2018 Chevrolet Equinox MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox gets up to 28 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 32 mpg with the diesel, across 6 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2018 Chevrolet Equinox · 6 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

28MPG combined

26 city 32 highway

$2,200 a year to fuel15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.00 a gallon (regular gas)

Fuel economy score6/10

1.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic

Best diesel version

32MPG combined

28 city 38 highway

$2,950 a year to fuel15,000 miles a year at EPA's $6.13 a gallon (diesel)

Fuel economy score7/10

1.6L turbo 4-cyl diesel · AWD · 6-speed automatic

Best version costs $3,750 more in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Nov 12, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $2,200 to $3,200 a year. New for 2018: a diesel version.

More complaints than most Equinox years

The 2018 drew 146 owner complaints in its first three years, against 80 for a typical Equinox year: 1.8 times as many. It is not a year to avoid, which takes at least twice the typical count and at least 50 complaints.

No Equinox year stands out enough to avoid; best years: 2016, 2017, and 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Equinox year ranked The 2018 Equinox's recalls and problems

Every 2018 Equinox version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Gas
1.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Equinox FWD	28 mpg	26 / 32	$2,200
1.5L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Equinox AWD	26 mpg	24 / 30	$2,400
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 9-speed automatic EPA listing: Equinox FWD · Premium fuel	25 mpg	22 / 29	$3,100
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · 9-speed automatic EPA listing: Equinox AWD · Premium fuel	24 mpg	22 / 28	$3,200
Diesel
1.6L turbo 4-cyl diesel · AWD · 6-speed automatic Best EPA listing: Equinox AWD	32 mpg	28 / 38	$2,950
1.6L turbo 4-cyl diesel · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Equinox FWD	32 mpg	28 / 39	$2,950

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.00 a gallon for regular gas, $5.01 a gallon for premium gas, and $6.13 a gallon for diesel. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
1.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,143	$179	$10,714
1.5L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,308	$192	$11,538
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 9-speed automatic	$3,006	$250	$15,030
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · 9-speed automatic	$3,131	$261	$15,656
1.6L turbo 4-cyl diesel · AWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,873	$239	$14,367
1.6L turbo 4-cyl diesel · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,873	$239	$14,367

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Chevrolet Equinox MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 25 to 28 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); highest in 2018. Diesel: 32 mpg (2018 to 2019).

Best gas version
Best diesel version

2018: gas 28 mpg · diesel 32 mpg

Show as a table

Chevrolet Equinox best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best diesel version
2010	26	–
2011	26	–
2012	26	–
2013	26	–
2014	26	–
2015	26	–
2016	26	–
2017	25	–
2018	28	32
2019	28	32
2020	28	–
2021	28	–
2022	28	–
2023	28	–
2024	28	–
2025	27	–
2026	27	–

Every Equinox year's ratings in one table

How the 2018 Equinox compares

2018 compact SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2018 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Nissan Rogue Best: hybrid	34 mpg	29 mpg	$1,850
Toyota RAV4 Best: hybrid	32 mpg	26 mpg	$1,950
Chevrolet Equinox This page Best: diesel	32 mpg	28 mpg	$2,200
GMC Terrain Best: diesel	32 mpg	28 mpg	$2,200
Honda CR-V Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,100
Mazda CX-5 Best: diesel	29 mpg	28 mpg	$2,200
Subaru Outback Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,200
Subaru Forester Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,200
Hyundai Tucson Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
Ford Escape Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400
Kia Sportage Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400
Jeep Compass Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400
Jeep Cherokee Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,500
Volkswagen Tiguan Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,600

2018 Equinox recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 410 owner complaints for the 2018 Equinox.

Owners most often describe the check engine light (48 complaints, 12%), then loss of power (37). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 4 to 5 stars, depending on the version.

See the 2018 Equinox recalls and problems

Questions

Does AWD lower the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox's gas mileage?

Sometimes. On versions that differ only in drive, the gap ranges from 0 to 2 mpg combined: the 1.6L turbo 4-cyl diesel gets 32 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 32 with AWD.

Does the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox need premium gas?

Some versions do. EPA lists the 2.0L turbo 4-cyl versions on premium, the diesel runs on diesel fuel, and the rest use regular.

How does the 2018 Equinox's MPG compare with the 2017?

For 2018, the best gas version is rated 28 mpg, up 3 from 25.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.00, midgrade $4.61, premium $5.01, diesel $6.13 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.