2012 Chevrolet Equinox review

2012 Chevrolet Equinox. Click for larger photo. See more photos

The Equinox along with its mechanical twin, the GMC Terrain are the smallest SUVs in GM's line-up. Probably for this reason, GM calls the Equinox a compact crossover, although it certainly doesn't feel compact. The Equinox is rather a very comfortable crossover SUV closer to the mid-size. Introduced in 2004, the Equinox was completely redesigned for 2010, and since then it has been a real hit. The new Equinox's main selling points are its very comfortable high-tech interior, rear seat space and, of course, its highway fuel economy. The EPA rates the FWD Chevrolet Equinox with a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine at 22/32 US MPG (10.7/7.4 L/100 km) city/highway.
For 2012, the Equinox got new colors and more available features. The FlexFuel capability is now available on 2.4L engines. Also new for 2012, the lane departure warning and forward collision alert are available on a V6 LTZ.

The 2012 Equinox seats 5 and comes in base LS, mid-level LT and top-of-the-line LTZ trim levels. The LT is further split into 1LT and 2LT grades. The Equinox has a unibody construction and is available as a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. You can choose between the standard 182-hp 2.4L 4-cylinder engine and optional 264-hp 3.0L V6. Both are advanced DOHC engines with a Direct Fuel Injection. A Direct Fuel Injection means that the fuel is injected directly into the engine combustion chambers at high pressure, which significantly improves the engine's efficiency. Both, the 4-cylinder and the V6 are FlexFuel (E85) capable. The only transmission choice is a 6-speed automatic. The Equinox has disk brakes on all four wheels. The 4-cylinder models have an electrically assisted steering, while the V6 Equinox features a conventional hydraulic power steering.
The Equinox is equipped with six standard airbags: front, seat-mounted side and front-to-rear head curtain airbags with rollover protection. Standard safety equipment includes Antilock brakes and StabiliTrak® Electronic Stability Control System with Traction Control. Chevrolet Equinox received 2012 Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In the NHTSA crash tests, the 2012 Equinox received four stars overall, with four stars in the frontal crash tests and five stars in the side-impact crash test.

2012 Chevrolet Equinox interior. Click for larger photo

2012 Chevrolet Equinox rear seat. Click for larger photo

2012 Chevrolet Equinox cargo area. Click for larger photo

2012 Chevrolet Equinox 2.4L engine. Click for larger photo. See more photos

Inside the Equinox is all about comfort. If you check the comfort level of all others small or medium SUVs, the Equinox for sure will take one of the tops spots. What is very noticeable inside the Equinox, is the high-tech feel with nicely-highlighted center console and sharp instruments. The beautiful ice-blue lighting is another story; even the door handles and cup holders glow in the dark. See for yourself, check our Chevrolet Equinox photos. The quality feel of the interior materials is also worth mentioning.
The rear seat legroom is another big selling point of the Equinox. The 60/40 split rear seat reclines and slides close to eight inches back and forth. With the rear seat slid all the way back, two adults can ride in the back very comfortably, with plenty of space in front. With the rear seats folded down, the Equinox offers 63.7 cu. ft. (1803 liters) of cargo capacity. You also can just slide the rear seat all the way forward to have more cargo space at the back. The 250-watt Pioneer 8-Speaker audio system with a subwoofer that is available on 1LT and standard on 2LT and LTZ sounds very clean with nice deep bass.

The list of available features includes USB port for the iPod, navigation with the rear view camera, OnStar, Satellite radio, remote starter, programmable power liftgate and more.

On the road, the Equinox handles easily. The ride is quiet and smooth. The road bumps are well absorbed by the suspension. The 6-speed automatic transmission allows the Equinox to keep the engine RPMs low - cruising at 60 mph (96 km/h) the tachometer needle stays just under 2000 RPM. The Equinox also has the Eco mode. You press the Eco button and the transmission shifts into a higher gear sooner, which helps fuel economy. The other thing the Eco mode does is it locks the torque converter clutch as often as possible. The FWD Equinox is rated by the EPA at 32 highway MPG (7.4L/100 km). A number of consumer reviews says that the real-world fuel economy is not as high. I haven't measured the fuel economy of the AWD model I got for a test drive accurately enough to report, but during steady driving on an empty highway at 60 MPH (96 km/h), with the A/C off, I was able to get an average 7.8 L/100 km (30 US MPG) at the vehicle's fuel consumption monitor. Obviously, it's not a precise measurement, but the Equinox's highway fuel economy is really not bad for a vehicle of this size.

A couple of maintenance tips for Chevy Equinox owners: No oil life monitor will replace the simple oil check with the dipstick. Check the oil level periodically, if it's low, top it up; if the oil looks too dirty, have the oil changed. For your oil life monitor to work properly it has to be reset every time the engine oil is changed. You can find the instruction how to reset the engine Oil Life system in your Owner's Manual under Vehicle Care. Always use proper engine oil; the Owner's manual for 2012 Chevrolet Equinox recommends the dexos1 Synthetic Blend.
The winter road salt can damage the chrome wheel rims if not washed off in time. Wash your vehicle more often when the salt is used on the roads in winter months. Read more Car care tips.

Chevrolet Equinox is being tested at the end of the production line. CAMI plant, Ingersoll, ON.

Overall, the Equinox is a well-built vehicle with plenty of standard and available equipment. Its size is perfect: not too small and not too bulky. The interior comfort and quality as well as the rear seat space certainly are a big plus. Add to this very good highway fuel economy and you get a perfect combination for a road trip vehicle. And if you drive a lot, the Equinox's powertrain is backed by GM's five-year or 100,000-mile (160,000 km in Canada) powertrain limited warranty.
You can check the details and crunch the numbers at: Chevrolet.com or GM Canada. The Equinox is built at the CAMI facility in Ingersoll, Ontario and at Oshawa Assembly Plant in Oshawa, Ontario. I happen to visit both of these GM plants and I was very impressed with how well everything was organized. In my view, the GM is on the right tracks now.

2012 Chevrolet Equinox Specifications

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