2021 Toyota 4Runner vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Edge had a design that remained largely unchanged since its 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. Inside, the Edge's design showed its age, with awkward tweaks to accommodate 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 Toyota 4Runner, last redesigned 12 years ago, had an exterior that aged remarkably well despite its aggressive front-end styling. The two-box body with flared fenders and trapezoidal wheel arches gave it balanced proportions and timeless utility. Toyota offered the 4Runner in various trims, including SR5, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro, with special editions like the Trail Special Edition. Our test vehicle, the Trail Special Edition, was priced at $38,565 MSRP for the RWD model, with an additional $1,875 for 4WD. It featured dark gray TRD Off-Road wheels, a Yakima RoadWarrior rooftop cargo basket, and a custom-made 40-quart cooler. Inside, the Trail Special Edition had black cloth upholstery with tan stitching, all-weather floor mats, and a sliding rear cargo tray. The interior was dominated by hard plastic, which was easy to clean and in line with the SUV's rugged mission. The dashboard was old-school, with big knobs and buttons, and the 4Runner required a traditional key to start.

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 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane fuel, standard AWD, and model-specific suspension tuning. The ST also had an option package with 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 Toyota 4Runner, equipped with a 4.0-liter V6 engine producing 270 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque, had a five-speed automatic transmission powering the rear wheels, with a part-time 4WD drivetrain available. The Trail Special Edition did not offer automatic 4WD. The 4Runner's maximum tow rating was 5,000 pounds. During off-road testing at Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreational Area, the 4Runner's A-Trac off-road traction control system proved effective in challenging conditions. The 4Runner excelled off-road but felt slow, heavy, and clunky on pavement. Its truck-like driving characteristics added to its charm, though it required frequent stops at gas stations, averaging 16.8 mpg during testing.

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 had 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded. A foot-activated power liftgate was available on higher trims. The center console featured a rotary shift knob to free up space, though the narrow console width limited its effectiveness.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner sat high off the ground, making entry challenging for shorter individuals. Once inside, the 4Runner provided comfortable seating with good support and ample legroom in the back. The rear seat had air conditioning vents and USB charging ports. The 4Runner offered a third-row seat option, though our test vehicle had a sliding cargo deck instead. Cargo space measured up to 47.2 cubic feet behind the back seat and 89.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. The Trail Special Edition's roof rack added extra storage capacity.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured Ford's 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 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.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Special Edition had an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, SiriusXM satellite radio, and five USB ports. It included a year of free Safety Connect subscription services and a three-month/2-GB trial of WiFi Connect. The premium audio upgrade added dynamic navigation, dynamic point-of-interest search, dynamic voice recognition, and a one-year subscription to Destination Assist concierge services. The infotainment system's physical shortcut buttons and knobs were easy to use, even with gloves.

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 and "Acceptable" ratings for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use and headlights. 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 Toyota 4Runner came with Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P), which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic forward emergency braking, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, it lacked blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning. The NHTSA gave the 4Runner a three-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact crash and a three-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS rated the 4Runner's roof crush strength as "Good" but gave its small overlap frontal-impact protection a "Marginal" rating.