Compared: 2022 Chevrolet Equinox vs. the 2022 Toyota RAV4
We consider what’s important to compact-crossover buyers and lay it all out for you.
Chevrolet | Toyota
Article QuickTakes:
The Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4 do a good job balancing value, safety, comfort, and fuel economy, and they have a decent amount of room behind the rear seats for all types of gear. Which of these family-friendly five-passenger SUVs holds the advantage?
Chevrolet Equinox vs. Toyota RAV4: Features
This is a close contest. Both the RAV4 and Equinox provide a lot of easy-to-use tech on the standard-equipment list, including 7.0-inch infotainment screens that don’t require a degree in rocket science to navigate as well as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and lots of USB outlets. For many shoppers, these things are almost as vital as four wheels. Each ute also has a solid lineup of standard active safety aids (automated emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist), though the Toyota includes adaptive cruise control at every trim level, whereas Chevy makes you pay extra for it. On either vehicle, buyers can option blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view camera. These things are nice to have, not only because they keep you better informed of your surroundings, but also because they up the vehicle's resale value.
Chevrolet Equinox vs. Toyota RAV4: Fuel Economy
At its most frugal, the RAV4 delivers EPA ratings of 41 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway. That’s for a hybrid model. Stick with the standard gas engine and the Toyota provides up to 27 mpg in city driving and 35 mpg on the highway. In comparison, the best the Equinox can do is 26 and 31 mpg, respectively. Those are still decent figures for a compact SUV, and the difference between the two narrows when you add all-wheel drive. Even then, though, the Toyota meets or beats the Chevy.
Chevrolet Equinox vs. Toyota RAV4: Price
If you keep things simple and stick with the base trim of the RAV4 or Equinox, you’ll get a practical vehicle with a solid roster of comfort and safety features at a starting price of $26,995 for the Chevy and $27,740 for the Toyota. All-wheel drive is an additional $1,600 on the Equinox and $1,400 on the RAV4. Toyota gives shoppers more choice, offering 12 trim levels (including those with a hybrid powertrain) to the Chevy’s four. As a result, someone could wind up paying over $44,000 for a fully loaded RAV4 TRD Off-Road model, which brings a rugged suspension and underbody skid plate among other features. You’d be hard pressed to get an Equinox up to that price.
You can’t go wrong with either the Equinox or RAV4, but we’d have to give the win to the Toyota, mainly due to its better fuel economy and the brand’s strong reputation for reliability.
