CHEVY EQUINOX REVIEWS CAR AND DRIVER DRIVER

LOWS: Reluctant four-cylinder engine, overeager six-speed transmission, useless manual shift provision.

CHEVY EQUINOX REVIEWS CAR AND DRIVER DRIVER

Roominess is excellent and in line with the standards of this class, the seating is comfortable, and our measured interior-noise levels are at or near best-in-class-provided the driver refrains from demanding too much of the engine, that is. The interior looks good, particularly in this fancy LTZ trim with its heated leather seats, navigation, upscale audio system, and contemporary infotainment tech, and it has acceptable fit and finish at this price point. The Equinox’s freshened exterior continues to be attractive among these compact boxes. But if the Equinox is short on joie de drive, it has a good many other virtues. Still, let’s not confuse competent with engaging there’s nothing about this vehicle that’s likely to provoke a Sunday-morning excursion for the sheer enjoyment of driving. Average does apply to the Equinox's lateral grip (0.79 g), and overall it stacks up as competent. It’s worth noting, though, that the average can’t be called good. The fade-free braking performance is slightly below average for this class in terms of distances. We do wish for a little more information from the steering, which is nicely weighted but short on accuracy, provoking little adjustments after the driver has chosen an initial line in a constant-radius turn. The chassis is free of quivers, body motions are moderate, transient responses are prompt if not really eager, and ride quality is agreeably firm. While this powertrain is uninspiring, the Equinox gives a surprisingly good account of itself on rural back roads, as well as on interstates. One positive effect of the four-cylinder’s unrefined voice is that it discourages vigorous use of the throttle, which may account for our observed-fuel-economy result: 21 mpg during the course of this test versus 18 back in 2009, despite all-wheel drive and the additional mass. Although the Equinox is exceptionally quiet at freeway cruising speeds, the sound issuing from beneath the hood at wide-open throttle is quite coarse. Max power comes on at 6700 rpm, and hearing this engine strain for peak revs is not at all inspirational. Maybe the transmission is so eager to get to the higher gears because it wants to spare the driver the sound of the engine revving. It has the same all-wheel-drive system, the same six-speed automatic transmission, and the same base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 182 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque. Familiar PowertrainĪs noted, the 2016 the Equinox is mechanically indistinguishable from its immediate predecessors. Can the recent updates elevate our opinion of the Equinox? We borrowed a top-of-the-line 2016 all-wheel-drive LTZ to find out. The Equinox doesn’t threaten those three, but its sales nevertheless are running well ahead of 2014 and near the front of the field among the 16 or 18 horses in this derby-and second overall among all Chevrolet vehicles. Honda’s CR-V is America’s perennial sport-utility bestseller the Ford Escape, extensively revised for 2017, is hard on its heels and the Mazda CX-5 remains our favorite in the category. This is a very hot market segment right now, chockablock with all kinds of attractive offerings. 43 MPG! 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Diesel AWD Tested.Tested: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 2.0T AWD.

Tested: 2018 Chevy Equinox 1.5T AWD is Right-Sized.

Chevy equinox reviews car and driver