Compare the2023 Chevrolet EquinoxVS 2023 Toyota Rav4

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Equinox and the Rav4 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 Toyota Rav4:

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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Toyota Rav4:

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

The Equinox’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Rav4’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Toyota 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 Rav4 isn’t in the top three.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 14th.

The Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (203 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Equinox is faster than the Toyota Rav4:

The Equinox AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rav4 (15.6 vs. 14.5 gallons).

The Equinox has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Equinox higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota Rav4 (6). This means the Equinox produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rav4 every 15,000 miles.

The Equinox stops much shorter than the Rav4:

The Equinox’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s 55 series tires.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Equinox’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Rav4 (107.3 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Equinox Premier AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Equinox Premier executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

The Equinox uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Rav4 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Equinox has 4.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 (103.2 vs. 98.9).

The Equinox has .5 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more rear legroom and 4 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Equinox LT/RS/Premier’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Rav4 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Equinox can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Equinox can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Rav4 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 does not have an oil pressure 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Safety Connect™ can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Equinox’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rav4’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Equinox’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Equinox’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Rav4.

When the Equinox Premier is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Rav4’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Equinox Premier’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Rav4 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Equinox Premier’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Rav4 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Equinox owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Equinox with a number “8” insurance rate while the Rav4 is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Equinox is less expensive to operate than the Rav4 because typical repairs cost much less on the Equinox than the Rav4, including $71 less for a starter and $268 less for a timing belt/chain.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chevrolet Equinox and the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance.