2005 Ford Escape/2005 Mazda Tribute
In standard guise, these front-wheel-drive twins feature a 153-horsepower, 2.3 liter four cylinder engine, a five-speed manual transmission and 66.3 cubic feet of available cargo room. The EPA estimates mileage to be 24 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. Four-wheel-drive versions of the Escape and Tribute are a bit less thrifty, registering only 22/26 mpg. Expect to pay about $20,000 (before incentives) for the base model Ford Escape or Mazda Tribute.