Compare the2023 Ford EdgeVS 2023 Subaru Forester

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Ford Edge has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Forester doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Edge has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Forester doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Edge has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Edge has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Forester and isn't available on the not available.

Compared to metal, the Edge’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.

Both the Edge and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available front and rear parking sensors.

The Ford Edge weighs 502 to 1061 pounds more than the Subaru Forester. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Edge is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	Edge	Forester
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	23%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	326 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	22 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	282	293
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	197 lbs.	213 lbs.
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	103 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Edge is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	Edge	Forester
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	192 lbs.	389 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	246
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	635 lbs.	670 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	16 inches	16 inches
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	425 lbs.	673 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Edge is 1.4% less likely to roll over than the Forester.

Warranty

There are almost 5 times as many Ford dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Edge’s warranty.

Reliability

The Edge has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Forester doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Edge has a standard 760-amp battery. The Forester’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

Engine

The Edge’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 68 more horsepower (250 vs. 182) and 104 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Edge ST’s standard 2.7 turbo V6 produces 153 more horsepower (335 vs. 182) and 204 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Edge is faster than the Subaru Forester:

	Edge turbo 4 cyl.	Edge ST	Forester
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	6.1 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	14.7 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89.3 MPH	93.4 MPH	82.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Edge has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Forester (18.5 vs. 16.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Edge has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Forester doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Ford Edge as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The Subaru Forester is only certified to “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Edge’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Forester:

	Edge	Forester Base	Forester
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	11.6 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	11.2 inches	11.2 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	13.6 inches

The Edge ST’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Forester are solid, not vented.

The Edge stops much shorter than the Forester:

	Edge	Forester
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	108 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Edge has larger standard tires than the Forester (245/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Edge ST’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (265/40R21 vs. 225/60R17).

The Edge ST’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Edge SE/SEL has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The Edge ST’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The Edge’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Forester doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Edge’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the Forester (112.2 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Edge is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The Edge ST handles at .83 G’s, while the Forester Wilderness pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Edge ST executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Forester Touring (26 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

The Edge ST uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Forester doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Edge Titanium is quieter than the Forester Limited:

	Edge	Forester
At idle	37 dB	41 dB
Full-Throttle	68 dB	74 dB
70 MPH Cruising	65 dB	69 dB

Passenger Space

The Edge has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Forester (113.9 vs. 111.6).

The Edge has 1.8 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, 3.9 inches more rear hip room and 3.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Forester.

Cargo Capacity

The Edge has a much larger cargo volume than the Forester with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 28.9 cubic feet).

The Edge’s cargo area is larger than the Forester’s in almost every dimension:

	Edge	Forester
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41.7”/74.8”	35.7”/73.1”
Max Width	63.3”	51.5”
Min Width	45.3”	43.3”
Height	34.5”	34.8”

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Edge’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Forester doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Subaru Forester is limited to 3000 pounds. The Edge offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Edge ST can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Edge can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Forester can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Edge uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Edge and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Edge is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

On a hot day the Edge’s driver can lower the front windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Edge’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Edge ST/Titanium’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Consumer Reports rated the Edge’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Forester’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Edge Titanium/ST keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Forester doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Edge has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Ford Edge (except SE) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Forester doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Edge (except SE) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Forester doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Edge Titanium/ST’s optional Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Edge is less expensive to operate than the Forester because it costs $172 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Edge than the Forester, including $164 less for a water pump, $438 less for a starter, $311 less for fuel injection, $65 less for a fuel pump and $85 less for front struts.

Recommendations

The Ford Edge has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Edge	Forester
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

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