Ford has the Edge on summer road trips

Summer in Texas means barbecues, fireworks, swimming pools, and most importantly, road trips.

Whether you’re on summer break from college heading down to the beach with a few of your buddies, or a family of five heading to Grandma’s house, you’re going to need a vehicle that can hold all of your gear and keep all of your passengers comfortable and entertained.

Oh yeah, and you’ll need something that doesn’t leave you in the poor house after filling up the gas tank.

Meet the 2008 Ford Edge – a sturdy, versatile five-passenger crossover SUV that’s perfect for your long road trip across Texas and your short commute to work.

Several fantastic features are available on the Edge that help set it apart from some of the other crossovers on the market.

Probably the biggest of these is Ford’s exclusive SYNC integrated voice-activated communication and media system. With SYNC, the driver can manage incoming and outgoing phone calls and text messages and can access music from CDs, MP3 files, and flash drives all with simple voice commands. SYNC is a brilliant system—it is very user-friendly and helps keep the driver focused on the task of driving while still being able to access all of those things we absolutely cannot live without in our cars these days.

Other great available features include the EasyFold rear seat-back release that instantly folds down the rear seat with the touch of a button, the panoramic Vista Roof that opens up a huge swath of sky for awesome viewing, a power-operated rear liftgate, a fold-flat front passenger seat, a DVD entertainment system for backseat passengers, and a voice-activated DVD-based navigation system.

When you’re piled with all of your friends or relatives into a vehicle for several long hours on the road (plus suitcases, coolers, and bags of junk food), space becomes a major issue. The Edge is quite roomy, and offers available second-row reclining seats so the people in the back can kick back and relax (and stop criticizing your navigating skills). If no one is sitting in the middle seat, a center console with two cupholders can be folded down (great for separating unruly kids—or friends—who won’t stop pestering each other).

If you don’t have a full crew riding in the car, you can fold down the 60/40 split rear seat as well as the available fold-flat front passenger seat, opening up 69 cubic feet of storage space and the capability of holding items up to eight feet long.

All-wheel drive with AdvanceTrac and Roll Stability Control is also available for better control and handling in panic maneuvers and severe weather conditions.

A 265 horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission powers the Edge, providing plenty of driving power while still meeting Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle II standards.

Gas mileage for the Edge isn’t too shabby, either (for a midsize SUV, of course). EPA estimates are 16 city/24 highway for front-wheel drive models and 15 city/22 highway for all-wheel drive. (Think driving from Dallas to San Antonio in good traffic on one tank of gas.)

Of course, whether you’re driving across Texas or across the street, you want to be safe.

The Edge offers many standard safety features, such as four-wheel antilock brakes, a reinforced steel cage, Safety Canopy side-curtain air bags with rollover sensor, a seat-weight sensing system for the front passenger seat that automatically switches the air bag on or off according to whether or not a person is sitting there (rather than just your purse or briefcase), a crash severity sensor, and the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) child seat restraint system.

For security, remote keyless entry and a SecuriLock anti-theft system that inhibits the engine from starting unless the coded key specific to that vehicle is present both come standard on all models.

The Edge is available in three trim levels: the entry-level SE, the midlevel SEL, and the premium Limited. All trim levels are available with all-wheel drive.

The SE has a starting price of $25,735 (plus $775 freight) for front-wheel drive and $27,485 for all-wheel drive.

Standard features on the SE include air conditioning, steering-wheel-mounted cruise control, AM/FM stereo with single-CD player, MP3 capability, and four speakers, 60/40 split folding rear seat with center console, power windows/door locks/outside mirrors, audio input jack, dual vanity visor mirrors, four 12-volt power outlets, and cargo area tie-downs.

The SEL starts at $28,265 for front-wheel drive and $30,035 for all-wheel drive, and adds a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, an upgraded stereo with a six-disc CD changer and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual illuminated vanity visor mirrors, automatic headlamps, and an illuminated door entry keypad.

The top-of-the-line Limited has a starting price of $31,075 for front-wheel drive and $32,845 for all-wheel drive.

Features include leather seats, a six-way power adjustable passenger seat with fold-flat seatback, heated front seats, driver’s seat position memory, dual-zone automatic climate control with particulate air filter, security approach lamps, the EasyFold remote second-row backseat release, SYNC, a premium Audiophile sound system with nine speakers, heated outside mirrors with memory, and a HomeLink universal garage door opener.

Tons of optional packages and features are available for the different models.

On the SE, a Convenience Package ($335) is available that includes automatic headlamps, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and illuminated door entry keypad. An upgrade from a single-CD player to a six-disc CD changer is available on the SE for $245.

On SEL models, the Premium Package ($1,675) adds automatic climate control, leather heated front seats with driver’s-side memory, heated outside mirrors with memory, security approach lamps, and universal garage door opener.

The Seating Flexibility Package ($985) adds a front-passenger six-way power adjustable seat and the EasyFold backseat release with reclining feature. You can upgrade the stereo system on the SEL to the Audiophile system for $385.

The SYNC system is available on SE and SEL models for an additional $395.

On SEL and Limited models, the rear-seat DVD entertainment system ($1,295) is offered, as well as a power-operated liftgate ($490).

Upgrades available only on Limited models include a DVD-based voice-activated navigation system ($1,995), the Vista Roof ($1,595), and an Interior Appearance Package ($525) that comprises red leather seats and red stitching on the steering wheel and shift knob.

SIRIUS satellite radio ($195), a rear parking system ($295), a rear cargo management system ($65), a cargo privacy shade ($115), a Class II trailer/towing package ($395), all-weather floor mats ($55), and black roof-rack side rails ($95) are available on all models.

With all of these incredible features, plus decent gas mileage and loads of available cargo space, the Edge is a terrific vehicle for those long summer road trips. So get out there and have some fun in the sun this summer!

(And for cryin’ out loud, people, please try to be considerate when you’re out there on those Texas highways. There is absolutely no reason my blinking turn signal indicating my desire to change lanes should inspire such pure hostility. Honestly… )

The automotive columns of Jennifer R. Williams appear regularly in the Star-Telegram. Contact her at autoscribe jennifer@yahoo.com.