2021 Cadillac XT6 vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Cadillac XT6 exuded sophistication with its design, borrowing styling cues from the XT4 and XT5 crossovers. Available in Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport trims, the XT6 Sport featured a traditionally-styled grille with darkened accents, 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, and slim all-LED headlights, giving it a premium and distinctly Cadillac appearance. The XT6 came in seven paint colors, with most requiring an additional surcharge. Inside, the XT6's cabin mirrored the XT5 but was slightly larger, offering three color options and the luxurious Platinum Package, which included semi-aniline leather upholstery and a microsuede headliner.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Edge maintained a consistent design since its 2019 refresh, which successfully integrated Ford's current look with the existing Edge body. The Edge Titanium featured extra chrome, while the ST trim boasted a blacked-out grille, 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. The interior, however, showed its age, with a design that had been awkwardly updated to fit new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium models offered leather upholstery, and the ST models had sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The 2021 Cadillac XT6 Sport was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, producing 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This engine was also standard in the Premium Luxury trim, while the base Luxury model had a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine with 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The XT6 offered standard front-wheel drive and available all-wheel drive, with the Sport model exclusively AWD. Despite its power, the XT6 Sport's 4,690-pound weight made it feel less dynamic, especially in tight turns and under harsh acceleration. Fuel economy for the V6 was 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined with FWD, slightly lower with AWD.

The 2021 Ford Edge primarily used a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Edge ST performance model featured a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6, producing 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, with standard AWD and model-specific suspension tuning. The Edge ST also offered an option package with upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels. The Edge's towing capacities ranged from 3,958 pounds for the base FWD model to 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered Edge ST, though competitors like the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport offered higher towing capacities.

The Cadillac XT6 offered comfortable seating for seven, with optional captain’s chairs in the second row. Adults could fit in the third row, but the XT6 had less head-, leg-, shoulder-, and hip room compared to competitors like the Telluride and Palisade. Interior storage was limited, particularly in the front row, and the wireless phone charger was inconveniently deep-pocketed. However, the XT6 excelled in cargo space, with power-folding third-row seats and an available hands-free power liftgate, though the cargo load floor was high and space behind the third row was limited.

The Ford Edge provided competitive interior space, with the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom. Cargo space was substantial, with 39.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 73.4 cubic feet with them folded. A foot-activated power liftgate was available on higher trims. The Edge's rotary shift knob freed up some console space, but the narrow console width limited its utility. A storage nook below the raised console was hard to reach and easy to forget.

The Cadillac XT6 featured an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tri-zone automatic climate control, an eight-speaker Bose audio system, and a WiFi hotspot. Upgrades included a 14-speaker Bose system, navigation, and enhanced wireless charging. However, the infotainment screen was smaller than competitors and could appear crowded or lacking information.

The Ford Edge was equipped with Ford’s latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST included a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge also had four USB ports, including two rear USB ports added for 2021. Sync 4's simple graphics and straightforward menus were user-friendly, and not all competitors offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Cadillac XT6 came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision alert, lane-keep assist, and a high-definition rearview camera. Premium Luxury and Sport trims added lane change alert with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Driver Assist Package offered adaptive cruise control and enhanced emergency braking. The XT6 received a five-star frontal crash test rating and a four-star rollover rating from NHTSA, and the 2020 model, structurally similar, was an IIHS "Top Safety Pick+."

The Ford Edge was an IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” with top ratings in crash tests and front crash prevention tech, though it received lower ratings for vehicle-to-pedestrian tech and headlight performance. NHTSA awarded the Edge a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and forward-collision warning. Adaptive cruise control and Evasive Steering Assist were standard on all but the base SE trim.