Compare the2027 Chevrolet Equinox VS 2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Chevrolet Equinox 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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has not been tested.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Equinox has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Chevrolet Equinox offers an optional Surround Vision and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Equinox has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Eclipse Cross SE/SEL/Ralliart/Black Edition offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert and the Eclipse Cross’ Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Equinox and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all-wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Equinox is much safer than the Eclipse Cross:

	Equinox	Eclipse Cross
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg Forces L/R	292/337 pounds	540/450 pounds
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	POOR
Chest Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Chevrolet Equinox is much safer than the Eclipse Cross:

	Equinox	Eclipse Cross
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	80	155
Neck Tension	245 lbs.	268 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	2.28 in
Torso Deflection Rate	9 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1294 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.57 in	1.73 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.3 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

There are almost 10 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Equinox has a standard 760-amp battery. The Eclipse Cross’ 520-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 44 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 87 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mitsubishi is rated below average.

The Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 23 more horsepower (175 vs. 152) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (203 vs. 184) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Chevrolet Equinox is faster than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Equinox	Eclipse Cross
Zero to 30 MPH	3.4 sec	3.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9.1 sec	9.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.5 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	17.1 sec	17.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84 MPH	80 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox gets better mileage than the Eclipse Cross:

			MPG
Equinox
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/29 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/29 hwy
Eclipse Cross
	AWD	ES 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/26 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Equinox’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Equinox has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Equinox higher (6 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (2). This means the Equinox produces up to 27.7 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Equinox’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Eclipse Cross:

	Equinox	Eclipse Cross
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11.6 inches

The Equinox stops shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Equinox	Eclipse Cross
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	132 feet	Consumer Reports

For better traction, the Equinox has larger tires than the Eclipse Cross (235/65R17 vs. 215/70R16). The Equinox LT/ACTIV’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Eclipse Cross (235/65R17 vs. 225/55R18).

The Equinox LT/ACTIV’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires. The Equinox RS’ optional tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL/Ralliart/Black Edition’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Equinox LT/ACTIV has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Eclipse Cross ES. The Equinox RS’ optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL/Ralliart/Black Edition.

The Equinox has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Equinox’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Eclipse Cross (107.5 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Equinox is 3.2 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Eclipse Cross.

The Equinox RS AWD handles at .79 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SEL pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Equinox RS AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL (28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

The front grille of the Equinox uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Equinox uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Equinox has 7.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Eclipse Cross (104.3 vs. 96.7).

The Equinox has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Eclipse Cross.

The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat up (29.8 vs. 23.4 cubic feet). The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat folded (63.5 vs. 50.1 cubic feet).

The Equinox uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Eclipse Cross uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

When two different drivers share the Equinox ACTIV/RS, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Equinox ACTIV/RS’ optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Equinox’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Eclipse Cross does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Equinox’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Eclipse Cross has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the Equinox and the Eclipse Cross have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Equinox is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Eclipse Cross prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Equinox’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Eclipse Cross’ standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

On a hot day the Equinox’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Eclipse Cross can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Equinox’s power locks have a lockout prevention feature. When the key is in the passenger compartment and the driver’s door is open, the power locks won’t lock. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t provide lockout prevention.

The Eclipse Cross’ standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Equinox’s standard doors lock when the transmission is engaged. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

The Equinox’s standard Keyless Access allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. FAST-Key is only offered on the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL/Ralliart/Black Edition, and doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear doors.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Equinox has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

When the Equinox ACTIV/RS with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Eclipse Cross’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Equinox ACTIV/RS keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Equinox has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Eclipse Cross SEL.

Both the Equinox and the Eclipse Cross offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Equinox has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Equinox offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Equinox is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox retains 50.37% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 49.95% resale value of the 2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross after five years, which can save the Chevrolet’s owner.

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by almost 19 to one during 2025.