The Ford Edge, in general, competes against models like the Acura RDX, Hyundai Santa Fe, and even the Chevy Equinox. And it competes well. But Ford has kicked things up a notch with the Edge ST by replacing the four-cylinder with a V-6 and injecting a few other performance credentials to go with it. Now, the midsize luxury SUV segment has no shortage of high-performance offerings, but the Edge ST doesn’t exactly fall into the luxury category, nor does it fit into any category really.

See, none of the Edge’s competitors are offered as high-performance models, so the Edge ST actually sits in a niche all its own. That means that, unless you’re dead set on an Edge ST, you actually have to look at the luxury segment to find anything that actually competes. Dare I say the Ford Edge ST competes with the Audi SQ5 or the Porsche Macan? It’s not quite as expensive in base form, but with the 401A equipment group, which includes things like the panoramic vista roof and remote start, and the ST Performance Brake Package, it suddenly slips right into the same territory. Does it really hold its own, though? We spent a week with it to find out.

2022 Ford Edge ST - Driven

Specifications
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  • Model: 2022 Ford Edge ST - Driven
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Powertrain & Performance

Where the standard Ford Edge features a four-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, the Edge ST is endowed with a V-6 that delivers 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. The Edge ST comes with quite a weight penalty over the base model – about 400 pounds – but it’s impressively quick for its size. It’s not the nimblest vehicle on the road, as it is on the taller side and you can feel that height when you push it to the limit, but the ST’s upgraded suspension does a decent job at keeping the body lean in check. One could argue that it’s not quite as fun as the Audi SQ5, Porsche Macan, or any other high-end vehicle, but it is more fun that the standard Edge.

How Much Power does the Ford Edge ST Have?

The Ford Edge ST delivers 335 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque from a 2.7-liter V-6, a decent improvement over the standard Edge’s 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet. By comparison the Edge actually stacks up pretty decently against those that reside a class above. The Audi SQ5, for example, has a 3.0-liter V-6 that puts out 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque while the Porsche Macan – the base model – has a 2.0-liter inline-four that’s good for 261 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Yes, the Macan falls quite short in power, but believe it or not, it’s actually faster and priced quite similar to our Edge ST tester.

How Fast is the Ford Edge ST

The Ford Edge ST is capable of sprinting to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds as it hustles up to a top speed of 130 mph. The former figure is pretty impressive considering it’s faster to the benchmark by more than a second. That said, the Audi SQ5 outperforms the Edge ST to 60 mph by an entire second (5.1 seconds, to be exact) while the base Porsche Macan makes the same sprint in 5.8 seconds. In terms of top speed, the Edge ST maxes out at just 130 mph, a far cry from the Porsche Macan’s 144 mph top speed or the Audi SQ5’s 155 mph top speed.

What Transmission Does the Ford Edge ST Have?

While the older Ford Edge was criticized for its sluggish, eight-speed automatic, the 2022 Edge ST doesn’t suffer the same fate, as it features a seven-speed automatic. It’s practically the same transmission just without a second gear, so to speak. Think of it like 3rd became 2nd, 4th became 3rd, and so on. The end result is a transmission that doesn’t feel as confused and accelerates much smoother than honestly expected. However, it should be noted that the paddles behind the steering wheel are more for making you feel like you have control instead of actually giving you control. During our testing, we found that upshifts came too soon while paddle shifting, and downshifts were annoyingly slow. It’s almost like you’re only suggesting the transmission shift and it has to decide whether or not to comply. It is better than the older models, but far from being responsive. Power is sent from the transmission to all four wheels as standard, though, so it has that going for it.

By comparison, both the Audi SQ5 and Porsche Macan feature automatic transmissions as well – the former having an eight-speed unit and the latter having a seven-speed box. Both feature all-wheel drive as well, however, you’ll find that the shiftable automatic in the Porsche Macan is one of the best in the business.

How Much Does the Ford Edge ST Tow?

The Ford Edge ST is capable of towing as much as 3,500 pounds when properly equipped. That puts it at a disadvantage to both the Audi SQ5, which tows up to 4,400 pounds, and the Porsche Macan, which can pull 4,409 pounds.

Ford Edge ST Fuel Economy

The Ford Edge ST is rated at 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined. This puts it above the SQ5 at 18, 24, and 20, respectively. The Porsche Macan, with its smaller four-cylinder engine is good for 19 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined.

Ford Edge ST vs competition - fuel economy

City 

Highway

Combined

Ford Edge ST

19

26

21

Audi SQ5

18

24

20

Porsche Macan

19

23

21


Ford Edge ST Suspension, Brakes, and Handling Enhancements

Ford didn’t just dump a larger engine into the Edge, slap an ST badge on it, and call it a day. To give the ST a sportier feel and keep it under control on the road, the Edge ST features thicker rolls bars, a revised spring rate, and a brake-based torque vectoring system. When operating together, the Edge ST remains fairly composed even during some mild spirited driving. For the best braking power, though, it would be best to go with the ST Performance Brake package. This improves stopping ability drastically and includes front and rear ventilated disc brakes, however, you’ll also have to pony up $2,695 to get them.

In the end, the Edge ST’s brakes do the job well and are fairly easy to modulate once you get the hang of them. The steering is weighted nicely but you won’t get the kind of feedback that you get in something like the Audi SQ5 or the Porsche Macan.

Ford Edge ST Specification Comparison

 

Ford Edge ST

Audi SQ5

Porsche Macan

Engine

2.7-Liter V-6

3.0-Liter V-6

2.0-Liter Inline-Four

Horsepower

335 HP @ 5,550 RPM

349 HP @ 5,400 RPM

261 HP @ 5,000 RPM

Torque

380 LB-FT @ 3,250 RPM

369 LB-FT @ 1,370 RPM

295 LB-FT @ 1,800 RPM

Transmission

Seven-Speed Automatic

Eight-Speed Automatic

Seven-Speed Automatic

Driveline

All-Wheel-Drive

All-Wheel Drive

All-Wheel Drive

Fuel

Regular

Premium

Premium

Steering

Electric

Electric

Electric

Suspension

Four-Wheel Independent

Four-Wheel Independent

Four-Wheel Independent

Tires

P245/50R20

P255/45R20

P255/50R19

Curb Weight

4,515 LBS

4,288 LBS

4,151 LBS

Fuel Economy

19/26/21

18/24/20

19/23/21

Towing Capacity

3,500 LBS

4,400 LBS

4,409 LBS

0-60 mph

6.1 Seconds

5.1 Seconds

5.8 Seconds

Top Speed

130 MPH

155 MPH

144 MPH


Ford Edge ST Interior Design

Fortunately, the interior of the Edge ST has been thoroughly updated, so that old, dated, GM-like design of the center stack is now a thing of the past. And that’s the main highlight of the Edge ST’s interior – the new portrait-oriented, 12.1-inch touchscreen interface. If it looks like the display you saw in the Ford Mach-E, then you’re seeing things properly – it is, in fact, the very same screen from the Mach-E. The good news here is that Ford didn’t integrate all of the interior controls into the interface. You can still control the climate control system from the center stack and various functions of the sound system via the controls on the steering wheel.

Beyond this, front passengers are gen to enjoy ten-way adjustable seats that are fairly sporty and supportive. The rear seats are also fairly comfortable, however, fitting three adults in the rear is a bit tough. The upholstery is only available in Ebony black leather with faux suede inserts, all held together by City Silver stitching. Naturally, the front seats feature an embossed ST logo.

How Big Is the Ford Edge ST Inside?

The Edge ST sits firmly in the midsize SUV category, so interior space is pretty decent both front and rear. Four full size adults can easy fit inside the Edge ST, but as a five-seater, you wouldn’t want to keep three large adults in the rear for too long. The good news is that if you’re someone that like a lot of space, the Edge ST will fit your needs quite well as it actually has a larger interior than the Audi SQ5. Porsche doesn’t publish interior specs, so we can’t say for sure, but the Edge St did feel just as spacious if not a bit more spacious. Check out the table below for full specifications.

Ford Edge ST vs competition - fuel economy

City 

Highway

Combined

Ford Edge ST

19

26

21

Audi SQ5

18

24

20

Porsche Macan

19

23

21


How Much Cargo Room Does the Edge ST Have?

Taking the Ford Edge into performance territory didn’t hamper practicality, which means you can have 39.2 – 73.4 cubic-feet of cargo room. This is actually a big deal since the Audi SQ5 offers 25.8-54.0 cubic-feet and the Porsche Macan offers even less at 17.6 – 52.9 cubic-feet.

Infotainment and Technology

As the range-topping model of the Ford Edge lineup, the Edge ST features the best Ford has to offer at this price point or any price point, really. Standard equipment includes Ford’s Co-Pilot 306 with hill start assist, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and forward collision warning with autonomous braking. Other features include remote start, keyless entry, and the usual goodies like cruise control, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, and LED headlights with auto high beams. There is a dual-zone climate control system, ambient lighting, and heated steering wheel as standard. If you’re into options, you can upgrade to adaptive cruise control, 180-degree parking camera, and a panoramic sunroof. You can also have ventilated front seats and heated rear outboard seats if you so desire.

On the infotainment side of things, the Edge ST does have the Ford Mach-E’s infotainment display. It’s a 12.1-inch, portrait-oriented display but it doesn’t feature the OTA update capability that it does in the Mach-E. It is, however, outrageously responsive and easy to operate. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work flawlessly and we were quite fond of the speed of the wi-fi hotspot. Amazon Alexa is included if that’s something you’re into, however what we really liked was the 12-speaked Bang & Olufsen sound system. If you want to pay an extra $1,995, you can have a dual screen DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system.

Ford Edge ST Exterior Design

Oddly enough, Ford hasn’t gone crazy in designing the Edge ST, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a few cues to let the world know it’s from the superior side of the tracks. ST-exclusive goodies include the black hexagonal mesh grille, the fake vents, LED headlights and taillights, body color fascias, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a fake rear diffuser to tie the whole package together.

How Big is the Ford Edge ST?

The Ford Edge measures 188.8-inches long, 85.8-inches wide, 68.3-inches tall, and rides on a 112.2-inch wheelbase. If you count out the mirrors, the Edge ST comes in at 75.9-inches wide. Curb weight is 4,515 pounds, of which there’s an extra 400 pounds or so compared to the standard Edge thanks to that larger V-6 engine.

Ford Edge ST vs competition - exterior dimensions

Ford Edge ST

Audi SQ5

Porsche Macan

Length

188.8

184.3

186.1

Width

85.8

84.2

82.6

Height

68.3

65.5

63.8

Wheelbase

112.2

111

110.5

Front Track

64.8

63.6

TBA

Rear Track

64.7

63.3

TBA


Ford Edge ST Color Options

The Ford Edge is available in your choice of seven different colors, however, only five come without a cost. Those five include Forged Green, Stone Blue, Carbonized Gray, Iconic Silver, and Agate Black. Forged Green and Stone Blue are actually new for 2022, by the way. If you’re willing to be $495 you can have Rapid Red metallic tined while $795 will get you Star White Metallic Tri-Coat, which is a sort of light, gray-ish white.

Ford Edge ST Pricing

The Ford Edge ST sits at the peak of the Edge lineup, so it doesn’t come cheap. It starts out at $44,195, but our tester cruised past the $50,000 mark with ease thanks to the optional ST Brake package and the 401A upgrade package. As such, the Ford Edge ST actually become more expensive than the Audi SQ5, which starts at $52,900, and just $3,000 shy of a Porsche Macan, both of which are faster and more luxurious in the end. This was why we chose them as the Edge ST’s primary competitors because the Edge ST is, believe it or not, a mainstream “affordable” vehicle wearing a price tag that could get you into an Audi or even a Porsche. So, the question is, how badly do you want a Ford Edge ST?