Ford Escape vs Kia Soul: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $23,719 against $17,550 for the Kia Soul (same model years — 2023–2025 — national medians from live listings). The Kia Soul takes fuel economy (27 MPG combined vs 24 MPG); the Ford Escape leads on NCAP safety (4.5★ vs 4.4★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the ACTIVE at $22,495 vs the LX at $17,497; 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 Kia Soul LX ($17,497); the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE (37.4% of Ford Escape listings) and the GT LINE (44.7% of Kia Soul listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($28,842) faces the EX ($20,995). 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 | Kia Soul | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| BASE | $20,000 | 0.4% | LXCheapest | $17,497 | 13.5% |
| ACTIVEMost popularCheapest | $22,495 | 37.4% | GT LINEMost popular | $19,323 | 44.7% |
| ST LINE | $23,953 | 36.0% | EXPriciest | $20,995 | 41.7% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $25,321 | 9.9% | — | ||
| PLATINUM | $26,783 | 11.2% | — | ||
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,000 | 2.1% | — | ||
| PHEVPriciest | $28,842 | 3.0% | — | ||
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 · Kia Soul prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Escape typical | Kia Soul typical | Difference | Ford Escape MPG | Kia Soul MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $24,611 | $17,550 | Ford Escape +$7,061 | 26–40 MPG | 30–31 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,719 | $17,800 | Ford Escape +$5,919 | 26–39 MPG | 30–31 MPG |
| 2023 | $23,484 | $17,608 | Ford Escape +$5,876 | 26–40 MPG | 30–31 MPG |
| 2022 | $20,045 | $15,072 | Ford Escape +$4,973 | 26–41 MPG | 29–31 MPG |
| 2021 | $16,995 | $13,990 | Ford Escape +$3,005 | 26–41 MPG | 27–31 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,058 | $12,900 | Ford Escape +$3,158 | 26–41 MPG | 27–31 MPG · 114 MPGe |
| 2019 | $13,487 | $10,995 | Ford Escape +$2,492 | 23–26 MPG | 27–28 MPG · 108 MPGe |
| 2018 | $11,890 | $9,999 | Ford Escape +$1,891 | 23–26 MPG | 27–28 MPG · 108 MPGe |
| 2017 | $10,404 | $8,999 | Ford Escape +$1,405 | 23–26 MPG | 27–28 MPG · 105 MPGe |
| 2016 | $8,999 | $8,750 | Ford Escape +$249 | 23–26 MPG | 26–27 MPG · 105 MPGe |
| 2015 | $8,289 | $7,999 | Ford Escape +$290 | 23–26 MPG | 26 MPG · 105 MPGe |
| 2014 | $7,988 | $6,999 | Ford Escape +$989 | 24–26 MPG | 26 MPG |
| 2013 | $6,999 | $6,389 | Ford Escape +$610 | 24–26 MPG | 25–28 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,880 | $5,995 | Ford Escape +$885 | 20–25 MPG | 25–28 MPG |
| 2011 | $5,995 | $5,690 | Ford Escape +$305 | 20–25 MPG | 26–28 MPG |
| 2010 | $5,500 | $5,497 | Ford Escape +$3 | 20–24 MPG | 26–28 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 Kia Soul?
Comparing the same model years (2023–2025), the Kia Soul is cheaper: it typically lists for $17,550 versus $23,719 for the Ford Escape (national medians, August 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Escape or Kia Soul?
The Kia Soul: its typical rated version returns 27 MPG combined versus 24 MPG for the Ford Escape (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ford Escape or Kia Soul?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Ford Escape averages 4.5 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.4 for the Kia Soul. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.
Which is more reliable — Ford Escape or Kia Soul?
NHTSA lists an average of 8.3 recalls per model year for the Ford Escape and 2.1 for the Kia Soul — an edge for the Kia Soul. 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 $17,497 for a Kia Soul LX; the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE ($22,495, 37.4% of Ford Escape listings) and the GT LINE ($19,323, 44.7% of Kia Soul listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($28,842) faces the EX ($20,995). 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/kia/soul.
Dig deeper
Ford Escape — live listings & specs Kia Soul — live listings & specs Ford Escape prices by year Kia Soul prices by year Ford Escape MPG by year Kia Soul MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.