Is the Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G AF-S VR Nikkor Lens sharp? This page visually answers that question. Shown above are 100% crops from a lab-captured 24mm f/16.0 test image. Observe the contrast and resolution of these results.
Is the Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G AF-S VR Nikkor Lens set to 24mm f/16.0 sharper than the Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens set to 70mm f/4.5? The image quality comparison above also answers that question. Switch between the results to see the sharpness differences between these lenses.