Like its predecessor, the 2016 Equinox is powered by a standard four-cylinder engine or an available V-6. The base L trim level is only available with front-wheel drive, but LS, LT and LTZ trims can have all-wheel drive. Instead, Chevrolet said in a statement that it has “contemporized” the Equinox with new styling and more features like a newly standard backup camera. At that age, a car is typically due for a full redesign, but that’s not what the Equinox gets for the 2016 model year. The car has been completely reliable which is ultimately what matters the most to me but I do have a few concerns as noted above.The five-seat Chevrolet Equinox small SUV has been on sale in its current form for six model years. So, the bottom line for me is that it is a mixed bag. The car hesitates momentarily at every shift with first-to-second and second-to-third being the worst. It's just not nearly as smooth as it should be. I don't consider it a severe problem but more of a constant annoyance. The 6-speed transmission is good at keeping the engine revs low for better fuel economy and I like the manual shift control but it is the worst-shifting new-car transmission I have ever owned. I'm not sure we're saving enough fuel to be worth feeling this underpowered. It doesn't achieve the sticker ratings and I'm uncertain how well it will hold up over time. As noted above, I'm not sold on the 2.4L engine. The cargo area is also narrow enough that you can't put golf clubs back there.Ĥ. It doesn't achieve the EPA numbers but also isn't big enough to handle big family trips because of the small cargo area. It just strikes me that the Equinox is trying to be a small fuel-efficient SUV but it doesn't excel at either end of the spectrum. According to Edmunds specs, the two vehicles only differ in width by 1 inch so I'm just puzzled how the Equinox is so much smaller in the back. The Equinox is the same length as our Buick Rendezvous but the Rendezvous has 3 rows of seating and offers two or three times more cargo space. The Equinox cargo room is much smaller than it should be for a vehicle of this length. I had to go buy a seat cushion to alleviate this problem.ģ. The firm seats bother my sciatic nerve and I start having numbness. That control isn't accessible on the steering wheel so they force you to lean way forward to use it. This is terrible ergonomic design and is very frustrating over time. The center stack is angled away from the driver so reaching the main knob on the upper right of the radio requires the driver to lean forward away from the seat and I'm 6 ft tall with relatively long arms. Here are my observations on the negative side:ġ. I think the Equinox looks pretty decent and handles well. It has run flawlessly with no returns to the dealer for any reason other than oil changes. On the plus side, it's quiet and we have not had any squeaks or rattles. I thought the 2.4L had reasonable power during my test drive but after 3 years of driving, it feels somewhat underpowered. I don't know how the 4-cylinder will hold up either so I might opt for the 6-cylinder if I had it to do over again. I have measured 29.5 MPG on a 500-mile highway run in ECO mode running 65-70 MPH. I knew the 2.4L wouldn't routinely achieve the EPA fuel mileage numbers at typical highway speeds (and I'm frustrated at both Chevy and the EPA for unrealistic numbers) but a quick glance at the data on shows it's nearly impossible to achieve the highway number (only 3 fill-ups out of 418 got 32 MPG) which is just wrong from a consumer standpoint. Bought the Equinox new 3 years ago and have not had any troubles in 24,000 miles.
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