Compare the2027 Chevrolet Equinox VS 2026 Ford Escape

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Chevrolet Equinox achieved an “Acceptable” rating for its forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the Ford Escape, which scored only a “Marginal” in these critical safety features.

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

Both the Equinox and the Escape have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 all-wheel drive and around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Chevrolet Equinox is much safer than the Escape:

	Equinox	Escape
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	80	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	245 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.06 in	1.1 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.77 in
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1160 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	1.3 in	1.5 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	736 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 39 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated below average.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Equinox uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Escape with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Equinox higher (6 out of 10) than the Ford Escape (5 to 6). This means the Equinox produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escape every 15,000 miles.

The Equinox stops shorter than the Escape:

	Equinox	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Equinox has larger tires than the Escape (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

The Equinox RS’ optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape Elite/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Equinox RS offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Escape’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Equinox has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Escape doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Equinox is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape.

The Equinox RS AWD handles at .79 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Equinox LT/ACTIV has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escape (8.1 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Equinox to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Equinox RS’ minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Escape (8.2 vs. 7.3 inches).

The Equinox uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Escape doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Equinox’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Equinox uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape 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 Equinox’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Escape does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Equinox’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Escape’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

On a hot day the Equinox’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Escape can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Equinox’s standard Keyless Access allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Intelligent Access standard on the Escape doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear doors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Equinox’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

The Equinox’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Escape.

When the Equinox ACTIV/RS with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Escape’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Equinox has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Escape. The Equinox ACTIV/RS also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape.

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

The Equinox has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Escape.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox retains 50.37% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 48.65% resale value of the 2026 Ford Escape after five years, which can save the Chevrolet’s owner.

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Ford Escape by over two to one during 2025.