Ford Escape vs Hyundai Tucson: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $23,998 against $26,401 for the Hyundai Tucson (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Hyundai Tucson takes fuel economy (25 MPG combined vs 24 MPG); the Hyundai Tucson leads on NCAP safety (4.7★ vs 4.5★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the ACTIVE at $22,981 vs the SEL at $23,709; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Ford Escape ACTIVE ($22,981) faces the Hyundai Tucson SEL ($23,709); the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE (37.7% of Ford Escape listings) and the SEL (56.8% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,695) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($31,665). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Ford Escape | Hyundai Tucson | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| BASE | $21,012 | 0.4% | SELMost popularCheapest | $23,709 | 56.8% |
| ACTIVEMost popularCheapest | $22,981 | 37.7% | BLUE | $25,963 | 1.4% |
| ST LINE | $24,370 | 36.4% | SE | $27,002 | 12.0% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $25,987 | 8.3% | LIMITED | $28,754 | 17.9% |
| PLATINUM | $26,941 | 11.8% | N LINE | $28,998 | 0.5% |
| PHEVPriciest | $27,695 | 3.2% | XRT | $29,630 | 2.0% |
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,489 | 2.2% | SEL CONVENIENCEPriciest | $31,665 | 8.7% |
| — | BLUE SE | $34,354 | 0.7% | ||
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Ford Escape prices · Hyundai Tucson prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Escape typical | Hyundai Tucson typical | Difference | Ford Escape MPG | Hyundai Tucson MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $30,098 | $30,995 | Hyundai Tucson +$897 | 26–40 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2025 | $25,189 | $26,401 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,212 | 26–40 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,998 | $23,990 | Ford Escape +$8 | 26–39 MPG | 25–35 MPG |
| 2023 | $23,708 | $24,195 | Hyundai Tucson +$487 | 26–40 MPG | 25–35 MPG |
| 2022 | $20,903 | $21,928 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,025 | 26–41 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2021 | $17,736 | $17,998 | Hyundai Tucson +$262 | 26–41 MPG | 23–25 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,517 | $16,744 | Hyundai Tucson +$227 | 26–41 MPG | 23–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $13,989 | $14,998 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,009 | 23–26 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,995 | $13,787 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,792 | 23–26 MPG | 22–27 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,936 | $13,299 | Hyundai Tucson +$2,363 | 23–26 MPG | 23–50 MPG |
| 2016 | $9,450 | $12,503 | Hyundai Tucson +$3,053 | 23–26 MPG | 23–50 MPG |
| 2015 | $8,962 | $9,995 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,033 | 23–26 MPG | 22–50 MPG |
| 2014 | $8,194 | $9,925 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,731 | 24–26 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2013 | $7,502 | $8,599 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,097 | 24–26 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,995 | $7,047 | Hyundai Tucson +$52 | 20–25 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2011 | $6,250 | $6,771 | Hyundai Tucson +$521 | 20–25 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (July 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford Escape or Hyundai Tucson?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Escape is cheaper: it typically lists for $23,998 versus $26,401 for the Hyundai Tucson (national medians, July 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Escape or Hyundai Tucson?
The Hyundai Tucson: its typical rated version returns 25 MPG combined versus 24 MPG for the Ford Escape (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ford Escape or Hyundai Tucson?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Hyundai Tucson averages 4.7 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.5 for the Ford Escape. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.
Which is more reliable — Ford Escape or Hyundai Tucson?
NHTSA lists an average of 8.2 recalls per model year for the Ford Escape and 2.9 for the Hyundai Tucson — an edge for the Hyundai Tucson. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Ford Escape ACTIVE typically lists for $22,981 vs $23,709 for a Hyundai Tucson SEL; the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE ($22,981, 37.7% of Ford Escape listings) and the SEL ($23,709, 56.8% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,695) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($31,665). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/escape/vs/hyundai/tucson.
Dig deeper
Ford Escape — live listings & specs Hyundai Tucson — live listings & specs Ford Escape prices by year Hyundai Tucson prices by year Ford Escape MPG by year Hyundai Tucson MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.