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One of the most popular vehicles on the market today, the Chevy Equinox is a familiar sight on roads everywhere. That’s good news for anyone shopping for a used example, but it’s certainly not the only popular vehicle available, and you might be wondering how shopping for an Equinox compares to shopping for some of the other popular SUVs you’re likely to come across. We put together this guide to show how the competition measures up.
Chevrolet Equinox VS GMC Terrain
The Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain are built on the same platform, and are powered by the same engine. It would be understandable to think that choosing between the two is simply a matter of aesthetics, but that isn’t quite the case. For one thing, there is the price. The Equinox starts at $27,995, compared to the $31,695 starting MSRP of the Terrain. In fact, moving up just one trim level on the Terrain, to the most popular SLT trim, puts the price at $34, 095, more than the price of the fully loaded Equinox Premier, which comes in at $33,195. One of the big reasons for this is scale, Chevrolet sells 3 to 4 units of the Equinox for every 1 that GMC sells of the Terrain. That keeps the price down when new, and is also excellent news for used shoppers. Because not only is the price going to lower, but you’ll find a much, much better used selection for the Equinox.
Chevrolet Equinox VS Mazda CX-5
Mazda marketing really emphasizes performance, and a more enthusiast-minded shopper might assume that the CX-5 is going to be faster and more powerful than the Equinox. But the truth is that the two are on roughly equal footing in this department, the CX-5 has a bit more horsepower, while the Equinox has a bit more torque. Actual differences between the two include cargo space, an important thing to consider in a smaller vehicle where space comes at a premium. The Equinox has a max cargo space of 63.9 cubic feet, to the CX-5’s 59.3 cubic feet, a clear advantage for the Equinox. Price is once again an area where the Equinox comes out ahead, with an advantage of about a thousand dollars when new. But once again, when considering used examples, we have to look at production numbers, and you’re likely to find about twice as many used examples of the Equinox as you will of the CX-5. That mix of better price and better selection is always a massive advantage.
Chevrolet Equinox VS Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is finally a popular enough model that it can match the selection of the Equinox. That would be a big win if it wasn’t also noticeably more expensive. In fact, the price problem is worse than it seems at first with the CR-V. Base price starts at about three thousand dollars more than the Equinox, but it jumps up significantly if you actually want any equipment with this. This is because all but the bottom two trims use a more expensive hybrid drivetrain, and you don’t get a choice in that matter. The CR-V is the most expensive vehicle in this comparison, the only one to offer a trim that exceeds $40,000.
Selecting one of the cheaper trims doesn’t really give you an advantage either. Like the Mazda, the CR-V has a bit more horsepower than the Equinox, but a bit less torque. This remains true for the hybrid as well. Front-wheel drive is standard on both, and the Honda has the distinct disadvantage of coming with a CVT rather than a standard automatic transmission. Making for a much duller driving experience. And although the selection for the CR-V might be pretty good on the used market, it is a subject that needs addressing. The most popular trim of the CR-V is the EX-L, which is priced at $35,995 when new. That’s more than five thousand dollars more expensive than the most popular Equinox trim, and close to two thousand more than the top Equinox trim. So, even though the CR-V is popular enough to make for a good selection, the pricing and equipment don’t make this quite as attractive a used purchase as one would hope for.
Chevrolet Certified Pre-Owned
One of the big advantages offered by the Equinox is the Chevrolet Pre-Owned program, which offers real peace of mind in the used vehicle marketplace. Used Chevrolet vehicles that are less than 6 model years old and have fewer than 75,000 miles on them are eligible for this program. They have to have a clean title, all safety recalls are performed, and it must have a clean title. Following this, the vehicle has to pass a 172-point inspection, and only then can be certified. This alone is a major advantage, but CPO vehicles also come with a 6-year / 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and a 12-month / 12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. And if you decide to sell the vehicle before the warranty is over, it’s transferable, thus improving resale value. There are even benefits for connected services like OnStar and SiriusXM, with trial periods that let you sample them before you decide whether or not to subscribe long-term.
