2021 Chevrolet Equinox LS vs LT
If you need a dependable vehicle, the Chevy Equinox should be at the top of your list. Previous versions of this small SUV have won the J.D. Power Dependability award, and we’re confident that the latest model will continue the tradition of reliability. Along with the fact that you can count on this vehicle, drivers will enjoy a surprisingly sporty performance and a wide variety of state of the art features.
It’s relatively easy to determine that the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox is one of the best SUVs on the market, but harder to decide which exact trim level is most appealing. Each of the following trim levels has plenty to offer for the price point, so it all comes down to selecting the one with all of the features you want. The 2021 Equinox is available in four different trim levels:
-
- 2021 Chevrolet Equinox L
- 2021 Chevrolet Equinox LS
- 2021 Chevrolet Equinox LT
- 2021 Chevrolet Equinox Premier
A six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, and a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine all come standard. All-wheel drive is available in all trims except for the Equinox L, which is the base model. The two highest trim levels, the Equinox LT and Equinox Premier are available with a smooth nine-speed automatic transmission paired with a more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.
For drivers with tight budgets, the base model is always a good place to start the search. Every Equinox has a good deal of active safety features and a modern infotainment system. With how affordable this SUV is, though, the 2021 Equinox LT is also an attractive option. It offers more luxurious features like leather seats, a bigger touch screen for the infotainment system, and navigation technology.
For drivers who want the best of everything, the trim levels keep going up. By the time you get to the Equinox Premier trim and add some optional packages, you can get things like ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and adaptive cruise control. There’s truly an Equinox for just about everyone, so take a deeper dive into each of the trim levels to determine which is the best fit for your lifestyle.
2021 Chevy Equinox L
For the base model, standard features include attractive cloth upholstery, proximity keyless entry, and a 7-inch touchscreen system to control the infotainment system. Front passengers can make themselves comfortable in the four-way adjustable seats before enjoying all of the technology features this car has to offer.
Chevrolet has never been shy about putting the latest and greatest technology in their vehicles, and that’s undoubtedly clear here. You can drive the 2021 Chevy Equinox L and get four USB ports, a Wi-Fi hot spot, Bluetooth technology, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, voice recognition, and a six-speaker stereo system. That’s already a lot to offer, but the innovative features don’t stop there.
The Chevy engineers remain deeply committed to keeping drivers and passengers safe, so even the base model of the new Equinox has a lot of active safety features. All of the following come standard on every new Equinox:
-
- Forward collision warning and pedestrian detection technology
- Following distance indicator to let you know when you’re getting too close to another vehicle
- Automatic emergency braking to help you slow the vehicle when your safety technology detects an obstacle before you do
- Lane departure warning and lane keep assist to keep you from drifting
- Automatic high-beam headlights to light the way in dark conditions
- Chevrolet’s innovative Teen Driver system to allow for parental controls and offer thorough safety reporting
- Rear-view camera to help prevent accidents while the car is in reverse
- Rear-seat reminders to prevent you from forgetting your most precious cargo in the back seat
2021 Chevrolet Equinox LS
When you upgrade from the base model to the Equinox LS, you can get a handful of added features without blowing the budget. Available upgrades include an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat to help you stay as comfortable as possible on extended trips. The rear-seat entertainment system will keep back-seat passengers happy and quiet.
You’ll also notice a few minor upgrades that make the interior look nicer. If you want to give your vehicle a more eye catching appearance on the outside, consider some of the appearance packages. These give you the option to choose more chrome touches or a blackout aesthetic.
2021 Chevrolet Equinox LS Vs. LT
Upgrading to the Equinox LT gets you things like HID headlights, satellite radio, and a color driver information display. If you want to add a bunch of active safety features and driver assistance technology, choose the Confidence and Convenience package for all of the following:
-
- Rear parking sensors
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Remote start
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Heated front seats
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Universal garage door opener
- Power liftgate
- Fog lights
This package also gives drivers the option to choose a panoramic roof for an additional cost. The infotainment system sees some upgrades at the Equinox LT trim level as well. The touch screen grows to a sizeable eight-inch size, and navigation is an option as well. Two additional USB ports and even a traditional power outlet make charging on the go extremely convenient.
If you really want to take things up a notch, choose a special edition of the vehicle. Either the Sport Edition or Midnight Edition will get you things like memory settings for the driver’s seat, leather upholstery, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, black alloy wheels, and glossy black exterior trim finishes to make the vehicle pop.
2021 Chevrolet Equinox Premier
This is the top of the line, and you’ll definitely notice as soon as you set eyes on the vehicle. All of the following features come standard at this trim level:
-
- LED headlights
- Hands-free power liftgate
- Eight-inch color touch screen
- Wireless device charging
- Driver memory settings
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- All other contents of the Confidence and Convenience package from the 2021 Equinox LT trim level
If you choose, you can even upgrade this car with the Confidence and Convenience II package to add all of the following:
-
- Ventilated front seats
- Heated rear seats
- Surround-view camera system for parking
- Adaptive cruise control
- Heated steering wheel
- Eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat
- Safety alert seat
Are you still looking for more in the way of premium technology? If so, the Infotainment II package might be everything you want in a vehicle. It includes things like navigation, HD radio, and a seven-speaker premium stereo system from Bose.
Which 2021 Equinox Trim Level is Best?
There’s no denying that the 2021 Equinox Premier is the superior vehicle. Of course, though, it’s also the most expensive. Choosing the best trim level for your lifestyle and budget is all about determining which features you want and what those features are worth to you. Consider taking a few different trim levels for test drives to see which one calls to you and determine which one delivers the most value for your dollar.
2021 Equinox Performance
The 1.5-liter engine that comes standard is more than enough for most people. This vehicle isn’t exactly track-worthy, but that’s not what most drivers are looking for in a small SUV anyway. This engine is designed to be efficient, and it definitely delivers on that front with up to 31 miles per gallon highway. With 170 horsepower, this engine still has more than enough to get you where you’re going.
If you want something with a little more power, upgrading to the 2.0-liter engine can help deliver more of a trucklike performance. This engine churns out 252 horsepower, which means faster acceleration and more power at cruising speed.
This engine is one of the most powerful ones you can find in the compact SUV class. You’ll be able to haul significantly more and move more nimbly with a full load of people and cargo. The automatic nine-speed transmission is also designed to help you haul more.
Equinox Gas Mileage
The standard front-wheel drive and base engine return an EPA-estimated 26 miles per gallon in the city and 31 miles per gallon on the highway. This is excellent for a compact SUV, and those numbers only slip by one mile per gallon when pairing the same engine with all-wheel drive. The upgraded engine returns good numbers, too:
-
- 22 miles per gallon city and 29 miles per gallon highway with front-wheel drive
- 22 miles per gallon city and 28 miles per gallon highway with all-wheel drive
2021 Equinox Ride and Handling
The ride might not blow your hair back, but it’s comfortable and smooth. For its size, this vehicle feels especially secure when going around corners. The steering isn’t especially twitchy, which makes for convenient cruising.
2021 Equinox Reliability
U.S. News & World Report gives this vehicle a perfect predicted reliability rating of five out of five. This isn’t surprising coming from Chevrolet, which is known for making some of the most dependable vehicles on the road. The warranty is respectable, too:
-
- Three-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty
- Five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty
2021 Equinox Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Chevrolet Equinox the highest possible rating for all six crash tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the Equinox a perfect overall safety rating of five out of five stars. Beyond that, all of the following safety features come standard no matter which Equinox you choose:
-
- Forward collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Lane keep assist
- Pedestrian detection
- Automatic emergency braking
- Following distance indicator
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Rearview camera
- Rear-seat reminder
- Teen Driver Technology – This allows parents to do things like set speed limits, audio volume limits, and more for anyone else who might borrow your vehicle from time to time
Those features are more than enough for most drivers, but some people want to take every possible step to keep themselves and their passengers safe. If that sounds like you, maybe you’ll be interested in the available advanced safety features:
-
- Adaptive cruise control
- Safety alert seat
- Rear parking sensors
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Surround-view parking camera system
2021 Chevy Equinox Interior
The Equinox has good cargo space, even when compared to other SUVs in its class. The maximum cargo space is 63.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, and you get about 30 cubic feet of space even with all of the seats up. That means you have enough room for all of your bags behind the rear seat, even with a full load of people.
This compact SUV seats five people comfortably. The comfort is worth emphasizing because the rear-seat legroom is among the best in the class. Even taller adults will be able to sit in the car comfortably, no matter which seat they pick.
There’s also ample headroom, though that may shrink slightly if you choose a model with a panoramic sunroof. The front seats are well-designed, which helps keep drivers and front passengers comfortable even on longer journeys. There are LATCH car-seat connectors on the rear outboard seats and an upper tether anchor for the rear middle seat. This helps make the 2021 Equinox one of the best compact SUVs for families.
The interior offers plenty of space, and it offers some style too. There are some hard plastic surfaces, especially at lower trim levels, but there are also many soft and stylish touches. The focus is on durability and practicality, but higher trim levels definitely add luxury to the experience.
2021 Equinox Technology
This compact SUV gets the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system standard on every model. The graphics are attractive, the menu is easy to understand, and the design is intuitive enough for just about anyone. Buttons and knobs throughout the vehicle are positioned thoughtfully, labeled clearly, and generally easy to use.
This vehicle’s lower levels still have Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, multiple USB ports, a WiFi hot spot, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and a seven-inch touch display. Upgrades can bring that touch display up to eight inches while also adding more features like HD radio and various tech-friendly charging options.
2021 Equinox Price
Since this vehicle is so easy to customize, drivers can work with a wide variety of different budgets. The starting prices for the different trim levels are as follows:
-
- 2021 Chevy Equinox L – MSRP of $23,800
- 2021 Chevy Equinox LS – MSRP of $26,300
- 2021 Chevy Equinox LT – MSRP of $27,500
- 2021 Chevy Equinox Premier – MSRP of $31,400
Given the features these vehicles include, there’s a ton of value being offered at every price point. In addition to the vehicle itself, Chevrolet offers a Complete Care package for every one of its vehicles. This comprehensive package comes with a range of benefits:
-
- 1-month trials of coverage by OnStar’s® Safety and Security Plan, 4G LTE Wi-Fi® hotspot, and Chevrolet connected services
- One maintenance visit that covers a multi-point inspection, oil change, and tire rotation
- 10 years of Chevrolet Connected access
- 24-hour Roadside Assistance for 60,000 miles or 5 years
- Limited warranty for Rust-Through Corrosion lasting 100,000 miles or 6 years
- Courtesy Transport available for 60,000 miles or 5 years
- Bumper-to-Bumper Limited Warranty for 36,000 miles or 3 years
- Powertrain Limited Warranty for 60,000 miles or 5 years
Test Drive the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox
The Equinox is known for offering safety, versatility, and dependability at a reasonable price. Chevrolet prides itself on living up to high standards for reliability and service, and that shines through no matter which trim level you select. The information above should be enough to help you start your search for the right Equinox trim level, but there’s only so much you can learn about a vehicle without seeing it in person.
Find your nearest AZ Chevy Dealership to take the 2021 Equinox for a test drive. We’ll help you explore all of the features as you determine which of these trim levels and options packages are most appealing to you. Contact us if you have any questions in the meantime, or stop by today!
