Chevrolet Equinox vs Hyundai Kona: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Hyundai Kona burns about $600 of fuel annually against $700 for the Chevrolet Equinox. That $100 yearly gap compounds to roughly $500 over five years and $800 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Hyundai Kona leads in both cycles — 134 mpg city and 108 mpg highway against 117 and 100 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Chevrolet Equinox is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, 1.6, SIDI; FFV), the Hyundai Kona with 4 (2.0, SIDI, with Stop-Start). Across 57 recorded Chevrolet Equinox configurations and 58 for the Hyundai Kona, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Chevrolet Equinox is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Hyundai Kona with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Hyundai Kona emits 281 g/mile of CO2 versus 310 g/mile for the Chevrolet Equinox. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.