Hyundai Tucson vs Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Edge had a design that remained largely unchanged since its 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. However, the interior of the Edge began to show its age, with a design that seemed less fresh and awkwardly modified to fit new features like a larger touchscreen. 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 Hyundai Tucson rode on a new platform and was offered in the U.S. as a long-wheelbase model with two rows of seating and an expanded cargo area. The Tucson's front end featured Hyundai's new design language, with a parametric grille that hid the LED daytime running lights, Bi-LED headlights, and LED front turn signals. The side profile mirrored the Hyundai Elantra's design, with a silver D-pillar creating a floating roof effect. The rear had distinctive toothy taillights illuminated by LEDs in all but the base model. Depending on the trim level, the Tucson rode on either 17- or 19-inch wheels, with high-end models featuring premium fascias, front and rear skid plates, gloss black pillars, and a panoramic sunroof. The interior was well-appointed, with standard stain- and odor-resistant cloth seats, and available sport combination and leather-trimmed seats on higher trims. Horizontal lines across the dashboard and an uncluttered aesthetic gave the cabin a sense of spaciousness.

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 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane fuel, with standard AWD and model-specific suspension tuning. The ST also had an option package with 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 respectable, with a maximum of 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 Hyundai Tucson came with two powertrain options: a 2.5-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine. The ICE engine produced 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid powertrain delivered 226 total system horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, making it more powerful than the Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybrid, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The Tucson Hybrid also offered AWD as standard, with the ICE models having it as an option. The Tucson's fuel economy was impressive, with the ICE engine achieving an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined for FWD models. The Tucson Hybrid models were even more efficient, with up to 38 mpg combined. The forthcoming Tucson plug-in hybrid promised even more power and efficiency, with an estimated 261 horsepower and 224 pound-feet of torque, and an expected all-electric range of around 25 miles.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive in interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. It featured dual-zone automatic climate control as standard. The cargo space was generous, with 39.2 cubic feet 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 trim levels offered a foot-activated power liftgate. The center console featured a rotary shift knob to free up space, but the narrow width limited its utility. The raised console provided a storage nook below, though it was difficult to reach and easy to forget items placed there.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson offered a spacious and well-appointed interior, comparable to top competitors like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape. It featured a six-way power-adjustable driver's seat as standard, with an eight-way version available on higher trims, along with lumbar support. Higher trims also offered three-stage heated front seats, ventilated front seats, memory for the driver's seat, and an eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat. The tilt and telescoping steering wheel was standard, with leather-wrapped and heated options on higher trims. The new platform allowed for more passenger and cargo space, with the Tucson offering more rear legroom than the RAV4 and comparable headroom to other compact SUVs. The cargo area was spacious, with 74.8 cubic feet of space, comparable to the Forester, RAV4, and CR-V, and significantly more than the Escape. The rear seats featured a 60-40 split-folding bench and a dual-level cargo floor on ICE models, with remote release for folding the seats from the cargo area and a hands-free liftgate available on mid-grade models and up.

The 2021 Ford Edge was equipped with Ford's latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and 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 also had four USB ports, including two rear USB ports added for the 2021 model year. Sync 4's simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts made it user-friendly, and the wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a notable advantage over some competitors.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson came with a robust set of standard tech features, including an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, a six-speaker audio system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, and two USB ports. Higher trims added satellite radio, Blue Link mobile app compatibility, additional USB outlets, rear air conditioning vents, and dual-zone automatic climate control with ionizer functionality. A 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen was available, though it required plugging in for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screen was part of a flat, black plastic head unit that included climate control and radio/media functionality, with touchpoints that were responsive but challenging to use without taking eyes off the road. The Tucson also offered a fully digital instrument cluster on higher trims.

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, an "Acceptable" rating 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 with stop-and-go and lane centering, along with Evasive Steering Assist, was standard on all but the base SE trim.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson had not yet been tested by the IIHS or NHTSA. However, it came with a comprehensive suite of standard and available safety features under the Hyundai SmartSense Safety Feature suite. Standard features included forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, a driver attention monitor, rear occupant alert, speed limit assist, and leading vehicle departure alert. Additional available features included blind-spot warning with collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic alert with collision avoidance assist, safe exit warning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, a surround-view camera system, forward and reverse park distance warning, parking collision avoidance assist, ultrasonic rear occupant alert, and remote parking assist. Hyundai also offered a robust warranty package, including a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, 7-year anti-perforation warranty, and 3 years/36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.