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Chevy vs Ford Comparison
The 2027 Chevy Equinox starts near $29,000 with up to 27 mpg combined, while the current 2026 Ford Escape starts near $30,350 and tows up to 2,000 lbs, compared here for Lumberton and South Jersey shoppers.
The 2027 Chevy Equinox and the current Ford Escape are two of the most cross-shopped compact SUVs a South Jersey buyer puts side by side, and the choice usually comes down to price, cargo room and how much you actually tow. The Equinox opens near $29,000 with a 1.5L Turbo making 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque on every trim; the 2026 Escape opens near $30,350 with a base 1.5L EcoBoost rated 180 horsepower and a towing edge the Equinox can’t match.
Lucas Chevrolet stocks the Equinox and will put you behind the wheel for a real side-by-side, on the same Route 38 stretch either car will actually drive every day.
Quick Take: Equinox or Escape?
Choose the 2027 Chevy Equinox if a lower starting price, a bigger standard touchscreen and the same 203 lb-ft of torque on every trim matter most: it opens near $29,000 against the Escape’s $30,350, both excluding destination. Choose the Ford Escape if you need to tow more than the Equinox’s AWD-only, properly-equipped 1,500-lb max, want the extra cargo room, or want the strongest highway mpg in the class from its optional hybrid. For most South Jersey shoppers cross-shopping this pair, the Equinox’s price and standard equipment make it the easier buy; the Escape earns a serious look mainly for towing and maximum cargo.
Quick Answer
The 2027 Equinox is Chevrolet’s two-row, five-passenger crossover, 183.2 inches long on a 107.5-inch wheelbase. A single 1.5L Turbo four makes 175 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 203 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed automatic, standard on front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive available for $2,000 more on any trim. It’s rated 27 mpg combined front-drive (25 city / 29 highway) per fueleconomy.gov, and covers up to 400 miles on a 14.8-gallon tank. It holds 63.5 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seats folded and starts at $29,000 for the LT, before destination. Three trims: LT, RS and ACTIV.
Ford has not published a 2027 Escape yet: ford.com’s own model page is titled “2026 Ford Escape” and carries no 2027 selector, so the 2026 Escape is Ford’s newest model and the one measured against the 2027 Equinox throughout. It’s a compact SUV, 180.1 inches long on a 106.7-inch wheelbase, offered across six trims (Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, Platinum, ST-Line Elite and Plug-in Hybrid) and four powertrains. The base Active carries a 1.5L EcoBoost turbocharged three-cylinder rated 180 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 199 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm through an 8-speed automatic, rated 30 mpg combined front-drive (27 city / 34 highway) per fueleconomy.gov. A hybrid (192 total system horsepower, up to 39 mpg combined) and a plug-in hybrid (101 MPGe combined) are also offered. It holds 65.4 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seats folded and starts at $30,350 for the Active, before destination.
The two base engines land close on paper and are tuned for different things. The Escape’s 1.5L EcoBoost edges the Equinox on horsepower and combined mpg; the Equinox’s 1.5L Turbo edges it back on torque, and that 203 lb-ft figure holds across every Equinox trim since it’s the only engine Chevrolet offers on the car. Towing is where the two separate hardest: properly equipped and only on an all-wheel-drive build, the Equinox tows up to 1,500 lbs, a max the Escape beats at 2,000 lbs with no such restriction.
| Specification | 2027 Chevy Equinox | 2026 Ford Escape |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L Turbo 4-cylinder | 1.5L EcoBoost 3-cylinder (base); 2.0L EcoBoost, hybrid and plug-in hybrid also offered |
| Horsepower | 175 hp @ 5,600 rpm | 180 hp @ 6,000 rpm (base); up to 192 total system hp (hybrid) |
| Torque | 203 lb-ft | 199 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm (base) |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | FWD standard, AWD available (+$2,000) | FWD standard, AWD available |
| MPG, combined | 27 (FWD) / 26 (AWD) | 30 (FWD, base) / 28 (AWD, base); up to 39 with the hybrid |
| Max towing | up to 1,500 lbs towing (AWD only, properly equipped) | up to 2,000 lbs towing |
| Cargo, seats folded | 63.5 cu. ft. | 65.4 cu. ft. |
| Cargo, behind 2nd row | 29.8 cu. ft. | 37.5 cu. ft. |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Starting MSRP, excl. destination | $29,000 (LT) | $30,350 (Active) |
| Basic warranty | 3 yr / 36,000 mi | 3 yr / 36,000 mi |
Every 2027 Equinox pairs its standard 11.3-inch touchscreen (Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Google built-in and OnStar) with a full collision-avoidance package standard from the LT up. Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking and Forward Collision Alert are the layer built to catch what a driver misses in Route 38 stop-and-go traffic; Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning and Following Distance Indicator are tuned more for the long, straight runs on I-295. IntelliBeam rounds out the standard list, and Chevrolet counts the whole package at more than 15 standard safety and driver assistance features. Step up for extra visibility hardware — HD Surround Vision, Rear Camera Mirror, Side Bicyclist Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking are all available — and 2027 adds an optional Interior Camera for a cabin glance or a security recording.
The Escape’s base Active carries an 8.0-inch touchscreen; stepping up to ST-Line Select, Platinum, ST-Line Elite or the Plug-in Hybrid brings a 13.2-inch center display. Standard on the Active: blind spot and lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert, pre-collision assist, four-wheel ABS and tire pressure monitoring. Available on higher trims: BLIS with Cross-Traffic Alert, and Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ with Adaptive Cruise Control on ST-Line Elite and Platinum.
The Equinox undercuts the Escape at the door: $29,000 for the LT against $30,350 for the Escape Active, both excluding destination, a $1,350 gap. Stepping to the Equinox RS or ACTIV brings the price to $33,900, and all-wheel drive adds a flat $2,000 to any gas trim. Ford’s Escape climbs through ST-Line, ST-Line Select, Platinum, ST-Line Elite and the Plug-in Hybrid, though only the Active’s starting price is published; the added content on each step, and the larger battery on the Plug-in Hybrid, mean the gap widens further up each lineup. Both brands back their base coverage identically: 3 years / 36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Ford separately publishes 5 years / unlimited miles of rust-through coverage; Chevrolet’s is 3 years / 36,000 miles with a 6-year / 100,000-mile rust-through extension.
The Equinox wins on price and standard equipment. It’s $1,350 cheaper to start, at $29,000 against the Escape Active’s $30,350, both excluding destination. Its 203 lb-ft of torque beats the Escape’s base 199 lb-ft, and that number doesn’t change whether you buy the entry LT or the top ACTIV, because every 2027 Equinox uses the same engine. Its 11.3-inch touchscreen is standard from the first trim; matching that size on the Escape means stepping up to ST-Line Select or higher, where the base Active carries an 8.0-inch screen. For a Mount Laurel or Moorestown buyer cross-shopping the two on a showroom floor, the Equinox’s base trim simply carries more for less.
The Escape’s real advantages are towing, cargo and fuel economy. It tows up to 2,000 lbs. Properly equipped and only on an all-wheel-drive build, the Equinox tops out at 1,500 lbs. The Escape also holds more cargo both ways, 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded and 37.5 behind the second row, against the Equinox’s 63.5 and 29.8. And its base 1.5L EcoBoost is rated 30 mpg combined against the Equinox’s 27, a gap that widens further with the Escape’s optional hybrid at up to 39 mpg combined. For a Cherry Hill or Marlton family that tows a boat down Route 70 to the Shore each summer, that extra capacity is worth the higher price at the door.
Buy the Equinox if price and standard technology decide it: it’s the less expensive SUV at the door, its torque and touchscreen don’t depend on which trim you pick, and Lucas Chevrolet has it in stock in Lumberton right now. Buy the Escape if you tow more than a small trailer, need every cubic foot of cargo room, or want the best highway mpg the segment offers, particularly from its optional hybrid, and budget for a higher price since Ford has not released a 2027 model yet to compare against directly. For most Cherry Hill, Marlton, Burlington and Delran shoppers who aren’t towing regularly, the Equinox’s price and standard equipment make it the simpler buy.
Lucas Chevrolet stocks the 2027 Equinox at 1622 Route 38 in Lumberton, an easy pull off Route 541 or I-295 from Mount Laurel, Burlington, Delran or Cinnaminson. See the Equinox in stock, or estimate financing before you visit, and reach sales at (609) 288-7663.
The Equinox, by $1,350. It starts at $29,000 for the LT; the current Escape Active starts at $30,350. Both figures exclude destination.
The Equinox’s 1.5L Turbo makes 175 hp and 203 lb-ft on every trim. The Escape’s base 1.5L EcoBoost makes 180 hp and 199 lb-ft; Ford also offers a 2.0L EcoBoost, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, powertrains the Equinox doesn’t match with an alternative of its own.
The Escape, at up to 2,000 lbs. Properly equipped and only on an all-wheel-drive build, the Equinox tows up to 1,500 lbs.
The Escape’s base 1.5L is rated 30 mpg combined against the Equinox’s 27. The Escape’s optional hybrid extends that further, to up to 39 mpg combined.
The Escape. Its maximum is 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded and 37.5 behind the second row, against the Equinox’s 63.5 and 29.8.
Ford’s lasts longer by mileage: 5 years with unlimited miles on rust-through. Chevrolet covers general corrosion for 3 years / 36,000 miles, with a 6-year / 100,000-mile extension specifically for rust-through.
The Equinox. Its 11.3-inch screen is standard on every trim, including the base LT. The Escape’s screen is 8.0 inches standard on the Active, growing to 13.2 inches on ST-Line Select and higher.
Yes, both offer it. The Equinox’s AWD is a flat $2,000 step up from the equivalent front-drive trim, available on every trim in the lineup.
Explore the Equinox
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