A friend took a good, long look at the interior and exterior of the new Ford Edge, chuckled and said, "Well, for a Ford it's pretty edgy."

True enough. With the 2008 Edge, the often conservative Ford has extended the definition of the term "crossover."

A crossover is an automobile with a sports utility vehicle appearance but built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient unibody construction.

But what is the Edge — a mini mini-van, a newfangled wagon or a SUV?

Like other crossover SUVs, the Edge is hard to pinpoint. The Edge is categorized as a mid-sized crossover SUV and it shares the same platform with the Lincoln MKX and Mazda CX-9 crossovers, the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans.

And the Edge bridges the gap between minivans like the now discontinued Freestar, and truck-based sport utility vehicles such as the Explorer. The Edge is priced just below the Taurus X in Ford's crossover SUV lineup.

The Edge debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January 2006. But it was first made available to the public as a 2007 model just before Christmas in 2006.

The Edge and MKX are among the first vehicles to use Ford's new 3.5-liter Duratec 35 V6 engine. It produces 265 horsepower and is matched with a six-speed automatic transmission.

But here's the catch. As a crossover, the Edge doesn't quite define economy. My test drive vehicle was the Limited Edition, new for 2008. It included 20-inch wheels as optional equipment, which hardly add to fuel economy mileage estimates.

And the Edge also features Ford's new bold front-end design. It's a three-bar chrome grille that's expected to adorn almost all North American Ford products by the end of the decade.

In short, it's edgy.

Nevertheless, the Edge has done well
in its two model years, and the vehicle has some impressive features and it's a competent five-passenger SUV/minivan/CUV or whatever you wish to call it.

While certainly not quick, the Edge maneuvers well and accelerates steadily. There's considerable engine growl,  however, which is another reason why the Edge is more truck than car.

The Edge has good leg and headroom, and the low positioned dashboard and chair-high seat combine to provide good visibility.

Likewise, the Edge has good cargo space. The rear seatbacks don't fold completely flat, but drop with push button release. There's also plenty of storage, with conveniently positioned cupholders, a sunglass holder, a huge glove box and equally spacious center console storage area.

Standard equipment includes: powerlift tailgate, keyless entry with keypad, fog lamps, power heated mirrors and windows and six-way heated front seats, leather trimmed seats and steering wheels and dual electric temperature control.

The Edge also has some neat, albeit expensive, options: a panoramic vista screen that nearly runs the length of the roof ($1395), an easy-to-use large navigation system ($1,195) and the previously mentioned 20-inch wheels with a sport suspension ($895).

Safety Features — Dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags with rollover deployment.

Warranty — Bumper-to-bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles, Powertrain, 5 years/60,000 miles, roadside assistance, 5 years/60,000 miles.

Gas Mileage (estimates)  —15 mpg (city), 22 mpg (hwy.)

Base Price — $32,070.

Price As Driven — $38,140.00

Content provided by www.theweeklydriver.com.