2020 Toyota Sienna vs 2020 Ford Edge

Since the second half of the 20th century, each decade has had a hot-topic family car, and, as we’ve noted in a number of reviews this year, the crossover is our current darling vehicle. Before the crossover, there were big, truck-based SUVs. Before that, there were station wagons.

And for the past 35 years, there's always been the minivan.

The Dodge Caravan has been widely considered the Patient Zero of the minivan segment. From there, seemingly everyone joined the party, including Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Volkswagen, Oldsmobile, and more. Heck, even Mercury had a “Nautica Edition” version of the Villager.

The minivan was king once, the crossover is king now, and some other type of vehicle will likely dominate in the near future. But in all this, the 7- and 8-passenger minivans will always represent the ultimate in versatility. The crossover is an image-forward fad with a dash of usability, but the minivan continues to prove itself as the pinnacle of practicality.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna is neither the newest nor flashiest minivan out there, but when you absolutely need space for people and gear, there’s nothing better. Additionally, as of 2020 the Sienna is the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive (AWD), which is something specifically desired by many car buyers.

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.