The Ford Motor Company anticipated the needs of the consumer who wants to combine the look of an SUV with the handling of a car when it brought the 2008 Ford Edge to market. It's become a popular vehicle due to its features, although it has some minor drawbacks too.

This crossover vehicle can seat five people comfortably and has a look that reminds the viewer of a wagon. With the Edge's sloping back window, the consumer does sacrifice some rear cargo capacity over a vehicle with a more square-shaped design in back.

2008 shoppers can choose the size of tires that best suit their needs. The Edge SE model is equipped with 17 inch tires (all season), while 18 inch all season tires and 20 inch chrome rims are also available.

If you are used to driving a car, you will appreciate the fact that the Edge is easy to get in and out of. Unlike a truck, you don't need to actually climb up to get into the vehicle. Plus, many people like the fact that the gauges on the instrument panel are white, which means they are easy to read while on the road.

Your passengers can bring along their MP3 players and use the auxiliary jack to listen to music through the vehicle's stereo system. If you have children, they will appreciate the fact that this Ford product comes equipped with holders for juice boxes on the rear door pockets.

The Edge does come equipped with airbags and was awarded a Top Safety Pick Award from the Insurance Institute for Public Safety. Antilock brakes are also standard with this model.

While the Edge is a safe vehicle that has a lot going for it, here are those drawbacks mentioned earlier. The Edge does not do any better fuel economy-wise than the Honda Pilot, coming in at 15 mpg in the City and 22 mpg for highway driving, with its 265hp 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 engine.

It has been given a "Green Rating" of 52 on a scale of 1-100. Since 100 is the best score possible for being environmentally friendly, the edge fails on this score. (At least my parents never bought the excuse that half the class was doing worse that I was!)

If you have your heart set on a crossover type of vehicle and can live with the gas mileage the 2008 Ford Edge will give you, then you can get a good-looking vehicle with some cool features for the MSRP of $27,485.