Compare the2024 Kia SportageVS 2024 Chevrolet Equinox

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sportage 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 Sportage Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

Both the Sportage and Equinox offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Equinox’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The Sportage’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 Sportage and the Equinox 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, blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Kia Sportage is much safer than the Equinox:

The Kia Sportage achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Equinox is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

The Sportage 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.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 10 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 12 more horsepower (187 vs. 175) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kia Sportage is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Equinox FWD (25 city/33 hwy vs. 26 city/31 hwy).

The Sportage has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Equinox. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Kia Sportage, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Equinox.

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

The Sportage stops shorter than the Equinox:

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

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

The Sportage 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 Sportage’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 Sportage is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Equinox.

The Sportage X-Pro Prestige 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.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox (8.3 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Sportage to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Sportage’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Equinox w/18” Wheels (8.3 vs. 8 inches).

The Sportage has .5 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 29.9 cubic feet). The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 63.9 cubic feet).

The Sportage’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox’s (2500 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Equinox’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Sportage X-Pro to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Equinox doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sportage’s headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Equinox’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

Insurance will cost less for the Sportage owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sportage will cost $360 less than the Equinox over a five-year period.

The Sportage will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sportage will retain 54.88% to 56.18% of its original price after five years, while the Equinox only retains 49.47% to 53.1%.

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