Chevrolet Equinox
Of all the new vehicles General Motors introduced in the last four years, it could be this compact crossover where the automaker has shown the biggest turnaround.
This Equinox’s predecessor showed typical GM cost cutting. The interior was flimsy, poorly finished and full of hard plastics and lacked attention to detail. Its engines, particularly the V-6, lacked power and were coarse. And the styling was just blah. As was typical GM, it looked like a vehicle that GM had just gone through the motions to produce, so it could just get it done and into dealerships.
Contrast that with this current version. It’s styled well enough to stand toe to toe with best small sport utes on the planet. Its base engine carries some of the most advanced technology of any engines made today. And the interior, while still mostly made of stiff plastics, is simply beautiful.
The first-generation Equinox was frumpy, but the current generation is smartly styled.
Like the Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu and Traverse, the Buick LaCrosse and Enclave and the GMC Terrain and Acadia, the Equinox seems to show that GM has turned over a new leaf. Instead of building cars as if it expected to instantly send them to the clearance rack, maybe it wouldn’t have to discount them.
We tested a well-equipped, front-wheel-drive 2LT trim level with the optional six cylinder.
The Equinox's twin gauge cluster is reminiscent of the Camaro's.
The 3.0-liter V-6 is rated at 264 horsepower. It pulls strongly and is as smooth as Tim Tebow press conference. The base engine is a 182-horsepower, 2.4-liter four cylinder. While the four cylinder gives up horses to some of its competitors, it’s fuel economy rating – 22 city and 32 highway – is very good. We saw 20 in a mix of rural two lanes and freeways. While the 3.0 is smooth and powerful, fuel economy is not a strong suit with this engine. The FWD V-6 is rated at 17 city and 24 highway.
Acceleration is strong with the V-6. Still, buyers will have to decide if the big dropoff in fuel economy is worth the extra muscle.
Several years ago, GM's former vice chairman, Bob Lutz, admitted that the company need to improve its interiors. Mission accomplished on that one.
No matter which engine you specify, a six-speed automatic transfers the power to the wheels. In manual operation, it’s smooth and unobtrusive. But in manual mode – a rocker button on the side of the gearshift shifts gears – the transmission is slow to shift and the shifts aren’t smooth. Also, if the transmission thinks you’ve forgotten that you’re in manual mode, it quickly reverts to regular auto mode.
Chevrolet brags that the Equinox has the quietest ride in its segment. Add to that the smoothest. The Equinox soaks up potholes and other road acne better than any other car in vehicle in this class.
Even with the smooth ride, it still handles well. It never feels unsettled. Even with the powerful engine putting power to just the front wheels, torque steer is never a problem.
The interior is a delight to look at. It has crisp detailing and GM’s newly typical two-color scheme. Secondary controls, always a problem for the old GM, work smoothly and feel precise. The front seats are wide and comfortable. There’s excellent space in the center console, including a cubby hole along the passenger side, but the 12V power outlet is rather inconveniently located deep inside the storage area in front of the gearshift.
The back seat is where the Equinox really stands out. Unlike other small crossovers, the Equinox’s rear seat is adjustable fore and aft. With the seat set all the way back, rear seat kneeroom is limousine like. Or it can slide forward, making more room for cargo. Moving it all the way forward makes reaching a baby in a car seat easier.
Cargo space isn’t quite as good as some other compact utes, partially because of the steeply raked rear window.
Visibility is one area where the Equinox could be better. Massive A pillars compromise forward vision and there are large blindspots in the rear corners because of big C pillars.
Poor visibility is the price to pay for the Equinox’s sleek exterior styling.
Equinox pricing opens at $24,355 including destination. The 2LT tested here opens at $27,680. The bigger engine adds $1,500 and Chevy MyLink adds $100, leather is $800, a sunroof is $900, bringing the price to $30,980.
The Equinox no longer has to be the low-price option when buyers are looking for a new cute ute.