Even though Chevrolet is GM’s volume brand, selling something for everybody, they’ve lacked a competitive small SUV. Sure, they offered the original Equinox; it had a roomy interior and comfortable low-speed ride, but it suffered from an outdated and inefficient base engine, clumsy handling, uncomfortable seats and blatantly cheap interior. The redesigned 2010 Equinox rectified those problems.
 
Almost the same length (but narrower) as a midsized Toyota Highlander, the Equinox is something of a “tweener.” GM frequently compares it to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V on their Web site, and it’s priced up against those small SUV sales juggernauts. I guess the name Equinox—one of the two times each year when day and night are the same length of time—makes a bit of sense, as it’s aimed right down the middle of two SUV segments.
 
We bought two all-wheel-drive Equinoxes to test: a basic four-cylinder 1LT with optional Bluetooth and remote steering wheel controls listed for $26,350. We also got a loaded $31,780 2LT with the optional 3.0-liter V6, 18-inch wheels, leather heated seats, and a moon roof. Buyers with less fiscal restraint can option up an Equinox with features that the RAV4 and CR-V competition doesn’t offer, like a power liftgate and rear seat DVD entertainment, but doing that puts the price tag up to where better models exist.
 
By now, you may have read about our less-than-joyous purchase experience. Let’s move past that and see what the Equinox is like to drive. Below are our engineers’ first impressions from the vehicles’ logbooks:
 
“Competitive family SUV. Roomy – stylish interior.”
 
“Large blind spot from wide front A-pillar, along with C and D pillars.”
 
“Good power, but transmission hunts or is slow to respond at times.”
 
“Really nice rear seat room. Plenty of leg and head room for adults.”
 
“Too bad you can’t get the RAV4’s 3.5-liter V6 in this.”
 
“Sluggish [V6] powertrain lacking low-end grunt and the six speed is always working.”
 
“Ride is well controlled and comfortable.”
 
“Lock (button) on center dash never works for me.”
 
“Nice interior materials but some sharp edges.”
 
“Smooth [4-cylinder] powertrain and quiet when cruising level highway, but engine needs to be pushed to keep up speed on incline or when quick acceleration is needed for passing.”
 
“I really like how this feels to drive. Nice steering weight, responsive, rides well, feels very solid at speed.”
 
“Power height adjustment [on 1LT] nice to have, but it changes fore/aft way too much – then you need to grab the [manual] lever to fix that…”
 
“Tune knob is quite a lean for me.”
 
“Transmission moves so much I thought it was a CVT.”
 
“Accents like the red stitching and [storage compartment] liner are a nice touch.”
 
“I hate the top-hinged preset buttons that force you to press lower on them.”
 
“Better steering feel on the V6 model.”
 
“Looks and feels like a scaled-down Traverse.”
 
Overall, our impression of the Equinox is that it’s a pleasant SUV with a few annoyances. For more on the Equinox, check out our First Drive review.
 
—Tom Mutchler