Chevrolet Equinox vs Hyundai Tucson: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (July 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $26,973 against $26,401 for the Hyundai Tucson (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). 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 $21,998 vs the SEL at $23,709; 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 2 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$26,973
Hyundai Tucson$26,401
EPA combined (typical version)
Chevrolet Equinox25 MPG
Hyundai Tucson25 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)Hyundai Tucson
Chevrolet Equinox4.5★
Hyundai Tucson4.7★
NHTSA recalls / model yearChevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox2.3
Hyundai Tucson2.9
For sale on VehiSales now
Chevrolet Equinox23,039
Hyundai Tucson11,685

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 Hyundai Tucson SEL ($23,709); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SEL (56.8% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($31,665). 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
LSCheapest $21,998 6.0% SELMost popularCheapest $23,709 56.8%
LT (1LT)Most popular $22,980 29.1% BLUE $25,963 1.4%
RS (3LT) $24,995 3.0% SE $27,002 12.0%
PREMIER (1LZ) $25,500 3.4% LIMITED $28,754 17.9%
1LT $26,991 27.7% N LINE $28,998 0.5%
2LT $30,839 7.3% XRT $29,630 2.0%
RS $32,031 10.5% SEL CONVENIENCEPriciest $31,665 8.7%
ACTIVEPriciest $33,509 3.2% BLUE SE $34,354 0.7%

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 $31,348 $30,995 Chevrolet Equinox +$353 26–27 MPG 26–35 MPG
2025 $26,973 $26,401 Chevrolet Equinox +$572 26–27 MPG 26–35 MPG
2024 $23,590 $23,990 Hyundai Tucson +$400 26–28 MPG 25–35 MPG
2023 $22,072 $24,195 Hyundai Tucson +$2,123 26–28 MPG 25–35 MPG
2022 $19,895 $21,928 Hyundai Tucson +$2,033 27–28 MPG 26–35 MPG
2021 $17,716 $17,998 Hyundai Tucson +$282 27–28 MPG 23–25 MPG
2020 $16,899 $16,744 Chevrolet Equinox +$155 24–28 MPG 23–25 MPG
2019 $15,149 $14,998 Chevrolet Equinox +$151 24–32 MPG 23–26 MPG
2018 $13,449 $13,787 Hyundai Tucson +$338 24–32 MPG 22–27 MPG
2017 $10,495 $13,299 Hyundai Tucson +$2,804 18–25 MPG 23–50 MPG
2016 $9,495 $12,503 Hyundai Tucson +$3,008 18–26 MPG 23–50 MPG
2015 $8,488 $9,995 Hyundai Tucson +$1,507 19–26 MPG 22–50 MPG
2014 $7,995 $9,925 Hyundai Tucson +$1,930 19–26 MPG 22–25 MPG
2013 $7,000 $8,599 Hyundai Tucson +$1,599 19–26 MPG 21–25 MPG
2012 $6,995 $7,047 Hyundai Tucson +$52 19–26 MPG 21–25 MPG
2011 $6,499 $6,771 Hyundai Tucson +$272 19–26 MPG 22–25 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 Hyundai Tucson?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Hyundai Tucson is cheaper: it typically lists for $26,401 versus $26,973 for the Chevrolet Equinox (national medians, July 2026).

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 2.3 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 2.9 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 $21,998 vs $23,709 for a Hyundai Tucson SEL; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,980, 29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SEL ($23,709, 56.8% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($31,665). 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 Hyundai Tucson” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/hyundai/tucson.

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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.