2025 Chevrolet Equinox vs 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox underwent a significant redesign, adopting a modern aesthetic that aligned it more closely with its larger siblings like the Chevrolet Traverse and Suburban. The new design featured a flat roof, upright grille, and distinctive “shark fin” C-pillar, giving it a more robust and contemporary appearance. Each trim level offered unique styling elements, with the base LT trim available in chrome or a high gloss black Midnight Edition. The RS trim sported black mirrors, badges, and red RS emblems, while the new Activ trim showcased dark chrome accents and all-terrain tires, emphasizing its adventurous spirit. The interior of the Equinox was also revamped, with a focus on texture and design that avoided a cheap feel. The RS trim featured a sporty interior with red highlights and contrast stitching, while the Activ trim offered a lighter “Maple Sugar and Black” theme, enhancing the cabin's ambiance.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, available in two trims, the 1958 and Cruiser, offered a blend of retro and modern styling. The base 1958 model paid homage to the Land Cruiser's heritage with round headlights and basic equipment, while the Cruiser trim presented a more upscale look with additional colour options and advanced off-roading capabilities. The Cruiser trim, especially with the Premium Package, featured a refined interior with leather upholstery and larger digital displays. The Land Cruiser maintained its traditional two-box SUV design, maximizing off-road clearances and visibility. Despite its utilitarian interior, the Cruiser trim provided a more comfortable and technologically advanced cabin compared to the 1958 model. However, the rear seats lacked comfort, and the high load floor made loading heavy items challenging.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox retained its 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque. The base LT FWD model came with a CVT, while AWD versions featured an eight-speed automatic transmission, which improved gear shifting and noise levels compared to the previous six-speed automatic. The Equinox offered a responsive accelerator at low speeds, though highway merging highlighted the engine's limitations. The ride was generally quiet and comfortable, with selectable drive modes enhancing its versatility. The Equinox could tow up to 680 kilograms with AWD, appealing to adventurers.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, producing 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. The full-time 4WD system, with electronic locking differentials, enabled a towing capacity of 2,720 kilograms. Standard features included Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control, with the Cruiser trim adding Multi-Terrain Select modes and a front stabilizer bar disconnect. Despite its power, the Land Cruiser struggled with fuel efficiency, achieving 15.0 L/100 km in real-world testing. Its off-road capabilities were impressive, but handling on twisty roads was less refined due to its suspension tuning.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox offered heated front seats and a heated steering wheel as standard in Canada, with additional amenities available in the RS and Activ trims. The flat roof provided consistent headroom, and the moonroof extended light into the rear seats. The cabin featured a well-placed dead pedal and a hidden storage compartment in the cargo area. However, cargo space was slightly reduced, with 844 litres behind the rear seats and 1,798 litres with them folded.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim upgraded to SofTex artificial leather, with ventilated front seats and a power sunroof. The Premium Package added real leather and a cool box, though the latter reduced storage space. The front seats were comfortable, but the second-row seats lacked support. The rear window design limited airflow, and the high load floor made loading heavy items difficult. The Land Cruiser offered 1,062 litres of cargo space, expanding to 2,324 litres with the rear seats folded.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox came standard with Google Built-In, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen was 30% larger than the previous model, enhancing usability. The system allowed for simultaneous infotainment activities, though voice control volume issues were noted. Most tech features were standard, including a Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless charging for RS and Activ trims.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim featured dual 12.3-inch displays with the Toyota Audio Multimedia system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system included a cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant, performing well in voice recognition tests. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, a head-up display, and digital key technology, enhancing the vehicle's technological appeal.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox offered a Safety & Technology package, adding features like rear pedestrian alert and HD surround vision. Standard safety features included rear park assist, side blind-zone alert, and enhanced automatic emergency braking. Teen Driver Technology allowed parents to monitor and control driving behaviour, providing peace of mind.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. The system offered semi-autonomous highway driving aids, though performance varied. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from NHTSA, with mixed results in specific tests.