2021 Lincoln Aviator vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator stood out by not mimicking its competitors' styles. Instead, it adopted the successful design language of the larger Navigator, resulting in a sharp-looking vehicle with crisp lines and tasteful chrome accents. Inside, the Aviator's cabin was a blend of comfort and warmth, featuring soft-touch materials and a 10.1-inch touchscreen. The piano button shifter and soothing chimes added to the luxurious feel.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Edge retained much of its 2019 refresh, which successfully integrated Ford's current design language. The Edge Titanium featured extra chrome, while the ST trim had a blacked-out grille and sporty body kit. However, the interior showed its age, with a design that struggled to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium offered leather upholstery, and the ST had sporty seats with contrast stitching.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator offered a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine in its Standard, Reserve, and Black Label trims, producing 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. This power was managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission, with options for rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The Grand Touring and Grand Touring Black Label trims featured a plug-in hybrid version of the same engine, boosting output to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, with a 21-mile electric-only range. The Aviator excelled on highways but struggled with city driving due to its size and body roll.

The 2021 Ford Edge primarily used a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Edge ST model featured a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6, producing 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, with standard AWD and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Edge ST offered a sportier drive, although it couldn't quite match the performance of high-end competitors like the Porsche Macan. The Edge's towing capacity ranged from 3,958 to 4,525 pounds, depending on the configuration.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator provided 18.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats, expandable to 41.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 77.7 cubic feet with all rear seats down. The second row, especially in the Grand Touring trim, offered captain's chairs, a center console, and a digital control panel. However, the power-button door releases raised concerns about functionality if the battery died.

The 2021 Ford Edge, a five-seater, boasted the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and competitive legroom. It offered 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 73.4 cubic feet with them folded. Higher trims featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The rotary shift knob freed up some console space, but the narrow console limited its utility.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came standard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Sync 3 infotainment system, which was user-friendly and featured large icons for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Aviator also included a fully digital instrument panel and an optional head-up display with crisp graphics.

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, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST included a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge also had four USB ports, including two rear USB ports added for 2021.

The 2021 Lincoln Aviator came with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 package, which included automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Co-Pilot 360 Plus package added features like reverse automatic braking and adaptive cruise control. The Aviator earned top safety ratings from both the NHTSA and IIHS, including a Top Safety Pick accolade.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS Top Safety Pick, scoring well in crash tests and front crash prevention tech. However, it received lower ratings for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention and headlight performance. The NHTSA gave the Edge a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and forward-collision warning. Higher trims added adaptive cruise control and Evasive Steering Assist.