Compare the2022 BMW X1VS 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The BMW X1 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer knee airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X1’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Equinox doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The X1’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the X1 and the Equinox 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the BMW X1 is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	X1	Equinox
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	376
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches

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

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 BMW X1 is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	X1	Equinox
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	154 G’s	195 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	193	288
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	278	377
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	40 G’s

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the X1 is .7% to 4.2% less likely to roll over than the Equinox.

Warranty

The X1 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Equinox’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X1’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X1 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Equinox.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 12th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 5 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The X1’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 58 more horsepower (228 vs. 170) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the BMW X1 is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	X1	Equinox
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	8.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.1 sec	26.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.3 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	83 MPH
Top Speed	129 MPH	124 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the X1’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Equinox doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The X1 has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox FWD’s standard fuel tank (16.1 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the BMW X1, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Equinox.

The X1’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Equinox doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X1’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox:

	X1	Equinox
Front Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	11.3 inches

The X1’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Equinox are solid, not vented.

The X1 stops much shorter than the Equinox:

	X1	Equinox
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	134 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The X1’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LS/LT’s standard 65 series tires. The X1’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Equinox’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X1 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Equinox LS/LT.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the X1 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Equinox doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The X1 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the X1 flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The X1 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The X1 xDrive28i handles at .87 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The X1 xDrive28i executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Equinox LT AWD (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

The X1 is 7.6 inches shorter than the Equinox, making the X1 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The X1 has 1.9 inches more front headroom and .9 inches more rear headroom than the Equinox.

Cargo Capacity

The X1’s cargo area is larger than the Equinox’s in almost every dimension:

	X1	Equinox
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	35.1”/69”	34.9”/67.4”
Max Width	51.5”	53.7”
Min Width	39.5”	40.7”
Height	33”	31”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the X1. The Equinox doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The X1 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Equinox uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks BMW 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 15% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 19th.

Ergonomics

The X1 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The X1’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Equinox’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the X1 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Equinox can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The X1 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Equinox doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The X1’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Equinox’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X1 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Equinox doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The X1 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Equinox and isn’t available on the Equinox LS.

The X1’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Equinox LS doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the X1 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the X1 with a number “3” insurance rate while the Equinox is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the X1 is less expensive to operate than the Equinox because it costs $500 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the X1 than the Equinox, including $71 less for front brake pads and $114 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

The X1 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 5 years. The Equinox has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.