Chevrolet Equinox vs GMC Acadia: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (August 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $26,900 against $47,596 for the GMC Acadia (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Chevrolet Equinox takes fuel economy (23 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 $21,498 vs the SLE at $27,520; 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$26,900
GMC Acadia$47,596
EPA combined (typical version)Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox23 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 Equinox28,524
GMC Acadia10,347

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 ($21,498) faces the GMC Acadia SLE ($27,520); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (28.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ELEVATION (34.4% of GMC Acadia listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,881) faces the DENALI ($45,344). 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
LT (2FL) $19,998 2.7% SLECheapest $27,520 11.4%
LSCheapest $21,498 5.3% SLT $27,851 14.1%
LT (1LT)Most popular $22,576 28.1% UPLEVEL $35,434 4.1%
PREMIER (1LZ) $25,224 3.0% AT4 $40,899 13.0%
1LT $26,795 27.7% ELEVATIONMost popular $42,985 34.4%
2LT $29,887 8.9% DENALIPriciest $45,344 21.9%
RS $31,295 10.6% DENALI ULTIMATE $61,417 1.2%
ACTIVEPriciest $32,881 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 $30,595 $47,596 GMC Acadia +$17,001 26–27 MPG 21–22 MPG
2025 $26,900 $39,549 GMC Acadia +$12,649 26–27 MPG 21–23 MPG
2024 $23,280 $40,299 GMC Acadia +$17,019 26–28 MPG 21–23 MPG
2023 $21,497 $29,507 GMC Acadia +$8,010 26–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2022 $19,047 $25,896 GMC Acadia +$6,849 27–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2021 $16,988 $23,287 GMC Acadia +$6,299 27–28 MPG 21–25 MPG
2020 $15,995 $20,628 GMC Acadia +$4,633 24–28 MPG 21–24 MPG
2019 $14,667 $17,500 GMC Acadia +$2,833 24–32 MPG 20–23 MPG
2018 $12,900 $15,052 GMC Acadia +$2,152 24–32 MPG 20–23 MPG
2017 $9,999 $12,995 GMC Acadia +$2,996 18–25 MPG 17–23 MPG
2016 $9,349 $10,399 GMC Acadia +$1,050 18–26 MPG 17–18 MPG
2015 $8,299 $9,000 GMC Acadia +$701 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2014 $7,500 $7,995 GMC Acadia +$495 19–26 MPG 18–19 MPG
2013 $6,995 $7,995 GMC Acadia +$1,000 19–26 MPG 18–19 MPG
2012 $6,650 $6,799 GMC Acadia +$149 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2011 $6,015 $5,999 Chevrolet Equinox +$16 19–26 MPG 19 MPG
2010 $6,050 $6,216 GMC Acadia +$166 20–26 MPG 19 MPG
2009 $5,869 $6,498 GMC Acadia +$629 19–20 MPG 19 MPG
2008 $4,975 $4,999 GMC Acadia +$24 19 MPG 18–19 MPG
2007 $4,889 $5,748 GMC Acadia +$859 19–20 MPG 18–19 MPG

Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 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 $26,900 versus $47,596 for the GMC Acadia (national medians, August 2026).

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

The Chevrolet Equinox: its typical rated version returns 23 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 $21,498 vs $27,520 for a GMC Acadia SLE; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,576, 28.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the ELEVATION ($42,985, 34.4% of GMC Acadia listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,881) faces the DENALI ($45,344). 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 (August 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.

© 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.