Chevrolet Equinox

Through the sheer coincidence of random scheduling, I ended up with a

Looking for a car that starts in the $20s, and tops out in the $30s? Try here. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

fortuitous chance to test two direct competitors back to back, without any concerted planning or even realizing the opportunity until about a day before picking up the second small SUV. Last week I had a Honda CR-V in my possession, and this week it’s the Chevy Equinox. Both are compact SUVs that start in the $20s and can climb all the way up to the high $30s, both can be considered crossovers or SUVs in a world of marketing spin, both offer optional AWD and family-oriented packaging and both are very popular choices, the reasons for which became very clear after driving them back to back.

A few things jump right out at me and now is as good a time as any

The Equinox's V6 engine isn't exactly the most powerful vehicle on the market, but it's more then plenty. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

to address them, while they’re still fresh on my mind. Right from the get-go, the Equinox out-guns the CR-V’s four-banger with a small, relaxed, torque-rich V6 that offers relatively quick pick-up and huge overtaking benefits at highway speeds. It out-muscles the CR-V by about 20 horses with its 186 hp and almost diesel-like 210 lb-ft of torque. Where the CR-V was mild and capable, but lacking in mid-range punch, the Equinox’s 3.4L V6 would snap to attention and drop a gear with a bit of prodding from the right foot. In contrast, under similar conditions, about the only thing we could get out of the CR-V when merging onto the highway was a whole lotta’ noise and a slow and painful increase in speed. And for all of its body roll, you can still push the Equinox through a corner with the same heavy right foot—just stay away from quick directional changes or cone courses—it’s disconcerting to say the least.

The Equinox was clearly designed with highway cruising in mind (and perhaps

Chevrolet's equipped the Equinox with a five-speed automatic. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

a bit of towing) and has no problems dropping a gear and dipping into that well of torque to get around slow, or even faster traffic out on the highways. The big Chevy (yes, from bow to stern it's actually longer than Honda's Pilot, let alone the CR-V) also seems eager to please over long stretches of highway because of its softly sprung ride. In tight corners, it leads to the body roll I mentioned earlier, but if you’re out cruising on the highway, dips, bumps and expansion joint tremors are a thing for other cars to worry about—you might hear a slight kafuffle in the undercarriage but the long wheelbase and independent suspension just soak up the shock with only the slightest vibration or jostle in the cabin.

While I wouldn’t describe its 5-speed autobox as an advantage, it’s consistent and functional, but didn’t seem to do much to help my 15 L/100 km combined fuel consumption rating (official estimates peg it at around 11 L/100 km for combined driving), and that included a fair amount of highway driving with a couple of long treks to pick up friends and drop them off at the airport. The CR-V stayed around 13 L/100 km even though I only made it onto the highway to pick up and drop it off at Honda headquarters—clear advantage to the CR-V.

Despite having more easily accessible power than the CR-V (thanks to that fat torque curve), the Equinox shows the disadvantages of having too much power on hand. Body roll is not under control, the steering is loose and vague, and the truck feels exactly that—truckish. It’s a bit sloppy and doesn’t seem eager to please, except when it comes to the right pedal.

Another thing that was incredibly disconcerting (for my forehead) was the tailgate:

Jonathan Yarkony's head makes an impromptu meeting with the Equinox's tailgate. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

why is it that Chevy has a tailgate that doesn’t want to open? Is it the temperature? Or is it just stubborn? Anyhow, I had to pull and push the gate until it was at the top of its travel, at which point when I leaned in to pull out my hockey bag I slammed my head on the lock housing, which sticks out like an evil cyst. After ducking under and readjusting to pull my bag out, I hit the back of my head again on the way out. If I was Shaquille O’Neal, I probably would have gotten used to such inconveniences and learned to work around them (or either pay someone to carry my bags for me or then again, pay someone else to customize my vehicles), but I’m stretching if I call myself 5’11” and can’t be considered more than average in height anywhere off the island of Lilliput. It’s just a brutal oversight in a vehicle in which convenience and accessibility should be paramount.

In the larger scheme of things, the Equinox

Spacious and roomy, though, this is what is to be expected from a vehicle that's longer than a Honda Pilot. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

is a very capable entry in the small SUV or crossover segment, offering a great looking vehicle at a reasonably competitive price. The interior is very agreeable, especially when equipped with navigation and XM Satellite radio (which might be a problem if you have a musically picky and irritable navigator), but the easy layout of controls and touch-screen interface are easily as good as any competitor’s, and better than those offered by some marquee brands. Without getting too picky about materials, the cabin was easy on the eyes and a reasonably comfortable environment, but we experienced a malfunctioning passenger seat heater (perhaps the cause of someone’s irritability), which would turn off after a few seconds before getting heated up. I’m sure the warranty would cover it, but it’s the kind of nuisance new car owners are looking to avoid by buying new.

One thing that new car buyers are looking for and GM delivers in

Interior refresh a big part of the 2007 update. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

the Equinox package is safety. Safety features start with basics like 3-point seatbelts with pretensioners, standard disc brakes at all four corners augmented by ABS and standard StabiliTrak stability control, dual-stage front driver and front passenger air bags, with optional head curtain side-impact airbags as an option. Rear seats are also equipped with the LATCH system for anchoring child safety seats. As with many GM vehicles, OnStar is available, and it offers crash notification as basic fare, but can also be upgraded to include turn-by-turn navigation, which would go nicely with the maps accessed through the touchscreen interface.

For convenience, the touchscreen also contains the menu

Touchscreen nav and stereo system is a good combo. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

for XM satellite radio (as mentioned above), a technology I used to find inoffensive but pointless; however, with each new car I drive that has it installed, I get more and more attached to a few of my favourite stations like the laugh channels and some alt-rock stations that are willing to play some of the more obscure stuff that I love.

It’s a car I got very comfortable in very quickly, and I can easily see a

A different set of door handles... (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

small family getting similarly attached to its easy ride, easy comfort and easy power. So long as you don’t get it confused with a sports sedan you should have a stable, reliable transport that fulfills all your needs, but it’s got an uphill battle to fight against the reputation of the CR-V and RAV4 as leaders in reliability, even though GM has shown that its vehicles stack up against the best with eight segment awards (four of those for Chevrolet vehicles) in JD Power’s long-term dependability study (VDS) and above-average scores for the Chevrolet brand as a whole—Chevrolet is not a brand to shy away from because of reliability concerns. However,

It's surprising that there's no off-road version of the Equinox... (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

sometimes it can be difficult to rewrite a brand’s image, and the perception that Japanese brands are the most reliable still holds water when you consider that Toyota and Honda, at least, both score higher than Chevrolet in the brand rankings in JD Power’s VDS.

From my perspective, driving the Equinox a week after the CR-V, the differences were clear despite a very similar price for similarly fully loaded vehicles. While the CR-V is more composed and clearly a safe pick, it’s lack of power was a little too obvious, and the lack of an engine upgrade (like Toyota’s RAV4) left me wanting more—I suppose there is always the RDX to move up to if you shop across the lot on the Acura side, but that'll cost you a great deal more. The Equinox, though a little squishy and reminiscent of driving a water bed (in all the good and bad ways you can associate with such a description), at least goes when I want it to go and does everything I need it to do. I can think of better vehicles to haul five people and a load of junk, but the Equinox is a convincing package with good looks, rugged potential and the necessary utility to hold its ground against the wave of crossovers crowding the segment.

Specifications

• Price Range (MSRP): $26,615–$40,805
• Price as tested: $36,670
• Type: 5-passenger, 4-door SUV, front-engine, FWD (opt. AWD)
• Engine: 185 hp, 210 lb-ft of torque 3.4L OHV 24-valve V6
• Transmission: 5-speed automatic
• Brakes (front / rear): disc/ disc, ABS
• Steering type: Power rack and pinion
• Dimensions (l/w/h/wb): 4795 / 1814 / 1703 / 2857 mm (188.8 / 71.4 / 67.0 / 112.5 in)
• Ground clearance: 201 mm (7.9 in)
• Curb weight (FWD/AWD) 1660 / 1713 kg (3776 / 3660 lbs)
• Seating capacity: 5
• Cargo volume (L / cu ft): 1012 /1900 (35.7/ 67.1)
• Towing capacity: 1588 kg (3500 lbs)
• Estimated fuel economy (city / hwy / combined): FWD: 12.2 / 8.3 / 10.4 L/100 km (23 / 34 / 27 mpg); AWD: 12.6 / 8.6 / 10.8 L/100km (22 / 33 / 26 mpg)
• Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 comprehensive; 60/160,000 powertrain
• Competitors: Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Liberty
• Website: www.gmcanada.com