Chevrolet Equinox vs GMC Terrain: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (July 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $26,973 against $24,224 for the GMC Terrain (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 SLE at $23,687; 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 2 of the scored dimensions below (prices judged on the same model years, 2024–2026). Choose the GMC Terrain if you care most about a lower typical price.

Head to head

Typical used price (2024–2026)GMC Terrain
Chevrolet Equinox$26,973
GMC Terrain$24,224
EPA combined (typical version)Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox25 MPG
GMC Terrain24 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)
Chevrolet Equinox4.5★
GMC Terrain4.5★
NHTSA recalls / model yearChevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox2.3
GMC Terrain2.4
For sale on VehiSales now
Chevrolet Equinox23,039
GMC Terrain8,148

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 Terrain SLE ($23,687); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SLE (30.7% of GMC Terrain listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the DENALI ($32,880). 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 Terrain
TrimTypical priceShare TrimTypical priceShare
LSCheapest $21,998 6.0% SLEMost popularCheapest $23,687 30.7%
LT (1LT)Most popular $22,980 29.1% SLT $24,598 24.9%
RS (3LT) $24,995 3.0% ELEVATION $29,891 26.3%
PREMIER (1LZ) $25,500 3.4% AT4 $31,849 10.0%
1LT $26,991 27.7% DENALIPriciest $32,880 8.1%
2LT $30,839 7.3%
RS $32,031 10.5%
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 Terrain prices.

Used price by model year

YearChevrolet Equinox typicalGMC Terrain typicalDifferenceChevrolet Equinox MPGGMC Terrain MPG
2026 $31,348 $31,995 GMC Terrain +$647 26–27 MPG 25–27 MPG
2025 $26,973 $28,781 GMC Terrain +$1,808 26–27 MPG 25–27 MPG
2024 $23,590 $24,224 GMC Terrain +$634 26–28 MPG 25–26 MPG
2023 $22,072 $24,900 GMC Terrain +$2,828 26–28 MPG 26 MPG
2022 $19,895 $22,815 GMC Terrain +$2,920 27–28 MPG 26–27 MPG
2021 $17,716 $19,000 GMC Terrain +$1,284 27–28 MPG 26–27 MPG
2020 $16,899 $18,395 GMC Terrain +$1,496 24–28 MPG 23–27 MPG
2019 $15,149 $16,658 GMC Terrain +$1,509 24–32 MPG 23–32 MPG
2018 $13,449 $14,995 GMC Terrain +$1,546 24–32 MPG 23–32 MPG
2017 $10,495 $11,503 GMC Terrain +$1,008 18–25 MPG 18–25 MPG
2016 $9,495 $10,887 GMC Terrain +$1,392 18–26 MPG 18–26 MPG
2015 $8,488 $9,352 GMC Terrain +$864 19–26 MPG 19–26 MPG
2014 $7,995 $8,756 GMC Terrain +$761 19–26 MPG 19–26 MPG
2013 $7,000 $7,899 GMC Terrain +$899 19–26 MPG 19–26 MPG
2012 $6,995 $7,495 GMC Terrain +$500 19–26 MPG 19–26 MPG
2011 $6,499 $6,644 GMC Terrain +$145 19–26 MPG 19–26 MPG
2010 $5,995 $6,000 GMC Terrain +$5 20–26 MPG 20–26 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 Terrain?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the GMC Terrain is cheaper: it typically lists for $24,224 versus $26,973 for the Chevrolet Equinox (national medians, July 2026).

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

The Chevrolet Equinox: its typical rated version returns 25 MPG combined versus 24 MPG for the GMC Terrain (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).

Which is more reliable — Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Terrain?

NHTSA lists an average of 2.3 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 2.4 for the GMC Terrain — 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 $23,687 for a GMC Terrain SLE; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,980, 29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SLE ($23,687, 30.7% of GMC Terrain listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the DENALI ($32,880). 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 Terrain” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/gmc/terrain.

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.