Compare the2023 Chevrolet EquinoxVS 2023 Toyota Venza

Both the Equinox and the Venza 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, 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 Venza:

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 Venza:

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 Venza’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 Venza isn’t in the top three in its category.

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.

Both the Equinox and Venza have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Equinox has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Equinox AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venza (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 Venza doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Equinox stops much shorter than the Venza:

For better traction, the Equinox’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venza (235/50R19 vs. 225/60R18).

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 Venza XLE/Nightshade/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 Venza 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 Venza (107.3 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Equinox Premier AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the Venza Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Chevrolet Equinox may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the Toyota Venza.

The Equinox is 3.5 inches shorter than the Venza, making the Equinox easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Equinox has 4.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Venza (103.2 vs. 98.3).

The Equinox has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more rear legroom and 6.5 inches more rear hip room than the Venza.

The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Venza with its rear seat up (29.9 vs. 28.8 cubic feet). The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venza with its rear seat folded (63.9 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

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

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

The Equinox has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

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 Venza can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Equinox uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Venza doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Equinox offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Venza doesn’t offer a remote starting 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 Venza 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 Venza doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 Venza’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 Venza offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Equinox and the Venza offer available heated front seats. The Equinox Premier also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Venza.

The Equinox (except LS) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Venza doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Equinox is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Venza doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Toyota Venza by over six to one during 2022.