The 2026 Equinox and the 2026 Tucson start within $650 of each other, and the decision comes down to which set of numbers matters more to you. The Equinox leads on price and simplicity: it starts lower, and it lists 3 trims to the Tucson's 6. The Tucson's counter is power, cargo, and coverage: 187 horsepower to the Equinox's 175, more cargo room, and a powertrain warranty that runs twice as long. Neither one wins across the board.
The Equinox is ahead on entry price and torque.
| What you are shopping | 2026 Equinox | 2026 Tucson | Who takes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting MSRP | $28,800 | $29,450 (SE) | Equinox |
| Torque | 184 lb-ft | 178 lb-ft | Equinox |
| Gas trims to choose from | 3 | 6 | Depends on how you shop |
| Combined MPG, front-wheel drive | 27 | 28 | Tucson, barely |
| Combined MPG, all-wheel drive | 26 | 26 | Tie |
| Horsepower | 175 hp | 187 hp | Tucson |
| Cargo, rear seat folded | 63.5 cu ft | 80.3 cu ft | Tucson |
| Maximum towing | 1,500 lb | 2,750 lb | Tucson |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 yr / 60,000 mi | 10 yr / 100,000 mi | Tucson |
| Federal 5-Star overall rating | Not yet rated | 5 stars | Only the Tucson is rated |
MSRP at launch (2026 model year), excluding destination. Current pricing varies by configuration and program. Cargo figures use each maker's own measurement standard; see the size section.
The Equinox wins on entry price and low-end torque.
The Tucson wins on horsepower, cargo, towing, and warranty length, and it is the only one of the two with a federal crash rating on record.
The Equinox starts lower, and the Tucson climbs higher. The 2026 Equinox launched at $28,800 for the LT, with the ACTIV and the RS both at $33,600, excluding destination. The Tucson ladder opened at $29,450 for the SE and ran to $39,425 for the Limited.
| 2026 Equinox trim | MSRP |
|---|---|
| LT | $28,800 |
| ACTIV | $33,600 |
| RS | $33,600 |
| 2026 Tucson trim | MSRP |
|---|---|
| SE | $29,450 |
| SEL | $30,800 |
| SEL Plus | $31,300 |
| XRT | $33,475 |
| SEL Premium | $33,800 |
| Limited | $39,425 |
MSRP at launch (2026 model year), excluding destination and any all-wheel-drive upcharge. Current pricing varies by configuration and program.
Both run a 4-cylinder driving the front wheels as standard, with all-wheel drive available, and they split the difference between horsepower and torque.
| Spec | 2026 Equinox | 2026 Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L turbocharged | 2.5L |
| Horsepower | 175 hp @ 5,600 rpm | 187 hp @ 6,100 rpm |
| Torque | 184 lb-ft @ 2,000-4,800 rpm | 178 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm |
The Tucson makes 12 more horsepower, and it makes it higher in the rev range. The Equinox answers with 6 more lb-ft of torque, spread across a broad band that starts at 2,000 rpm.
Hyundai also builds hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Tucson, priced separately from the gas trims and not counted among the 6 gas trims here.
The Tucson is 1 MPG better combined in front-wheel drive. With all-wheel drive, they are identical.
| EPA rating | 2026 Equinox | 2026 Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| FWD city | 26 | 25 |
| FWD highway | 29 | 33 |
| FWD combined | 27 | 28 |
| AWD city | 25 | 24 |
| AWD highway | 29 | 30 |
| AWD combined | 26 | 26 |
In front-wheel drive, the Equinox is better in the city, while the Tucson is better on the highway by 4 MPG. That highway gap is what carries its 1 MPG combined edge. Add all-wheel drive and both land on 26.
The Tucson carries more cargo and more passenger volume. Outside, they are within an inch of each other on wheelbase, length, and height.
| Spec | 2026 Equinox | 2026 Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 107.5 in | 108.5 in |
| Length | 183.2 in | 182.7 in |
| Height | 65.6 in | 65.6 in FWD / 66.3 in AWD |
| Curb weight | 3,428 lb (LT) | 3,429-3,638 lb |
| Passenger volume | 104.3 cu ft without sunroof / 100.1 cu ft with | 108.2 cu ft |
Chevrolet and Hyundai do not measure cargo the same way. Chevrolet rates the Equinox at 63.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded and 29.8 cubic feet behind it, on its own standard. Hyundai rates the Tucson two ways at once: 80.3 cubic feet folded and 41.2 behind the rear seat on its own standard, or 74.8 and 38.7 by the SAE measurement. The Tucson holds more on either of those numbers.
The Tucson tows more.
| Spec | 2026 Equinox | 2026 Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum towing | 1,500 lb (AWD) / 800 lb (FWD) | 2,750 lb with trailer brakes / 1,650 lb without |
The two makers rate towing on different bases: Chevrolet rates the Equinox by drivetrain, while Hyundai rates the Tucson by whether the trailer has its own brakes, so the two sets of figures are not a clean like-for-like pair. The ratings are in the table above.
On the driver-assistance features buyers ask about most, the two line up closely. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic braking are standard on every 2026 Equinox and every 2026 Tucson shown here.
| Standard driver assistance | 2026 Equinox | 2026 Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic emergency braking, with pedestrian detection | Standard | Standard |
| Lane keep assist and lane departure warning | Standard | Standard |
| Adaptive cruise control | Standard | Standard |
| Blind-spot monitoring | Standard, as Blind Zone Steering Assist | Standard, as Blind-Spot Collision Warning |
| Rear cross-traffic braking | Standard | Standard |
Each SUV then adds a few features of its own. The Tucson's SmartSense includes driver attention warning, safe exit warning, and rear occupant alert as standard. The Equinox adds a Safety Alert Seat as standard, and offers a 360-degree camera and rear pedestrian alert in its available Safety and Technology Package.
On crash testing, the federal government's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (NHTSA) gives the 2026 Tucson 5 stars overall as of this writing, in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive form, with 5 stars frontal, 5 stars side, and 4 stars rollover. The 2026 Equinox has not been rated by that program. Check NHTSA.gov for current scores.
Hyundai covers the Tucson longer on both of the terms that matter most.
| Coverage | 2026 Equinox | 2026 Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Bumper-to-bumper | 3 yr / 36,000 mi | 5 yr / 60,000 mi |
| Powertrain | 5 yr / 60,000 mi | 10 yr / 100,000 mi |
| Corrosion | 3 yr / 36,000 mi surface, 6 yr / 100,000 mi rust-through | 7 yr / unlimited mi anti-perforation |
| Roadside assistance | 5 yr / 60,000 mi | 5 yr / unlimited mi |
On the powertrain, Hyundai's term is double Chevrolet's. Roadside assistance runs 5 years on both, with Chevrolet's capped at 60,000 miles and Hyundai's uncapped.
If the Tucson is where the numbers point you, drive one at a Hyundai store. On a decision this close, driving both in the same afternoon settles more than a spec table can.
If the Equinox is where you land, Gordon Chevrolet sells it in Orange Park, serving Northeast Florida, and is the Home of No Bull Pricing: competitive prices, no huge add-on stickers or equipment packages, no gimmicks or games, and trades wanted but not required. The trims and colors on the ground change as vehicles move, so current inventory is the place to see what is here now.
See the Equinox trims in stock
For the full trim walk, standard equipment, and configuration detail, our 2026 Equinox model breakdown goes deeper than a comparison page can. If a payment is the real question, our finance center can work through it with you, and any savings running on new Chevys are listed on Gordon Chevrolet's new-vehicle specials page.
The Equinox, by $650 at the bottom of the lineup. It launched at $28,800, and the Tucson SE at $29,450, both excluding destination. The gap widens as you climb the Tucson ladder, which reaches $39,425 for the Limited.
The Tucson, on the measurements that describe interior room. It carries 108.2 cubic feet of passenger volume to the Equinox's 104.3 without a sunroof, or 100.1 with one, and more cargo behind the folded rear seat. Outside, they are nearly the same vehicle: the Equinox is half an inch longer, the Tucson rides on a 1-inch-longer wheelbase, and both stand 65.6 inches tall in front-wheel-drive form. Both seat 5.
The Tucson, by 1 MPG combined, if you are buying front-wheel drive: 28 to 27. In all-wheel drive they are identical at 26 combined. The Tucson earns that edge on the highway, where it rates 33 MPG to the Equinox's 29. In the city, the Equinox is the better of the two, 26 to 25.
We do not have a reliability rating that ranks one of these above the other. What can be compared is warranty length, and it favors Hyundai on both the powertrain and the bumper-to-bumper term. A warranty is a coverage promise, not a reliability measurement. Longer coverage is worth real money either way.
The Tucson. It is rated at 2,750 lb with trailer brakes and 1,650 lb without, while the Equinox is rated at 1,500 lb with all-wheel drive and 800 lb with front-wheel drive. The two makers rate towing on different bases, but the answer holds either way.
They split it. The Tucson makes more horsepower, 187 to 175, and the Equinox makes more torque, 184 lb-ft to 178. The Equinox's torque also arrives lower, from 2,000 rpm through 4,800, while the Tucson's peaks at 4,000 rpm. Horsepower shows up at speed; low-end torque shows up pulling away from a stop.
The Tucson, on term length. Hyundai covers the powertrain for 10 years or 100,000 miles and the vehicle for 5 years or 60,000 miles; Chevrolet covers the powertrain for 5 years or 60,000 miles and the vehicle for 3 years or 36,000 miles.
The Tucson holds 5 stars overall from the federal government's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (NHTSA) in both drivetrains. The 2026 Equinox has not been rated by that program yet.
Yes. All-wheel drive is available on the Equinox and on the Tucson, where Hyundai calls the system HTRAC; both are front-wheel drive as standard.
No. We are a Chevrolet dealer, so we will not have a new Tucson on our lot. If the Tucson is on your list, drive it at a Hyundai store and drive the Equinox with us, ideally close enough together to compare them honestly.