ahead vs out front

ahead is an adjective but out front is not an adjective.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
ahead	No	Yes	No	Yes
out front	No	No	No	Yes

As adverbs, ahead and out front are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of ahead include in the lead.

ahead (adjective)	out front (adjective)
having the leading position or higher score in a contest

ahead (adverb)	out front (adverb)
at or in the front	leading or ahead in a competition
ahead of time; in anticipation
in a forward direction
leading or ahead in a competition
to a different or a more advanced time (meaning advanced either toward the present or toward the future)
to a more advanced or advantageous position
toward the future; forward in time