*All information in this article has been revised and updated for the latest 2021-2022 models.
If you are in the market for a compact SUV, the 2021 Ford Edge and 2022 Buick Encore are two compact SUVs to compare. Both are stylish and offer some impressive features, but there are differences in the quality and performance of each SUV.
Design
The 2021 Ford Edge seats five and has plenty of passenger space with roomy seats and a large amount of cargo room. It has a solid build with impressive cabin materials and keeps quiet even at increased speeds. The driver’s seat comes standard with a 10-way power-adjustable seat and provides great visibility on the road. Options include synthetic or genuine leather upholstery, a power-adjustable passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, driver’s seat memory settings, and leather-wrapped, heated, and power-tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. The Edge has one of the largest cargo capacities among its competitors, with 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space that expands to a maximum 73.4 cubic feet when the seats are folded down.
Updates for 2021 include new wheel designs for the entire lineup, 2 new gray colors to join the palette, acoustic laminated glass for the front side windows and rear parking sensors, made standard. The infotainment system upgrades to a 12-inch display and Sync 4 interface while the top ST trim sees some changes, too. It adds a six-way power-adjustable passenger seat and heated steering wheel.
The Buick Encore also seats up to five people but doesn’t offer a lot of rear seat room or cargo space. The front seats are comfortable, but the back seats can feel tight with averaged-size adults. This SUV has 18.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and a total of 48.4 cubic feet after folding down the rear seats. It comes standard with a power-adjustable driver’s seat, 18-inch alloy wheels, a fold-flat front passenger seat, and 60/40 split folding rear seats. It also is filled with mostly upscale materials, with only a few plastics inside the cabin. The top-of-the-line Essence trim features a power-adjustable passenger seat, leather upholstery, heated front seats, driver-seat memory settings, and a heated steering wheel.
Power/Fuel
The Ford Edge comes standard with a powerful turbocharged 2.0 four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It has quick acceleration and delivers smooth and timely shifts. The sporty Edge ST is even more powerful and features a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine with 335 horsepower. The standard front-wheel drive gets an impressive EPA-estimated 21/29 mpg city and highway. The Edge offers 19/26 mpg city and highway for the EcoBoost engine. You can turn your corners with ease with its light and easy steering, and take the bumps in the road without notice.
The Encore’s standard engine throughout its lineup is a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 155 horsepower and 177 pound-feet or torque. This is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Buick discontinued the stronger turbo engine for 2020, making this the only powertrain that is offered. The Encore gets an EPA-estimated 24/32 mpg on the city and highway, which is about average and more than what the Edge delivers. The Buick has a gentle ride and maneuvers well around corners.
Safety, Tech, Price
Ford offers a great tech interface – the Sync 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot, two USB ports, and a six-speaker stereo. These tech features are offered on all trim levels. Ford has a long list of safety features that come standard with Ford’s Co-Pilot360. These features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Edge comes in four different trim levels starting with the SE priced at $32,750, ranging to the Edge ST priced at $43,600.
A rearview camera is a standard driver assistance feature on the Encore. Available safety features include front and rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. These safety features come standard on higher trim levels. Buick offers a healthy number of standard features including an 8-inch touch screen, smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, satellite radio, a six-speaker stereo, two USB ports, and Bluetooth. The Buick Encore starts at $24,600 and will get up to around $39,850 as the trim levels increase. There are also options for upgrade packages with each model.
Conclusion
The 2021 Ford Edge and 2022 Buick Encore are two great vehicles that will get you around town with ease, but there are still differences in each compact vehicle. The Ford Edge offers more power and cargo space, but the Buick Encore offers plenty of standard features and an upscale cabin at a better price tag.