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Ford Escape vs Subaru Forester

2026 Ford Escape vs 2026 Subaru Forester — two small SUVs compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.

Ford Escape

2026 Ford Escape

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WDAWD/4WDHybrid/EV
VS4 – 2Ford Escape wins 4 of 6 categories
Subaru Forester

2026 Subaru Forester

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WDAWD/4WDHybrid/EV

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The short version

The Ford Escape is more fuel-efficient: 40 vs 35 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $200 a year less in fuel for the Ford Escape (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Subaru Forester is the bigger car, about 3 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the Subaru Forester has had fewer recall campaigns (39 vs 84).

The two cars

The 2026 Ford Escape is a small SUV offered with 3 engines (2.5L 4-cyl, 1.5L 3-cyl turbo and 2.0L 4-cyl turbo), including a hybrid version and front-wheel drive, part-time 4-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 181 inches long and 74 inches wide on a 107-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,419 lb (4dr SUV 1.5l AWD).

The 2026 Subaru Forester is a small SUV offered with a 2.5L 4-cyl engine, including a hybrid version and all-wheel drive. It measures about 184 inches long and 72 inches wide on a 105-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,580 lb.

Buying used? The 2024 Escape and the 2024 Forester have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2017 Escape and the 2019 Forester.

Basics

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Class
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Plug-in Hybrid, Hybrid, Regular Gasoline
Fuel
Hybrid, Regular Gasoline
2.5L 4-cyl, 1.5L 3-cyl turbo, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo
Engines
2.5L 4-cyl
Front-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive

Efficiency

40 MPG
Best combined MPG
35 MPG
42 city
City / highway MPG (best)
35 city
$1,700
Fuel cost per year (EPA)
$1,900

Performance & space

–
Horsepower (most powerful)
180 hp
–
Seats (most)
5
180.7 in
Length
183.5 in
74 in
Width
72 in
66.1 in
Height
68.1 in
3,283 lb
Curb weight (lightest)
3,580 lb

Safety & reliability

11
Driver-assist features standard
14
3
Recalls (2026)
4
84
Recalls, all years since 2005
39
4
Owner complaints (latest year)
32

Interest

17,453
Wikipedia views, 30 days
21,870

Buying used

2024
Best used year
2024
2017
Year to avoid
2019

Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Ford Escape if…

  • You want lower fuel bills (40 vs 35 MPG)

Choose the Subaru Forester if…

  • You want more standard driver-assist tech
  • You put reliability history first (39 vs 84 recalls since 2005)

Pros & cons of each

2026 Ford Escape

  • Excellent fuel economyUp to 40 MPG combined — 32% better than the average 2026 small SUV (30.2 MPG).
  • Hybrid version availableOffered as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid as well as gas.
  • AWD / 4WD available
  • Lots of standard safety tech4 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.

2026 Subaru Forester

  • Excellent fuel economyUp to 35 MPG combined — 35% better than the average 2026 small SUV (25.9 MPG).
  • Hybrid version availableOffered as a hybrid as well as gas.
  • Lots of standard safety tech5 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
  • "Do not drive" recallCheck that the recall repair was done before buying or driving.

Full 2026 Ford Escape specs →Full 2026 Subaru Forester specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →