2012 Chevy Equinox Review

2012 Chevy Equinox Review

Bruce Sheridan

Overview

The 2012 Chevy Equinox is a very easy vehicle to recommend. Chevy combines the most important priorities for crossover SUV drivers into an attractive, affordable and practical package with the Equinox. That being said, there are several areas where the Equinox trails behind the competition. However, the combination of great gas mileage, ample passenger room, a bevy of standard and optional features, reasonable pricing and solid driving dynamics make it a must for car buyers to check out.

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The Equinox is safe and roomy like an SUV, but it drives and sips fuel like a car. It's a potent combination and puts it right at the top, but the Equinox is not a no-brainer in this competitive class. It is not the most agile vehicle behind the wheel, and what it gains in passenger space it loses in cargo space. If what the Equinox offers are the kind of things that are important to you, then it is definitely a solid choice for your next new car deal.

2012 Chevy Equinox

Starting MSRP	Max City / Hwy MPG
$23,530	22 / 32

Pros	Cons
High gas mileage	Not very agile
Solid car-like ride	No third row
More passenger space	Less cargo space
Standard equipment

Trims

The 2012 Chevy Equinox comes in three trims and two versions of the LT as well. Much of the features and equipment on the high end trims are available to the lower trims, so you can really customize it to have exactly what you want to have and not have to pay for things you don't. Every Equinox comes with a six speed automatic transmission and the option between having FWD or being an AWD vehicle.

Equinox Trims
Name	MSRP	Engine	Best MPG City / Hwy
LS	$23,530	2.4L 4-cyl	22 / 32
1LT	$25,050	2.4L 4-cyl	22 / 32
2LT	$26,870	2.4L 4-cyl	22 / 32
LTZ	$29,220	2.4L 4-cyl	22 / 32

Performance

Every 2012 Chevy Equinox comes standard with a fuel sipping 2.4L 4-cyl engine that turns out 182 horsepower, 172 lbs-ft of torque and does it all at 22 city / 32 hwy mpg. The 4-cyl engine is not the liveliest, but for most drivers it is more than enough. There is an available v6 engine that gets 264 horsepower and 222 lbs-ft of torque, but it slashes its gas mileage considerably, down to 17 city / 24 hwy mpg.

The Equinox sits like an SUV but drives like a car, but not a sports car by any means. Many drivers feel uninspired by the numb steering, but most car buyers don't look to this class for agility and performance anyway. The Equinox knows what it's made for, and it does it well.

Interior / Exterior

One thing that the Equinox does better than the competition is its rear passenger room. The 60 / 40 seats can slide back to provide more than enough room for even the tallest adult passengers. It comes at a cost however, since the ample passenger room does cut into its cargo space and it lags behind most the competition in that regard. There is also no available third row, which some competitors do offer, like the Toyota RAV4.

Features

Boasting a strong compliment of standard features and equipment, the Chevy Equinox is certainly one of the most well equipped crossover SUVs, especially considering the low starting price. Every Equinox comes with things like power locks, windows and mirrors, air conditioning, a radio / CD player / MP3 player with auxiliary inputs. Some drivers take issue with the organization and presentation of the center console's many buttons. This not easily recognizable set up might take some time to get used to.

Safety

The IIHS named the Chevy Equinox a top safety pick for 2012, giving it perfect scores in front and side impact testing. In its government safety tests, the Equinox also received good scores, getting four out of five stars in front crash tests and five out of five in side impact tests. The Chevy Equinox comes with all the usual standard safety equipment, and higher trims can come with premium safety equipment like rearview cameras, rear parking sensors and a forward collision / lane departure warning system.