Compare the2023 Cadillac XT4VS 2023 Chevrolet Equinox

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

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/12/21

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Cadillac XT4 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 seat belts.

The Cadillac XT4 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The XT4 Premium/Sport offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The XT4 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Equinox’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the XT4 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Equinox.

Both the XT4 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Cadillac XT4 is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	XT4	Equinox
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	181/231 lbs.	363/349 lbs.

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 Cadillac XT4 is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	XT4	Equinox
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	185 lbs.	195 lbs.
Hip Force	328 lbs.	357 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	169	288
Spine Acceleration	51 G’s	55 G’s
Hip Force	598 lbs.	630 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
HIC	204	377
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	522 lbs.	730 lbs.

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

Warranty

The XT4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Equinox’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT4 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The XT4’s 6 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Equinox runs out after 100,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chevrolet is rated lower.

Engine

The XT4’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 60 more horsepower (235 vs. 175) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Cadillac XT4 is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	XT4	Equinox
Zero to 30 MPH	3 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	9.6 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	3.6 sec	6.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	17.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	82 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT4’s fuel efficiency. The Equinox doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The XT4 FWD’s standard fuel tank has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Equinox FWD’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac XT4, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Equinox.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XT4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox:

	XT4	Equinox
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	11.3 inches

The XT4’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 XT4 stops much shorter than the Equinox:

	XT4	Equinox
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XT4 has larger standard tires than the Equinox (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The XT4’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Equinox (245/45R20 vs. 235/50R19).

The XT4’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. The XT4’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 XT4 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Equinox LS/LT. The XT4’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Equinox.

Suspension and Handling

The XT4 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the XT4 flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The XT4 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The XT4 has 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XT4’s wheelbase is 2.1 inches longer than on the Equinox (109.4 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

The XT4 Sport AWD handles at .89 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XT4 Sport AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Equinox LT AWD (26.3 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The XT4 has 3.2 inches more front legroom and .3 inches more front hip room than the Equinox.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XT4. The Equinox doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The XT4’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox’s (2500 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Equinox is only 1500 pounds. The XT4 offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The XT4 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 Cadillac service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 28% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer 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 XT4’s 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 XT4 Luxury’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Equinox’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The XT4 Premium/Sport’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XT4 (except Luxury) offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Equinox doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Equinox.

The XT4 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 XT4’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 XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional Automatic Park Assist can parallel park by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Equinox Premier’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XT4 is less expensive to operate than the Equinox because it costs $27 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the XT4 than the Equinox, including $86 less for a muffler, $115 less for front brake pads, $44 less for a starter, $36 less for fuel injection and $382 less for a fuel pump.

See Available Inventory