2021 Lexus GX vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Edge retained much of its styling from the 2019 refresh, which successfully aligned its exterior with Ford's more recent designs. This refresh gave the Edge a cleaner look compared to the more elaborate styling of competitors like the Chevy Blazer and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Edge Titanium models featured extra 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 upgrades and higher price tag. However, the interior of the Edge showed its age, with a design that seemed less fresh and somewhat awkward due to tweaks for new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium models had leather upholstery, and the ST models included sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

The 2021 Lexus GX 460's styling reflected its long tenure on the market, maintaining the same basic body shell from a decade ago with updates over the years. The GX received Lexus' spindle grille in 2014, which was updated in 2020 with a new textured insert and triple-beam LED headlights. The 2021 model didn't see any styling changes, but silver 18-inch wheels became standard on the Premium trim. Despite not being originally designed around the spindle grille, the GX's styling remained coherent and distinctive, appealing to SUV shoppers with its tough, aggressive look. However, the interior did not meet modern luxury SUV standards, with wood trim that felt like plastic and an abundance of actual plastic. Standard leather upholstery was included, with semi-aniline leather on the Luxury trim level.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered 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 with 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane fuel, standard AWD, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and model-specific suspension tuning. An option package added upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels with summer tires. The Edge ST aimed to compete with performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, though it fell short of that benchmark. The Edge's towing capacities were 3,958 pounds for the base FWD model, 4,122 pounds for the AWD four-cylinder, and 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered ST.

The 2021 Lexus GX 460 kept it simple with a single powertrain option: a 4.6-liter V8 engine producing 301 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The GX 460's performance was reminiscent of older SUVs, with a 0-60 mph time of 7.8 seconds. The V8 provided ample power from a stop, but the vehicle's 5,130-pound weight was noticeable at higher speeds, requiring careful planning for merging and overtaking. The GX's ride quality was typical of a body-on-frame vehicle, with low grip and significant body roll in corners. However, the GX excelled in off-road capability, featuring a Torsen center differential, standard 4WD with a low range, and several driver aids like hill-descent control and hill-start assist. The optional Off-Road Package added features like a transmission cooler, fuel-tank protector, and multi-view camera system. The GX 460 had a maximum towing capacity of 6,500 pounds.

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 featured dual-zone automatic climate control as standard. Cargo space was 39.2 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with them folded, trailing only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Higher trim levels offered a foot-activated power liftgate. The rotary shift knob freed up space on the center console, but the narrow width limited its utility. The raised console provided a storage nook below, though it was difficult to reach and easy to forget items placed there.

The 2021 Lexus GX's interior ergonomics showed its age, with an upright dashboard and high center console that limited legroom. The steering wheel's odd angle and the tall seating position felt bus-like. The Premium models featured a new heated wood-trimmed steering wheel, but the heating elements didn't cover the entire wheel. The dashboard shape and boxy profile provided excellent outward visibility, though forward visibility was limited by the tall hood. Storage options were limited, with small center-console bins, cupholders, and in-door bottle holders. The GX came standard with three rows and seating for seven, with a power-folding third row available on the Premium trim with the Premium Plus Package and standard on the Luxury trim. However, the third row was best suited for children, and accessing it was challenging. Cargo space was 64.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded, significantly less than the Land Rover Discovery's 73.0 cubic feet. With the third row up, cargo space was minimal.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured the latest Sync 4 infotainment system with standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a 12-inch touchscreen. It also included 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 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 not all competitors offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2021 Lexus GX was light on tech features, with standard Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant connectivity, but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility. It had two USB ports for each of the first two rows, but none for the third row. An available 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system was offered. The standard infotainment system had outdated graphics and limited functions, with a secondary display for time and temperature using a seven-segment format. However, Lexus included analog controls for most functions, providing a straightforward interface compared to the screen-centric approaches of other luxury SUVs.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS "Top Safety Pick," scoring "Good" in all crash tests and "Superior" for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention. It received an "Advanced" rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention, "Acceptable" for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use, and mixed headlight ratings. 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 with stop-and-go and lane centering, along with Evasive Steering Assist, was standard on all but the base SE trim.

The 2021 Lexus GX 460 had not been rated by the NHTSA or IIHS. It came standard with the Lexus Safety System+ bundle, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. However, the GX lacked some safety features found in other Lexus and non-luxury Toyota models, such as traffic-sign recognition and Lane Tracing Assist.