Compare the2023 Honda HR-VVS 2023 Chevrolet Equinox

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V 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 Honda HR-V 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 HR-V EX-L has a standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

The HR-V’s 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 HR-V and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda HR-V is much safer than the Equinox:

	HR-V	Equinox
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	290 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.73 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.3 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Injury Criterion	186	733
Head Peak Forces	no contact	101 G’s
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	89 lbs.
Neck Compression	156 lbs.	491 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.42 in	1.65 in
Shoulder Force	312 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.46 in	1.57 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	625 lbs.	669 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the HR-V its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Equinox has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

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

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the HR-V 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.

Reliability

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 HR-V’s reliability 24 points higher than the Equinox.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 15 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
HR-V
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl.	26 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl.	25 city/30 hwy
Equinox
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy

Transmission

The HR-V 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.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	HR-V	Equinox
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	11.3 inches

The HR-V stops much shorter than the Equinox:

	HR-V	Equinox
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The HR-V’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.

Suspension and Handling

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

The HR-V EX-L AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the HR-V’s turning circle is tighter than the Equinox’s:

	HR-V	Equinox
AWD 4dr Sport Utility	37 feet	41.6 feet

Chassis

The HR-V is 3.3 inches shorter than the Equinox, making the HR-V easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Ergonomics

The HR-V Sport/EX-L’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Equinox’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The HR-V 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 HR-V’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

The HR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the HR-V will retain 50.77% to 52.43% of its original price after five years, while the Equinox only retains 44.91% to 45.97%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda HR-V will be $5149 to $5732 less than for the Chevrolet Equinox.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda HR-V and the Chevrolet Equinox, based on reliability, safety and performance.