2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Edge retained much of its styling from the 2019 refresh, which successfully modernized its exterior. This refresh harmonized the Edge's look with Ford's contemporary design language, making it a cleaner-looking alternative to the more aggressively styled Chevy Blazer and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Edge Titanium models featured additional chrome accents, while the ST trim boasted a blacked-out grille, 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. The ST-Line offered the same exterior styling as the ST but without the performance enhancements and higher price tag. Inside, the Edge's design showed its age, with a layout that had been awkwardly modified over the years to fit new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium models came with leather upholstery, and the ST models had sporty front seats with extra bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited maintained its iconic styling, recognizable by its circular headlights, seven-slat grille, exposed bolts and hinges, and protruding bumpers and fenders. Depending on the trim level, the Wrangler could have painted or exposed fenders, a soft top or hardtop, and other unique styling touches. The Wrangler's interior was less about comfort and more about rugged charm, with upright seating, limited legroom, and manual seat adjustments. The Wrangler Sport was the most basic trim, with manual door locks, black plastic fenders, and a 5-inch audio display. The Sport S added power windows and locks, while the Sahara offered dual-zone climate control and a 7-inch touchscreen. The Rubicon was geared towards off-road enthusiasts, featuring beefed-up suspension and running gear, and the Rubicon 392 added a powerful Hemi V8 engine and a raised hood with "392" badging.

The 2021 Ford Edge primarily used a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It came with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine, delivering 335 hp and 380 lb-ft 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. While the Edge ST aimed to compete with performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, it fell short of that benchmark but still offered a refined driving experience.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler had a diverse powertrain lineup, including gas, diesel, mild-hybrid, and a Hemi V8. The standard 3.6-liter V6 engine produced 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Other powertrains included a mild-hybrid eTorque variant of the 3.6-liter V6, a 270-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 with 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. All engines powered one of three four-wheel-drive (4WD) systems: Command-Trac, Select-Trac, and Rock-Trac, with the latter featuring front-and-rear locking differentials and a disconnectable front sway bar. The Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid offered 275 hp and up to 22 miles of electric range. The Rubicon 392, with its 6.4-liter V8 engine, produced 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, turning the Wrangler into an off-road supercar. The 392 also featured a beefed-up frame, a 2-inch lift with Fox shock absorbers, and upgraded brakes, along with a dual-mode performance exhaust.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered competitive interior space, with 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. A foot-activated power liftgate was available on higher trims. The Edge's rotary shift knob freed up some center console space, but the narrow console width limited its utility. The raised console provided a storage nook below, but its out-of-the-way location made it easy to forget items placed there.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered various top options, including the zipper-less Sunrider soft-top, a premium black cloth soft top, and a classic tan soft top. The Freedom top was a three-piece hardtop with removable panels, available in black or body color, with optional insulated panels to reduce road noise. The Sky one-touch power top, featured on the Rubicon 392, combined a body-color hardtop with a power-retractable canvas panel. The Wrangler's cabin was functional, with a small center console bin, glovebox, and in-door cargo nets, along with drain plugs for easy cleaning. The Wrangler Unlimited provided 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and up to 72.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, comparable to smaller crossovers.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured the latest Sync 4 infotainment system with 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 made it user-friendly, and the wireless connectivity was a notable advantage over some competitors.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Sport came with a basic 5-inch screen, while the Sport S and higher trims offered a 7-inch Uconnect screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An 8.4-inch Uconnect screen was also available, featuring crisp graphics and intuitive layouts. The Wrangler's steering wheel had radio toggles for easy control. The Rubicon 392 included a color TFT screen in the instrument panel and an off-road camera nestled between the front grille slats, providing a clear view of the trail ahead and equipped with its own washer-sprayer.

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 headlight performance. The NHTSA gave the Edge a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. Standard safety features 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.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered optional modern driver-assistance features, including forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring. However, lane-departure warning was not available. The Wrangler came with a backup camera with dynamic guidelines and a live tire-pressure monitoring system, useful for off-roading. The Wrangler's safety features were basic, especially in the base configuration, but the tire-pressure monitoring system was a valuable addition for off-road enthusiasts.