Chevrolet Equinox vs Subaru Crosstrek: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (October 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $25,998 against $26,562 for the Subaru Crosstrek (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Subaru Crosstrek takes fuel economy (29 MPG combined vs 24 MPG); the Subaru Crosstrek 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 $20,843 vs the BASE at $24,194; 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 Subaru Crosstrek 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 a lower typical price.

Head to head

Typical used price (2024–2026)Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox$25,998
Subaru Crosstrek$26,562
EPA combined (typical version)Subaru Crosstrek
Chevrolet Equinox24 MPG
Subaru Crosstrek29 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)Subaru Crosstrek
Chevrolet Equinox4.5★
Subaru Crosstrek5.0★
NHTSA recalls / model yearSubaru Crosstrek
Chevrolet Equinox2.2
Subaru Crosstrek1.5
For sale on VehiSales now
Chevrolet Equinox32,666
Subaru Crosstrek10,209

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 ($20,843) faces the Subaru Crosstrek BASE ($24,194); the most common trims on the market are the 1LT (27.5% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the PREMIUM (44.3% of Subaru Crosstrek listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,157) faces the WILDERNESS ($29,556). 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 Subaru Crosstrek
TrimTypical priceShare TrimTypical priceShare
LSCheapest $20,843 5.2% BASECheapest $24,194 8.3%
LT (1LT) $21,995 26.4% PREMIUMMost popular $26,279 44.3%
PREMIER (1LZ) $24,985 2.8% SPORT $27,184 14.2%
1LTMost popular $25,888 27.5% LIMITED $28,183 23.9%
2LT $28,394 12.3% WILDERNESSPriciest $29,556 9.3%
RS $30,330 10.8% —
ACTIVEPriciest $32,157 3.1% —
LT 2 PDE $39,886 2.5% —

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 · Subaru Crosstrek prices.

Used price by model year

YearChevrolet Equinox typicalSubaru Crosstrek typicalDifferenceChevrolet Equinox MPGSubaru Crosstrek MPG
2026 $29,113 $31,610 Subaru Crosstrek +$2,497 26–27 MPG 26–29 MPG
2025 $25,998 $27,534 Subaru Crosstrek +$1,536 26–27 MPG 27–29 MPG
2024 $22,861 $26,562 Subaru Crosstrek +$3,701 26–28 MPG 27–29 MPG
2023 $20,874 $23,962 Subaru Crosstrek +$3,088 26–28 MPG 25–30 MPG
2022 $18,582 $22,427 Subaru Crosstrek +$3,845 27–28 MPG 25–30 MPG
2021 $16,295 $20,998 Subaru Crosstrek +$4,703 27–28 MPG 25–30 MPG
2020 $15,627 $19,883 Subaru Crosstrek +$4,256 24–28 MPG 25–30 MPG
2019 $14,081 $16,999 Subaru Crosstrek +$2,918 24–32 MPG 25–29 MPG
2018 $12,495 $15,950 Subaru Crosstrek +$3,455 24–32 MPG 25–29 MPG
2017 $9,995 $13,990 Subaru Crosstrek +$3,995 18–25 MPG 26–29 MPG
2016 $9,387 $12,715 Subaru Crosstrek +$3,328 18–26 MPG 26–29 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 Subaru Crosstrek?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Chevrolet Equinox is cheaper: it typically lists for $25,998 versus $26,562 for the Subaru Crosstrek (national medians, October 2026).

Which gets better fuel economy — Chevrolet Equinox or Subaru Crosstrek?

The Subaru Crosstrek: its typical rated version returns 29 MPG combined versus 24 MPG for the Chevrolet Equinox (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).

Which is safer — Chevrolet Equinox or Subaru Crosstrek?

By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Subaru Crosstrek 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 Subaru Crosstrek?

NHTSA lists an average of 2.2 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 1.5 for the Subaru Crosstrek — an edge for the Subaru Crosstrek. 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 $20,843 vs $24,194 for a Subaru Crosstrek BASE; the most common trims on the market are the 1LT ($25,888, 27.5% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the PREMIUM ($26,279, 44.3% of Subaru Crosstrek listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($32,157) faces the WILDERNESS ($29,556). 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 Subaru Crosstrek” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/subaru/crosstrek.

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See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.

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