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.
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 ($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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| 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
| Year | Chevrolet Equinox typical | GMC Acadia typical | Difference | Chevrolet Equinox MPG | GMC 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.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/gmc/acadia.
Dig deeper
Chevrolet Equinox — live listings & specs GMC Acadia — live listings & specs Chevrolet Equinox prices by year GMC Acadia prices by year Chevrolet Equinox MPG by year GMC Acadia MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.