Compare the2023 Infiniti QX50VS 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
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX50 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 Infiniti QX50 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 Infiniti QX50 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 QX50 has standard Rear 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 QX50 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 QX50 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 QX50 and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, 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 and around view monitors.

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 Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	QX50	Equinox
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	98	109
Chest Movement	1 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	151 lbs.	195 lbs.
Hip Force	306 lbs.	357 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	288
Spine Acceleration	25 G’s	55 G’s
Hip Force	227 lbs.	630 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	333	377
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	339 lbs.	730 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the QX50 is .9% to 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Equinox.

Warranty

The QX50 comes with a full 4-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 1 year or 24,000 miles sooner.

Infiniti’s powertrain warranty covers the QX50 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 QX50’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX50 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Infiniti will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Equinox.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the QX50 has a standard 720-amp battery. The Equinox’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Infiniti 6 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The QX50’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 93 more horsepower (268 vs. 175) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Infiniti QX50 is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	QX50	Equinox
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	9.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.6 MPH	81.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The QX50 has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox FWD’s standard fuel tank (16 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The QX50 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 QX50’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox:

	QX50	Equinox
Front Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.1 inches	11.3 inches

The QX50’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 QX50 stops shorter than the Equinox:

	QX50	Equinox
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the QX50 has larger standard tires than the Equinox (235/55R19 vs. 225/65R17). The QX50 Sport/Sensory/Autograph’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Equinox (255/45R20 vs. 235/50R19).

The QX50’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LS/LT’s standard 65 series tires. The QX50 Sport/Sensory/Autograph’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Equinox’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the QX50 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Equinox LS/LT. The QX50 Sport/Sensory/Autograph’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Equinox.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the QX50 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Equinox doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The QX50 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the QX50 flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The QX50 has vehicle speed sensitive 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 QX50’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the Equinox (110.2 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the QX50 is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Equinox.

The QX50 AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The QX50 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Equinox LT AWD (26.7 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the QX50’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Equinox’s (36.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The QX50’s turning circle is 5.2 feet tighter than the Equinox RS’ (36.4 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the QX50 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox (8.6 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the QX50 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The QX50 has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear hip room and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

Cargo Capacity

The QX50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (31.4 vs. 29.9 cubic feet). The QX50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (65.1 vs. 63.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the QX50 easier. The QX50’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26.6 inches, while the Equinox’s liftover is 28.6 inches.

The QX50’s cargo area is larger than the Equinox’s in every dimension:

	QX50	Equinox
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	39”/71.7”	34.9”/67.4”
Max Width	54.5”	53.7”
Min Width	41.5”	40.7”
Height	31.2”	31”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the QX50. The Equinox doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Equinox is limited to 1500 pounds. The QX50 AWD offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The QX50 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 Infiniti service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Infiniti 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 10% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The QX50 Sensory/Autograph has a standard heads-up display that projects speed 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 QX50’s front and rear power windows all 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 passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the QX50 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Equinox can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The QX50 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 QX50’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 QX50 Sport/Sensory/Autograph’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the QX50 Sensory/Autograph has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Equinox doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the QX50 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Equinox doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The QX50 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 QX50’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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Infiniti QX50 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. Only the Equinox Premier offers wireless charging.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the QX50 is less expensive to operate than the Equinox because it costs $691 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the QX50 than the Equinox, including $349 less for a muffler, $151 less for front brake pads, $156 less for fuel injection, $242 less for a fuel pump and $13 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Infiniti QX50 and the Chevrolet Equinox, based on reliability, safety and performance.