Chevrolet Equinox vs GMC Acadia: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (October 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $25,998 against $44,995 for the GMC Acadia (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Chevrolet Equinox takes fuel economy (24 MPG combined vs 21 MPG); the GMC Acadia leads on NCAP safety (5.0★ vs 4.5★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the LS at $20,799 vs the SLE at $26,714; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.

Verdict: for most used-car buyers the Chevrolet Equinox is the stronger pick right now — it wins 3 of the scored dimensions below (prices judged on the same model years, 2024–2026). Choose the GMC Acadia if you care most about higher NCAP safety scores.

Head to head

Typical used price (2024–2026)Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox$25,998
GMC Acadia$44,995
EPA combined (typical version)Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox24 MPG
GMC Acadia21 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)GMC Acadia
Chevrolet Equinox4.5★
GMC Acadia5.0★
NHTSA recalls / model yearChevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox2.2
GMC Acadia3.6
For sale on VehiSales now
Chevrolet Equinox32,666
GMC Acadia12,050

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 ($20,799) faces the GMC Acadia SLE ($26,714); the most common trims on the market are the 1LT (27.7% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ELEVATION (40.1% of GMC Acadia listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,157) faces the DENALI ($45,890). 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 GMC Acadia
TrimTypical priceShare TrimTypical priceShare
LSCheapest $20,799 5.2% SLECheapest $26,714 9.7%
LT (1LT) $21,995 26.0% SLT $26,991 12.6%
PREMIER (1LZ) $24,900 2.8% UPLEVEL $34,994 3.8%
1LTMost popular $25,794 27.7% AT4 $41,152 12.1%
2LT $28,319 12.3% ELEVATIONMost popular $41,488 40.1%
RS $30,321 10.7% DENALIPriciest $45,890 20.7%
ACTIVEPriciest $32,157 3.1% DENALI ULTIMATE $60,145 1.1%
LT 2 PDE $39,905 2.5% —

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 · GMC Acadia prices.

Used price by model year

YearChevrolet Equinox typicalGMC Acadia typicalDifferenceChevrolet Equinox MPGGMC Acadia MPG
2026 $29,113 $44,995 GMC Acadia +$15,882 26–27 MPG 21–22 MPG
2025 $25,998 $40,277 GMC Acadia +$14,279 26–27 MPG 21–23 MPG
2024 $22,861 $39,998 GMC Acadia +$17,137 26–28 MPG 21–23 MPG
2023 $20,874 $28,707 GMC Acadia +$7,833 26–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2022 $18,582 $25,513 GMC Acadia +$6,931 27–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2021 $16,295 $22,349 GMC Acadia +$6,054 27–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2020 $15,627 $19,997 GMC Acadia +$4,370 24–28 MPG 21–24 MPG
2019 $14,081 $16,995 GMC Acadia +$2,914 24–32 MPG 20–23 MPG
2018 $12,495 $15,481 GMC Acadia +$2,986 24–32 MPG 20–23 MPG
2017 $9,995 $12,962 GMC Acadia +$2,967 18–25 MPG 17–23 MPG
2016 $9,387 $10,233 GMC Acadia +$846 18–26 MPG 17–18 MPG
2015 $7,999 $8,995 GMC Acadia +$996 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2014 $7,500 $8,499 GMC Acadia +$999 19–26 MPG 18–19 MPG
2013 $6,950 $7,542 GMC Acadia +$592 19–26 MPG 18–19 MPG
2012 $6,470 $6,649 GMC Acadia +$179 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2011 $6,048 $5,996 Chevrolet Equinox +$52 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2010 $5,995 $5,995 even 20–26 MPG 19 MPG
2008 $5,270 $5,672 GMC Acadia +$402 19 MPG 18–19 MPG
2007 $4,999 $5,995 GMC Acadia +$996 19–20 MPG 18–19 MPG

Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper to buy used — Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Acadia?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Chevrolet Equinox is cheaper: it typically lists for $25,998 versus $44,995 for the GMC Acadia (national medians, October 2026).

Which gets better fuel economy — Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Acadia?

The Chevrolet Equinox: its typical rated version returns 24 MPG combined versus 21 MPG for the GMC Acadia (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).

Which is safer — Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Acadia?

By NCAP overall crash-test rating the GMC Acadia averages 5.0 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.5 for the Chevrolet Equinox. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.

Which is more reliable — Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Acadia?

NHTSA lists an average of 2.2 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 3.6 for the GMC Acadia — 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 $20,799 vs $26,714 for a GMC Acadia SLE; the most common trims on the market are the 1LT ($25,794, 27.7% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ELEVATION ($41,488, 40.1% of GMC Acadia listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,157) faces the DENALI ($45,890). 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.

About this data: prices and availability are national aggregates of live VehiSales inventory (October 2026), refreshed daily. Fuel economy: U.S. EPA/DOE (fueleconomy.gov). Safety & recalls: NHTSA. How to cite: “VehiSales Research, Chevrolet Equinox vs GMC Acadia” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/gmc/acadia.

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See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.

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