Compare the2024 Ford EdgeVS 2024 BMW X5

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 BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Ford Edge are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Edge. But it costs extra on the X5.

Both the Edge and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available front and rear parking sensors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Edge the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 174 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X5 has not been tested, yet.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Edge 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 9 times as many Ford dealers as there are BMW 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 X5 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

On the EPA test cycle the Edge gets better mileage than the X5 running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Edge uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X5 M60i xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

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 X5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Ford Edge as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The BMW X5 is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

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 X5 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Edge’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the X5 M60i xDrive’s (39.3 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Edge’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X5’s (39.3 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Ford Edge may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1050 pounds less than the BMW X5.

The Edge is 5.4 inches shorter than the X5, making the Edge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 X5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Edge has 2.8 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

The front step up height for the Edge is 2 inches lower than the X5 (17.5” vs. 19.5”). The Edge’s rear step up height is 2 inches lower than the X5’s (18” vs. 20”).

The Edge has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X5 with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 33.9 cubic feet). The Edge has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X5 with its rear seat folded (73.4 vs. 72.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Edge easier. The Edge’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.6 inches, while the X5’s liftover is 30.8 inches.

The Edge’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in every dimension:

The Edge’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

The Edge ST can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Edge can be unhitched and driven around locally. The X5 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Edge has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 X5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Ford Edge has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

The Ford Edge outsold the BMW X5 by 3093 units during 2022.