There has been a real demand for SUVs in recent years, and the manufacturers have noticed as they continue to release new and updated models at an increased pace. Every car company in the SUV market, which is just about all of them at the moment, has had to adapt their lineups to fulfill the needs of consumers. That means their lineup needs to be fully formed, offering options from compact to large SUVs and everything in between. One of the more popular segments is the mid-size range, and today we’re going to check out two new models by comparing the 2020 Chevy Blazer vs 2020 Ford Edge.
The Blazer name has a long history within Chevy, dating all the way back to the 1960s. However, the modern variation is a bit different from the original K5 Blazer and S-10 Blazer we saw many years ago, which were very different from each other as well. Today’s version, newly released in 2019, is a sleek, mid-size, 5-door SUV. It has a sporty design and slots into the Chevy SUV lineup between the Equinox and Traverse. The Equinox is more compact, while the Traverse, which is also considered a mid-size SUV, can seat up to seven or eight passengers while the Blazer seats up to five.
The Ford Edge has a more recent history than the Blazer, having been first produced in 2006 and maintaining a straight production run until present day. The Edge is currently into its second generation, although there was a facelift in 2019 to add in some design changes, new features, and the new top-level ST trim. As of today, the Edge’s spot in the Ford SUV lineup is between the compact Escape and mid-size Flex, although the Flex has been discontinued so the next SUV would be the, also mid-size, Explorer. The Edge can seat up to five passengers while the Explorer can seat up to seven passengers.
While the Blazer is definitely newer in the modern market than the Edge, it’s important to note that they both came out refreshed in 2019, so you can consider their latest models to all be relatively new. Still, let’s delve into it some more to see how they line up against each other.
Prices and Trims
Both the 2020 Chevy Blazer and 2020 Ford Edge fall into the category of mid-size SUVs that seem to be meant for people that don’t have large families, and thus no need for more than five seats, but still want a vehicle that has more space and features than the compact SUVs. Since you’re getting more out of these SUVs, you can expect the price to start higher.
The 2020 Chevy Blazer MSRP starts at $28,800 on the L trim. With six trims total, there’s plenty to choose from here. The other trims, along with starting prices, are the 1LT ($32,300), 2LT ($32,800), 3LT ($37,000), RS ($40,600), and Premier ($42,700).
The 2020 Ford Edge is more expensive with a starting MSRP at $31,100 on the SE trim, and there are four total trims. The others are the SEL ($34,355), Titanium ($38,100), and ST ($43,265).
There are a few things to note here. First, the Blazer starts at a lower price point than the Edge on their lowest trim levels. Second, the Blazer has more trim levels available. And third, the Blazer Premier and Edge ST, which are the highest trim levels for each vehicle, are quite similar in price. If you’re looking to get into a mid-size SUV that’s completely new and has a sub-$30,000 starting price, the Blazer beats out the Edge. Or, if you want more options to configure your SUV as you please, then the Blazer has more trims available so you can get specific with your wants and needs. If you’re going for the most expensive trims, both the Blazer and Edge will be competitive in their pricing, so it will then just come down to personal preference, performance, or available features.
Engines and Performance
The pricing between the two vehicles may be similar, with the 2020 Ford Edge being more pricey overall. Still, you can usually pinpoint some of those discrepancies in price when you check out the engine options.
The 2020 Chevy Blazer comes with three different engine options depending on which trim level you choose and if there’s the option to upgrade or not. The Blazer L and 1LT will come standard with a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine with up to 193 hp and 188 lb-ft of torque. These trims have no available upgrade options for the engine. Moving up to the 2LT and 3LT trims, you’ll find a standard 2.0L Turbo 4-cylinder engine with up to a GM-estimated 230 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. On these trims, you’ll also have the available option of a 3.6L V6 engine with up to 308 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. The 3.6L V6 engine is the standard option on the RS and Premier trims.
The 2020 Ford Edge comes with just the two engine options, although they’re pretty good. The standard option on the Edge SE, SEL, and Titanium trims is a Twin-Scroll 2.0L EcoBoost engine with up to 250 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. If you go with the top-level ST trim, you’ll get a 2.7L V6 EcoBoost engine with up to 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque.
If you’re going for straight power, the 2020 Ford Edge ST will outmatch the options on the 2020 Chevy Blazer. However, it’s going to cost you much more money than what’s available with the Blazer. The ST, though, also comes standard with AWD while none of the Blazer trims do, although it is an available option on the 2LT, 3LT, RS, and Premier.
What Are You Looking For?
When it comes to choosing between the 2020 Chevy Blazer vs 2020 Ford Edge, it really comes down to what you’re looking for in a mid-size SUV. The Blazer provides a lot of different ways you can customize your vehicle, while generally offering lower prices than the Edge. You’ll get an all-new vehicle that has lots of updates and still performs well with its engine options. With the Edge, you’re going to pay a bit more for the performance factor, especially if you want the Edge ST. Overall, the ST trim is the top reason to go for an Edge if you want a more powerful ride with the added bonus of AWD attached as a standard option. Otherwise, the Chevy Blazer would definitely be the better option.
Apart from the ST trim, the Edge seems to fall a little flat compared to the Blazer models. Not necessarily with the engine options, since they’re comparable, but more with the overall design and looks. The Blazer looks like an updated vehicle all around and has some sporty design qualities taken from the Camaro. And while you can tell more time was put into making the Ford Edge ST look like something special compared to the lower trim levels, the Blazer still has it beat.
