Compare the2023 Chevrolet EquinoxVS 2023 Volvo XC40

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 XC40 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Equinox and the XC40 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 Volvo XC40:

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 Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Volvo XC40:

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

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Equinox 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC40. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC40 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 10 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Equinox first among compact suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The XC40 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 109 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 33rd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volvo is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 1 place higher in reliability than Volvo.

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox gets better mileage than the XC40:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Equinox uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XC40 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Equinox AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the XC40 (15.6 vs. 14.2 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Equinox higher (7 out of 10) than the Volvo XC40 (5). This means the Equinox produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XC40 every 15,000 miles.

The Equinox stops much shorter than the XC40:

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 XC40 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Equinox’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the XC40’s (57.9% to 42.1%). This gives the Equinox more stable handling and braking.

The Equinox Premier AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the XC40 B5 Plus AWD pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Equinox Premier executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XC40 B5 Plus AWD (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

The Chevrolet Equinox may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 pounds less than the Volvo XC40.

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 XC40 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 XC40 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Equinox has 5.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC40 (103.2 vs. 98).

The Equinox has 1 inch more front headroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room and 3.8 inches more rear legroom than the XC40.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Equinox’s rear seats recline. The XC40’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC40 with its rear seat up (29.9 vs. 20.4 cubic feet). The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC40 with its rear seat folded (63.9 vs. 57.5 cubic feet).

The Equinox’s cargo area is larger than the XC40’s in almost every dimension:

A Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Equinox, using the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the XC40.

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 XC40 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Equinox’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The XC40 has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

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 XC40 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Equinox has standard extendable sun visors. The XC40 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 XC40 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Equinox (except LS) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XC40 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chevrolet Equinox and the Volvo XC40, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Volvo XC40 by almost 8 to one during the 2021 model year.