2020 Honda Pilot vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2020 Honda Pilot shared the dynamic styling characteristic of the Honda lineup, featuring thin LED headlights and a multi-tiered grille. The subtle uptick in the belt-line around the rear side windows masked the size of the Pilot, making it appear more svelte than it actually was. Inside, the Pilot boasted a modern cabin with a semi-digital instrument panel, combining analog fuel and engine-temperature gauges with a digital screen for other information. The cabin felt comfortable and spacious, though it used hard plastics in many areas, which detracted from its overall refinement compared to rivals like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Edge maintained a design that had been refreshed in 2019, aligning its exterior with more recent Ford designs. The Edge Titanium models featured extra chrome, while the 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. The Titanium models offered leather upholstery, and the ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and contrast stitching on the leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The 2020 Honda Pilot was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, available with either front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The LX, EX, and EX-L trims used a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trims featured a 9-speed automatic transmission for more refined acceleration and potentially better fuel economy. The Pilot's ride was tuned for comfort, making it ideal for commutes and road trips, though it lacked athleticism. The Intelligent Traction Management System offered drive modes for various conditions, including Normal, Snow, Mud, and Sand.

The 2021 Ford Edge primarily used a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, generating 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It came standard with FWD, with AWD as an option. The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine, producing 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST also offered an option package with upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels with summer tires. The Edge's towing capacities ranged from 3,958 pounds for the base FWD model to 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered Edge ST.

The 2020 Honda Pilot provided a spacious 8-passenger cabin with second-row bench seating, while the Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trims featured second-row captain’s chairs, reducing seating capacity to seven. The Pilot's third row was adult-friendly, and EX trims and higher offered one-touch fold-down rear seats for easier access. With the second and third rows folded, the Pilot offered 83.9 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly less than some rivals but more than the Mazda CX-9. Higher trims included a power liftgate and a hands-free power tailgate. The Pilot also featured numerous storage spaces for family use, and higher trims had a conversation mirror for keeping an eye on rear passengers.

The 2021 Ford Edge, a five-seat vehicle, remained competitive in interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. It had 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, trailing only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Higher trims featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The Edge's rotary shift knob freed up some space on the center console, though the narrow console width limited its utility. A storage nook below the console was difficult to reach and easy to forget.

The 2020 Honda Pilot's LX trim featured a 5-inch color LCD screen controlling a 215-watt, 7-speaker stereo with a subwoofer, Bluetooth connectivity, and a USB port. Higher trims included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though the system's layout was confusing. Additional features on higher trims included HD Radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Cabin Control Remote Capability, navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system, and a wall-style power outlet. The Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trims had a 590-watt, 10-speaker premium audio system and mobile hotspot capability, with the Elite and Black Edition also offering a wireless charging pad.

The 2021 Ford Edge came equipped with Ford’s latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST models included 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's simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts were user-friendly, and the wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a notable advantage over some competitors.

The 2020 Honda Pilot came standard with the HondaSensing suite of driver assistance systems, including forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. It also featured front and side-impact airbags, child-seat anchors, Vehicle Stability Assist, and traction control. Optional safety features included front and rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Pilot earned a five-star overall crash test rating from the NHTSA and the best crash test score of Good from the IIHS, along with a Superior rating in crash prevention technology.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” scoring the top “Good” rating in all crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle situations. It received an “Advanced” rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention, an “Acceptable” rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use, and varying headlight ratings depending on the trim. 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 tests. The Edge's 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.