Chevy Equinox Pros and Cons: What To Know When Weighing Your Decision
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The Chevy Equinox is a small SUV crossover designed for style and quality. It’s one of the most popular Chevy selections, and for good reason. If you’re interested in this car, examine all aspects to determine if it’s right for you. You might wonder - what are some significant Chevy Equinox pros and cons to understand before buying?
If you’re interested in learning more about the pros and cons of the Chevy Equinox, you’re in the right place. The more you know about this vehicle, the easier it will be to determine if it’s worth purchasing for your life goals. Read on to learn more about our favorite things about the Equinox and our least favorite things.
What We Love About the Chevy Equinox
It’s always thrilling to look at the best aspects of a car. Let’s dive into the benefits of the Chevy Equinox pros and cons.
Simple Control System
Unlike other cars, the control system in the Chevy Equinox is simple in all the ways that matter. With your trim, you will receive a 7 or 8-inch touchscreen mounted inside the vehicle. It’s right in the middle of the front dash, simple to see, touch, and manage while on the go.
The touchscreen allows the front of the car to function like a straightforward spaceship, with a simple menu outlined on the screen and every feature you could want accessible with a simple touch of a button. The Chevy Equinox masterfully adds a simple control system for maximum usage.
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Inviting Interior
The interior of the Chevy Equinox is as warm and inviting as they come. If you decide to invest in the Premium trim, you’ll access features like leather upholstery, two-tone color schemes, and layers of high-quality materials scattered around the cabin. It’s easy to fall in love with the careful, welcoming precision put into every detail.
Investing in higher trims also means you get comforting features. These include a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and a hands-free power liftgate, all ensuring you don’t have to do much to get inside the vehicle. An inviting interior can make all the difference, especially if you must drive in rainy, snowy, or warm weather.
Easy On the Budget
Another significant advantage of the Equinox is how low the base starting price is. According to chevrolet.com, the lowest trim of the Equinox is $32,645. This price point is far lower than competitors of a similar size and stature, making that a significant drawing point for the machine.
However, there is a catch - there aren’t too many standard safety and tech features provided in the Equinox, while competitors that cost slightly more factor these into the cost. It depends on what you value more - saving money or gaining access to valuable features for your drive.
THE CHEVY EQUINOX YEARS TO AVOID
The Equinox first debuted in showrooms back in 2005 and has seen pretty consistent success over the years as a popular crossover SUV. This means the structure and body were built as one. Does this new styling mean there are specific Equinox model years to avoid?
Room for Everyone
Finally, we love that there is plenty of room for the entire family inside the Equinox. Of course, there are only five seats, but those five seats provide plenty of room for everyone to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. From the front to the back, fully-grown adults will have ample leg and headroom.
There are also simple latch anchors to hook onto car seats to ensure the little ones remain safe during the trek, much easier to locate than other similar models. There’s also a buckle for those in booster seats and plenty of storage beneath the floor to keep items out of sight.
What We Don’t Like About the Chevy Equinox
Of course, we can’t just focus on the benefits of a well-rounded examination. Let’s move into the less desirable aspects of the Chevy Equinox pros and cons.
Lacking MPG
Unfortunately, the Chevy Equinox does fall behind in the MPG department. According to chevrolet.com, the Equinox gets 26 in the city and 31 on the highway. While these numbers are far from terrible, they do lag when compared to similar vehicles.
Competitors like the CR-V, Tucson, and RAV4 all outpace the Equinox in this department. It’s a close race, but the Chevy falls behind. It’s still a solid vehicle but it’s vital to note there are other winners in this category.
Issues With the Powertrain
The trouble with the powertrain also plagues the Chevy Equinox, which makes for a less-than-ideal ride. The only powertrain is the 175-horsepower, turbo-charged four-cylinder selection. It has to be this way to match with the six-speed automatic transmission.
You won’t find too much pep, enthusiasm, or refinement in this powertrain. It can be very slow to respond when pressing on the pedal and isn’t super quick to pass others on the freeway. Also, the powertrain tends to make the interior even noisier.
Rough Handling
The top contenders in the SUV crossover category provide a cushy ride with simple handling. Unfortunately, the Chevy Equinox doesn’t fall under this category. It’s rough and can be uncomfortable.
If you ride over any divots on the road, you’ll feel it. It tends to bounce without control and can feel like a roller coaster on a relatively smooth road.
Noisy Cabin Experience
Finally, the Chevy Equinox brings along a noisy cabin experience. There is wind, road, and engine noise galore once the car picks up speed. These can be a pain while you’re driving and will disrupt the conversation or any peaceful moments on the highway.
The faster you go, the louder the car will get and the more vibration you’ll feel in the pedals and steering wheel. It’s simply more unrefined than its competitors and struggles to keep itself in shape when picking up speed on the road.
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Should You Buy a Chevy Equinox?
We’ve gone over the Chevy Equinox pros and cons, so now it’s time to answer another critical question - is it worth it to purchase the Equinox? Should you look for a different car?
There are some strengths in the Equinox. However, plenty of excellent competitors are better than this Chevy car.
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