Ford Escape vs Kia Sportage: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Kia Sportage burns about $1,450 of fuel annually against $1,500 for the Ford Escape. That $50 yearly gap compounds to roughly $250 over five years and $400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Ford Escape is the stronger commuter at 44 mpg city, while the Kia Sportage pulls ahead on the interstate at 44 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Ford Escape is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (Hybrid, SIDI & PFI, PHEV), the Kia Sportage with 4 (SIDI; PHEV, SIDI & PFI, SIDI; Hybrid). Across 68 recorded Ford Escape configurations and 69 for the Kia Sportage, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Ford Escape is offered with Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Kia Sportage with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Ford Escape emits 52 g/mile of CO2 versus 55 g/mile for the Kia Sportage. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.