Chevrolet Equinox vs Ford Escape: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $26,973 against $23,998 for the Ford Escape (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Chevrolet Equinox takes fuel economy (25 MPG combined vs 24 MPG). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the LS at $21,998 vs the ACTIVE at $22,981; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Chevrolet Equinox LS ($21,998) faces the Ford Escape ACTIVE ($22,981); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ACTIVE (37.7% of Ford Escape listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the PHEV ($27,695). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Chevrolet Equinox | Ford Escape | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| LSCheapest | $21,998 | 6.0% | BASE | $21,012 | 0.4% |
| LT (1LT)Most popular | $22,980 | 29.1% | ACTIVEMost popularCheapest | $22,981 | 37.7% |
| RS (3LT) | $24,995 | 3.0% | ST LINE | $24,370 | 36.4% |
| PREMIER (1LZ) | $25,500 | 3.4% | ST LINE SELECT | $25,987 | 8.3% |
| 1LT | $26,991 | 27.7% | PLATINUM | $26,941 | 11.8% |
| 2LT | $30,839 | 7.3% | PHEVPriciest | $27,695 | 3.2% |
| RS | $32,031 | 10.5% | ST LINE ELITE | $28,489 | 2.2% |
| ACTIVEPriciest | $33,509 | 3.2% | — | ||
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Chevrolet Equinox prices · Ford Escape prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Chevrolet Equinox typical | Ford Escape typical | Difference | Chevrolet Equinox MPG | Ford Escape MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $31,348 | $30,098 | Chevrolet Equinox +$1,250 | 26–27 MPG | 26–40 MPG |
| 2025 | $26,973 | $25,189 | Chevrolet Equinox +$1,784 | 26–27 MPG | 26–40 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,590 | $23,998 | Ford Escape +$408 | 26–28 MPG | 26–39 MPG |
| 2023 | $22,072 | $23,708 | Ford Escape +$1,636 | 26–28 MPG | 26–40 MPG |
| 2022 | $19,895 | $20,903 | Ford Escape +$1,008 | 27–28 MPG | 26–41 MPG |
| 2021 | $17,716 | $17,736 | Ford Escape +$20 | 27–28 MPG | 26–41 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,899 | $16,517 | Chevrolet Equinox +$382 | 24–28 MPG | 26–41 MPG |
| 2019 | $15,149 | $13,989 | Chevrolet Equinox +$1,160 | 24–32 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2018 | $13,449 | $11,995 | Chevrolet Equinox +$1,454 | 24–32 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,495 | $10,936 | Ford Escape +$441 | 18–25 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2016 | $9,495 | $9,450 | Chevrolet Equinox +$45 | 18–26 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2015 | $8,488 | $8,962 | Ford Escape +$474 | 19–26 MPG | 23–26 MPG |
| 2014 | $7,995 | $8,194 | Ford Escape +$199 | 19–26 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2013 | $7,000 | $7,502 | Ford Escape +$502 | 19–26 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,995 | $6,995 | even | 19–26 MPG | 20–25 MPG |
| 2011 | $6,499 | $6,250 | Chevrolet Equinox +$249 | 19–26 MPG | 20–25 MPG |
| 2010 | $5,995 | $5,788 | Chevrolet Equinox +$207 | 20–26 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,723 | $4,892 | Ford Escape +$169 | 18–19 MPG | 19–23 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (July 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Chevrolet Equinox or Ford Escape?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Escape is cheaper: it typically lists for $23,998 versus $26,973 for the Chevrolet Equinox (national medians, July 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Chevrolet Equinox or Ford Escape?
The Chevrolet Equinox: its typical rated version returns 25 MPG combined versus 24 MPG for the Ford Escape (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is more reliable — Chevrolet Equinox or Ford Escape?
NHTSA lists an average of 2.3 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 8.2 for the Ford Escape — an edge for the Chevrolet Equinox. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Chevrolet Equinox LS typically lists for $21,998 vs $22,981 for a Ford Escape ACTIVE; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,980, 29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ACTIVE ($22,981, 37.7% of Ford Escape listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the PHEV ($27,695). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/ford/escape.
Dig deeper
Chevrolet Equinox — live listings & specs Ford Escape — live listings & specs Chevrolet Equinox prices by year Ford Escape prices by year Chevrolet Equinox MPG by year Ford Escape MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.