2020 Acura RDX vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2020 Acura RDX closely resembled its 2019 predecessor, maintaining its status as one of the best-looking vehicles in its segment. The imposing grille and rakish headlights replaced the outdated "beak" grille, giving it a modern and aggressive look. The large logo within the grille, although comically oversized, worked well within the overall design. The upper character line swooped from the windshield to the rear hatch, intersected by another line that created the appearance of a large spoiler. Inside, the RDX featured sharp, precise styling with eye-catching red leather upholstery, creating a strong red-and-black interior aesthetic. Standard features included synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power moonroof, and a 10.2-inch infotainment screen.

The 2021 Ford Edge retained much of its styling from the 2019 refresh, which successfully integrated the current Ford look with the existing Edge body shell. The Edge Titanium models featured extra chrome, while the Edge ST trim had a blacked-out grille, standard 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. The interior, however, showed its age, with a design that had been awkwardly tweaked over the years to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. Titanium models came with leather upholstery, and ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

The 2020 Acura RDX was powered by a turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This engine provided solid acceleration, making the RDX quick off the line and capable of overtaking cars on the highway. The power was managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel drive and Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD). The Integrated Dynamics System allowed drivers to choose between Comfort, Snow, Sport, and Sport-Plus drive modes, adjusting throttle response, shift patterns, steering feel, and power delivery. The RDX A-Spec with SH-AWD had an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 22 mpg city, 27 highway, and 24 combined, with observed fuel economy of 22.2 mpg.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It came with standard front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive. The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine producing 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, with standard all-wheel drive and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST had a maximum towing capacity of 4,525 pounds, while the base FWD four-cylinder Edge could tow up to 3,958 pounds. The Edge was noted for its refinement, although the turbo-four engine in non-ST models was considered a bit sluggish.

The 2020 Acura RDX offered a spacious cabin with comfortable and supportive front seats, ample head- and legroom, and a good driving position. The second row also provided great headroom and decent legroom. The front row had space for large water bottles in the doors and center console, while the second row featured a fold-down center console with cup holders. The RDX had 29.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 58.9 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The cargo area was easily accessible, with a helpful cubby and a hidden cargo area beneath a liftable panel.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. It came with standard dual-zone automatic climate control. The Edge had 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, expanding to 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded. Higher trim levels featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The rotary shift knob freed up space on the center console, but the narrow width limited the available space. The raised console provided a storage nook below, although it was difficult to reach and easy to forget items placed there.

The 2020 Acura RDX's infotainment system was a letdown, operated via a touchpad called the True Touchpad Interface. This system was less intuitive than competitors, requiring constant attention to ensure correct selections. Standard tech features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, two USB ports, a WiFi hotspot, a 9-speaker audio system, and satellite radio. The Technology Package added navigation, real-time traffic updates, and the ELS premium audio system. The A-Spec featured the ELS Studio 3D premium sound system with 16 speakers, while the Advance Package included a 10.5-inch head-up display.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured the latest Sync 4 infotainment system with a 12-inch touchscreen, standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST models came with a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge also had four USB ports, including two rear USB ports added for the 2021 model year. Sync 4 was praised for its simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts, making it easy for new users to acclimate.

The 2020 Acura RDX came standard with front- and side-impact airbags, LATCH child-seat mounting systems, a tire pressure monitoring system, hill-start assist, and a rear-view camera. It also included driver-assistance features like lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, road-departure mitigation, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow. The Technology Package added front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic monitoring. The Advance Package included a 10.5-inch head-up display, a 360-degree surround-view camera, and a rear-view camera washer nozzle. The 2019 RDX, mechanically identical to the 2020 model, received a 5-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS Top Safety Pick, scoring top ratings in all crash tests and front crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle situations. It received lower ratings for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention, LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use, and headlights. The NHTSA awarded the Edge a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests. Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, dynamic brake support, and rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control and Evasive Steering Assist were standard on all but the base SE trim.