2025 Chevy Equinox vs 2025 GMC Terrain
Compact SUVs are plentiful, with the world’s leading automakers treating us to modern marvels with engaging heartbeats, updated technologies, and next-level conveniences. Yet, two automakers stand out in the crowd—Chevrolet and GMC. As two sides of the same coin, Chevrolet and GMC are part of General Motors and offer drivers two distinct approaches and packages with their compact SUVs. Comparing the 2025 Chevy Equinox vs 2025 GMC Terrain showcases these approaches and reveals why Chevrolet continues its tenure as one of the most value-oriented automakers in the industry.
We see this value immediately by comparing the starting price for the 2025 models. GMC capitalizes on its reputation for luxury and requires drivers to pay more for the 2025 Terrain, which starts at $30,000 but doesn’t necessarily offer more obvious value. Ironically, the Terrain shares the same platform with the Equinox, which Chevrolet keeps affordable and value-rich with its starting MSRP of $28,600.[a] Yet, the Equinox’s advantages don’t end there.
What makes the 2025 Equinox more appealing than its GMC sibling? How does Chevrolet ensure your money goes further and works harder in its best-selling SUV? It’s time to answer that question with a closer look at these brand rivals. We guarantee a surprise ending that leads you straight to our Chevy dealership and your automotive home away from home.
| 2025 Chevy Equinox | VS | 2025 Chevy Equinox |
|---|---|---|
| $28,600 [a] | MSRP | $30,000 |
| 4 | Trims | 1 |
| Yes | All-Electric Option | No |
| 8-Speed Automatic | Transmission | CVT |
Trims and Packaging
The 2025 Equinox and 2025 Terrain share the same platform, but their pricing is significantly different for sibling models. As we mentioned, GMC capitalizes on its reputation for luxury, setting a high baseline for the Terrain’s 2025 starting MSRP. Yet, the question is about what you get for your investment. Does Chevrolet ask drivers to settle for less to keep the 2025 Equinox’s starting price affordable?
The Terrain Offers Only One Trim
The Terrain and Equinox are newly redesigned for 2025, but GMC takes a streamlined approach to the Terrain’s lineup that leaves drivers wanting and looking for more. Instead of a diverse family tree, the 2025 Terrain is available in only one trim–the Elevation–that starts at $30,000. GMC fans looking for well-known trims like the AT4 and Denali are forced to wait until 2026, leaving the Elevation with big shoes to fill.
The Equinox’s Diverse Trim Lineup
Chevrolet gives drivers four distinct Equinox trims, each with exclusive styling elements and features that add value and appeal. Moreover, the 2025 Equinox LT boasts an affordable starting price of $28,600, with features comparable to its GMC sibling.[a] The entry-level trim defies expectations, featuring a 1.5L turbocharged heartbeat, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. Its digital landscape is extensive and stretches from an 11-inch Driver Information Center to an 11.3-inch center touchscreen.
Moving up the Equinox’s lineup means enjoying sportier styling in trims like the RS and ACTIV. The Equinox RS is instantly recognizable by its 19-inch or 20-inch machined wheels and blacked-out mirrors, moldings, badging, and emblems. You can even opt for a two-tone black roof for a distinct aesthetic. The ACTIV is all-new for 2025 and takes its place as the Equinox’s adventurer, courtesy of all-terrain tires wrapped around 17-inch machined wheels. It’s also available with a two-tone roof, with Chevrolet swapping the RS’s black roof with a white on the trim.
Performance
You likely noticed that we mentioned that the Equinox has four trims, but we only discussed three–the LT, RS, and ACTIV. Why? The 2025 Equinox gains another advantage over the 2025 Terrain because of its optional electric heartbeat. The 2025 Equinox EV extends the SUV’s lineup, earning the title as the most affordable 315+ mile range electric vehicle.
Both Models Share Standard Engines
Before jumping straight into the Equinox EV, let’s retrace our steps to the 2025 Equinox’s and 2025 Terrain’s gas-powered heartbeats. As expected, the SUVs share platforms and powertrains, meaning their performance is comparable. The Equinox and Terrain are engaging and responsive, courtesy of a 1.5L turbocharged inline-four that produces 175 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The Equinox offers an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the Terrain offers a continuously variable transmission.
Both Share Similar Fuel Economy
With the same turbocharged inline-four engines, the 2025 Terrain and 2025 Equinox offer the same fuel economies and towing capacities. As front-wheel drive models, the SUVs average an EPA-estimated 26 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway. Gaining all-season confidence with GM’s all-wheel drivetrain adds confidence behind the wheel without dramatically reducing efficiency. The 2025 Equinox and 2025 Terrain are efficient as AWD SUVs, averaging an EPA-estimated 24 MPG in town and 29 MPG on the highway.
The Equinox’s All-Electric Advantage
The 2025 Equinox gains an advantage because you get the same turbocharged performance at a significantly better price point. Likewise, GMC doesn’t offer an EV option. Chevrolet fills the gap with the 2025 Equinox EV, which offers a single or dual motor configuration with an 85 kWh battery that produces 220 to 300 hp and 243 to 355 lb-ft of torque. The EV’s range is also impressive, at an EPA-estimated 319 miles. Opting for the all-wheel drive Equinox EV slightly reduces this range to an EPA-estimated 307 miles. Fortunately, tools like Regen on Demand and One-Pedal Drive offer a solution by converting wasted energy for the battery to extend the Equinox EV’s range as you drive.
Features
Chevrolet’s best-selling SUV continues to impress as you compare its design and technologies with higher-priced rivals like the Terrain. The 2025 Terrain embodies GMC’s classic approach to luxury. GMC introduces the Terrain with a more athletic stance and a grille inspired by GMC trucks. Yet, with the Elevation as the only trim available in 2025, there’s not much room to personalize the Terrain beyond its optional black or gray two-tone roof.
The Equinox Offers Lots of Great Standard Features
The 2025 Equinox tells a different story across its four trims, each distinctly styled and well-equipped from the LT, RS, and ACTIV to the EV. The 2025 Equinox LT sets a high baseline with its heated seats, heated steering wheel, and expansive digital landscape. The 2025 Terrain gains a slight advantage because of its 15-inch center touchscreen, a portrait-oriented layout that takes some getting used to, and makes the Equinox’s 11.3-inch touchscreen slightly more intuitive and along the lines of what we expect in the driver’s seat. Of course, the Terrain’s advantage doesn’t last long, with the 2025 Equinox EV boasting an impressive 17.7-inch display.
Both Have Similar Connectivity/Safety Features, But the Equinox Gives You More for Less
Beyond the display sizes, the 2025 Equinox and 2025 Terrain offer comparable connectivity features that include seamless smartphone integration, Bluetooth capability, and a 5G WiFi hotspot. Each infotainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with GM adding Google Built-In to its Chevrolet and GMC lineups. These features ensure hands-free connectivity, enhancing your focus and enabling you to make calls, send messages, and stream your favorite music without taking your hands off the wheel.
We see another round of similarities in the safety and driver-assist features working behind the scenes. The 2025 Equinox and 2025 Terrain offer an impressive lineup of technologies, all dedicated to enhancing your safety behind the wheel. These features include Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian and Bicyclist Braking, a Following Distance Indicator, IntelliBeam headlights, and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning. The automakers also add advanced technologies, including Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Braking, Enhanced Lane Keep Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control.
So, with comparable safety and driver-assist technologies, how does the 2025 Equinox take the lead? Its youthful and sportier styling broadens its appeal, but its more affordable price tag offers outstanding value. You’re getting comparable technologies and features and an SUV with a more modern design for a lower MSRP. The advantage is hard to ignore.
Check Out the 2025 Chevy Equinox Today
Chevrolet and GMC might share the same shade under the General Motors umbrella, but their approaches are different. We see this difference by comparing the 2025 Equinox with the 2025 Terrain. GMC’s approach to luxury is distinct, with the Terrain looking more refined and antiquated despite its redesign inspired by trucks like the Sierra and Canyon. Alternatively, the 2025 Equinox is more youthful and sportier, offering a diverse trim lineup with exclusive design details that appeal to various styles and budgets.
Chevrolet successfully keeps the 2025 Equinox’s price affordable yet manages to give drivers more for their money. This feat is impossible for most, but Chevrolet makes it look easy and proves it’s always up for a challenge. Fortunately, we share that same dedication and promise an extraordinary experience that defies every expectation.
Our goal is to bring your Equinox dreams to life and officially welcome you into the Chevy legacy and our dealership family. We take great pride in our reputation for delivering a world-class car-buying experience defined by integrity, transparency, and mutual respect. You deserve to enjoy every aspect of buying and owning your next SUV, and we’re here to make it happen by fostering confidence and trust today and every day forward. DePaula Chevrolet is your automotive partner, promising to stand by your side every mile and adventure ahead, from our showroom floor to our state-of-the-art service center.