Compare the2026 Acura ADXVS 2026 Chevrolet Equinox

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Acura ADX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Acura ADX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the ADX deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The ADX’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Equinox’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Acura ADX achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Chevrolet Equinox has not been tested.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the ADX’s standard Hill Descent Control System allow you to creep down safely. The Equinox doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control System.

The ADX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the ADX and the Equinox 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.

The Acura ADX achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Equinox has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The ADX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Equinox’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the ADX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ADX’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The ADX’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (190 vs. 175) than the Equinox FWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The ADX’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (190 vs. 175) than the Equinox AWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Acura ADX is faster than the Equinox AWD:

On the EPA test cycle the ADX gets better mileage than the Equinox:

The ADX stops shorter than the Equinox:

The ADX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LT/ACTIV’s standard 65 series tires. The ADX A-Spec’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Equinox RS’ optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ADX has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Equinox LT/ACTIV.

The ADX has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the ADX flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The ADX has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The ADX A-Spec AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Equinox RS AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The ADX A-Spec AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Equinox RS AWD (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 10% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 13th.

The ADX A-Spec’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Equinox’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The ADX’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Equinox’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The ADX’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Equinox doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Both the Acura ADX and Chevrolet Equinox offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The ADX offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Equinox’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The ADX has a standard 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. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Equinox.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura ADX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Equinox.