2019 Chevrolet Blazer RS vs. 2019 Ford Edge Titanium in Photos

The RS, which slots below the range-topping Premier model and sports unique styling elements and a slightly firmer suspension tune, also gets the more advanced of the Blazer's two available AWD systems with a torque-vectoring rear axle.

The aggressively sculpted Blazer cuts a more dashing profile than the bulbous Edge. And its visual sharpness, at least in RS trim with its optional 21-inch wheels, is matched by a significantly more athletic driving character.

The Ford lacks the Chevy's reassuringly firm and fade-resistant brake pedal, precise steering action, and tautly controlled body and suspension. But the Edge counters those demerits by riding more comfortably on its optional 20-inch wheels and allowing very little road, wind, and engine noise to penetrate its cabin.

With the cruise control set to 70 mph, the Edge's 65-decibel hush may only be one decibel quieter than the Blazer, but there is a pleasantness in the sound quality that the Blazer can't come close to replicating.

Despite the Blazer's larger, naturally aspirated engine making more noise, particularly at wide-open throttle, than the Edge's turbo four, it delivers good throttle response around town, and its larger collection of ponies has to contend with fewer pounds (4293 to the Edge's 4357 pounds).

Both the Edge and Blazer interiors would look and feel more acceptable at lower asking prices than at our two test cars' lofty sticker prices. The Chevy's fresh design is assembled from materials humbled by those of some far less expensive competitors, such as Hyundai's latest Santa Fe.

And while both vehicles have visibility issues thanks to their massive roof pillars, the Chevy's high beltline and low-roof styling really burden the driver's outward view. The Blazer's seating position is comfortable enough, but the funky, low-mounted climate-control vents pulled from the Camaro are more effective at modulating the temperature of your knees than actually circulating air throughout the cabin.

It is easier to forgive the material shortcomings in the Edge's interior, given the SUV's advanced age. Nevertheless, the expansive dash and elevated seating position make it feel awkward from behind the wheel, and its instrument cluster—an analog speedometer flanked by small digital readouts controlled by steering wheel buttons—is poorly arranged and difficult to read.

Although both SUVs feature intuitive touchscreen interfaces with loads of connectivity options, the Edge's packaging improves as you look farther aft.

The Edge's center stack, while more conventional in layout than the Chevy's, is as uninspired as it is functional.

Along with greater front-seat space, back-seat riders get more room to stretch out—making the Ford the better of the two for three-abreast adult seating—and there's a generous 39 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the Edge's second row, eight cubes more than in the Blazer.

The Chevrolet's standard, 193-hp naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four is a bit weak next to the Ford's turbocharged 2.0-liter engine—good for 250 horses and 275 lb-ft of torque. (We opted for the Blazer's optional 308-hp 3.6-liter V-6, which is better suited to moving two-plus tons of SUV than the base engine.)

The Edge is fitted with an eight-speed automatic while the Blazer's transmission has nine forward ratios.

Both shift unobtrusively and have driver-activated Sport settings, although the Ford's wheel-mounted paddle shifters provide more effective manual control versus the Blazer's clumsy toggle on the side of its console shift lever.

The Edge's softer suspension setup is at its most composed at sedate cruising speeds, preferably while traveling in a straight line so as not to fluster its chassis with quick directional changes.

The Blazer RS, however, feels buttoned down and responsive even at a rapid pace, making it easier—and more enjoyable—to control on twisty roads. We do not expect owners of either of these vehicles to mercilessly flog them as we did, but in so doing both the Blazer and the Edge returned the same 16-mpg average. The EPA gives the six-cylinder RS a 21-mpg combined estimate versus 23 mpg for the four-cylinder Ford.