Compare the2022 Chevrolet EquinoxVS 2020 Dodge Journey

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Equinox are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Journey doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Equinox has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Journey doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

The Equinox offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Journey doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Equinox’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Journey doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Equinox LT/RS/Premier offers an optional Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Journey only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Equinox’s optional blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Journey doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Equinox’s optional cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Journey doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Equinox has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Journey doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Equinox and the Journey have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Dodge Journey:

	Equinox	Journey
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	17%	27%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	250 lbs.
Neck Compression	10 lbs.	14 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	363/349 lbs.	502/600 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	26%	52%
Neck Stress	153 lbs.	164 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	264/236 lbs.	631/373 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Journey:

	Equinox	Journey
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Restraints	GOOD	MARGINAL
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	86	98
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	12 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	22 cm	24 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Femur Force R/L	.7/.1 kN	6.3/2.9 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	22%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Tibia index R/L	.47/.51	.8/.83

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Dodge Journey:

	Equinox	Journey
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	630 lbs.	972 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	16 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Equinox the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 119 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Journey is not a “Top Pick.”

Warranty

The Equinox’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Journey’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 22 percent more Chevrolet dealers than there are Dodge dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Equinox’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Equinox has a standard 700-amp battery. The Journey’s 525-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Equinox’s reliability 38 points higher than the Journey.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Equinox third among compact suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Journey isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 17th.

Engine

The Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (203 vs. 165) than the Journey’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Journey (26 city/31 hwy vs. 19 city/25 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Equinox’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Journey doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Equinox has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Journey doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Equinox higher (7 out of 10) than the Dodge Journey (3). This means the Equinox produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Journey every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

For more complete vehicle control the Equinox has a manually controlled automatic, with the available convenience of an automatic transmission and the complete gear control of a manual transmission without the inconvenience of a clutch. A manually controlled automatic allows the driver to eliminate unwanted shifts and maximize engine braking by down shifting while cornering. The Journey doesn’t offer a transmission that allows complete gear control.

A six-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Equinox, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a four-speed automatic is available for the Journey.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Equinox’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Journey (235/50R19 vs. 225/65R17).

The Equinox’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Journey Crossroad’s 55 series tires.

The Equinox has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Journey doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Equinox Premier handles at .83 G’s, while the Journey AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Equinox Premier executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Journey AWD (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Equinox’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Journey SE Value’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.5 feet).

Chassis

The Chevrolet Equinox may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 550 pounds less than the Dodge Journey.

The Equinox is 9.3 inches shorter than the Journey, making the Equinox easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Equinox offers available electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Journey doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Equinox uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Journey doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Equinox has .1 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room and 3.8 inches more rear legroom than the Journey.

Cargo Capacity

The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume than the Journey with its rear seat up (29.9 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Equinox easier. The Equinox’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the Journey’s liftover is 30.8 inches.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Equinox LT/RS/Premier’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Journey doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Equinox (except LS) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Equinox Premier, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Journey doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Equinox’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Journey’s (1500 vs. 1000 pounds).

The Equinox can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Equinox can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Journey can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Equinox Premier, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Journey doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Equinox Premier’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Journey doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Equinox’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Journey’s parking brake has to released manually.

The Equinox’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Journey’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Equinox’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Journey doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Equinox’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Journey’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Journey only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Equinox’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Journey’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Equinox detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Journey doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

When the Equinox Premier is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Journey’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Equinox Premier’s standard rear view mirror and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Journey has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Equinox and the Journey offer available heated front seats. The Equinox Premier also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the Journey.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Equinox Premier keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Journey doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Equinox LT/RS/Premier offers an optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Journey doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard on the Equinox, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Bluetooth costs extra on the Journey.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Equinox Premier has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Journey doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Equinox Premier’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Journey doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Equinox owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Equinox will cost $690 less than the Journey over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Equinox is less expensive to operate than the Journey because typical repairs cost much less on the Equinox than the Journey, including $417 less for a muffler, $2 less for a fuel pump, $170 less for front struts and $114 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Equinox, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Dodge Journey isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Equinox second among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Journey isn’t in the top three.