Ford Escape vs Mazda CX-5: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $23,998 against $27,500 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 $22,981 vs the SELECT PACKAGE at $24,950; 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 Mazda CX-5 SELECT PACKAGE ($24,950); the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE (37.7% of Ford Escape listings) and the PREFERRED PACKAGE (27.4% of Mazda CX-5 listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,695) faces the PREMIUM PLUS PACKAGE ($28,830). 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 | $21,012 | 0.4% | SELECT PACKAGECheapest | $24,950 | 14.0% |
| ACTIVEMost popularCheapest | $22,981 | 37.7% | CX-5 | $26,065 | 3.5% |
| ST LINE | $24,370 | 36.4% | PREFERRED PACKAGEMost popular | $26,264 | 27.4% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $25,987 | 8.3% | SELECT | $26,963 | 10.6% |
| PLATINUM | $26,941 | 11.8% | PREMIUM PACKAGE | $27,923 | 7.0% |
| PHEVPriciest | $27,695 | 3.2% | PREFERRED | $27,955 | 26.7% |
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,489 | 2.2% | PREMIUM PLUS PACKAGEPriciest | $28,830 | 3.8% |
| — | SIGNATURE | $31,386 | 2.7% | ||
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 | $30,098 | $35,464 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,366 | 26–40 MPG | 26 MPG |
| 2025 | $25,189 | $27,500 | Mazda CX-5 +$2,311 | 26–40 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,998 | $26,411 | Mazda CX-5 +$2,413 | 26–39 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2023 | $23,708 | $26,198 | Mazda CX-5 +$2,490 | 26–40 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2022 | $20,903 | $24,351 | Mazda CX-5 +$3,448 | 26–41 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2021 | $17,736 | $22,777 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,041 | 26–41 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,517 | $20,528 | Mazda CX-5 +$4,011 | 26–41 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2019 | $13,989 | $19,581 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,592 | 23–26 MPG | 24–29 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,995 | $17,518 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,523 | 23–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,936 | $16,690 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,754 | 23–26 MPG | 26–27 MPG |
| 2016 | $9,450 | $14,603 | Mazda CX-5 +$5,153 | 23–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2015 | $8,962 | $12,995 | Mazda CX-5 +$4,033 | 23–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2014 | $8,194 | $10,999 | Mazda CX-5 +$2,805 | 24–26 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2013 | $7,502 | $9,995 | Mazda CX-5 +$2,493 | 24–26 MPG | 27–29 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 Mazda CX-5?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Escape is cheaper: it typically lists for $23,998 versus $27,500 for the Mazda CX-5 (national medians, July 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 8.2 recalls per model year for the Ford Escape and 1.4 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 $22,981 vs $24,950 for a Mazda CX-5 SELECT PACKAGE; the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE ($22,981, 37.7% of Ford Escape listings) and the PREFERRED PACKAGE ($26,264, 27.4% of Mazda CX-5 listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,695) faces the PREMIUM PLUS PACKAGE ($28,830). 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.