Compare the2026 Chevrolet Equinox EVVS 2026 Nissan Leaf

The Equinox EV has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Leaf doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV offers an optional HD Surround Vision and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Nissan Leaf doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Equinox EV and Leaf have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the Equinox EV has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Leaf’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Equinox EV and the Leaf have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV weighs 407 to 1086 pounds more than the Nissan Leaf. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Equinox EV’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Leaf’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 3 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Nissan dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox EV’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

The Equinox EV’s standard electric motor produces 46 more horsepower (220 vs. 174) than the Leaf S’ standard electric motor. The Equinox EV’s electric motor produces 6 more horsepower (220 vs. 214) than the Leaf +’s standard electric motor. The Equinox EV’s optional electric motors produces 74 more horsepower (288 vs. 214) and 72 lbs.-ft. more torque (333 vs. 261) than the Leaf +’s standard electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Chevrolet Equinox EV electric motors is faster than the Leaf +:

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox EV gets better mileage than the Leaf:

The Equinox EV can travel longer on a full charge than the Leaf on a full charge:

The Equinox EV stops much shorter than the Leaf:

For better traction, the Equinox EV has larger standard tires than the Leaf (245/55R19 vs. 215/55R18). The Equinox EV’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Leaf (275/40R21 vs. 235/45R19).

The Equinox EV’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Leaf Platinum+’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Equinox EV has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Leaf. The Equinox EV’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Leaf Platinum+.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Nissan Leaf only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Equinox EV’s wheelbase is 10.4 inches longer than on the Leaf (116.3 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Equinox EV is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Leaf.

The Equinox EV’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Leaf’s (55.5% to 44.5%). This gives the Equinox EV more stable handling and braking.

The Equinox EV LT handles at .87 G’s, while the Leaf Platinum+ pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Equinox EV has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Leaf (6.4 vs. 5.3 inches), allowing the Equinox EV to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Equinox EV has 10.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Leaf (102.2 vs. 92).

The Equinox EV has 2.8 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 6.2 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Leaf.

The Equinox EV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Leaf with its rear seat up (26.4 vs. 20 cubic feet). The Equinox EV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Leaf with its rear seat folded (57.2 vs. 55.5 cubic feet).

The Equinox EV has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Leaf has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Equinox EV uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Leaf doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Equinox EV uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Leaf uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The power windows standard on both the Equinox EV and the Leaf have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Equinox EV is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Leaf prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Equinox EV’s standard front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Leaf’s passenger windows don’t open automatically.

The Equinox EV’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Leaf’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox EV has a standard rear wiper. The Leaf doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Equinox EV keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Leaf doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Equinox EV’s optional dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Leaf doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Equinox EV and the Leaf offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Equinox EV has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Leaf doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Equinox EV’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Leaf doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Equinox EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Nissan Leaf by almost 65 to one during 2025.