2026 Escape Price & Lease

MSRP by trim, without the guesswork

Six trims, and three of them carry two different starting prices depending on the engine — worth sorting out before falling for a number tied to the wrong powertrain. Active starts at $30,350 and ST-Line at $31,195, both 1.5L EcoBoost only, no engine choice involved. ST-Line Select splits: $33,890 for the AWD hybrid, $35,015 for the 2.0L EcoBoost AWD. Platinum splits the same way at $36,215 hybrid versus $37,940 EcoBoost. ST-Line Elite has the widest gap of any trim — $37,210 hybrid versus $38,935 EcoBoost, a $1,725 spread. The Plug-In Hybrid stands alone at $35,400 with no engine choice to make. Every figure here excludes the $1,495 destination charge that applies across the board.

What Florida and Polk County add on top

Florida's state sales tax on a new-vehicle purchase is 6%. Polk County layers its own discretionary surtax on top of that state rate, but Florida law caps how that county surtax applies to big-ticket items like vehicles: it's charged only on the first $5,000 of the sales price, not the full transaction amount — a detail that catches some buyers off guard when they run the math themselves. Beyond tax, expect standard title and registration fees plus any dealer documentation fee. Florida doesn't levy an annual ad valorem property tax on vehicles the way some states do, which works in a Florida buyer's favor over time compared with certain other markets.

Lease or buy on an outgoing model year

Leasing a vehicle in its final production year has one specific wrinkle worth thinking through: resale and trade-in values on an outgoing generation can move differently than they would mid-cycle, since there's no newer version of the same nameplate to anchor comparisons against once it's gone. A shorter lease term locks in today's numbers and hands that resale uncertainty to the leasing company, which is the appeal for buyers who'd rather not think about it. Buying makes more sense for anyone planning to keep the Escape well past a typical lease term, since it sidesteps mileage caps that don't always fit a Lakeland-to-Tampa commute pattern. Either way, ask Lakeland Automall for lease terms specific to the trim and powertrain in question — incentives on a final-model-year vehicle can shift faster than usual as inventory works down.

Financing across three brands, one finance office

Because Lakeland Automall runs Ford, Hyundai, and Genesis financing through the same in-house team, a buyer comparing an Escape against something on the Hyundai side of the lot doesn't have to restart the credit conversation with a different lender relationship. The dealer group advertises financing options for all credit tiers, not just prime buyers, and a trade-in appraisal can be handled in the same visit as financing. Alice W., a repeat customer on her third vehicle from the dealer group, described the relationship this way in a Google review: "This was the 3rd vehicle I bought from Lakeland Auto, I was originally with a different Ford dealer in Plant City but they could not compare to Lakeland Auto. You have a forever customer with me and my husband."

Current offers

Specials on a final-model-year vehicle change often enough that any specific number quoted here would likely be stale by the time it's read. Treat published offers as a starting point, not a locked-in quote, and confirm the live current offer directly with Lakeland Automall's Ford sales team before budgeting around it.

Frequently asked questions

Does the MSRP include the destination charge?

No — every trim price on this page, and on Ford's own site, excludes the $1,495 destination charge that applies to every 2026 Escape regardless of trim. Add it before comparing against any "starting sticker price" figure that already bundles it in.

Is the Escape's hybrid engine really cheaper than the gas engine?

On ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite, yes — the AWD hybrid starts below the equivalent 2.0L EcoBoost AWD version on all three. The Plug-In Hybrid doesn't follow that same structure since it's a standalone trim with no engine choice.

How does Polk County's vehicle sales tax work?

Florida's base state sales tax on vehicle purchases is 6%. Polk County's discretionary surtax applies on top, but only to the first $5,000 of the sale price under Florida law — confirm the current combined rate with Lakeland Automall's finance office, since county surtax rates can change.

Should I buy now given the Escape is being discontinued?

If this specific generation of Escape is what you want, sooner is the safer call — inventory won't be replenished once current stock and remaining 2026 production sell through. Buyers open to Ford's other compact and midsize SUVs can look at the Bronco Sport or Explorer, both unaffected by the Escape's production timeline.

Get a real number

The only reliable price is the one Lakeland Automall quotes today — check current new inventory or start with financing pre-approval before a showroom visit if you'd rather have that squared away first.