Compare the2024 Chevrolet EquinoxVS 2023 Audi A4 Allroad

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Equinox and the A4 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Audi A4 Allroad:

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

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Equinox 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A4 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the A4 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 10 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Equinox has a standard 700-amp battery. The A4 Allroad’s 420-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Equinox first among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The A4 Allroad isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 55 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox gets better mileage than the A4 Allroad:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Equinox uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A4 Allroad requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

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 A4 Allroad 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 Audi A4 Allroad (5). This means the Equinox produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A4 Allroad every 15,000 miles.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Equinox offers optional 19-inch wheels. The A4 Allroad’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Equinox Premier AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the A4 Allroad Prestige pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Equinox’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the A4 Allroad’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Equinox has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the A4 Allroad (7.9 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Equinox to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Equinox w/18” Wheels’ minimum ground clearance is 1.5 inches higher than on the A4 Allroad (8 vs. 6.5 inches).

The Chevrolet Equinox may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 550 pounds less than the Audi A4 Allroad.

The Equinox is 4.4 inches shorter than the A4 Allroad, making the Equinox easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Equinox offers available electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Equinox uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Equinox has 11.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A4 Allroad (103.2 vs. 92).

The Equinox has 2.6 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 4.2 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the A4 Allroad.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Equinox’s rear seats recline. The A4 Allroad’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat up (29.9 vs. 24.2 cubic feet). The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat folded (63.9 vs. 58.5 cubic feet).

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 A4 Allroad 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 A4 Allroad 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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 A4 Allroad 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 A4 Allroad 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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A4 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Equinox is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Equinox owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Equinox will cost $1900 to $3490 less than the A4 Allroad over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Equinox will be $20247 to $23778 less than for the Audi A4 Allroad.

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

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Audi A4/S4 by almost 14 to one during 2022.