2021 Chevy Equinox vs Traverse

The 2021 Equinox features a striking exterior, offering aerodynamic sculpting and accents that combine style and function. This five-seat compact SUV offers tremendous rear-seat legroom and ample headroom that allows tall adults to sit comfortably. The front will keep you supported with its well-shaped seats, and the interior is a mix of hard plastics and soft-touch accents. Standard features include cloth upholstery and four-way manually adjustable front seats but upgrade to the LT or Premier trim for more. Standard and available features on the LT and Premier trim include leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated fronts, heated rear seats, a leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel, and driver’s memory seat. Optional Sport and Midnight Edition that are available on the LT trim offer unique gloss-black exterior trim pieces, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and special black alloy wheels. You’ll get about 30 cubic feet behind the rear seats and around 64 cubic feet with the second row folded down.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse features lots of space for passengers in all three rows of seating, and plenty of cargo space. It seats eight people in its lower trims with a second-row bench seat, while higher trims offer second-row captain’s chairs and seat seven. The Traverse provides a comfortable, cushioned ride, with easy access to get in and out of each row. Cloth upholstery comes standard and leather upholstery and power-adjustable front seats are available; as well as heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel. You’ll get plenty of cargo space with 23 cubic feet behind the rear seats, 57.8 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded, and 98.2 cubic feet of cargo space with both folded down.

The Equinox offers plenty of standard driver’s assistance features to feel confident on the road. However, you’ll have to upgrade to the LT and Premier trim to get the available Confidence and Convenience packages that include added safety and convenience features, such as a power liftgate and a universal garage door opener. Standard features include forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high-beam headlights, a rearview camera, Teen Driver system, and a Rear-Seat Reminder. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system comes standard with some great technology features but each trim offers a bit more as you move up. Standard features on all trims include a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, four USB ports, a Wi-fi hotspot, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and a six-speaker stereo.

Standard features in the Traverse include Chevrolet’s user-friendly Infotainment 3 system with a 7-inch touch screen, six USB ports, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The touchscreen responds quickly to inputs and features an intuitive menu layout. A rear-seat entertainment system, an 8-inch touch screen, navigation, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, and satellite radio are available options, as well. Standard safety features include a rearview camera, rear-seat reminder, Teen Driver system and a reminder to buckle up before driving. Available active safety features include adaptive cruise control, a surround-view parking camera system, a rear camera mirror, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, rear parking sensors, and rear cross traffic alert.

Equinox dropped its more powerful 2.0-liter engine this year, making the only power the Equinox offers for this model year a 170-horsepower, 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission shifts smoothly, but acceleration is a bit lackluster in its only engine. Overall, the Equinox delivers a comfortable ride and takes turns with composure but opting for larger wheels will give you a jittery experience, especially over large bumps in the road (some class rivals are more agile and athletic). The Equinox will tow up to a maximum of 1,500 pounds with its only engine, and front-wheel drive is standard with all-wheel drive available on all trims. Fuel economy is estimated at 26/31 mpg city and highway. The Equinox comes in four trim levels: L, LS, LT, and Premier. Starting price is $23,800 for the Equinox L and ranges to $31,400 for the Premier.

The Chevy Traverse features a 310-horsepower V6 engine on all models with a nine-speed automatic transmission, providing enough power for everyday driving needs, but with average acceleration. Its design makes the Chevrolet easy to drive and maneuver and ride smoothly over most road surfaces. When properly equipped, the Traverse can tow up to 5000 pounds; it comes standard with front-wheel drive and available all-wheel drive. The Traverse has a gas mileage rating of 18/27 mpg in the city and on the highway when equipped with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive will give you 17/25 mpg. The Traverse is available in seven trims: L, LS, LT Cloth, LT Leather, RS, Premier, and High Country. Pricing starts out at $32,900 for the LS trim and ranges to a starting price of $53,200 for the all-wheel-drive High Country.