Ford Escape vs Hyundai Tucson: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $24,611 against $25,406 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 $22,495 vs the SEL at $23,399; 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 ($22,495) faces the Hyundai Tucson SEL ($23,399); the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE (37.4% of Ford Escape listings) and the SEL (57.6% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($28,842) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($30,700). 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 | $20,000 | 0.4% | SELMost popularCheapest | $23,399 | 57.6% |
| ACTIVEMost popularCheapest | $22,495 | 37.4% | SE | $26,978 | 11.5% |
| ST LINE | $23,953 | 36.0% | BLUE | $27,650 | 1.6% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $25,321 | 9.9% | N LINE | $28,895 | 0.6% |
| PLATINUM | $26,783 | 11.2% | XRT | $29,072 | 1.9% |
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,000 | 2.1% | LIMITED | $29,200 | 17.6% |
| PHEVPriciest | $28,842 | 3.0% | SEL CONVENIENCEPriciest | $30,700 | 8.7% |
| — | BLUE SE | $34,127 | 0.6% | ||
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 | $28,988 | $30,294 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,306 | 26–40 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2025 | $24,611 | $25,406 | Hyundai Tucson +$795 | 26–40 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,719 | $24,224 | Hyundai Tucson +$505 | 26–39 MPG | 25–35 MPG |
| 2023 | $23,484 | $23,998 | Hyundai Tucson +$514 | 26–40 MPG | 25–35 MPG |
| 2022 | $20,045 | $21,430 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,385 | 26–41 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2021 | $16,995 | $17,742 | Hyundai Tucson +$747 | 26–41 MPG | 23–25 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,058 | $16,464 | Hyundai Tucson +$406 | 26–41 MPG | 23–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $13,487 | $14,620 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,133 | 23–26 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,890 | $13,199 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,309 | 23–26 MPG | 22–27 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,404 | $12,950 | Hyundai Tucson +$2,546 | 23–26 MPG | 23–50 MPG |
| 2016 | $8,999 | $11,794 | Hyundai Tucson +$2,795 | 23–26 MPG | 23–50 MPG |
| 2015 | $8,289 | $9,990 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,701 | 23–26 MPG | 22–50 MPG |
| 2014 | $7,988 | $9,335 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,347 | 24–26 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2013 | $6,999 | $8,495 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,496 | 24–26 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,880 | $7,450 | Hyundai Tucson +$570 | 20–25 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2011 | $5,995 | $6,857 | Hyundai Tucson +$862 | 20–25 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2010 | $5,500 | $6,365 | Hyundai Tucson +$865 | 20–24 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2007 | $4,775 | $5,049 | Hyundai Tucson +$274 | 19–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,995 | $4,995 | even | 19–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 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 $24,611 versus $25,406 for the Hyundai Tucson (national medians, August 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 8.3 recalls per model year for the Ford Escape and 3.2 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 $22,495 vs $23,399 for a Hyundai Tucson SEL; the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE ($22,495, 37.4% of Ford Escape listings) and the SEL ($23,399, 57.6% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($28,842) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($30,700). 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.