossover could do most of the job.

 

What struck me when comparing the two is that the Edge is significantly wider and with the front seat flipped flat can easily accomodate the 7-foot shelving. That fold-flat front seat is standard on the SEL Plus. It apparently can be special ordered on the Taurus X but the dealer didn't have a single one on the lot with that feature. On the other hand, the load floor on the Taurus X is much flatter than that on the Edge and would therefor accomodate boxes easier.

 

Don't know what I'm going to do yet but from my narrow perspective (I don't need the 3rd row of seating) the Edge probably gets the, er, edge.

 

The Taurus X has the fold flat front passenger seat as standard equipment. The release for fold flat feature is a pull tab on the back of the front seat that can be accessed from the second row. A salesman who doesn't know the product, imagine that.

[Jazzhead]

Thanks SableWagon, for that information. To be fair to the salesman, I was mostly poking around on my own and couldn't find a fold flat release on the showroom's Taurus X. I then asked a salesman in passing about that and he said the car could be ordered with one. Since the fold-flat feature is listed on the Edge's window sticker as a separate feature, I tried to find an X similarly designated. Guess the reason I didn't is that the feature is standard!

 

Both vehicles look like excellent choices for family haulers. Good to see that Ford offers a comprehensive set of choices (along with the Explorer and Escape). Everything except a conventional minivan, but then the Flex is coming.