2013 Ford Edge - Quality Review

There's no third-row seat to be found inside the 2013 Edge. Ford leaves the seven- and eight-passenger duties to its bigger Flex and Explorer crossovers, even to the Expedition SUV. The Edge has seating for five in its tall, wide body, though, and it's one of the larger crossovers in its class--which means adult-sized space even in the back seat, even without the benefit of a sliding rear seat.

The Edge's front seats all have some sort of power operation, the driver's side with power adjustment for both cushions, the passenger's with at least power slide for the bottom cushion. They're wide and a little flat, well sized for American tastes and for the kind of use the Edge will likely see. Step-in height is perfect for medium-sized adults, and not too high for pre-teens big enough to ride up front. Higher-priced Edges can be fitted with dual 10-way power seats--but no matter if the seats are cloth or clad in cow, they're surrounded by lots of head and knee room.

The second-row seat--there's no third-row bench, remember--has excellent leg room. Ford claims it's best in class, and we're inclined to agree after spending hours with the similarly sized MKX on a weeklong family outing. Two adults will have exceptional room, and enough space between them for a child booster seat. The seatbacks in the second row also recline, for more comfortable long-distance cruising.

The back seat also folds down to boost the Edge's cargo hold from 32.2 cubic feet to more than 68 cubic feet. You'll bankrupt yourself at Costco before you exhaust the Edge's two-seat cargo capacity.

Ford's also molded in some handy storage throughout the Edge. Bottle holders can be found in all doors, and there are all kinds of pockets, trays and bins in the cabin, as well as a tray ahead of the shifter for media players.

Ford's interior materials have gone drastically upscale since the Edge first was introduced in 2005. It's now on par with the pricey Flex, and it's only the tire noise on models with 22-inch wheels that disturbs the Edge's high-quality, highly comfortable cockpit.