There are some choices people make that leave you baffled. For example, who bought a brand-new Suzuki X90? Or who went to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2? But we aren’t here to condemn these daring consumers—after all, this is the land of the free and the home of the brave. By all means, spend freely and live bravely.

Yet when we scheduled a new Ford Edge to review, we couldn’t help but ask ourselves one more question: Who exactly is buying Ford’s two-row crossover SUV? It lives in a nearly forgotten segment between the compact Escape and the three-row, damn-the-minivan Explorer, offering neither the nimble, urban-friendliness of the former nor the practicality of the latter. It’s easy to forget the Edge exists, but this particular test helped shine light on its purpose.

New Platform, New Engine

Redesigned for 2015, the Edge is completely new, and it no longer rides on an old Mazda platform that dated to when Ford partnered with the Japanese carmaker. Its design breaks no new ground and is relatively restrained, but it is elegant. Now sharing its CD4 bones with the Fusion mid-size sedan, the Edge is longer than its predecessor by 3.9 inches. Despite this and the new twin-turbo engine in this 2015 Sport, at 4437 pounds, our test vehicle weighed 23 pounds less than the previous-generation Edge Sport.

Still, the new Edge is heavy. Yet it clipped off a zero-to-60-mph run of 5.6 seconds and passed through the quarter in 14.2 seconds at 98 mph. The 315-hp 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6 is a beast, one that unleashes its power silently. Turbo response is practically instant—there’s no wait for the power to build, and all 350 lb-ft of torque are on duty at 2750 rpm. Acceleration is a rush, a fabulous surge through all six gears.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI

Serenity Now

From inside, the Edge seems to never break a sweat. Engine sounds are distant and amount to only 74 decibels at full throttle. There’s barely any tire noise from the large 265/40R-21 Pirellis, and wind rush is effectively sealed out. We measured 69 decibels at a 70-mph cruise, but to our ears, the Edge seems as quiet as a Mercedes-Benz S-class.

Huge front doors open to inviting leather seats with microfiber inserts. Rear-seat space is acceptable, and there’s an ample 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. An attractive and easy-to-decipher instrument panel doesn’t require consulting the owner’s manual, and the interior’s various functions are highly intuitive, in no small part because there are buttons and knobs to operate the radio, the climate controls, and the heated seats. The MyFord Touch infotainment system is present, but the redundant buttons reduce its role to understudy. Besides, MyFord Touch hasn’t seemed all that bad since Cadillac introduced CUE (it’s also due to be replaced soon by Ford’s new, QNX-based Sync 3 system.)

A thin-rimmed steering wheel is the antithesis of the Sport badge, but the light-effort steering helps mask the Edge’s mass. There’s plenty of compliance in the suspension and the ride is smooth, but Ford has managed to keep body movements under control. With the easy speed, light steering, and secure handling, there’s an illusion of deftness. But, the Edge doesn’t actually want to be hustled through curves. It prefers to rocket down freeways and stomp the unsuspecting when the light turns green. In other words, it’s ready for the duty cycle of nearly all Americans.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI

High Value

Edge prices begin just south of $30,000, although our Sport model with AWD and the twin-turbo V-6 opens at $40,490. Add the $3700 401A package that brings navigation, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a power liftgate, park assist, rain-sensing wipers, and remote start, and you’ll have a pretty well-equipped Edge. (Our example also had $995 21-inch wheels and $195 rear-seatbelt airbags.) Even at that price, the Edge is a standout in its class, sophisticated and refined enough to justify the spend. It can even take a swing at the luxury segment. This isn’t a case of being drunk with twin-turbo power, even though that zero-to-60 run delivers a nice buzz—it’s about the powertrain’s sophistication. It’s superior to what you find under the hoods of luxury crossovers like the Lexus RX350, the Infiniti QX50 and QX70, and the Cadillac SRX.

Providing luxury, refinement, and tons of power at a nonpremium price is the Edge Sport’s purpose, and despite still flying under the radar, its mix of tranquility and power make it unforgettably good. Whoever buys one knows exactly what they’re doing.

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