2021 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2020 Ford Edge

The 2020 Ford Edge, introduced in 2006, was based on the Ford Fusion sedan platform, offering a car-like ride and ample cabin space. The second generation, arriving in 2015, received a styling update in 2019, which carried over to 2020. This update gave the Edge a crossover version of the Fusion's look, with angular headlights and a large trapezoidal grille. Inside, the Edge showed signs of aging, with a layout unchanged since 2015, despite subtle updates. The center console had small, awkwardly arranged controls, and the rotary shifter, a contemporary Ford design cue, solved some space issues. The cabin quality was decent, with soft-touch materials and solid fit-and-finish, but the heavy use of hard plastics detracted from the overall feel.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, with its clean lines and balanced proportions, offered a conservative, upscale, and timeless aesthetic. It was large for its class, nearly as spacious inside as a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento. The roomy interior accommodated four people comfortably, with an optional third-row seat expanding capacity to seven, though three of those would need to be children. The Tiguan's interior combined modern geometric forms with a no-nonsense control layout, though the engine start button's placement on the center console was unusual. The cabin featured shiny detailing, digital instrumentation, and a flush touchscreen infotainment system, but the use of hard plastics and flimsy steering wheel stalks kept it from feeling like an Audi.

The 2020 Ford Edge came standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. Power was routed to the front wheels or available all-wheel drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine provided solid low-end acceleration, ideal for city driving, though it struggled at higher speeds. The Edge's suspension was designed for American roads, soaking up potholes and smoothing out imperfections while remaining refined and engaging to drive.

The sporty Edge ST variant featured a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, delivering 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque to standard AWD through an eight-speed automatic. The ST had some turbo lag at low speeds but offered plenty of power once the revs increased. The heavy steering and excellent cornering made the ST handle like a smaller car. A Sport mode enhanced throttle response and transmission mapping, while an available ST Performance Brake Package included unique wheels, summer performance tires, and upgraded brakes.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, generating 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission sent power to the front wheels by default, with the 4Motion AWD system available for an additional $1,400 on most models and standard on the SEL Premium R-Line. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbo lag, making the engine feel breathless during passing maneuvers or freeway entry. The Tiguan's nearly 4,000-pound curb weight contributed to this perception of lethargy.

The EPA rated the Tiguan at 25 mpg combined with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD, though testing showed an average of 22.6 mpg for the AWD model. Despite the powertrain's shortcomings, the Tiguan offered a pleasurable driving experience with light but responsive steering, a compliant ride, refined braking, and nimble handling. However, the suspension's lack of isolation over sharp bumps and railroad tracks detracted from the overall refinement. On curvy roads, the Tiguan's tires lost grip early, and the suspension allowed too much body motion, encouraging slower driving. The Tiguan was quiet and composed on the highway, making long road trips more enjoyable.

The 2020 Ford Edge excelled in cabin layout, offering a commanding view of the road without being overly upright. The seats were surrounded by ample cubbies and compartments, designed for commuting or road trips. Second-row head- and legroom were plentiful, with no need to move the front seats forward for rear-seat comfort. The Edge provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 73.4 cubic feet with the 60/40 split-fold rear seats folded down. This was more total cargo space than a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Nissan Murano, though slightly less than a Honda Passport. The SEL and Titanium trims featured a hands-free foot-activated power rear liftgate.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan prioritized comfort, with large doors and tall seating hip points for easy entry and exit. The front seats offered a wide range of adjustments for proper support and excellent visibility. The Tiguan's perforated V-Tex leatherette upholstery mimicked real leather, and the dual-zone climate control system was effective. Back-seat space was generous, with excellent occupant support, legroom, and foot space. Passengers enjoyed air conditioning vents, USB charging ports, and soft front seatback material for added comfort. The Tiguan's large panoramic sunroof was enjoyable to open, thanks to a wind deflector that eliminated noise and buffeting.

The Tiguan's 40/20/40-split folding rear seat allowed for carrying long items and four passengers simultaneously. Cargo volume varied depending on the presence of the optional third-row seat, ranging from 33 to 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row. Maximum capacity ranged from 65.7 to 73.5 cubic feet. The cargo area featured deep, roomy wells on each side, perfect for carrying jugs of milk or bottles of wine, and levers in the cargo area folded the rear seatbacks flat.

The 2020 Ford Edge came standard with Ford's SYNC 3 infotainment system, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen that was easy to use. The screen had a row of icons at the bottom for audio, phone, navigation (where available), apps, and settings, with a helpful home button in the upper left-hand corner. SYNC 3 included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, allowing users to use their preferred maps app on their mobile device. A voice-activated navigation system with pinch-to-zoom map control was optional on the SEL and ST trims and standard on the Titanium. This system included SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link with real-time traffic updates, with a five-year pre-paid subscription.

The Edge also came standard with two smart-charging USB ports. A semi-digital instrument panel with dual screens was available on the SEL and ST trims and standard on the Titanium. All trims offered an optional dual rear-seat entertainment system with screens built into the back of the front headrests.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the next-generation Modular Infotainment Toolkit (MIB) platform called MIB3, available starting with the SE trim. MIB3 equipped the Tiguan with an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing and response times, and an expanded offering of features and services. Highlights included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi for up to four devices, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and a long list of Car-Net connected services, including remote engine starting, automatic crash notification, and Family Guardian safe teen driving settings.

The Tiguan's MIB3 infotainment system was an improvement, though there were some quirks with the user interface, and the voice recognition technology was lacking. The standard six-speaker sound system in all trims except the SEL Premium R-Line struggled with bass-heavy music. The SEL Premium R-Line featured a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system, which should have been an option for all but the S and SE trims. Both the SEL and SEL Premium R-Line featured Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation, with an understated approach to technology and information display.

The 2020 Ford Edge came standard with a full array of front and side-impact airbags, AdvanceTrac traction control with Roll Stability Control and Curve Control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and a child seat anchoring system. The Ford Co-Pilot360 safety system was standard on every trim, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The SEL trim offered the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package, adding adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality and active lane centering. These features provided basic semi-autonomous driving on the highway. The 2020 Ford Edge received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), with the highest "good" score in all crash tests but "average" and "poor" headlight ratings depending on the trim level. The Edge also received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash tests.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan was equipped with the IQ Drive collection of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Starting with the SE trim, the Tiguan featured adaptive cruise control. The SEL trim added lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, while the SEL Premium R-Line included automatic high-beam headlights. All but the S and SE trims had front and rear parking sensors.

During testing, the adaptive cruise control demonstrated smooth braking but was slow to recognize vehicles cutting into the gap ahead. Lane-keep assist was effective but inconsistent in warnings and response. The blind-spot warning indicator was easy to see, mounted on the mirror housing. The Tiguan's parking sensors beeped with increasing intensity as objects approached, but the automatic braking system could be overly sensitive, mistaking the street for a collision threat when pulling out of a driveway.

The standard reversing camera provided a clear view to the rear, with a top-down surround-view available on the SEL Premium R-Line. Automatic post-collision braking was standard, designed to stop the SUV as soon as possible following a collision to prevent secondary impacts. Car-Net connected services included automatic collision notification, emergency calling, and Family Guardian alerts, allowing parents to set geographic boundary, speed, and curfew limits for teen drivers.

The 2021 Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS in SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims, thanks to high-performing LED headlights. The NHTSA had not published complete crash-test results for the 2021 Tiguan.