2020 Ford Escape hybrid fuel economy announced

The front-drive model just edges out the RAV4 Hybrid in combined fuel economy

Fuel economy for the 2020 Ford Escape hybrid has been revealed, and it's impressive. The most frugal variant is the front-drive model, which delivers a whopping 44 mpg in the city, 37 on the highway and 41 in combined driving. The all-wheel-drive version's city fuel economy dips to 43, highway economy stays the same, and combined is 40.

These numbers put the Escape hybrid right inline with current and upcoming non-plug-in hybrid competition. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which is only available with all-wheel drive, ties the all-wheel-drive Escape's 40 mpg combined rating. Highway economy is slightly worse at 41 mpg, and city fuel economy is slightly better at 38 mpg. The upcoming Honda CR-V Hybrid doesn't have official numbers yet, but estimates put it at potentially 42 mpg combined on the highway with all-wheel drive and 40 combined with front-wheel drive. The Kia Niro is the king of the segment for fuel economy, with its least-efficient Touring model getting 43 mpg combined, and its most efficient FE getting 50. However, it doesn't offer all-wheel drive at all, and it's a bit smaller than the other competitors listed here. The Nissan Rogue hybrid was discontinued for the 2020 model year, but 2019 models are likely still lurking, and they sit well behind the Ford, Toyota and Honda with a combined fuel economy of 34 mpg with front-wheel drive, and 33 with all-wheel drive.

When it comes to pricing, the Toyota has a lower base price at $29,220, which includes all-wheel drive. The Ford Escape starts at $29,450 for the front-wheel-drive version, and the all-wheel-drive model starts at $30,950.