Chevrolet Blazer vs 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 the Chevrolet 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 2022 Chevrolet Blazer was available in 2LT, 3LT, Premier, and RS trim levels. All but the RS had a standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine with FWD or AWD. The RS trim included a V6 engine and a sophisticated twin-clutch AWD system for better responsiveness on low-traction surfaces. For 2022, the Blazer saw minor changes, including revised bumper and bodyside trim for Premier versions, a new Enhanced Convenience Package, and a Trailering Package for models with the turbocharged engine. Two-tone paint was available for the LT and RS trims. The Blazer's pricing ranged from $33,400 to $41,100, excluding a $1,195 destination charge. The RS test vehicle, with optional AWD, extra-cost paint, and additional packages, totaled $49,000. The Blazer's Camaro-inspired design was appealing, especially with 20-inch wheels, but the black trim on the rear bumper gave it an unfinished look. Inside, the Camaro influence continued with an 8-inch touchscreen, large round air vents, and easy-to-use controls. However, the interior had plenty of hard plastic, and the upper door panel trim felt particularly cheap.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured 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 FWD or optional AWD. The Edge ST performance model had an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine generating 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The ST also had model-specific suspension tuning, with an option package for 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 AWD models, and 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered ST.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer came with a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and FWD or AWD. The Blazer RS had a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 308 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, also paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and a dual-clutch AWD system. The V6 could tow up to 4,500 pounds. The Blazer RS felt firm and sporty in city and highway driving, with decent grip from the 20-inch wheels and capable brakes. However, on winding roads, the Blazer's suspension felt bouncy, and the nine-speed automatic was slow to downshift. The steering in Sport mode felt artificially heavy, and the SUV struggled in higher-speed curves. The Blazer RS averaged 20.5 mpg in combined driving, slightly below the EPA rating of 21 mpg.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered competitive interior space, with 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, trailing only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Higher trims featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The Edge's rotary shift knob freed up space on the center console, but the narrow console width limited its usefulness. The raised console provided a storage nook below, but its location made it difficult to reach and easy to forget.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer's interior was comfortable and practical. The RS test vehicle had black leather upholstery with red perforations, giving the cabin a sporty look. The steering wheel was comfortable to grip, with power tilt and telescopic adjustment and heating. The front seats offered power adjustment, heating, and ventilation, though the bottom cushions lacked thigh support. The Blazer had dual-zone automatic climate control, effective air conditioning, and rear air vents with USB ports and a power outlet. The back seat was spacious and could slide forward and back to adjust cargo or passenger space. Storage options included a large glove compartment, a bin under the center armrest, door panel shelves, and rear seatback pockets. The Blazer had a power rear liftgate, with hands-free operation on RS and Premier trims, revealing a 30.5 cubic-foot cargo area, expandable to 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

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 satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST had a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge included four USB ports, with two rear USB ports added for 2021. Sync 4's simple graphics and straightforward menus made it user-friendly, and not all competitors offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer's infotainment system was user-friendly, with an 8-inch touchscreen, high-resolution graphics, and easy-to-use controls. It included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with an upgraded system offering satellite radio and connected navigation with enhanced voice recognition. Connected services like OnStar and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot were available, though trial periods were short. The Blazer's infotainment system, identical to the Camaro's, was easy to use, with separate stereo volume and tuning functions and independent climate controls. The enhanced voice recognition and connected navigation were impressive. The test vehicle had wireless smartphone charging and an 8-speaker Bose audio system, though the sound quality was mediocre. Safety features included rear parking sensors, a high-resolution reversing camera, a 360-degree surround-view camera, and a rear camera mirror.

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

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer came with standard Chevy Safety Assist, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. It also had a rear-seat reminder system and Teen Driver technology. Available safety upgrades included a vibrating Safety Alert Seat, adaptive cruise control with enhanced automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and LED headlights. The Blazer's advanced driving aids worked well, with smooth adaptive cruise control and effective lane-keeping assistance. However, the IIHS did not give the Blazer a "Top Safety Pick" rating due to its headlights' performance.