2010 Ford Escape MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2010 Ford Escape gets up to 24 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 32 mpg as a hybrid, across 7 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2010 Ford Escape · 7 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

24MPG combined

22 city 28 highway

$2,800 a year to fuel

2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 5-speed manual

Best hybrid version

32MPG combined

34 city 31 highway

$2,100 a year to fuel

2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT

Best version saves $1,500 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.47 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 30, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $2,100 to $3,350 a year.

Fewer complaints than a typical Escape year

The 2010 drew 168 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 178 for a typical Escape year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.

Years to avoid: 2011 and 2013; best years: 2018, 2019, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Escape year ranked The 2010 Escape's recalls and problems

Every 2010 Escape version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Escape Hybrid FWD	32 mpg	34 / 31	$2,100
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · 4WD · CVT EPA listing: Escape Hybrid 4WD	29 mpg	30 / 27	$2,300
Gas
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 5-speed manual EPA listing: Escape FWD	24 mpg	22 / 28	$2,800
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Escape FWD	23 mpg	21 / 28	$2,900
2.5L 4-cyl · 4WD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Escape 4WD	22 mpg	20 / 26	$3,050
3.0L 6-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Escape FWD FFV · Flex-fuel (E85)	21 mpg	19 / 25	$3,200
3.0L 6-cyl · 4WD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Escape 4WD FFV · Flex-fuel (E85)	20 mpg	18 / 23	$3,350

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.47 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT	$2,095	$175	$10,477
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · 4WD · CVT	$2,312	$193	$11,560
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 5-speed manual	$2,794	$233	$13,969
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,915	$243	$14,576
2.5L 4-cyl · 4WD · 6-speed automatic	$3,048	$254	$15,239
3.0L 6-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$3,193	$266	$15,964
3.0L 6-cyl · 4WD · 6-speed automatic	$3,352	$279	$16,762

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Does the hybrid pay for itself? See the payback for every model sold both ways.

Ford Escape MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 24 to 30 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); 30 since 2020. Hybrid: 32 to 41 mpg (2010 to 2012, 2020 to 2026); highest in 2020.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2010: gas 24 mpg · hybrid 32 mpg

Show as a table

Ford Escape best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2010	24	32
2011	25	32
2012	25	32
2013	26	–
2014	26	–
2015	26	–
2016	26	–
2017	26	–
2018	26	–
2019	26	–
2020	30	41
2021	30	41
2022	30	41
2023	30	39
2024	30	39
2025	30	39
2026	30	39

Every Escape year's ratings in one table

How the 2010 Escape compares

2010 compact SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2010 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Ford Escape This page Best: hybrid	32 mpg	24 mpg	$2,100
Hyundai Tucson Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,600
Chevrolet Equinox Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,600
GMC Terrain Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,600
Jeep Compass Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,700
Toyota RAV4 Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,800
Honda CR-V Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,800
Nissan Rogue Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,800
Subaru Outback Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,800
Subaru Forester Best: gas	22 mpg	22 mpg	$3,050
Kia Sportage Best: gas	22 mpg	22 mpg	$3,050
Volkswagen Tiguan Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,900

2010 Escape recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 2,129 owner complaints for the 2010 Escape.

Owners most often describe loss of power (412 complaints, 19%), then stalling (387).

See the 2010 Escape recalls and problems

Questions

Does 4WD lower the 2010 Ford Escape's gas mileage?

Yes. On versions that differ only in drive, 4WD lowers the combined rating by 1 to 3 mpg: the 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid gets 32 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 29 with 4WD.

How much fuel does the 2010 Escape hybrid save?

Comparing AWD or 4WD versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.47 a gallon), the hybrid costs $2,300 a year to fuel against $3,050 for the gas model: $750 a year, or $3,750 over five years.

Does the 2010 Ford Escape need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2010 Ford Escape version on regular gasoline.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 29, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.47, midgrade $5.07, premium $5.48, diesel $6.38 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Oct 2, 2026 and complaint file dated Oct 2, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.