A thank you firstly to our car rental partners, Enterprise (Leigh near Manchester), for allowing us to photograph, and review, one of the latest editions to their winter fleet – the SUV which is the Ford EDGE DIESEL ESTATE 2.0 TDCi 180 Titanium 5dr Manual.
It is important to make a clear distinction between a credit broker like CarLease UK and a short-term car rental partner like Enterprise. The latter are very much experts in short-term and stop-gap vehicle requirements (cars, vans and specialised commercials). So if you are specifically needing a vehicle for a certain amount of days or weeks, then you need to focus your search on car hire as opposed to car leasing. Where lines become a little blurred is where you might have a company needing a vehicle for 3-6 months for foreign employees or for those employees who are still on a probation period.
In those situations you need to look for “flexi-lease” products which both we and companies like Enterprise offer.
However, if you need to contract hire a vehicle, i.e. use a vehicle over 2,3 or 4 years, then speak to the CarLease UK team here (this is a long-term solution).
The Ford Edge is very much Ford’s bigger brother to the Kuga, which has been a great product within their range. The SUV/crossover vehicle is definitely the most sought after product in the UK automotive industry and all manufacturers are focusing their time, marketing and investment on this segment. Take for instance new products like the Skoda Karoq and VW T-Roc, which further bolster these types of vehicles.
Due to budgetary constraints, many families cannot afford to run multiples of vehicles and so they need to get a car which serves a variety of purposes. Without doubt, the SUV vehicles offer style, comfort and practicality which meets many of their needs while supplying the driver with a great experience.
That is not to say that the market is an easy; far from it. Due to the competitive nature of car manufacturers there is no clear leader in this SUV area and cars, like the Ford Edge, have to go to battle against the rest.
In terms of the actual vehicle shown here, the Edge Diesel 180 Titanium 5dr Manual, this is based on the following configuration:
· Pearl – Ruby red
· Cloth – Ebony
· 19″ Luster Nickel Alloy wheel
· Chrome grille trim
As standard you get chrome roof rails, cruise control, 19” alloys, Ford DAB and navigation system, 9 speaker sound system, acoustic glass, dark tinted privacy glass, rain sensing wipers, active city stop, front/rear floor mats, Bluetooth, front/rear parking sensors, speed assist, lane assist, rear view camera, traffic sign recognition, 8” colour screen, folding door mirrors with puddle lamps, auto lights, keyless start, Thatcham cat 1 alarm, spare wheel, keyless start, keyless boot entry, air conditioning, LED lights, lumbar support and ambient lighting. In terms of additional factory options consider the upgraded 12 speaker SONY sound system and the 20” alloys.
On the technical-side, company car and business drivers can note the P11d at £34,560.00 and CO2 at 149g/km. The 1997CC 6 speed manual engine delivers 48.7 combined MPG, 180ps and 0-62 times of 9.9 seconds. Service intervals are set at every 24 months or 18,000, whichever lands sooner. You might want to consider the benefits of a driver-maintained vs a funder-maintained contract.
So would the Ford Edge be your preferable leasing option? Or would you be selected a different car for contract hire? With great competition from the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and the new Nissan X-Trail this is a difficult one for the customer.
Let us know your thoughts!!??
Click Here to find the best personal and business lease deals on the all new Ford Edge available today from CarLease UK.