Ford Edge vs Volkswagen Taos

The 2021 Ford Edge had retained much of its styling since 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 competitors like the 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 Volkswagen Taos, positioned at the lower end of the compact SUV segment, competed with models like the Kia Seltos, Jeep Compass, and Subaru Crosstrek. The Taos came in S, SE, or SEL trims, with prices ranging from $22,995 to $33,045. The 4Motion AWD system brought additional changes, including a dual-clutch automated manual transmission and an independent multilink rear suspension. The Taos's styling fit well within Volkswagen's lineup, with the SEL 4Motion test vehicle featuring 19-inch machined-finish aluminum wheels and Cornflower Blue paint. However, the interior used hard, shiny plastics that felt cheap, though soft surfaces were provided where they mattered most. The SEL trim offered two-tone perforated leather with contrast stitching and upscale dashboard materials.

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 front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Edge ST performance model had a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine generating 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, standard AWD, and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST could tow up to 4,525 pounds, while the base FWD model could tow 3,958 pounds. Despite some criticism, the Edge ST offered a sporty driving experience, though the turbo-four engine in non-ST models felt sluggish.

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos had a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) paired with the 4Motion AWD system offered rousing performance but had erratic and sometimes harsh shifting. The standard eight-speed automatic transmission, available only with FWD, provided smoother driving but came with a less sophisticated rear suspension. The Taos SEL 4Motion in Sport mode offered a confident driving experience with responsive steering and effective brakes. However, its maximum ground clearance of 6.6 inches was less than competitors like the Jeep Compass and Subaru Crosstrek. The Taos SEL 4Motion had an EPA rating of 28 mpg in combined driving, with an observed average of 27.1 mpg during testing.

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. Higher trim levels featured a foot-activated power liftgate. The center console's narrow width limited available space, though a storage nook below provided additional room.

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos boasted a spacious cabin, with the SEL's front seats offering plenty of adjustment options and heated and ventilated features. The rear seat provided generous legroom and comfort, with rear air conditioning vents. Cargo space varied by drive system, with FWD models offering 27.9 cubic feet behind the back seat and 65.9 cubic feet with the seat folded. AWD models had 24.9 cubic feet and 60.2 cubic feet, respectively. The Taos also featured a center pass-through for ski trips.

The 2021 Ford Edge came with the latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring 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 Sync 4 system was praised for its simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts.

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos featured Digital Cockpit instrumentation and a standard 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with S trim. The SE and SEL trims had 8-inch touchscreens with MIB3 software, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, SiriusXM with 360L, voice control, and wireless smartphone charging. The SEL added navigation and an eight-speaker BeatsAudio system. However, the MIB3 system had usability issues, including complex radio station changes and unreliable voice recognition.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS "Top Safety Pick," with top ratings in crash tests and front crash prevention tech. It received a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA. 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 Volkswagen Taos offered IQ Drive safety technologies, standard or available for all trims. The IQ Drive package included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. The Taos SEL included all these features, plus rain-sensing wipers, road sign recognition, and rear parking sensors with automatic braking. However, the reverse automatic braking system could be overly sensitive.