First Drive Review
Don't say "ECK-," please. Say "EEK-qui-nox," Chevy urges.
That's a page from Marketing 101. Get everyone to use the same pronunciation-less confusion in buyer land that way.
Another page says: When creating new products, "hit 'em where they ain't." In other words, avoid me-too products in favor of unique cars that stand apart from the others. Okay, that strategy went terribly wrong with the Pontiac Aztek, but it could go very right here. Remember the original Ford Explorer in 1990, or the Chrysler minivan in 1984?
Hands, please. Who expects an appealing maverick from Chevrolet?
Right. Well, folks, you have a surprise coming. Because the Equinox slips into the crowded middle ground of the SUV field as a wonderfully people-friendly tall car packing a great list of standard equipment at an inviting price-$21,560 for the base LS front-driver with a 3.4-liter V-6 and a five-speed automatic. A top-of-the-list, leather-lined, all-wheel-drive LT will run about $28,500.
In size, the Equinox is a fraction longer than the Honda Pilot but nearly six inches narrower and almost four inches less tall. To the driver, its bulk feels about like that of a Toyota Highlander, but much more agile than the larger Pilot-Explorer-TrailBlazer class. Chevy made two key decisions early in the planning. These paid off big, we think.
First, the Equinox would have "fresh and memorable" styling. But early on, it didn't. So in the middle of the program, back it went for heavy remedial work. The result has a wedgy swagger all its own. School kids will spot Mom coming when she's still blocks away.
Second was the question of construction: body on frame like a truck, or unit body like a car? The answer: Go with the car.
We also point to a third decision: the 112.5-inch wheelbase, long for the class. That pushes the intrusion of the rear suspension and wheels far back in the cabin, so they don't nibble into rear-seat space (there's no third-row option) and the rear doors can be wide. Chevy really whacked a homer in back, putting the seat on sliding tracks with eight inches of range. Do you want limo legroom or maximum space behind for cargo? The forward position is too cramped for adult males, but it's good for kids-child seats install with less back strain, and Daddy can easily reach back to mete out justice when necessary. With the seat set fully back, even NBA knees won't touch.
While we're enthusing over the rear, another detail is critical here. The door opening is big in all the right places. Step-up from the curb is much shorter than the SUV norm. Once inside, the floor is flat, so you needn't lift the brogans much to exit (no hump in the center, either). And the relatively flat bench seat, with a 60/40 split backrest, should serve the multitudes with minimal complaint. Belts are provided for three-across seating, although width will be tight for adults.
For hauling, the second-row backrests fold forward, station-wagon style. Interior cargo volume behind the front seats is an unremarkable 69 cubic feet, same as in a Ford Escape, but the details really work. To bring home those nine-foot poles, slide 'em in the back toward the dash, over the front passenger seat that you have already folded forward into the "table" position. Then close the liftgate. For the fabled 10-footers, you'll have to put one end on top of the dash, but they fit.
We also like the two-story hauling system behind the rear seats. The independent suspension has prominent towers for the springs. Chevy has taken advantage of this by shaping each tower to form a shelf-support system, crowned by a storage bin. A stiff plastic tray, recessed into the floor, can be easily raised and notched between the towers to serve as a second story, thereby doubling cargo deck area.
Equinox shoppers will find zero choices on the engine list. You get a 3.4-liter pushrod V-6 rated at 185 horsepower, backed by a five-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, or opt for an on-demand all-wheel-drive system (adds 97 pounds and costs between $1600 and $2000, depending on model). Wheels are 16-inchers, or 17s as an option wearing P235/60R-17 Dueler H/T Bridgestones.
On the road, the Equinox feels agile in a way that truck-based SUVs never do. Engine and road noise are fine for this price class, and ride smoothness is very good. The automatic is completely unobtrusive, and accelerating to 60 takes 8.5 seconds, Chevy says. EPA fuel economy is 19 city, 25 highway for all models.
Fine so far, but Chevy partisans will be shocked- shocked-at certain details. The automatic is made in Japan. The V-6 is a descendant of the familiar GM 60-degree pushrod dating back to 1980, but this one is made in China.
There's more. Contrary to the Chevy tradition of headlight switching with a dash knob, you twist the tip of the turn-signal stalk in Japanese-car fashion. And that wretched, scratchy cruise-control kludge on the left stalk is gone, replaced in the loaded LT version we drove by buttons on the wheel.
The Equinox suggests a whole new attitude at Chevrolet.
