Chevrolet Equinox vs GMC Acadia: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (July 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $26,973 against $48,994 for the GMC Acadia (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Chevrolet Equinox takes fuel economy (25 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 $21,998 vs the SLE at $28,191; 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$26,973
GMC Acadia$48,994
EPA combined (typical version)Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox25 MPG
GMC Acadia21 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)GMC Acadia
Chevrolet Equinox4.5★
GMC Acadia5.0★
NHTSA recalls / model yearChevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox2.3
GMC Acadia3.2
For sale on VehiSales now
Chevrolet Equinox23,039
GMC Acadia7,964

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 GMC Acadia SLE ($28,191); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ELEVATION (32.3% of GMC Acadia listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the ELEVATION ($44,457). 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 $21,998 6.0% SLECheapest $28,191 13.7%
LT (1LT)Most popular $22,980 29.1% SLT $28,197 16.6%
RS (3LT) $24,995 3.0% UPLEVEL $35,699 4.3%
PREMIER (1LZ) $25,500 3.4% AT4 $38,535 12.0%
1LT $26,991 27.7% DENALI $43,974 19.8%
2LT $30,839 7.3% ELEVATIONMost popularPriciest $44,457 32.3%
RS $32,031 10.5% DENALI ULTIMATE $62,459 1.3%
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 · GMC Acadia prices.

Used price by model year

YearChevrolet Equinox typicalGMC Acadia typicalDifferenceChevrolet Equinox MPGGMC Acadia MPG
2026 $31,348 $48,994 GMC Acadia +$17,646 26–27 MPG 21–22 MPG
2025 $26,973 $39,115 GMC Acadia +$12,142 26–27 MPG 21–23 MPG
2024 $23,590 $39,413 GMC Acadia +$15,823 26–28 MPG 21–23 MPG
2023 $22,072 $29,998 GMC Acadia +$7,926 26–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2022 $19,895 $25,998 GMC Acadia +$6,103 27–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2021 $17,716 $23,995 GMC Acadia +$6,279 27–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2020 $16,899 $21,198 GMC Acadia +$4,299 24–28 MPG 21–24 MPG
2019 $15,149 $18,362 GMC Acadia +$3,213 24–32 MPG 20–23 MPG
2018 $13,449 $15,990 GMC Acadia +$2,541 24–32 MPG 20–23 MPG
2017 $10,495 $13,840 GMC Acadia +$3,345 18–25 MPG 17–23 MPG
2016 $9,495 $10,404 GMC Acadia +$909 18–26 MPG 17–18 MPG
2015 $8,488 $9,911 GMC Acadia +$1,423 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2014 $7,995 $8,495 GMC Acadia +$500 19–26 MPG 18–19 MPG
2013 $7,000 $7,768 GMC Acadia +$768 19–26 MPG 18–19 MPG
2012 $6,995 $6,995 even 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2011 $6,499 $6,795 GMC Acadia +$296 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2010 $5,995 $5,893 Chevrolet Equinox +$102 20–26 MPG 19 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 GMC Acadia?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Chevrolet Equinox is cheaper: it typically lists for $26,973 versus $48,994 for the GMC Acadia (national medians, July 2026).

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

The Chevrolet Equinox: its typical rated version returns 25 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 2.3 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 3.2 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 $21,998 vs $28,191 for a GMC Acadia SLE; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,980, 29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ELEVATION ($44,457, 32.3% of GMC Acadia listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the ELEVATION ($44,457). 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 (July 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.

Dig deeper

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

© 2026 VehiSales · Data from live US vehicle listings · Methodology · Editorial policy · About · Press: cite as “VehiSales Used Car Price Index” with a link to this page.