Compare the2023 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2023 Chevrolet Equinox

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Tucson 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 seat belts.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tucson Hybrid Limited has standard Reverse Collision-Avoidance Assist 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Tucson Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Equinox.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Tucson Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Equinox doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Tucson Hybrid 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Equinox’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tucson Hybrid 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.

The Tucson Hybrid’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 Tucson Hybrid and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tucson Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Equinox has not been fully tested, yet.

The Tucson Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-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 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

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

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 Tucson Hybrid’s reliability 29 points higher than the Equinox.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 51 more horsepower (226 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 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson Hybrid gets better mileage than the Equinox:

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

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

The Tucson Hybrid stops much shorter than the Equinox:

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid has larger tires than the Equinox (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Equinox (108.5 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tucson Hybrid is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Equinox.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Equinox LT AWD (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox (8.3 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Tucson Hybrid has 4.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Equinox (107.9 vs. 103.2).

The Tucson Hybrid has .1 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 29.9 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 63.9 cubic feet).

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Tucson Hybrid’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 Tucson 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 Tucson Hybrid Limited’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 Tucson 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 Tucson 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 Tucson Hybrid Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Equinox Premier’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Tucson Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Tucson Hybrid will retain 48.97% to 49.88% of its original price after five years, while the Equinox only retains 44.91% to 45.97%.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tucson Hybrid third among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Equinox isn’t in the top three.