Ford Escape vs Toyota Highlander: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Ford Escape typically lists for $24,600 against $43,496 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 $22,490 vs the LE at $34,492; 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 ($22,490) faces the Toyota Highlander LE ($34,492); the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE (37.2% of Ford Escape listings) and the XLE (69.8% of Toyota Highlander listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($26,797) faces the PLATINUM ($52,510). 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 | $20,063 | 0.4% | LECheapest | $34,492 | 4.7% |
| ACTIVEMost popularCheapest | $22,490 | 37.2% | XLEMost popular | $39,352 | 69.8% |
| ST LINE | $23,962 | 36.0% | LIMITED | $44,724 | 11.4% |
| ST LINE SELECT | $25,329 | 10.0% | PLATINUMPriciest | $52,510 | 14.0% |
| PLATINUMPriciest | $26,797 | 11.4% | — | ||
| ST LINE ELITE | $28,364 | 2.1% | — | ||
| PHEV | $28,730 | 2.9% | — | ||
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 | $28,948 | $50,424 | Toyota Highlander +$21,476 | 26–40 MPG | 24–35 MPG |
| 2025 | $24,600 | $43,496 | Toyota Highlander +$18,896 | 26–40 MPG | 24–35 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,654 | $39,348 | Toyota Highlander +$15,694 | 26–39 MPG | 24–36 MPG |
| 2023 | $23,489 | $36,509 | Toyota Highlander +$13,020 | 26–40 MPG | 24–36 MPG |
| 2022 | $20,000 | $33,350 | Toyota Highlander +$13,350 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2021 | $16,996 | $30,785 | Toyota Highlander +$13,789 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,001 | $28,608 | Toyota Highlander +$12,607 | 26–41 MPG | 23–36 MPG |
| 2019 | $13,488 | $24,743 | Toyota Highlander +$11,255 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2018 | $11,788 | $22,680 | Toyota Highlander +$10,892 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,495 | $20,990 | Toyota Highlander +$10,495 | 23–26 MPG | 22–29 MPG |
| 2016 | $8,999 | $18,515 | Toyota Highlander +$9,516 | 23–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2015 | $8,190 | $17,010 | Toyota Highlander +$8,820 | 23–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2014 | $7,948 | $15,999 | Toyota Highlander +$8,051 | 24–26 MPG | 20–28 MPG |
| 2013 | $6,999 | $12,995 | Toyota Highlander +$5,996 | 24–26 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,892 | $11,995 | Toyota Highlander +$5,103 | 20–25 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2011 | $5,923 | $10,990 | Toyota Highlander +$5,067 | 20–25 MPG | 19–28 MPG |
| 2010 | $5,500 | $9,800 | Toyota Highlander +$4,300 | 20–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,650 | $8,499 | Toyota Highlander +$2,849 | 20–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2008 | $5,450 | $8,199 | Toyota Highlander +$2,749 | 19–24 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2007 | $4,923 | $7,390 | Toyota Highlander +$2,467 | 19–23 MPG | 19–26 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,970 | $6,495 | Toyota Highlander +$1,525 | 19–23 MPG | 19–27 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,250 | $6,349 | Toyota Highlander +$2,099 | 17–24 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2003 | $3,849 | $5,737 | Toyota Highlander +$1,888 | 18–22 MPG | 18–22 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 Toyota Highlander?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Escape is cheaper: it typically lists for $24,600 versus $43,496 for the Toyota Highlander (national medians, August 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 $22,490 vs $34,492 for a Toyota Highlander LE; the most common trims on the market are the ACTIVE ($22,490, 37.2% of Ford Escape listings) and the XLE ($39,352, 69.8% of Toyota Highlander listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($26,797) faces the PLATINUM ($52,510). 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.