Ford Escape vs Hyundai Tucson: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $23,716 against $24,441 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 $21,995 vs the SEL at $22,888; 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 ($21,995) faces the Hyundai Tucson SEL ($22,888); the most common trims on the market are the ST LINE (36.5% of Ford Escape listings) and the SEL (56.2% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($26,285) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($29,997). 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 | $18,499 | 0.4% | SELMost popularCheapest | $22,888 | 56.2% |
| ACTIVECheapest | $21,995 | 35.9% | BLUE | $26,389 | 1.9% |
| ST LINEMost popular | $23,389 | 36.5% | SE | $26,504 | 11.9% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $24,486 | 12.2% | N LINE | $28,416 | 0.6% |
| PLATINUMPriciest | $26,285 | 10.3% | LIMITED | $28,999 | 16.7% |
| PHEV | $27,931 | 2.9% | XRT | $29,497 | 2.0% |
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,000 | 1.8% | SEL CONVENIENCEPriciest | $29,997 | 9.2% |
| — | BLUE SE | $33,525 | 1.0% | ||
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 | $26,890 | $30,313 | Hyundai Tucson +$3,423 | 26–40 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2025 | $23,716 | $24,441 | Hyundai Tucson +$725 | 26–40 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,382 | $24,064 | Hyundai Tucson +$682 | 26–39 MPG | 25–35 MPG |
| 2023 | $22,999 | $23,407 | Hyundai Tucson +$408 | 26–40 MPG | 25–35 MPG |
| 2022 | $19,183 | $20,645 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,462 | 26–41 MPG | 26–35 MPG |
| 2021 | $16,737 | $17,499 | Hyundai Tucson +$762 | 26–41 MPG | 23–25 MPG |
| 2020 | $15,508 | $15,999 | Hyundai Tucson +$491 | 26–41 MPG | 23–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $12,999 | $14,434 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,435 | 23–26 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,239 | $12,999 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,760 | 23–26 MPG | 22–27 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,171 | $12,627 | Hyundai Tucson +$2,456 | 23–26 MPG | 23–50 MPG |
| 2016 | $8,898 | $11,480 | Hyundai Tucson +$2,582 | 23–26 MPG | 23–50 MPG |
| 2015 | $7,995 | $9,499 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,504 | 23–26 MPG | 22–50 MPG |
| 2014 | $7,800 | $8,581 | Hyundai Tucson +$781 | 24–26 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2013 | $6,995 | $8,172 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,177 | 24–26 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,980 | $7,499 | Hyundai Tucson +$519 | 20–25 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2011 | $5,995 | $6,995 | Hyundai Tucson +$1,000 | 20–25 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2010 | $5,794 | $5,995 | Hyundai Tucson +$201 | 20–24 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2007 | $4,900 | $4,900 | even | 19–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,800 | $4,995 | Hyundai Tucson +$195 | 19–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 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 $23,716 versus $24,441 for the Hyundai Tucson (national medians, October 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 $21,995 vs $22,888 for a Hyundai Tucson SEL; the most common trims on the market are the ST LINE ($23,389, 36.5% of Ford Escape listings) and the SEL ($22,888, 56.2% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($26,285) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($29,997). 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.