The all-wheel-drive Equinox LT, at $31,000 excluding destination, is the 2027 Equinox we put most Hot Springs families in first: it carries the biggest cargo hold in the lineup at 63.5 cubic feet, plus heated seats standard for the drive in from Malvern or Arkadelphia. Add a Saturday that ends at DeGray Lake, and that's the whole decision. Six vehicles wear the Equinox name for 2027 across two nameplates, and only a few of them are genuinely worth cross-shopping for a family here. Allen Tillery Chevrolet has been family owned since 1967, and this is the order we actually walk buyers through it.
The Short Answer
- The all-wheel-drive Equinox LT at $31,000 excluding destination is what we put most families in first: heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard, plus the largest cargo hold in the lineup at 63.5 cu. ft.
- The gas Equinox holds more cargo than the Equinox EV both ways: 63.5 cu. ft. against 57.2 with the seats folded, 29.8 against 26.4 behind the second row.
- The gas Equinox gives the back seat more room, 39.9 in. of legroom against 38.0 in.; the Equinox EV gives the front seats more, 41.7 in. against 40.9 in.
- Ground clearance is 8.08 in. on the gas Equinox and 6.4 in. on the Equinox EV, the difference you feel on a gravel lake-access road.
- If you can charge where you park, the Equinox EV LT 2 at $41,795 excluding destination adds heated seats, a heated wheel, HD Surround Vision and wireless phone charging.
The hatch matters before the trim level
The single number that decides more of these purchases than anything else is 63.5 cubic feet, what the gas Equinox holds with the second row folded flat. The Equinox EV, even riding on a longer wheelbase, holds 57.2. Behind the second row, where the cooler, the folded stroller and the week's groceries actually sit, it's 29.8 cubic feet on the gas car against 26.4 on the EV.
That gap runs opposite to what the exterior lengths suggest, and it's worth settling before anything else. A family loading up for a weekend at DeGray Lake, or hauling supplies home from a Saturday errand run, wants the gas Equinox's shape. Every dimension for both cars, side by side, is on the 2027 Equinox specs and dimensions page.
Then measure the back seat
Legroom splits the other way. The gas Equinox gives the second row 39.9 inches of legroom and 39.2 inches of headroom; the Equinox EV gives it 38.0 and 38.5, and hands the difference to the front seats instead: 41.7 inches of legroom and 58.6 inches of shoulder room up front.
So it comes down to who's sitting where. Two adults up front with a car seat behind them ride better in the EV's cabin. A family with a teenager stretching out in row two, or a rear-facing seat behind a tall driver, wants the gas car's extra 1.9 inches. Ten minutes with both, with whatever you actually carry, settles it faster than any brochure.
The DeGray Lake run
Arkadelphia sits close enough to DeGray Lake, a straight run down Highway 7, that a Saturday there is routine, not a road trip, and some of the roads down by the marina and the boat ramps turn from pavement to gravel and washboard before you park. That's exactly where the gas Equinox's 8.08 inches of ground clearance pays off against the Equinox EV's 6.4: an inch and a half is the difference between rolling smoothly over a rutted lake-access road and picking your way across it.
All-wheel drive is a flat $2,000 on any gas trim: an Equinox LT with AWD runs $31,000, an RS or ACTIV $35,900, both excluding the $1,995 destination charge, and it's available across the Equinox EV lineup too. The ACTIV trim adds all-terrain tires, its own suspension tune and standard roof rails, and it's the trim we point lake-day families toward first.
Gas or electric for the daily commute
If you can put a 240-volt outlet where the car parks overnight, the Equinox EV handles a family commute easily: 319 EPA-estimated miles of range on front-wheel drive, a full charge in about 9.5 hours while everyone's asleep, and a standard NACS port that reaches a wider public charging network than the outgoing car did. A daily run from Malvern into town and back doesn't put a dent in that.
If you park on the street, share a driveway, or just don't want to think about it, the gas Equinox's 14.8-gallon tank and 400-mile range make the question disappear entirely. Neither choice is a compromise; it just depends on where the car spends its nights, and we'll ask before we recommend anything. The full side-by-side, including running costs, is on the 2027 Equinox gas vs EV page.
What we'd put a family in
The all-wheel-drive Equinox LT at $31,000 excluding destination is where we start almost every family conversation, and it isn't a stripped-down starting point. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard on the LT, the 11.3-inch touchscreen runs Google built-in, and Chevy Safety Assist comes standard across the whole Equinox lineup. The 1.5L Turbo making 175 horsepower is the same engine every gas trim uses, so nothing further up the line is quicker.
The ACTIV at $35,900 excluding destination with all-wheel drive is the one for a family that loads up and then points the car somewhere unpaved: all-terrain tires, its own suspension tune, and standard roof rails for a kayak or a cargo box.
The Equinox EV LT 2 at $41,795 excluding destination is the pick for a family that can charge at home and wants the comfort content that comes with it: heated seats, a heated wheel, heated mirrors, HD Surround Vision and wireless phone charging, plus 8 years or 100,000 miles of coverage on the battery. The full trim-by-trim breakdown for both nameplates is on the 2027 Equinox trims and pricing page.
What it costs to keep
A Hot Springs family will not notice much difference in year one. Whichever Equinox comes home, the included visit lands at 12 months or 12,000 miles and covers the four-tire rotation and the Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection either way; only the gas car adds an oil and filter change to that same stop, since the EV has none to give. Past that first visit, the gas Equinox settles into rotations every 7,500 miles while the EV needs nothing from the service bay but tires and brakes.
Warranty coverage doesn't change between the two: 3 years or 36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper on both, and the corrosion policy runs to 6 years or 100,000 miles against rust-through. That matters here, where a lot of the driving mixes Arkansas summer heat with gravel dust off the lake roads and the occasional January ice storm. Full intervals and warranty terms are on the Equinox maintenance and service page, and you can book either car in for service any time at schedule-service.html.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cargo space does the 2027 Equinox actually have?
The gas Equinox holds 63.5 cubic feet with the second row folded and 29.8 cubic feet behind it. The Equinox EV holds 57.2 cubic feet folded and 26.4 behind the second row. Full dimensions for both are on the specs and dimensions page.
Should a family here buy the gas Equinox or the Equinox EV?
Both are good family vehicles built on the same values; it comes down to where you park at night. A family that can charge at home is well served by the Equinox EV's 319-mile range and quiet, low-maintenance driving; a family without home charging gets the same ease from the gas Equinox's 400-mile range and 14.8-gallon tank. See the full comparison on the gas vs EV page.
Which 2027 Equinox trim do most families choose?
Most of the families we work with choose the all-wheel-drive Equinox LT at $31,000 first: heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and the full 63.5 cubic feet of cargo room come standard on that trim. Families headed to the lake often step up to the ACTIV for its all-terrain tires and roof rails. The full trim ladder is on the trims and pricing page.
What maintenance comes with a new 2027 Equinox?
Both the gas Equinox and the Equinox EV include one scheduled maintenance visit at 12 months or 12,000 miles: a four-tire rotation and a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection, plus an oil and filter change on the gas car, and 3 years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage. The Equinox EV adds 8 years/100,000 miles of coverage on the battery and electric components. Full terms are on the maintenance and service page.
Does Allen Tillery Chevrolet have the 2027 Equinox in stock?
Yes, both the gas Equinox and the Equinox EV are regularly in stock. See what's currently on the lot, or see the full 2027 Equinox buyer's guide for trims, specs and everything else in one place.
Come fit the car seat yourself
The fastest way through all of this is twenty minutes with both cars and whatever you actually carry: the car seat, the cooler, the dog crate. We're at 4573 Central Ave in Hot Springs, and you can reach us at 501-881-4274.
See the 2027 Equinoxes in stock, look at the Equinox EV, book a back-to-back test drive, or get pre-approved so the numbers are settled before you arrive. The complete 2027 Equinox and Equinox EV buyer's guide, covering trims, specs, service and more, starts at our Equinox buyer's guide, the full model overview is on the 2027 Equinox for sale page, and more answers are on the Equinox FAQ page. Current offers are on our specials page, and financing questions go to our finance team.
