Ford Escape vs Mazda CX-5: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $23,766 against $26,920 for the Mazda CX-5 (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Mazda CX-5 takes fuel economy (27 MPG combined vs 24 MPG); the Mazda CX-5 leads on NCAP safety (4.8★ vs 4.5★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the ACTIVE at $21,995 vs the SELECT PACKAGE at $24,998; 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 Mazda CX-5 SELECT PACKAGE ($24,998); the most common trims on the market are the ST LINE (36.5% of Ford Escape listings) and the PREFERRED (41.0% of Mazda CX-5 listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($26,285) faces the PREMIUM PLUS ($34,222). 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 | Mazda CX-5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| BASE | $18,499 | 0.4% | SELECT PACKAGECheapest | $24,998 | 7.9% |
| ACTIVECheapest | $21,995 | 35.9% | SELECT | $25,396 | 14.0% |
| ST LINEMost popular | $23,389 | 36.5% | PREFERRED PACKAGE | $25,998 | 16.6% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $24,486 | 12.2% | PREFERREDMost popular | $27,147 | 41.0% |
| PLATINUMPriciest | $26,285 | 10.3% | PREMIUM PACKAGE | $28,003 | 4.5% |
| PHEV | $27,931 | 2.9% | PREMIUM PLUS PACKAGE | $28,838 | 2.6% |
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,000 | 1.8% | SIGNATURE | $31,460 | 2.4% |
| — | PREMIUM PLUSPriciest | $34,222 | 6.7% | ||
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 · Mazda CX-5 prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Escape typical | Mazda CX-5 typical | Difference | Ford Escape MPG | Mazda CX-5 MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $27,285 | $36,999 | Mazda CX-5 +$9,714 | 26–40 MPG | 26 MPG |
| 2025 | $23,766 | $26,920 | Mazda CX-5 +$3,154 | 26–40 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,377 | $26,744 | Mazda CX-5 +$3,367 | 26–39 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2023 | $22,999 | $25,942 | Mazda CX-5 +$2,943 | 26–40 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2022 | $19,191 | $23,999 | Mazda CX-5 +$4,808 | 26–41 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2021 | $16,577 | $22,072 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,495 | 26–41 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2020 | $15,500 | $20,384 | Mazda CX-5 +$4,884 | 26–41 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2019 | $13,007 | $18,995 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,988 | 23–26 MPG | 24–29 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,368 | $16,989 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,621 | 23–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,100 | $16,000 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,900 | 23–26 MPG | 26–27 MPG |
| 2016 | $8,900 | $13,998 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,098 | 23–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2015 | $7,995 | $12,495 | Mazda CX-5 +$4,500 | 23–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2014 | $7,795 | $11,133 | Mazda CX-5 +$3,338 | 24–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2013 | $6,995 | $9,399 | Mazda CX-5 +$2,404 | 24–26 MPG | 27–29 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 Mazda CX-5?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Escape is cheaper: it typically lists for $23,766 versus $26,920 for the Mazda CX-5 (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Escape or Mazda CX-5?
The Mazda CX-5: 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 Mazda CX-5?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Mazda CX-5 averages 4.8 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 Mazda CX-5?
NHTSA lists an average of 8.3 recalls per model year for the Ford Escape and 0.2 for the Mazda CX-5 — an edge for the Mazda CX-5. 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 $24,998 for a Mazda CX-5 SELECT PACKAGE; the most common trims on the market are the ST LINE ($23,389, 36.5% of Ford Escape listings) and the PREFERRED ($27,147, 41.0% of Mazda CX-5 listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($26,285) faces the PREMIUM PLUS ($34,222). 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/mazda/cx-5.
Dig deeper
Ford Escape — live listings & specs Mazda CX-5 — live listings & specs Ford Escape prices by year Mazda CX-5 prices by year Ford Escape MPG by year Mazda CX-5 MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.