Ford Edge vs Lexus RX

The 2021 Ford Edge retained much of its styling from the 2019 refresh, which successfully modernized its exterior. This refresh harmonized the Edge's look with Ford's contemporary design language, making it a cleaner-looking alternative to the more flamboyant 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 2022 Lexus RX, available in base 350, F Sport, and L trim levels, continued to impress with its modern and sporty design, thanks to a 2020 facelift. The RX's aggressive styling stood out among competitors like the Audi Q5 and BMW X5. The character lines were razor-sharp, and the angular features, especially in the front and rear, were eye-catching without being excessive. The F Sport trim added performance-oriented features like 20-inch wheels, black-housing outside mirrors, and a unique front fascia. Inside, the RX maintained its luxury appeal with nearly a dozen color combinations and high-quality materials. However, the center stack felt dated, and the NuLuxe seats in the F Sport trim were less comfortable than expected.

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, delivering 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST could tow up to 4,525 pounds, while the base FWD model had a maximum towing capacity of 3,958 pounds. Despite some criticism, the Edge ST offered a refined driving experience, although the turbo-four engine in non-ST models felt sluggish.

The 2022 Lexus RX 350 came with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 295 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid RX 450h added two high-torque electric motors to the V6 for a combined output of 308 hp. All RX models featured an eight-speed automatic transmission, with FWD standard on the RX 350 and AWD available. The hybrid RX had AWD as the only option. Despite the F Sport designation, the RX's performance was underwhelming, with a lackluster engine note and unimpressive acceleration. The F Sport Handling package added adaptive variable suspension and other tuning bits, but the driving experience remained uninspiring. The RX excelled in driving comfort and cabin quietness, making it a pleasant companion for long drives. The RX 350 returned 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 combined, while the RX 450h hybrid achieved 30 mpg combined.

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 provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded. Higher trim levels featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The center console's narrow width limited available space, and the storage nook below the raised console was difficult to reach.

The 2022 Lexus RX had 99.8 cubic feet of passenger volume in the standard two-row version, comfortably seating four adults. The three-row L models had a tight squeeze for anything but groceries. The RX 350L featured a 2/3/2 seating configuration, with an option for second-row captain’s chairs. Cargo space in the standard RX was 16.0 cubic feet behind the second row, expanding to 32.6 cubic feet with the seats folded. The three-row models offered only 7.45 cubic feet with all seats upright, increasing to 58.48 cubic feet with both back rows down. The rear seats did not fold completely flat, and the high load-in height made loading cargo challenging. The RX included thoughtful interior features like a dedicated smartphone slot, adjustable-height cup holder, and a flat-bottomed cargo net.

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 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, and the wireless connectivity was a notable advantage over some competitors.

The 2022 Lexus RX came with an 8-inch touchscreen display, with a 12.3-inch version available as an option. Despite being moved closer to the driver, the touchscreen's positioning was ergonomically unfriendly, with a lip in front of the screen creating access issues. The touchscreen was quick and responsive, but the alternatives—voice commands and a touchpad—were frustrating to use. The RX offered a long list of tech features, including six USB ports, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, wireless charging, Amazon Alexa compatibility, a WiFi hotspot, and premium audio systems. The Lexus App allowed for remote engine start, vehicle settings, and service scheduling.

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. It received lower ratings for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention tech and headlight performance. 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 Lexus RX came with the Lexus Safety System 2.0+ as standard, including adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, road-sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, a pre-collision system, and intelligent high beams. Additional standard features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a head-up display, and Lexus Enform Safety Connect. The RX was an IIHS Top Safety Pick with optional triple-beam LED headlights but missed the top-tier “plus” designation due to headlight ratings. The NHTSA gave the RX four stars overall, with five stars in side crash tests and four stars in frontal crashes and rollover resistance.