Ford Escape vs Toyota Highlander: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $23,766 against $43,313 for the Toyota Highlander (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Ford Escape takes fuel economy (24 MPG combined vs 23 MPG); the Toyota Highlander 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 $21,994 vs the LE at $33,749; 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 ($21,994) faces the Toyota Highlander LE ($33,749); the most common trims on the market are the ST LINE (36.6% of Ford Escape listings) and the XLE (63.5% of Toyota Highlander listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,888) faces the PLATINUM ($52,058). 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 | Toyota Highlander | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| BASE | $18,362 | 0.4% | LECheapest | $33,749 | 5.3% |
| ACTIVECheapest | $21,994 | 35.9% | XLEMost popular | $39,444 | 63.5% |
| ST LINEMost popular | $23,372 | 36.6% | HV SPECIAL EDITION | $40,594 | 2.7% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $24,497 | 12.2% | LIMITED | $44,499 | 12.7% |
| PLATINUM | $26,260 | 10.1% | PLATINUMPriciest | $52,058 | 15.7% |
| PHEVPriciest | $27,888 | 3.0% | — | ||
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,038 | 1.9% | — | ||
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 · Toyota Highlander prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Escape typical | Toyota Highlander typical | Difference | Ford Escape MPG | Toyota Highlander MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $27,285 | $49,984 | Toyota Highlander +$22,699 | 26–40 MPG | 24–35 MPG |
| 2025 | $23,766 | $43,313 | Toyota Highlander +$19,547 | 26–40 MPG | 24–35 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,377 | $39,214 | Toyota Highlander +$15,837 | 26–39 MPG | 24–36 MPG |
| 2023 | $22,999 | $35,998 | Toyota Highlander +$12,999 | 26–40 MPG | 24–36 MPG |
| 2022 | $19,191 | $32,647 | Toyota Highlander +$13,456 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2021 | $16,577 | $30,246 | Toyota Highlander +$13,669 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2020 | $15,500 | $28,458 | Toyota Highlander +$12,958 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2019 | $13,007 | $23,998 | Toyota Highlander +$10,991 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,368 | $21,998 | Toyota Highlander +$10,630 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,100 | $20,471 | Toyota Highlander +$10,371 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2016 | $8,900 | $18,380 | Toyota Highlander +$9,480 | 23–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2015 | $7,995 | $16,900 | Toyota Highlander +$8,905 | 23–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2014 | $7,795 | $15,900 | Toyota Highlander +$8,105 | 24–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2013 | $6,995 | $12,876 | Toyota Highlander +$5,881 | 24–26 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,891 | $12,098 | Toyota Highlander +$5,207 | 20–25 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2011 | $5,995 | $10,733 | Toyota Highlander +$4,738 | 20–25 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2010 | $5,990 | $9,521 | Toyota Highlander +$3,531 | 20–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,500 | $8,895 | Toyota Highlander +$3,395 | 20–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2008 | $4,999 | $8,257 | Toyota Highlander +$3,258 | 19–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2007 | $4,845 | $7,095 | Toyota Highlander +$2,250 | 19–23 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,643 | $6,497 | Toyota Highlander +$1,854 | 19–23 MPG | 19–27 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,294 | $5,600 | Toyota Highlander +$1,306 | 17–24 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2004 | $4,900 | $6,479 | Toyota Highlander +$1,579 | 18–22 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2003 | $4,209 | $5,747 | Toyota Highlander +$1,538 | 18–22 MPG | 18–22 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 Toyota Highlander?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Escape is cheaper: it typically lists for $23,766 versus $43,313 for the Toyota Highlander (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Escape or Toyota Highlander?
The Ford Escape: its typical rated version returns 24 MPG combined versus 23 MPG for the Toyota Highlander (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ford Escape or Toyota Highlander?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Toyota Highlander 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 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA lists an average of 8.3 recalls per model year for the Ford Escape and 4.8 for the Toyota Highlander — an edge for the Toyota Highlander. 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 $21,994 vs $33,749 for a Toyota Highlander LE; the most common trims on the market are the ST LINE ($23,372, 36.6% of Ford Escape listings) and the XLE ($39,444, 63.5% of Toyota Highlander listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,888) faces the PLATINUM ($52,058). 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/toyota/highlander.
Dig deeper
Ford Escape — live listings & specs Toyota Highlander — live listings & specs Ford Escape prices by year Toyota Highlander prices by year Ford Escape MPG by year Toyota Highlander MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.