Compare the2026 Lexus RZVS 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV

The RZ has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Equinox EV doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Lexus RZ’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Chevrolet Equinox EV.

Both the RZ and the Equinox EV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lexus RZ is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox EV:

	RZ	Equinox EV
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	153	199
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	263	336
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	35.1%
Neck Compression	19 lbs.	39 lbs.

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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus RZ is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox EV:

	RZ	Equinox EV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	38	128
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	84 lbs.	163 lbs.
Hip Force	132 lbs.	288 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	106	141

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

The RZ comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Equinox EV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RZ 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox EV. 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 EV ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The RZ’s 6 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Equinox EV runs out after 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 RZ’s reliability 27 points higher than the Equinox EV.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked fifth.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked fifth.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in overall reliability. Chevrolet is ranked 17th.

The RZ has more powerful engines than the Equinox EV:

	Horsepower	Torque
RZ 350e electric motor	221 HP	198 lbs.-ft.
RZ 450e electric motors	308 HP	321 lbs.-ft.
RZ 550e F Sport electric motors	402 HP	396 lbs.-ft.
Equinox EV electric motor	220 HP	243 lbs.-ft.
Equinox EV electric motors	288 HP	333 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Car and Driver the RZ 450e electric motors is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox EV electric motors:

	RZ	Equinox EV
Zero to 60 MPH	4.6 sec	5.8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	13.8 sec	17 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.7 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99 MPH	94 MPH

The RZ has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Equinox EV doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

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

	RZ	Equinox EV
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.5 inches	12.4 inches

The RZ stops much shorter than the Equinox EV:

	RZ	Equinox EV
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	189 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction and acceleration, the RZ has larger rear tires than the Equinox EV (255/55R18 vs. 245/55R19).

The RZ 450e Premium handles at .83 G’s, while the Equinox EV RS pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The RZ 450e Luxury executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the Equinox EV RS eAWD (25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the RZ’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Equinox EV’s (36.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox EV (7.9 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Lexus RZ may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the Chevrolet Equinox EV.

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

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

The RZ has .4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.1 inches more rear hip room than the Equinox EV.

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

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume than the Equinox EV with its rear seat up (34.1 vs. 26.4 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 25% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 13th.

The RZ’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and 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 EV.

The RZ’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 EV’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. The Equinox EV’s optional passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The RZ’s standard Smart Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access standard on the Equinox EV doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Equinox EV doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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

The RZ’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 Equinox EV offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Lexus RZ and Chevrolet Equinox EV offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The RZ 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 EV’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The RZ has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Equinox EV.

The RZ 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 EV.

The Lexus RZ 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 EV.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lexus RZ has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Equinox EV.

The RZ has a 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 Equinox EV doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The RZ’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Advanced Park will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Equinox EV’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus RZ and the Chevrolet Equinox EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.