My resounding vote is for the Forester, despite the fact that is not a domestic car. My father-in-law has the 2012 model and gets just under 30 mph driving hilly country roads in upstate New York. For some reason the newest Forester is a labeled a 2014, which will result in increased trade-in value down the road than if you are trading a 2013 Escape. The Forester has been redesigned and has a more comfortable interior with excellent leg and cargo room and visibility. I've looked at the Escape and don't think it's quite as good in any of these categories. I would be very surprised if you would notice any disadvantage to the standard 170 hp engine size, especially in flat Florida. Check out the edmunds.com website and do a comparison of the two vehicles, including all of the different options available at the various price points. I think you will agree that study makes the Forester look like a a better buy as well. Congrats on trying to be really well informed! Consider getting price quotes from Edmunds or Consumer Reports and showing at dealers fully armed on one of the last couple of days of the month. Good luck!!
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