2026 head-to-head · Small SUV
2026 Ford Escape vs Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid
MPG, range and what each one really costs you to fuel, from official EPA ratings and recalculated with your own gas and electricity prices.
FWD · 2.5L 4-cyl · CVT · 101 MPGe + 40 MPG
The 2026 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid is the cheaper one to run. Driving 15,000 miles a year with $3.10/gal regular gas and 18¢/kWh electricity, it costs about $985 a year to fuel (101 MPGe + 40 MPG), versus $1,550 for the 2026 Ford Escape (30 MPG). That's roughly $565 a year, or about $2,827 over five years.
Your numbers
Change these to match your driving and local prices. Every figure and chart on this page updates.
Fuel cost over 10 years
- Ford Escape
- Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid
Side by side
| Ford Escape | Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,550 | Your annual fuel cost | $985 |
| 30 MPG | Combined efficiency | 101 MPGe + 40 MPG |
| 27 MPG | City | 111 MPGe / 42 MPG |
| 34 MPG | Highway | 91 MPGe / 37 MPG |
| — | Electricity use (kWh/100 mi) | 33 kWh |
| — | Driving range | 520 mi |
| — | All-electric range | 37 mi |
| 298 g/mi | Tailpipe CO₂ (g/mi) | 222 g/mi |
| 6/10 | EPA fuel economy score | 8/10 |
| 6/10 | EPA greenhouse gas score | 9/10 |
| — | Charge time at 240V | 3.2 hrs |
| Gas | Powertrain | Plug-in hybrid |
| Regular gasoline | Fuel | Regular gas + electricity |
| 1.5L 3-cyl turbo | Engine / motor | 2.5L 4-cyl |
| 8-speed automatic | Transmission | CVT |
| FWD | Drivetrain | FWD |
✓ marks the better value. EPA scores run 1–10 (10 is best). Volumes come from the EPA interior volume index and aren't published for every body style.
Ford Escape vs Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid across model years
- Ford Escape
- Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid
Annual fuel cost of the most efficient configuration of each model year, at your prices. Click a point to open that year.
How they differ
Among 114 2026 small SUVs, the Ford Escape ranks 52nd and the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid 24th for lowest fuel cost.
The powertrains differ: the Ford Escape is a conventional gas model, while the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more fuel-efficient, the 2026 Ford Escape or the 2026 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid?
Measured by cost to drive, the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid. The Ford Escape is rated 30 MPG combined and the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid 101 MPGe + 40 MPG (EPA, most efficient configuration of each).
How much does it cost to fuel the 2026 Ford Escape vs. the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid per year?
At 15,000 miles a year with $3.10/gal regular gas and 18¢/kWh electricity, about $1,550 for the Ford Escape and $985 for the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid.
Ford Escape vs Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid in other years
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