Compare the2024 Subaru ForesterVS 2023 Ford Edge

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
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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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 Forester 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.

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Edge doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Forester (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Edge doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Edge doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Forester and the Edge 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, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Forester	Edge
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	186	212
Leg Forces (l/r)	248/368 lbs.	165/596 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	31%	35.2%
Leg Forces (l/r)	105/93 lbs.	145/201 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Ford Edge:

	Forester	Edge
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	84
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	122 lbs.	190 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	121	257

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 Forester the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 54 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Edge last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Forester’s reliability 13 points higher than the Edge.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Forester third among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Edge isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 11 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

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

	Forester	Edge
Zero to 60 MPH	8 sec	8.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.7 sec	9 sec

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Edge doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy
Edge
	AWD	2.7 turbo V6	19 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		Titanium 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Edge requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Forester has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Edge. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

The Forester 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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Forester stops much shorter than the Edge:

	Forester	Edge
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	187 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Forester Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Edge; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Forester Touring handles at .83 G’s, while the Edge Titanium pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Forester Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Edge Titanium (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Edge’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 900 pounds less than the Ford Edge.

The Forester is 6.1 inches shorter than the Edge, making the Forester easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Forester has liquid-filled engine mounts. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Edge uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 1 inch more front headroom and .7 inches more front legroom than the Edge.

The front step up height for the Forester is 2 inches lower than the Edge (15.5” vs. 17.5”). The Forester’s rear step up height is .8 inches lower than the Edge’s (17.25” vs. 18”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Edge with its rear seat folded (74.2 vs. 73.4 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.5 inches, while the Edge’s liftover is 29.6 inches.

Towing

A Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the Forester, using the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Edge and isn’t available on the Edge SE.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Edge. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and the driver’s window also automatically closes, 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The Edge doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Forester’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Edge’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Edge’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Forester owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Forester with a number “1” insurance rate while the Edge is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Forester is less expensive to operate than the Edge because typical repairs cost much less on the Forester than the Edge, including $443 less for a muffler, $52 less for front brake pads, $389 less for a timing belt/chain and $575 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2019 issue and they ranked the Subaru Forester Touring higher than the Ford Edge Titanium.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Ford Edge by 34% during 2022.

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