North Georgia Ford Compares 2019 Ford Edge VS 2019 Subaru Forester Near Chatsworth, GA

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Edge have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Subaru Forester doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

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.

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

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:

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:

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

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.

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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 25th, below the industry average.

The Edge’s standard 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. produces 68 more horsepower (250 vs. 182) and 104 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4 cyl. 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 cyl.

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

The Edge FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Forester (18.4 vs. 16.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Edge AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Forester (18.5 vs. 16.6 gallons).

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.

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

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:

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.

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 3.2 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Forester.

The Edge ST handles at .88 G’s, while the Forester Touring pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend 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).

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 AWD is quieter than the Forester Touring:

The Edge has 1.8 inches more front hip room, 2.1 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.

The Edge has a much larger cargo volume than the Forester with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 35.4 cubic feet).

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

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.

The Edge Titanium/ST’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Forester doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Edge’s front power windows 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 Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

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 rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 (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.

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 $163 less for a water pump, $433 less for a starter, $307 less for fuel injection, $64 less for a fuel pump and $85 less for front struts.