2023 Ford Edge ST

American roads are flooded with mid-size crossover SUVs, and most of them are boring. These vehicles are seen as appliances and will spend the entirety of their lives doing the school run and occasional holiday. But what if you want a bit more soul out of your daily SUV driving experience? Ford's solution is the Edge ST. This spicy crossover features a 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 developing 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque and a chassis that is more adept at entertaining than competitors such as the Honda Passport or Chevrolet Blazer. The powerful V6 provides a charismatic soundtrack, but the Ford Edge's competitors are almost all newer, and it's now being bested on interior quality and ride and handling. It's showing its age, but it still beats driving a minivan. However, is the new 2023 Ford Edge ST crossover SUV still doing enough to warrant your attention amid its formidable competition?

The price of the Ford Edge ST starts at an MSRP of $43,760, excluding the destination fee of $1,245 and the acquisition fee of $645. A fully-loaded Edge ST will cost in excess of $55,000, depending on how many options boxes you tick.

Whereas the standard Ford Edge drives like any other crossover SUV, the Edge ST has seen some significant chassis and suspension improvements that liven up the driving experience and makes this car live up to the ST name. Ford has fitted the Edge ST with a set of thicker anti-roll bars, a brake-based torque-vectoring system, and sportier spring rates, all of which help this SUV to get down and boogie. While handling has improved, the Edge ST is still a family car and thus needs to offer good comfort. The good news is that the suspension strikes a reasonable balance between response and comfortable damping, even though it can be a bit jittery on rough surfaces. The ST also has bigger performance brakes that help it stop on a dime. Like most ST products, the Edge ST strikes a good balance between sporty driving and everyday practicality. However, a Mazda CX-9 still trumps it in this class for fleetfootedness, even if the Ford is faster in a straight line. Perhaps it's another pointer that the Edge starting to show its age.

Ford's range of ST cars has always impressed with a sweet balance of performance, comfort, and practicality. Unlike the Focus or Fiesta ST, the Ford Edge ST is not so much focused on track-day fun but brings a glimmer of joy into a world that is known chiefly for dreary A-to-B driving. The twin-turbo V6 isn't massively powerful, but it hauls with vigor in the Edge ST, and the finely tuned chassis actually makes it fun to drive, unlike some of its more homely competitors. However, we found some issues - visibility inside the cabin is limited, the interior is starting to look dated in general, and some rivals now provide a better blend of fun handling and comfort. Those are minor issues in what is otherwise an excellent package and a great solution for those who still have a sparkle left in their eyes, even after the fourth child.

The Edge ST is a standalone model, so the question is what optional extras you should add to it. Ford's 401A package is appealing, so we'd have it. The ventilated front seats and heated rear seats are excellent, but navigation is no longer an attraction in an Apple CarPlay/Android Auto world. The added safety is fantastic, but you can order that separately for $895.