2019 Ford Edge vs 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

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. However, the interior remained largely unchanged from previous models, feeling dated and heavily reliant on plastics. Despite the new rotary shifter and useful cabin features, the overall design felt like a decade-old parts-bin special.

In contrast, the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a bold and experimental design that might not appeal to everyone. The interior featured a dramatic dual-cowl dashboard design with diamond-textured speaker grilles and high-contrast color schemes. While the materials quality didn't quite match the high-style design, the build quality was exceptional, and the controls operated with refinement. The Santa Fe's daring design made it stand out, but it might not suit those who prefer a more conventional look.

The 2019 Ford Edge came with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. This engine was available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the latter adding $1,995 to the cost. The ST trim featured a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine with 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, exclusively paired with AWD. The ST offered fantastic acceleration and impressive cornering abilities, making it a fun drive. Fuel economy for the base engine was 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 25 combined, while the ST returned 19/26/21 mpg.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower, which was underwhelming for its weight. The better choice was the 2.0T trim with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine producing 235 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, available between 1,450 and 3,500 rpm. This engine provided better performance, especially at altitude, and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Santa Fe had a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds and returned 23 mpg in combined driving, with our test model achieving 22.1 mpg. The Santa Fe offered a smooth ride, decent handling, and a quiet highway experience, making it a good daily driver.

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 tall people. The rear seats were spacious, providing 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 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in thoughtful design, with creative storage spaces and stain-resistant fabric. The test vehicle featured eight-way power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a dual-zone automatic climate control system with a Clean Air ionizer. The rear seats were comfortable with air conditioning vents, sunshades, and heated cushions. However, the cargo space was slightly less than the Edge, with 35.9 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 71.3 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The Santa Fe also offered a hands-free smart liftgate for added convenience.

The 2019 Ford Edge's base infotainment system was basic, with a 4.2-inch non-touchscreen and limited functionality. The SEL trim and above 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 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a well-designed touchscreen infotainment system with stereo control knobs, main menu shortcut buttons, and a programmable button. All trims included Bluetooth connectivity and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SEL trim added SiriusXM satellite radio and Blue Link connected services with three free years of service. The Limited trim offered a larger 8-inch display, navigation, a surround-view camera, wireless smartphone charging, and a 12-speaker Infinity surround sound system. The Santa Fe also included a head-up display showing various data within the driver's line of sight.

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. The Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and a lane-centering system.

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe earned a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS. It came with adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The SEL trim added blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and a safe exit assist system. The Limited trim included a Blind-Spot View Monitor, which displayed a live video feed of the blind spots in the instrument cluster.