2020 Mazda CX-5 vs 2020 Ford Edge

The Ford Edge isn’t exactly memorable, which isn’t a bad thing. It isn’t a good thing either. Cars can be remembered for attractive design, fun driving dynamics, or being a solid value. They can also be remembered in a negative light for a polarizing design, poor build quality, or being unsafe to the point of scandal. But the 2020 Ford Edge is just... there. It is a midsize two-row SUV that doesn’t offend, but also doesn’t “wow.” But just as critically, the Edge is getting long in the tooth. In the SUV segment, constant iteration is necessary for survival, and the Edge is in need of a redesign.

But in lieu of new blood, Ford has done well to keep the Edge fitted with the latest infotainment and safety technology. It also offers a performance variant, called the Edge ST. This is something that you won’t find in the Edge’s competitors, the Nissan Murano and Honda Passport. But is it enough to keep the Edge relevant against its more contemporary rivals? Read on to find out.

According to a Harvard Business Review marketing study, there is such a thing as too much choice. And when the marketplace presents consumers with too much choice, there is a chance they won’t buy anything at all.

For the 2020 model year, there are more than 40 small or compact SUVs available, half of them sold by luxury brands. Small and scrappy Mazda offers three of them: the CX-3, the CX-30, and the CX-5. However, in a marketplace awash in Chevys, Fords, Hondas, and Toyotas, Mazda has trouble standing apart from the established crowd.

What’s the solution? Move upscale into “premium” territory.

Premium is where Buick, Fiat, GMC, Jeep, Mini, and Volkswagen play to varying levels of success. Combining the value inherent in a mainstream brand with the design, materials, and technology common to luxury brands, these premium vehicles attempt to provide more than mainstream for less than luxury.

At the same time, less is more. Because the 2020 Mazda CX-5 has but four similarly sized competitors in the premium class, that makes it easier for a consumer to choose, and more likely that a consumer will buy. The trick is convincing people that Mazda is a premium brand, and the automaker is taking a pragmatic approach to this emotionally charged solution.