Chevrolet Equinox vs Jeep Renegade

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, inspired by the iconic Wrangler SUV, featured a boxy profile, circular headlights, and an upright seven-slat grille. Its design, which had been subtly refreshed in 2019, carried over into 2021 with some previously optional features becoming standard. Inside, the Renegade offered a modern, functional cabin with an upright center stack reminiscent of the Wrangler, making controls easily accessible. It came in various trims, including Sport, Jeepster, Latitude, Upland, 80th Anniversary, Islander, Limited, and Trailhawk, each offering a unique set of features and equipment.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox underwent styling changes, including a new grille, LED headlights, and subtle rear fascia updates, giving it a chunkier appearance. It maintained a car-based crossover look, avoiding the rugged styling of some competitors. Inside, the Equinox featured a creative dashboard design with a central touchscreen and large air vents. The materials and fit were decent for its price range, with cloth seats standard and perforated leather available. The new RS model added black exterior trim, darkened wheels, and a black interior with red stitching, though the subdued interior was less appealing.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder with 177 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available in FWD or 4WD. While neither engine was particularly spirited, the turbocharged option provided better torque and refinement. The Renegade's ride quality was solid, with good cornering stability and maneuverability in tight spaces. The Trailhawk trim, with its off-road capabilities, was the only one with Jeep's "Trail Rated" designation.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox came with a single powertrain: a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. It offered standard FWD and optional AWD. The Equinox's torque was beneficial in city driving, but the lack of horsepower was noticeable at higher speeds. The engine felt coarse at higher rpm, and the transmission's shifts were somewhat rough. While not designed for sporty handling, the Equinox was comfortable on poorly maintained roads, though it lacked the refinement of some competitors.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade provided 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 18.5 cubic feet with them in use, above average for its segment. Its tall, boxy design offered ample headroom in both rows, with good front legroom and adequate rear legroom for adults. The Renegade featured various storage solutions, including a foldable front passenger seat for added space.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox offered seating for five with decent headroom in both rows. Second-row legroom was good, but front legroom was less than some competitors. The tall seating position provided a good forward view, though rear visibility was hampered by small rear windows. The Equinox had 29.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 63.9 cubic feet with them folded, near the bottom of its segment. A power liftgate was available, but it lacked features like a sliding second-row seat.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade featured a standard 7-inch touchscreen with an optional 8.4-inch screen on higher trims, both running the intuitive Uconnect system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Kenwood premium audio system was available.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Higher trims had an 8-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch instrument-cluster screen. The MyLink system was user-friendly, and the addition of wireless connectivity was a significant advantage. However, the center-console slot for phones was too small.

For 2021, the Jeep Renegade made several safety features standard, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection. However, it received only four out of five stars from the NHTSA in crash tests.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox received top "Good" scores in most IIHS crash tests, with a "Marginal" rating in the updated side crash test. It earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, and Chevy's Teen Driver system. Optional features included adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system.