Compare the2023 Honda CR-V HybridVS 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V Hybrid are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V Hybrid deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V Hybrid’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Equinox’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

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

Both the CR-V Hybrid 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, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

The CR-V Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V Hybrid for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Equinox.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 12 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 34 more horsepower (204 vs. 170) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V Hybrid gets better mileage than the Equinox:

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

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Equinox doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the CR-V Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox:

For better traction, the CR-V Hybrid has larger tires than the Equinox (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LS/LT’s standard 65 series tires.

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

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V Hybrid is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Equinox.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V Hybrid’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the Equinox’s (37.3 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The CR-V Hybrid’s turning circle is 4.3 feet tighter than the Equinox RS’ (37.3 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CR-V Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the CR-V Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The CR-V Hybrid has .4 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 29.9 cubic feet). The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 63.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V Hybrid easier. The CR-V Hybrid’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Equinox’s liftover is 28.6 inches.

The CR-V Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Equinox’s in every dimension:

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

The CR-V Hybrid 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.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard front power windows 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 front passenger window doesn’t close automatically. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Equinox’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid’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.

The CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 21 years. The Equinox has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Equinox has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Chevrolet Equinox by 68% during the 2021 model year.