2020 Toyota Sienna vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2020 Toyota Sienna, part of its third generation, had been around since the 2011 model year. Despite a 2018 update that added newer infotainment tech and minor changes, the 2020 Sienna still felt dated. The front doors emitted a hollow "thud" when slammed, indicating a lack of attention to fit and finish. The instrument panel seemed to come from Toyota's 2010 parts bin, though its simplicity made the controls easy to use. The Sienna offered various trims, from the well-equipped base L to the luxurious Limited Premium, with features like 17-inch alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay. The SE trim, recommended by CarGurus, included 19-inch alloy wheels, a mesh grille, and a power rear liftgate, which was crucial for families. The Limited trim added leather seats, a JBL premium audio system, and a navigation system. The Nightshade Edition, available on SE and SE Premium trims, added dark accents and wheels for a cooler look.

The 2021 Ford Edge's styling hadn't changed much since its 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 an awkwardly tweaked design to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium models had leather upholstery, and the ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna came with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 296 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The dash-mounted shifter had a Sport mode for livelier throttle and shift response. The Sienna offered stout acceleration in normal Drive mode and had a manual mode for its 3,500-pound towing capacity. Front-wheel drive (FWD) was standard, but all trims except the base L had an all-wheel drive (AWD) option, available only with the 7-passenger configuration. The FWD Sienna returned 19 mpg city, 26 highway, and 21 combined, while AWD versions returned 18/24/20. The Sienna handled surprisingly well for a minivan, with a low center of gravity and broad base, though its twitchy steering response required constant attention at higher speeds.

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 FWD or optional AWD. The Edge ST performance model had an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 producing 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD 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 ST aimed to compete with performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, though it fell short of that benchmark. The turbo-four engine in non-ST models was a bit sluggish, but the Edge was impressively refined for its age.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna excelled in cargo space, offering 150 cubic feet, more than competitors like the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey. However, accessing this space required removing the second-row seats, which was easier with captain’s chairs than with a bench. The third row folded seamlessly into the floor, but getting into the backseat could be challenging. Toyota also offered mobility access features like the Auto Access Seat, making the Sienna a good choice for those needing mobility conversions.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in interior space, with the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. It offered 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with them folded. Higher trims had a foot-activated power liftgate. The Edge's rotary shift knob freed up some center console space, but the narrow console width limited its usefulness. A storage nook below the console was hard to reach and easy to forget.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna's base L trim came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system supporting Amazon Alexa and Apple CarPlay. Standard tech features included Bluetooth connectivity, five USB ports, and a WiFi hotspot with a 6-month trial. Higher trims added features like navigation and a JBL 10-speaker premium audio system. The Limited trim had Driver Easy Speak, an intercom system that broadcasted the driver’s voice to the rear speakers.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured the latest Sync 4 infotainment system with a 12-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Standard tech included Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST had 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 made it user-friendly.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna came standard with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS-P), which included lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, dynamic cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring was optional on lower trims and standard on XLE and Limited trims. The Sienna earned five stars in NHTSA crash tests and top scores in many IIHS tests, with a Superior rating for its driver-assistance features.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” scoring top ratings in most crash tests and for 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 gave the Edge a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features under Ford Co-Pilot360 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.