Chevrolet Equinox vs Hyundai Tucson: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (August 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $26,900 against $25,406 for the Hyundai Tucson (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Hyundai Tucson takes fuel economy (25 MPG combined vs 23 MPG); the Hyundai Tucson leads on NCAP safety (4.7★ vs 4.5★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the LS at $21,588 vs the SEL at $23,399; 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 Hyundai Tucson 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 Chevrolet Equinox if you care most about fewer recalls per year.

Head to head

Typical used price (2024–2026)Hyundai Tucson
Chevrolet Equinox$26,900
Hyundai Tucson$25,406
EPA combined (typical version)Hyundai Tucson
Chevrolet Equinox23 MPG
Hyundai Tucson25 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)Hyundai Tucson
Chevrolet Equinox4.5★
Hyundai Tucson4.7★
NHTSA recalls / model yearChevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox2.2
Hyundai Tucson3.2
For sale on VehiSales now
Chevrolet Equinox29,958
Hyundai Tucson14,731

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 ($21,588) faces the Hyundai Tucson SEL ($23,399); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (28.4% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SEL (57.6% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,978) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($30,700). 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 Hyundai Tucson
TrimTypical priceShare TrimTypical priceShare
LT (2FL) $19,995 2.8% SELMost popularCheapest $23,399 57.6%
LSCheapest $21,588 5.4% SE $26,978 11.5%
LT (1LT)Most popular $22,661 28.4% BLUE $27,650 1.6%
PREMIER (1LZ) $25,224 2.9% N LINE $28,895 0.6%
1LT $26,839 27.2% XRT $29,072 1.9%
2LT $29,897 8.8% LIMITED $29,200 17.6%
RS $31,120 10.7% SEL CONVENIENCEPriciest $30,700 8.7%
ACTIVEPriciest $32,978 3.1% BLUE SE $34,127 0.6%

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 · Hyundai Tucson prices.

Used price by model year

YearChevrolet Equinox typicalHyundai Tucson typicalDifferenceChevrolet Equinox MPGHyundai Tucson MPG
2026 $30,605 $30,294 Chevrolet Equinox +$311 26–27 MPG 26–35 MPG
2025 $26,900 $25,406 Chevrolet Equinox +$1,494 26–27 MPG 26–35 MPG
2024 $23,300 $24,224 Hyundai Tucson +$924 26–28 MPG 25–35 MPG
2023 $21,552 $23,998 Hyundai Tucson +$2,446 26–28 MPG 25–35 MPG
2022 $19,047 $21,430 Hyundai Tucson +$2,383 27–28 MPG 26–35 MPG
2021 $16,995 $17,742 Hyundai Tucson +$747 27–28 MPG 23–25 MPG
2020 $15,995 $16,464 Hyundai Tucson +$469 24–28 MPG 23–25 MPG
2019 $14,672 $14,620 Chevrolet Equinox +$52 24–32 MPG 23–26 MPG
2018 $12,900 $13,199 Hyundai Tucson +$299 24–32 MPG 22–27 MPG
2017 $9,996 $12,950 Hyundai Tucson +$2,954 18–25 MPG 23–50 MPG
2016 $9,397 $11,794 Hyundai Tucson +$2,397 18–26 MPG 23–50 MPG
2015 $8,398 $9,990 Hyundai Tucson +$1,592 19–26 MPG 22–50 MPG
2014 $7,757 $9,335 Hyundai Tucson +$1,578 19–26 MPG 22–25 MPG
2013 $6,995 $8,495 Hyundai Tucson +$1,500 19–26 MPG 21–25 MPG
2012 $6,725 $7,450 Hyundai Tucson +$725 19–26 MPG 21–25 MPG
2011 $6,199 $6,857 Hyundai Tucson +$658 19–26 MPG 22–25 MPG
2010 $6,156 $6,365 Hyundai Tucson +$209 20–26 MPG 24–26 MPG
2007 $4,997 $5,049 Hyundai Tucson +$52 19–20 MPG 19–22 MPG
2006 $4,943 $4,995 Hyundai Tucson +$52 18–19 MPG 19–22 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 Hyundai Tucson?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Hyundai Tucson is cheaper: it typically lists for $25,406 versus $26,900 for the Chevrolet Equinox (national medians, August 2026).

Which gets better fuel economy — Chevrolet Equinox or Hyundai Tucson?

The Hyundai Tucson: its typical rated version returns 25 MPG combined versus 23 MPG for the Chevrolet Equinox (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).

Which is safer — Chevrolet Equinox or Hyundai Tucson?

By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Hyundai Tucson averages 4.7 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 Hyundai Tucson?

NHTSA lists an average of 2.2 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 3.2 for the Hyundai Tucson — 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 $21,588 vs $23,399 for a Hyundai Tucson SEL; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,661, 28.4% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SEL ($23,399, 57.6% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,978) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($30,700). 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 Hyundai Tucson” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/hyundai/tucson.

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.