2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E aimed to connect with the traditional Mustang coupe and convertible through its exterior styling. Despite having four doors and a rear hatch, it retained a Mustang-like appearance with thin headlights, a long hood, and a large, nonfunctional oval grille. The taillights mimicked the original Mustang's design, featuring sequential turn signals. The vibrant exterior color palette, including the test car’s Grabber Blue, further reinforced the Mustang connection.

Inside, the Mach-E featured a massive infotainment touchscreen suspended in the middle of the dashboard, giving it a minimalist feel similar to Tesla electric cars. The interior materials were of decent quality, but some buyers might have been disappointed by the lack of a leather-upholstery option, even in top trim levels. The First Edition models had unique trim elements like red brake calipers and brushed aluminum pedals, but the main benefit was being the first produced.

The 2021 Ford Edge's styling had remained largely unchanged since its 2019 refresh, which successfully integrated the current Ford look with the existing Edge body shell. This refresh made the Edge a cleaner-looking alternative to the more elaborate designs of the Chevy Blazer and Hyundai Santa Fe. 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 ST-Line offered the same exterior styling as the ST but without the performance upgrades and higher price tag.

The interior of the Edge, however, was starting to show its age. The design didn’t seem as fresh as the exterior and had been awkwardly tweaked over the years to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. Titanium models came with leather upholstery, while ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, both with contrast stitching.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E was designed to live up to the Mustang name by being sporty. It was RWD by default and decently powerful. The base RWD Select model produced 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. The most potent configuration was the AWD GT Performance Edition, which packed 480 hp and 634 lb-ft, achieving zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

The test car had a lower-level AWD powertrain, delivering 346 hp, 428 lb-ft of torque, and zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. This made it quicker than the Audi E-Tron and only slightly behind the Jaguar I-Pace, both of which were more expensive. The Mach-E handled corners well, with responsive steering and a planted feeling due to the low-mounted battery pack. However, the taut suspension and 19-inch wheels resulted in poor ride quality.

Ford provided three drive modes—Engage, Whisper, and Unbridled. Engage was the default mode, Whisper focused on efficiency, and Unbridled was the sport mode. The differences between the modes were minimal, allowing drivers to use Whisper mode without missing out. The Mach-E also offered one-pedal driving and well-tuned friction brakes.

The 2021 Ford Edge mostly used a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, available with standard FWD or optional AWD. The Edge ST performance model featured 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 was benchmarked against performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, although the comparison seemed a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, the Edge ST was a decent drive, especially since its competitors didn’t emphasize performance. The Edge was also impressively refined for a vehicle based on an aging platform, although the turbo-four engine in non-ST models felt sluggish.

Ford quoted maximum towing capacities of 3,958 pounds for the base FWD four-cylinder Edge, 4,122 pounds for four-cylinder AWD models, and 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered Edge ST. These were respectable numbers, but the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport were rated to tow 5,000 pounds with AWD and, in the VW’s case, the optional VR6 engine.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E was marketed as an SUV, but its packaging was more like a station wagon or hatchback. The driving position was fairly low, and the low roofline didn’t create a feeling of spaciousness, even with a panoramic glass roof. Compared to the Tesla Model Y, the Mach-E fell short on interior space, offering less headroom and legroom in both rows. The Model Y also had more cargo space with the second row folded, at 68.0 cubic feet compared to the Mach-E’s 59.7 cubic feet. The Mach-E had 29.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row in place and a 4.7-cubic-foot front trunk (frunk).

The Mach-E’s interior featured a decent-sized storage bin under a flip-up armrest and a large, flat area beneath the touchscreen for smartphones, with a grippy rubberized surface and a wireless charging pad. USB ports were available for both the first and second rows.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive on interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers. Legroom in both rows was second only to the Hyundai Santa Fe. Dual-zone automatic climate control was standard. Cargo space was 39.2 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, behind only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. A foot-activated power liftgate was available on higher trim levels.

The Edge’s rotary shift knob was designed to free up space on the center console, but the narrow width of the console meant the available space was only about average. The raised console left room for a storage nook below, but it was difficult to reach and easy to forget items placed there.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E was one of the first Ford vehicles to feature the new Sync 4 infotainment system, which included wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and capability for over-the-air (OTA) software updates. The main infotainment touchscreen measured 15.5 inches, while the instrument cluster was 10.2 inches. SiriusXM 360L with satellite radio and a six-speaker audio system were standard, while Premium, GT, and First Edition models got a nine-speaker B&O by Bang & Olufsen sound system.

The 15.5-inch touchscreen was a signature feature, but its size was the only noteworthy aspect. Almost everything was displayed at once, making for a text-heavy and unattractive design. The bottom of the screen replaced analog controls with touchscreen icons and sliders for climate controls, which were less convenient than traditional buttons.

The 2021 Ford Edge was updated with Ford’s latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a 12-inch touchscreen. Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot were standard. Edge ST models also got 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 Ford Mustang Mach-E had not yet been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard driver-assist features included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, a reverse sensing system, reverse automatic braking, adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, traffic-sign recognition, and evasive steering assist. A 360-degree camera system was standard on higher trim levels.

The Mach-E was also set to receive Active Drive Assist, enabling automated acceleration, braking, and steering on designated highways. This feature would be available via OTA update for $600 and was standard on certain trim levels.

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. However, 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, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash 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 level.