Chevrolet Equinox vs Kia Sportage: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $26,973 against $26,983 for the Kia Sportage (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Chevrolet Equinox takes fuel economy (25 MPG combined vs 23 MPG); the Kia Sportage 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 $21,998 vs the LX at $23,500; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
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 Kia Sportage LX ($23,500); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the LX (37.3% of Kia Sportage listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the SX-PRESTIGE OR SX-P ($28,290). 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 | Kia Sportage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| LSCheapest | $21,998 | 6.0% | LXMost popularCheapest | $23,500 | 37.3% |
| LT (1LT)Most popular | $22,980 | 29.1% | EX | $25,650 | 23.3% |
| RS (3LT) | $24,995 | 3.0% | X-LINE | $27,104 | 22.6% |
| PREMIER (1LZ) | $25,500 | 3.4% | SX | $27,245 | 4.3% |
| 1LT | $26,991 | 27.7% | SX-PRESTIGE OR SX-PPriciest | $28,290 | 8.6% |
| 2LT | $30,839 | 7.3% | SX-P | $28,987 | 1.2% |
| RS | $32,031 | 10.5% | SX-PRESTIGE (SX-P) | $32,997 | 1.3% |
| ACTIVEPriciest | $33,509 | 3.2% | X-LINE PRESTIGE | $32,998 | 1.4% |
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 · Kia Sportage prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Chevrolet Equinox typical | Kia Sportage typical | Difference | Chevrolet Equinox MPG | Kia Sportage MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $31,348 | $27,989 | Chevrolet Equinox +$3,359 | 26–27 MPG | 24–28 MPG |
| 2025 | $26,973 | $24,998 | Chevrolet Equinox +$1,975 | 26–27 MPG | 25–28 MPG |
| 2024 | $23,590 | $26,983 | Kia Sportage +$3,393 | 26–28 MPG | 25–28 MPG |
| 2023 | $22,072 | $25,198 | Kia Sportage +$3,126 | 26–28 MPG | 25–28 MPG |
| 2022 | $19,895 | $18,643 | Chevrolet Equinox +$1,252 | 27–28 MPG | 21–26 MPG |
| 2021 | $17,716 | $16,998 | Chevrolet Equinox +$718 | 27–28 MPG | 21–26 MPG |
| 2020 | $16,899 | $15,999 | Chevrolet Equinox +$900 | 24–28 MPG | 21–26 MPG |
| 2019 | $15,149 | $13,659 | Chevrolet Equinox +$1,490 | 24–32 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2018 | $13,449 | $13,495 | Kia Sportage +$46 | 24–32 MPG | 21–26 MPG |
| 2017 | $10,495 | $11,989 | Kia Sportage +$1,494 | 18–25 MPG | 21–26 MPG |
| 2016 | $9,495 | $10,230 | Kia Sportage +$735 | 18–26 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2015 | $8,488 | $9,209 | Kia Sportage +$721 | 19–26 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2014 | $7,995 | $8,998 | Kia Sportage +$1,003 | 19–26 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2013 | $7,000 | $7,995 | Kia Sportage +$995 | 19–26 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2012 | $6,995 | $7,125 | Kia Sportage +$130 | 19–26 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2011 | $6,499 | $6,747 | Kia Sportage +$248 | 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 Kia Sportage?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Chevrolet Equinox is cheaper: it typically lists for $26,973 versus $26,983 for the Kia Sportage (national medians, July 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Chevrolet Equinox or Kia Sportage?
The Chevrolet Equinox: its typical rated version returns 25 MPG combined versus 23 MPG for the Kia Sportage (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Chevrolet Equinox or Kia Sportage?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Kia Sportage 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 Kia Sportage?
NHTSA lists an average of 2.3 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 2.9 for the Kia Sportage — 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 $23,500 for a Kia Sportage LX; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,980, 29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the LX ($23,500, 37.3% of Kia Sportage listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the SX-PRESTIGE OR SX-P ($28,290). 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.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/kia/sportage.
Dig deeper
Chevrolet Equinox — live listings & specs Kia Sportage — live listings & specs Chevrolet Equinox prices by year Kia Sportage prices by year Chevrolet Equinox MPG by year Kia Sportage MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.