2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE had a mixed reception regarding its exterior design. While it featured an aggressive nose and a sloping, low hood, the design seemed to lose its appeal past the A-pillar, making it almost indistinguishable from its predecessors. The flat taillights and contoured rear helped mitigate its minivan-like tendencies, but it still lacked the pitch-perfect proportions seen in competitors like BMW, Audi, and Jaguar. The AMG trim added a sporty touch, but it still couldn't compete with the likes of the BMW X5 M or Porsche Cayenne Turbo. However, the interior was a different story. The 2021 GLE's cabin was a masterpiece of quality, layout, colors, and textures, featuring luxurious materials like wood, metal, leather, and suede. The redesigned interior was more streamlined and cohesive, offering a sense of pampering that rivaled even the most luxurious SUVs.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Edge maintained a cleaner and more modern look since its 2019 refresh. The refresh successfully integrated Ford's current design language with the existing Edge body shell, making it a more attractive alternative to the overly styled 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. However, the interior design showed its age, with awkward tweaks to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. Despite this, the Edge offered leather upholstery in Titanium models and sporty front seats with added bolstering in the ST trim, making it a comfortable and stylish choice for many buyers.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE excelled as a multi-purpose vehicle, offering a range of advanced suspension and engine setups. The base GLE 350 featured a coil-sprung setup for reliability and comfort, while the GLE 450 introduced AIRMATIC self-leveling air springs. The AMG Ride Control+ and E-Active Body Control systems provided exceptional handling, allowing the GLE to lean into turns like a motorcyclist. The AMG GLE 53 Coupe featured an electric supercharger for instant throttle response, while the GLE 580 and AMG GLE 63 S offered twin-turbo V8 engines with up to 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. All GLE models, except the base GLE 350, were hybrids, featuring a 48-volt battery system that provided additional power and improved efficiency. The GLE's towing capacity was impressive at 7,700 pounds, and its ride quality and steering were exceptional, making it a standout performer in its class.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered a range of engine options, starting with a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine producing 250 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and offered both FWD and AWD options. The Edge ST performance model featured a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine with 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, 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. While the Edge ST aimed to compete with performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, it fell short in comparison but still provided a sporty and enjoyable driving experience. The Edge's towing capacity ranged from 3,958 to 4,525 pounds, depending on the model, making it a versatile choice for various needs.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered a spacious and luxurious interior, with most models featuring two rows of seats and an optional third row for seating up to seven. The second-row seats had power controls for recline, fore-aft, and headrest adjustments, and the third row was accessible via a button that folded the second-row seats. The GLE Coupe, however, was limited to five seats and had a more constricted rear space due to its sloping roofline and large rear tires. Cargo capacity in the standard GLE was 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 75 cubic feet with all rows folded, while the Coupe offered 23 and 61 cubic feet, respectively. The new MBUX infotainment system improved usability with a single touchpad and a simplified interface, making it easier to navigate and control various functions.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in terms of interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both the first and second rows. The Edge featured dual-zone automatic climate control as standard and provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Higher trim levels offered a foot-activated power liftgate for added convenience. The Edge's rotary shift knob freed up space on the center console, but the narrow width of the console limited its overall utility. Despite this, the Edge provided a practical and comfortable interior for passengers and cargo alike.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE was packed with advanced technology, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen with Interior Assistant that could read hand gestures. The system allowed for customizable shortcuts and magnified icons for easier navigation. The AMG models included a Track Pace app for virtual pit crew functions and GPS lap timing. The GLE also offered Seat Kinetics, which made small adjustments to the seat position for added comfort, and a range of luxurious features like heated armrests, mood lighting, and a natural voice assistant. The head-up display and instrument panel were highly customizable, and the ambient lighting offered 64 colors with various animations. The navigation system projected front camera feeds with overlay arrows for better directions, and the car featured standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a host of other electronic features.

The 2021 Ford Edge kept up with modern tech trends by incorporating Ford's latest Sync 4 infotainment system, which included standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST models also featured a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system for an enhanced audio experience. The Edge included four USB ports, with two rear USB ports added for the 2021 model year. The Sync 4 system was praised for its simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts, making it easy for new users to acclimate. While not all competitors offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the Edge stood out for its comprehensive tech offerings.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE earned the top safety rating of Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for its performance in six crash tests, headlights, and standard forward emergency braking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had not rated the GLE. Standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring and a driver attention monitor, while optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, evasive steering assist, front cross-traffic braking, and semi-automated control. The GLE also featured Pre-Safe Sound, which played a "pink noise" to reduce hearing damage in a crash, and Pre-Safe Impulse Side, which inflated the side bolsters of the front seats to better position occupants during a side impact.

The 2021 Ford Edge was also recognized for its safety, earning the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating. It received the top "Good" rating in all IIHS crash tests and the top "Superior" rating for front crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle situations. However, it received a lower "Advanced" rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention and "Acceptable" and "Poor" ratings for headlights, depending on the trim level. The NHTSA awarded the Edge a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. The Edge came with a range of standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner, including automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, 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.