2019 Ford Edge vs 2020 Audi Q7

The 2019 Ford Edge received a facelift that included a new grille, headlights, and lower front fascia, giving it a sportier appearance. The rear also saw updates with new taillights and a larger black panel replacing the red connector between the taillights. Despite these exterior changes, the interior remained largely unchanged from previous models, feeling dated and heavily reliant on plastics. The cabin featured a new rotary shifter but still felt like a decade-old design.

In contrast, the 2020 Audi Q7 featured design changes that updated its front and rear styling, aligning it with the flagship Q8 model. The test vehicle, a Q7 55 TFSI, came with Navarra Blue metallic paint and additional packages, bringing its total price to $74,290. Inside, the Q7 adopted the high-tech dashboard and instrumentation from the Q8, replacing most physical controls with three digital displays. The cabin, decked out in Okapi Brown leather and Gray/Brown Fine Grain Ash natural wood inlays, felt upscale and high-tech, with multi-color ambient lighting adding a soothing vibe at night.

The 2019 Ford Edge offered a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in its non-ST trims, producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, could be configured with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The ST trim featured a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, delivering 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with all-wheel drive. The ST provided fantastic acceleration and impressive cornering abilities, making it a fun yet comfortable ride. Fuel economy for the base 2.0-liter engine with front-wheel drive was 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 25 combined, while the ST returned 19/26/21.

The 2020 Audi Q7 55 TFSI introduced a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine with 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, enhanced by a 48-volt mild-hybrid electrical system. This setup, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive, allowed the Q7 to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The Q7 also featured Audi Drive Select with multiple driving modes and an adaptive air suspension. The SUV averaged 21 mpg during a road trip and 18.1 mpg on a local fuel-economy loop. The Q7's towing capacity was a substantial 7,700 pounds, and it handled various driving conditions with ease, from off-road trails to winding mountain roads.

The 2019 Ford Edge's cabin, though dated, was practical with deep cargo bins, USB ports, and large in-door pockets. The front seats were comfortable, but the ST's bucket seats were not ideal for taller individuals. The rear seats offered ample head- and legroom, and the cargo space was generous, with 39 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

The 2020 Audi Q7, while offering three rows of seats, was best used as a five-passenger vehicle. The third-row seat was suitable only for young children and significantly reduced cargo space when in use. With the third row folded, cargo capacity expanded to 35.7 cubic feet, and with both rows folded, it reached 69.6 cubic feet. The Q7's cabin was comfortable for long trips, with heated and ventilated front seats, four-zone climate control, and a panoramic sunroof. However, practical interior storage was limited, with most space taken up by the Audi Phone Box and other features.

The 2019 Ford Edge's base infotainment system featured a small 4.2-inch non-touchscreen with basic functionalities like a USB port, WiFi hotspot, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch Sync 3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration, providing a more user-friendly experience despite middling graphics.

The 2020 Audi Q7 introduced MMI Touch Response technology with a 10.1-inch upper touchscreen and an 8.6-inch lower touchscreen. The system included natural voice recognition, handwriting recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. While the system was generally intuitive, dry fingertips sometimes made the virtual buttons unresponsive. The Prestige trim also featured a head-up display and a Bose premium sound system, though the latter was replaced by a Bang & Olufsen system in 2021.

The 2019 Ford Edge came standard with a reversing camera, traction control, and a full complement of airbags. It also included Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of driver-assistance features, such as automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beams, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims could be upgraded with the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package, adding adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and lane-centering.

The 2020 Audi Q7 featured HD Matrix LED headlights, which provided excellent illumination but were rated "poor" by the IIHS due to excessive glare. The Q7 also came with numerous advanced driving-assistance systems, including Emergency Assist, Turn Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Assist. However, the traffic-sign-recognition technology and Active Lane Assist had some issues, making them less user-friendly. The Q7 received the highest ratings from the IIHS, except for the headlight assessment.