Compare the2023 Toyota VenzaVS 2023 Ford Edge

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Venza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Edge doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited has standard Rear Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Edge doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Venza Limited has a standard Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Edge only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Venza and the Edge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 Toyota Venza is safer than the Ford Edge:

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Venza the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Edge last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Venza for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Edge.

The battery on the Venza is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Venza’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Edge’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 18th.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota Venza is faster than the Ford Edge turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Venza gets better mileage than the Edge:

The Venza can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 1.6 miles. The Edge can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Venza’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Edge doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Venza uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Edge requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Venza higher (7 out of 10) than the Ford Edge (5 to 6). This means the Venza produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Edge every 15,000 miles.

The Venza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Edge doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Venza stops shorter than the Edge:

The Venza’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Edge’s (57.8% to 42.2%). This gives the Venza more stable handling and braking.

The Venza Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the Edge Titanium pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Venza Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Edge Titanium (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Venza LE’s turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Edge’s (36.1 feet vs. 39.3 feet). The Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Edge’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Venza has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Edge (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Venza to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Venza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 600 pounds less than the Ford Edge.

The Venza Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Edge doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Venza’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Edge’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Venza the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Edge can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Venza has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Edge doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Venza’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Edge SEL/ST-Line/ST/Titanium.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Venza has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Edge and isn’t available on the Edge SE.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Venza and the Ford Edge, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Venza third among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Edge isn’t in the top three.