Ford Escape vs Toyota Highlander: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $23,998 against $42,874 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 $22,981 vs the LE at $35,298; 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 Toyota Highlander LE ($35,298); the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE (37.7% of Ford Escape listings) and the XLE (73.0% of Toyota Highlander listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,695) faces the PLATINUM ($51,045). 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 | $21,012 | 0.4% | LECheapest | $35,298 | 5.2% |
| ACTIVEMost popularCheapest | $22,981 | 37.7% | XLEMost popular | $39,469 | 73.0% |
| ST LINE | $24,370 | 36.4% | LIMITED | $45,394 | 9.5% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $25,987 | 8.3% | PLATINUMPriciest | $51,045 | 12.3% |
| PLATINUM | $26,941 | 11.8% | — | ||
| PHEVPriciest | $27,695 | 3.2% | — | ||
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,489 | 2.2% | — | ||
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 | $30,098 | $51,682 | Toyota Highlander +$21,584 | 26–40 MPG | 24–35 MPG |
| 2025 | $25,189 | $42,874 | Toyota Highlander +$17,685 | 26–40 MPG | 24–35 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,998 | $39,128 | Toyota Highlander +$15,130 | 26–39 MPG | 24–36 MPG |
| 2023 | $23,708 | $36,999 | Toyota Highlander +$13,291 | 26–40 MPG | 24–36 MPG |
| 2022 | $20,903 | $33,998 | Toyota Highlander +$13,095 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2021 | $17,736 | $31,025 | Toyota Highlander +$13,289 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,517 | $28,948 | Toyota Highlander +$12,431 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2019 | $13,989 | $25,000 | Toyota Highlander +$11,011 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,995 | $22,968 | Toyota Highlander +$10,973 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,936 | $21,237 | Toyota Highlander +$10,301 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2016 | $9,450 | $18,999 | Toyota Highlander +$9,549 | 23–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2015 | $8,962 | $16,999 | Toyota Highlander +$8,037 | 23–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2014 | $8,194 | $16,195 | Toyota Highlander +$8,001 | 24–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2013 | $7,502 | $12,997 | Toyota Highlander +$5,495 | 24–26 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,995 | $12,299 | Toyota Highlander +$5,304 | 20–25 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2011 | $6,250 | $10,998 | Toyota Highlander +$4,748 | 20–25 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2010 | $5,788 | $9,965 | Toyota Highlander +$4,177 | 20–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,995 | $8,200 | Toyota Highlander +$2,205 | 20–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2008 | $5,199 | $8,613 | Toyota Highlander +$3,414 | 19–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2007 | $5,188 | $7,988 | Toyota Highlander +$2,800 | 19–23 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,892 | $6,820 | Toyota Highlander +$1,928 | 19–23 MPG | 19–27 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,973 | $6,685 | Toyota Highlander +$1,712 | 17–24 MPG | 19–22 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 Toyota Highlander?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Escape is cheaper: it typically lists for $23,998 versus $42,874 for the Toyota Highlander (national medians, July 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 8.2 recalls per model year for the Ford Escape and 5.0 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 $22,981 vs $35,298 for a Toyota Highlander LE; the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE ($22,981, 37.7% of Ford Escape listings) and the XLE ($39,469, 73.0% of Toyota Highlander listings); at the top of the market, the PHEV ($27,695) faces the PLATINUM ($51,045). 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.