Chevrolet Equinox vs Hyundai Tucson: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (October 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $25,998 against $24,445 for the Hyundai Tucson (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Hyundai Tucson takes fuel economy (25 MPG combined vs 24 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 $20,799 vs the SEL at $22,888; 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$25,998
Hyundai Tucson$24,445
EPA combined (typical version)Hyundai Tucson
Chevrolet Equinox24 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 Equinox32,666
Hyundai Tucson16,745

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 ($20,799) faces the Hyundai Tucson SEL ($22,888); the most common trims on the market are the 1LT (27.7% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SEL (56.2% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,157) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($29,997). 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 $20,799 5.2% SELMost popularCheapest $22,888 56.2%
LT (1LT) $21,995 26.0% BLUE $26,389 1.9%
PREMIER (1LZ) $24,900 2.8% SE $26,504 11.9%
1LTMost popular $25,794 27.7% N LINE $28,416 0.6%
2LT $28,319 12.3% LIMITED $28,999 16.7%
RS $30,321 10.7% XRT $29,497 2.0%
ACTIVEPriciest $32,157 3.1% SEL CONVENIENCEPriciest $29,997 9.2%
LT 2 PDE $39,905 2.5% BLUE SE $33,525 1.0%

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 $29,113 $30,670 Hyundai Tucson +$1,557 26–27 MPG 26–35 MPG
2025 $25,998 $24,445 Chevrolet Equinox +$1,553 26–27 MPG 26–35 MPG
2024 $22,861 $24,095 Hyundai Tucson +$1,234 26–28 MPG 25–35 MPG
2023 $20,874 $23,440 Hyundai Tucson +$2,566 26–28 MPG 25–35 MPG
2022 $18,582 $20,599 Hyundai Tucson +$2,017 27–28 MPG 26–35 MPG
2021 $16,295 $17,620 Hyundai Tucson +$1,325 27–28 MPG 23–25 MPG
2020 $15,627 $16,006 Hyundai Tucson +$379 24–28 MPG 23–25 MPG
2019 $14,081 $14,354 Hyundai Tucson +$273 24–32 MPG 23–26 MPG
2018 $12,495 $12,999 Hyundai Tucson +$504 24–32 MPG 22–27 MPG
2017 $9,995 $12,507 Hyundai Tucson +$2,512 18–25 MPG 23–50 MPG
2016 $9,387 $11,366 Hyundai Tucson +$1,979 18–26 MPG 23–50 MPG
2015 $7,999 $9,495 Hyundai Tucson +$1,496 19–26 MPG 22–50 MPG
2014 $7,500 $8,593 Hyundai Tucson +$1,093 19–26 MPG 22–25 MPG
2013 $6,950 $8,098 Hyundai Tucson +$1,148 19–26 MPG 21–25 MPG
2012 $6,470 $7,521 Hyundai Tucson +$1,051 19–26 MPG 21–25 MPG
2011 $6,048 $6,988 Hyundai Tucson +$940 19–26 MPG 22–25 MPG
2010 $5,995 $5,995 even 20–26 MPG 24–26 MPG
2007 $4,999 $4,900 Chevrolet Equinox +$99 19–20 MPG 19–22 MPG
2006 $4,998 $5,298 Hyundai Tucson +$300 18–19 MPG 19–22 MPG

Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 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 $24,445 versus $25,998 for the Chevrolet Equinox (national medians, October 2026).

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

The Hyundai Tucson: its typical rated version returns 25 MPG combined versus 24 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 $20,799 vs $22,888 for a Hyundai Tucson SEL; the most common trims on the market are the 1LT ($25,794, 27.7% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the SEL ($22,888, 56.2% of Hyundai Tucson listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,157) faces the SEL CONVENIENCE ($29,997). 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 (October 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.

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