Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent

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 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 enhancements and higher price tag. However, the interior of the Edge began to show its age, with a design that seemed less fresh compared to the exterior. The Titanium models came with leather upholstery, and the ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent introduced the Onyx Edition trim level, which featured blacked-out exterior trim and badges, black 20-inch aluminum wheels, a unique grille design, and special interior trim. This trim level sat in the middle of the Ascent lineup, which included Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, and Touring trims. The Onyx Edition's seats were wrapped in water-repellant StarTex synthetic leather, and the trim level was priced at $37,995, with an optional package adding a panoramic moonroof, navigation system, and cargo cover for an additional $2,000. The blacked-out treatment gave the Ascent a sporty appearance, but the StarTex material had a tendency to trap sweat, making it uncomfortable on hot days. The interior featured a gray two-tone scheme with light gray stitching and metallic trim on the dashboard and door panels, creating an appropriate mood.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered 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 in front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine, delivering 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane fuel. The ST came with standard AWD, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and model-specific suspension tuning. An optional package added upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels with summer tires. The Edge ST was compared to performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, though this comparison was seen as a stretch. The Edge's towing capacities were 3,958 pounds for the base FWD four-cylinder, 4,122 pounds for the four-cylinder AWD, and 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered Edge ST.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent was equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) and all-wheel drive (AWD) were standard. The Ascent with 20-inch wheels had an EPA fuel-economy rating of 22 mpg combined, and during testing, it averaged 20.5 mpg. The engine's horizontally-opposed layout, also known as a flat-four or boxer engine, provided a lower center of gravity for improved handling. The CVT featured eight programmed ratios and manual shift control using paddles on the steering wheel, allowing the Ascent to tow up to 5,000 pounds. The Ascent's acceleration was brisk, and passing power was commendable. Subaru's X-Mode off-road traction control system, hill descent control, and 8.7 inches of ground clearance provided off-roading capability. The Ascent's responsive acceleration, agreeable CVT, excellent visibility, and absorbent suspension made it nimble and maneuverable in urban and suburban settings. However, the advanced adaptive cruise control and lane-centering technology lacked refinement, creating an unsettled sensation when engaged.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers. Legroom in both the first and second rows was second only to the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Edge provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, trailing only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. A foot-activated power liftgate was available on higher trim levels. The rotary shift knob freed up space on the center console, but the narrow width of the console limited the available space. The raised console left room for a storage nook below, but its out-of-the-way location made it difficult to reach and easy to forget items placed there.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent could carry up to eight people with a second-row bench seat, though the third-row seats were best suited for children. The Ascent Onyx Edition featured water-resistant seat material, triple-zone climate control, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and a wiper de-icer. A heated steering wheel was available on Limited and Touring trims. Loading the second-row seat was easy, thanks to wide rear doors that opened nearly 90 degrees. Captain's chairs were available on all trims, and the panoramic sunroof extended over the second-row seats. The Ascent provided 17.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat, 47.5 cubic feet behind the second-row seat, and 86.5 cubic feet with both rows folded down. Versions with the panoramic sunroof had slightly less cargo space.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured the latest Sync 4 infotainment system with a 12-inch touchscreen, standard 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 not all competitors offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent came with a standard 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, including Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, and satellite radio. The Premium trim added an 8-inch display with available Starlink connected services, including a WiFi hotspot and remote engine starting with climate control pre-conditioning. Both infotainment systems had volume and tuning knobs and shortcut buttons. The voice recognition technology needed improvement, requiring specific commands for accurate responses. The Onyx Edition used standard stereo speakers, which lacked sonic quality. The Touring trim included a digital rearview mirror and a 180-degree-view front camera.

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 an "Advanced" rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention tech, an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use, and "Acceptable" and "Poor" 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 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 with stop-and-go and lane centering was standard on all but the base SE trim, along with Evasive Steering Assist.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent received a "Top Safety Pick+" award from the IIHS and five-star crash-test ratings from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rating in rollover resistance. The Ascent came standard with Subaru's EyeSight driver-assistance tech, including advanced adaptive cruise control with lane-centering technology. However, EyeSight's performance was affected by direct sunlight, and the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering technology lacked refinement. Additional safety features included steering responsive LED headlights with automatic high-beam assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was available starting with the Premium trim. Reverse automatic braking and a Starlink Safety and Security subscription plan were also available.