Compare the2026 Acura RDXVS 2026 Chevrolet Equinox

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Acura RDX 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 Acura RDX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the RDX. But it costs extra on the Equinox.

Both the RDX and the Equinox 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The RDX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-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 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the RDX 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 RDX’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the RDX’s reliability 11 points higher than the Equinox.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the RDX first among compact premium suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Equinox isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 97 more horsepower (272 vs. 175) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 184) than the Equinox FWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 97 more horsepower (272 vs. 175) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 203) than the Equinox AWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Acura RDX is faster than the Equinox AWD:

The RDX has 2.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox’s standard fuel tank (17.1 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The RDX has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox AWD’s standard fuel tank (17.1 vs. 15.6 gallons).

The RDX stops much shorter than the Equinox:

For better traction, the RDX A-Spec’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Equinox (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The RDX’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 LT/ACTIV’s standard 65 series tires. The RDX A-Spec’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Equinox RS’ optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Equinox LT/ACTIV.

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

The RDX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The RDX 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.

The RDX A-Spec handles at .82 G’s, while the Equinox RS AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RDX A-Spec executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Equinox RS AWD (27 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the RDX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox LT/ACTIV (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the RDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The RDX has .7 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

The RDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (31.1 vs. 29.8 cubic feet). The RDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (79.8 vs. 63.5 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the RDX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Equinox doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

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

The RDX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox’s (1500 vs. 800 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 10% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 13th.

The RDX’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Equinox, and is not available on all models.

The RDX Advance 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 RDX’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 RDX the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. 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 RDX’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 standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The RDX’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Equinox doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Both the Acura RDX and Chevrolet Equinox offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The RDX offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Equinox’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The RDX 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.

The Acura RDX has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Chevrolet charges extra for Homelink® on the Equinox.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Acura RDX retains 52.21% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 50.37% resale value of the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox after five years, which can save the Acura’s owner.

The Acura RDX has won recognition from these important consumer publications: