A brief dive into sales figures for compact SUVs (or CUVs, depending upon your viewpoint) are an intriguing endeavor. Few would likely be surprised Toyota’s RAV4 is the king of the hill, selling 448,000 examples in 2019 with the Honda CR-V bringing up second place at 384,000.
But what models round out the top four? Here’s a hint: you are looking at one of them.
Surely it can’t be. A Chevrolet? Yep, a Chevrolet SUV that outsold the mighty CR-V in the first quarters of both 2019 and 2020. The Chevrolet Equinox was the fourth best selling compact SUV in the United States in 2019, with 346,049 units going out the door. That’s only about 4,000 units behind the Nissan Rogue.
The Equinox has been around since 2005 with this 2018 model being the first year of the third generation and realizing healthier sales than its predecessor. Perhaps that is a function of a growing market; perhaps that is a reflection of the improvements to the Equinox itself.
I do possess a marginal degree of familiarity with each generation of Equinox. My grandparents purchased a new 2007 Equinox with front-wheel drive and a V6 (which I should have purchased after my grandmother died), and I purchased three all-wheel drive 2011 Equinii during the brief time I had “fleet manager” as an other duty as assigned where I work.
Having had some seat time in one or two of those 2011 models, that era of Equinox presented itself as being a comfortable, well thought-out conveyance. If one where to get all critical about them, the lackadaisical demeanor of its naturally aspirated 2.4 liter four would be a prime target. The ones I drove had “regular” mode and “eco” mode, with the latter being something best avoided unless one doesn’t mind removing acceleration from the equation.
It would also be fair to say these were of mixed durability. A year or two ago I encountered a coworker who was driving one of the three 2011 models I had purchased. It was still going strong at 200,000 miles of harsh fleet use.
Conversely, another coworker is driving another 2011 but one outside of what I purchased. At around 125,000 miles his particular Equinox acquired a really nasty leak around the exhaust manifold and had suffered a few other issues.
There is one element about the third generation Equinox of which I am certain. Its exterior appearance simply does not appear as tight and cohesive as the second generation, one of the more memorable C/SUV designs of recent times. This third generation just hasn’t gelled, much like wearing tennis shoes with business casual clothing. But automotive styling is highly subjective.
One area in which the 2018 Equinox is objectively superior to the prior generation is under the hood. This particular example has the base 1.5 liter turbo, an engine meager in displacement but ample with its power. Higher trim models have an available 2.0 liter turbo. There had been a 1.6 turbo diesel for this generation, although a quick perusal of the Chevrolet website currently makes no mention of it.
One item I did discover on the Chevrolet website is the Equinox having won the 2019 J.D. Power award for initial and long-term quality. Take that for whatever you want.
For my recent jaunt in this base model, employer owned, front-drive Equinox, there was a wide variety of driving conditions ranging from city streets to low volume rural roads to four lane and interstate highways.
As an aside, it was nice getting out and seeing things green back up; like countless others I’ve been staying at home. I drove all over Laclede County, a mostly rural county in Southwest Missouri that is known for having a long segment of the Old Route 66 plus containing Bennett Spring State Park (not pictured), a trout hatchery and fishing hole extraordinaire.
The county seat is Lebanon (sometimes truncated locally as “Leb-nun” although correctly pronounced as “Leb-uh-nun”; saying “Leb-uh-non” is incorrect for this locale). For a town of 14,400 souls it continually has more CC’s per capita than anyplace I’ve ever visited, as I once found an R-body 1981 Chrysler Newport and a Dodge Mirada within five minutes of each other. Lebanon has also touted itself as the “Used Car Capital of the World”. From driving around town countless times over the years, the claim holds abundant merit.
I mention Lebanon on purpose as it’s 85 miles from where I started. With the other driving I did that day, I clocked around 250 miles or so in this Equinox. If one is going to form an impression about any vehicle this distance and variety of driving environments is certainly enough to do so.
This 1.5T is decently matched to the Equinox, providing ample power for all encountered situations. Having driven this particular Equinox about eighteen months ago with two other adults onboard, it had no problems keeping speed on hilly terrain. One trait I discovered then is still present now.
Some of the hills on US 54 in the Lake of the Ozarks area, which is along my route, meant the 1.5 had to downshift for hills. While no big deal, the gearing was such the engine was at or just over 3,000 rpm, with a nasal sounding drone emanating from the engine compartment. Turning up the radio could have camouflaged this.
Speaking of – the radio sounded great with decent reception of faraway stations. Whether or not is has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (or it is Audio?) is something I did not investigate.
The driver’s seat is highly comfortable, able to be manually adjusted up-and-down, in addition to fore-and-aft. Finding a happy spot, which for me is high and somewhat more vertical than what others prefer, meant the lip of that damned console was digging in between my shin bone and knee cap. That got old, fast.
This is the first time I’ve dinged GM for their consoles. They’ve generally had the best in the business. Then again, if consoles were simply downsized….or even eliminated…..Be a trendsetter, GM.
The Equinox has idle shut off, which is far less intrusive than what I recently experienced in a 2020 Ford Escape. One quirk of the Equinox’s fuel saving scheme came about a time or two. I would be stopped in drive and the engine would shut off. Going to place the transmission in Park would result in the engine restarting so I could…shut it off.
Another item I realized from sitting in the driver’s seat brought a smile to my face. There is a refreshing amount of hood that can be seen. But the overall shape, with the high points being on the left and the right, strongly reminded me of the view from the driver’s seat of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette I reviewed several years ago. The resemblance was that strong.
While I’ve never sat in the rear seat of any Equinox, adjusting the front seat for my 5’11” tall and 32″ inseam self resulted in ample legroom. That was refreshing to see.
Were there any glaring deficiencies with the Equinox? No, there were not. This has presented a struggle of sorts as deficiencies give reviewers a starting point. However, there weren’t any overwhelmingly unique traits or obvious assets, either. This highly agreeable presentation is likely a key part of GM’s intention.
Chevrolet has had good success with the Equinox, building it in Ingersoll, Ontario; San Louis Potosi in Mexico; Alvier in the Corrientes province of Argentina; and in the capital of the Chinese province of Hubei, a city named Wuhan (wasn’t it in the news?). GM has readily made the Equinox available for the fleet market, recently winning Fleet SUV of the Year. Availing oneself to the fleet market is simply good business; Toyota had roughly 10% of its 2018 United States sales volume go to fleets, primarily daily rentals, and nobody is besmirching them.
Good business is a habit to which Chevrolet appears to have returned. If one is in the market for a compact C/SUV, the Equinox is definitely worthy of consideration. While GM still has some challenges, don’t write them off. They have some really good product these days. Their biggest challenge is overcoming the doubters.
I’m not stuck in the ’80s with an opinion on turbos, I own a 2018 Fusion 2.0T AWD and so far it has been quite good.
But, I think I’d want a V6 in a car this big. These get to 3,600 lbs wet, and two tons easy with passengers and luggage. Then, with a tall profile, there is the “frontal area consideration” as discussed in towing guides. (A big trailer box behind your car creates a bit of aerodynamic drag, as it turns out.)
Strictly anecdotal, my wife’s coworker picked up one of these Equinox tiny turbos as a rental, and the engine blew up at a few thousand miles. There were three aboard with luggage.
Why do these kinds of anecdotes always seem to include a GM vehicle?
I have driven two Equinox, both as fleet vehicles for my job. The first generation with V6 was okay but everyone at work always asked for the Ford Escape V6 first and the Equinox was driven only if the Ford was gone. The interior and suspension tuning of the Ford Escape (2nd gen) was Lexus-like when compared to the Chevy. But neither the Ford or Chevy had and major mechanical issues which surprised me give the abuse they were put through as fleet vehicles.
The second generation Equinox 2013 we currently have has under 59,000 miles. The “Service Stabilitrak” light is illuminated on the dash board and it has the same exhaust leak into the cabin as you described above. Even on “Recycle” the HVAC system leaves me nauseous. This single car will keep me away from GM for another twenty years. I’m just glad that I didn’t have to pay for the “education.” Given that this is the 4th best selling CUV in America, I smell another DS Coming. This is the modern Chevy Citation.
I like the styling of this generation more than the first two but was turned off by the pricing initially, there seemed to be a lot of examples that crossed the $50k mark, now there is a much better mix available and of course the inevitable discounting…
I think this may well be the #3 seller as Nissan combines the numbers for the Rogue and Rogue Sport, which are different vehicles in slightly different size classes besides really just sharing part of a name…
Nice review, good to hear about this one!
$50k for an Equinox? That’s sobering.
The Rogue/Rogue Sport combo didn’t even cross my mind. So this may indeed be the third best seller.
An update of sorts: This morning I drove a 2020 Equinox. It had 197 miles on the odometer when I got in. It was at 299 when I parked it. I can say with complete certainty the one today did have Apple CarPlay. Otherwise it was exactly like this 2018, except for exterior color.
Hey Jason, I used to change oil on rental cars for a living (before COVID-19 induced layoffs) and 5 QTS is not the right amount of oil for the 1.5 Litre engine according to the owners manual. 4.2 QTS of 0W-20 is what goes into the 1.5 Litre if it’s FWD or 5.3 QTS of 0W-20 if it’s AWD.
This current generation of Equinox is the best looking in my opinion, I appreciate the writeup and I hope this Equinox is not a deadly sin by the mid-2020s. Personally, the 2nd gen Equinox looks like a wad of Play Doh indifferently plopped on a table and comes from the sort of ugly blob era of cars about 10 years ago. The 1st Gen looks kinda cheap and hot wheel like, but not in such a great way.
Ooh, an informed and friendly source! So what is the mileage interval that the oil gets changed on rental cars? Does other servicing get done too?
Technically, the mile change interval is a trade secret that I can’t disclose. We do tire rotations and check the brake pads at that time as well and make sure the vehicle is in good condition.
I was recently involved in negotiating a fleet management deal with a couple of the major car rental companies. Both said oil changes were at 5k miles. One of them specifically mentioned Firestone, as their go-to service center for minor work.
Thank you for letting me know. I will pass this along.
Welcome Jason
You have to keep in mind that the Chevy Equinox shrank considerably with the 2018 redesign, whereas in the first two generations, it had been more of a midsize crossover priced like a compact, especially with the sliding rear seats. Its newly downsized footprint makes room for the Blazer, which has been a big success for GM so far.
The reason the styling doesn’t sit well with you is because this quite literally looks like a 1998 Lexus RX 300 that’s been left in the sun. This particular SUV design era—the one with the strong, heavily slanted, exposed-metal C-pillar and rear quarter-panel window that sits uncomfortably behind it, like a hastily-modified sedan—went out of style a *long* time ago. The only two products on the market that still do this are the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class and this Equinox…and Mercedes-Benz at least avoided making theirs look like a twenty-year-old Lexus. That yours is an apparent base-model, and so lacks the sweep-spear-shaped chrome garnish bordering the door windows, makes it look even more generic.
I’m not surprised that this is selling well. With GM’s heavy-handed discounts, the value proposition is there, and there’s nothing *wrong* with it. It ticks all the right buttons and doesn’t look or feel particularly cheap compared to anything else (even with the base infotainment system). Beside that, it drives reasonably comfortably and gets good fuel economy. While the RAV4, Forester, Tiguan and CR-V are the celebrated style and status leaders, the Equinox–like the Malibu that it competes with for your showroom money–is a very good appliance, if you like your cars on the plainer side. And it’s a better appliance than the Rogue, too.
GM Made a Lexus RX clone once. The Equinox wasn’t it. I don’t see any resemblance between the RX and the Equinox at all.
If Buick wanted to make a compelling case for itself in the 21st Century, Buick should have green-lighted the Centieme.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/112_0309_buick_centieme/
For Comparison.
I see a bit of a resemblance James between the Lexus and the Chevy. Reminds me of the similarities between a 1994 F-150 and a 2000 Silverado.
James, that is the second-gen (2004-2009) RX 330/350). I was referring to the first-gen (1998-2003) RX 300, which is this one.
Also, while the Centieme itself wasn’t green-lit, you can clearly see where it *heavily* inspired the first-generation (2007-2017) Buick Enclave.
Buick essentially did greenlight the Centieme with the first-gen Enclave.
Now that you have mentioned the exposed C-pillar, I can’t unsee it! That trait had not occurred to me.
You nailed with the proportions on these and the GLE being similar. This does have an “overinflated Cruze” look to it.
Every time I see a GLE by a row of X5s, Velars etc, I’m always struck by how the basic structure of it looks at least a decade older than the competition.
My wife’s 2011 LTZ is at 187k miles and is still going strong.
It was one of the 2.4 models recalled for too high fuel pressure on the direct injection, causing gas to wash the oil off the cylinder walls. That was fixed at 118k and I had the dealer replace the cam phasers at the time of the engine rebuild/fuel pump replacement.
I wouldn’t mind a 2013/14 with the 3.6 V6, assuming it had been well-cared for. Timing chains are known to stretch if the oil isn’t kept changed.
The next door neighbors had a new 2013 Ford Escape Titanium at the time we bought the Equinox and the difference in ride was jawdropping. The Escape was harsh, the Equinox much smoother and more composed on the highway.
Currently debating getting some touch-up paint done on it as the bottoms of the front fenders are starting to show rust.
Glad the stop/start can now be switched off.
Equinox, like the FWD Malibu, started out as utter crap and then improved dramatically with the next generation (3rd gen Malibu is a standout). That said, I’d like to see the General hit a home run right out of the gate when they debut a new model.
Jason, I appreciate the write up as The Equinox is a vehicle Mrs.M and I would seriously consider among a couple of others.
I like the styling and have heard positive comments from a co-worker who bought a 2018 model. I was hoping to test one for my automotive feature in the local newspaper, but falling ad revenues have stopped them from taking any features until the COVID-19 pandemic eases off and business gets back to normal or near-normal up here.
Granted, I haven’t driven them all but a person could do worse than an Equinox.
Jason,
Having driven the Pontiac version (Torrent) of the previous gen Equinox enough times, how is the turning radius of the new ones? My comparison, a 1999 S10 with a 6 foot bed had a smaller one than the 2008 Torrent.
The turning radius is pretty good on the front-drive example I drove. Unfortunately, never having driven my grandparent’s ’07, nor an S-10 of ’99 era vintage, I cannot state one is better than the other.
An interesting review of something that has not really been on my radar.
You know that I have a distrust of small displacement turbo engines in applications like this, but I will admit that I have not driven one. I will also confess an uneasiness about whether GM is the company I would trust to buy such an engine from.
My recent experience in the world of Kia-Hyundai would probably have me stopping there first, and going comparison shopping from there. Their general value proposition plus their excellent warranty make them a tough competitor. The Mrs. says she wants an SUV of some kind for her next car, so who knows.
When we were shopping for my wife’s most recent car, we drove just about every CUV or small SUV under the sun ranging from the Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Volvo XC60, Acura MDX (used), Subaru Outback, Lexus RX350, that smaller Lexux UX?, Buick Envision, and the Chevrolet Equinox. I know, we were all over the board in what we were looking at but we wanted to be open to all the options. The top three finalists were the Equinox, the Outback, and the Lexus RX350. In the end, we bought the Outback Touring because our salesman was outstanding in his product knowledge and the time he took to explain everything to my wife. The runner up in this was the Equinox in Premium trim with the 2.0 Turbo. It was quiet, more than enough power and it looked nice. I recommended the Equinox to my dad although I did mention that GM was rather optimistic in its pricing. He said that was a common trait of GM’s for as long as he could remember and he’s almost 80.
Or you could get its nonidentical twin, the GMC Terrain.
NOW AVAILABLE IN BROWN (or, “Chocolate Metallic”) FOR 2020!
Oh wait, I’m sorry – this isn’t Jalopnik.
Very similar to my old Mini Clubman’s color (“Hot Chocolate”) which I absolutely loved.
I would get a 2020 Trax LS for $22,000 over a slightly larger Equinox. Similarly equipped ones like the LS Equinox LS are in the $27,000 range
A family member works at that Ingersoll plant that was mentioned in the article. So I’m favourable to the Equinox. Nice vehicle.
Ahh, glad to hear you enjoyed it.
My sister recently took delivery of an Equinox. She was initially looking at a Kia Seltos but then GM announced it was shuttering Holden and there were deals to be had. She managed to get $8500 off of the MSRP of an Equinox Black Edition, a model introduced just before the announcement that adds 19-inch gloss black alloy wheels and a panoramic sunroof to our LT 1.5T FWD.
I’ve driven it briefly and found it perfectly pleasant. I reckon the 2.0T would really elevate it though. That engine, along with local suspension tuning, netted the Equinox some pretty good reviews despite a rather bland interior.
Resale value isn’t as big of a concern for her so she made an excellent choice.
I don’t love the interior but perhaps my biggest bother with the Equinox is GM’s ridiculous insistence on using +/- arrows atop the shifter for manual control. Let me move the shifter or, better yet, give me paddles!
What’s more, those don’t actually manually traverse the gear range. They just lock the car out of upshifting beyond whatever you select. For instance, L2 will keep the car in first or second gear.
Fun fact; my 2016 Cruze Premier had start-stop, and no official way to turn it off. But putting the transmission in L6 still kept automatic shifting through the full range, while defeating start-stop.
And yes, the /- toggle is stupid. They really should stop.
Well, yeah, to do that you need to step up to the Chevy Traverse.
You know, I’ll just show myself out now…
The Equinox was surprisingly enjoyable. Your sister will no doubt enjoy hers.
When this ran yesterday I was driving a new 2020 Equinox with 200 miles on it. It does have a more comprehensive safety system on it, showing distance in time behind the vehicle in front, lane departure warnings, etc.
The lane departure system was definitely less obtrusive than the one in a Ford Fusion I drove a while back. But that’s the extent of my experience with such things.
We’ve had a 2018 Equinox that my wife drives for almost 2 years now and 48k miles. So far it’s been a good little car with no problems. The engine shut down in drive at idle can be annoying sometimes but I’ve gotten into the habit of putting it in neutral as I’m pulling in the garage so it doesn’t do the off- on- off thing. I’ve also found that if you’re in a situation like stop and go traffic on the interstate and want to disable it you can put the shifter in manual and bump it up to 6th gear and it will run up and down through the gears normally without shutting off.
Sounded almost like a paid testimonial, what with the Chevy advertisements here, too. However, as a longtime CC reader, I’ll give Jason the benefit of the doubt regarding impartiality. As I work for a larger Chevy dealership selling in excess of 300 cars a month, new and used, not including our fleet department. I drive everything; including our 200 unit used inventory. The Equinox is a very decent compact SUV/CUV., When I was selling the 2nd generation, a strong selling point was it was the largest and heaviest in it’s class, which is why it rode better and felt more substantial than the competitors. My sister drives a 2016 model; she was recently rear-ended by an older Chrysler convertible. The car was effectively totaled, while he Equinox suffered little more than a small tear in the bumper cover. To be fair, I think the 2” receiver hitch took the brunt of the hit. She should have got a new 2018 model, but the salesman pushed her into a low mileage certified unit with the “better warranty” pitch. I know he did it because the commissions are better with used units. He’ll never get another bird dog from me.
I will say, in contradiction to Tyree, the Blazer is a sales dud. Hardly anybody buys them, not with the significant price premium over an Equinox, which I would say is our number one seller after the Silverado. And the Trax? Not even a close comparison to the Equinox. The Trax is a whiny, Korean made POS, based upon the Sonic. A surefire deadly sin. Funny thing, just today, our first (new product) Trailblazers came in. Haven’t had a chance to look at them, much less drive one, but my first impression from 50 feet is…meh. We’ll see.
I have not shilled for anybody ever. If it’s good, I call it as such; if it’s crap, I call it as such.
Nobody here gets paid for any of the writing they do, so there is no incentive to report other than actual findings. We also don’t either pick the ads that run with a piece nor do we actually even see them. If it was a Deadly Sin piece it would probably have had the exact same ads running. Nobody generally even reads or reviews our work (internally and certainly not externally) before it runs either unless asked to, hence every once in a while an unforced error appears that is then usually corrected after publication.
Jason has always called things exactly as he sees them, however is also open to re-examining his perspective if contrary evidence is presented, rather than blindly digging in. It’s a drive review of a car he had the opportunity to drive and reflects his own opinion.
Let me apologize if I offended anyone’s personal integrity. I clearly said I gave Jason the benefit of a doubt. Additionally, with the written word, it’s hard to identify nuance. If I had said verbally what I wrote, you may have heard a “tongue-in-cheek” tinge to it. It was more of a response to the new format(?) here than the review. And I did read the article a few months back about those changes. Gotta do what you gotta do.
I enjoy Jason’s writing and perspectives, as well as yours, Jim. That said, that applies to most of the writers here, or I wouldn’t visit, much less reply.
Jason’s drive was certainly varied and thorough, as opposed to most of my drives which are short jaunts.
Again, Jim, and especially Jason, accept my apology. No offense was intended.
No worries, and my response was intended not just for you but for everyone really, for the one that verbalizes something there may well be a dozen more that don’t and it’s sometimes helpful to explain things…
Chevy Equinox are junk. Owned one and never will buy another one! Engine& transmission replacement plus 4 cam shaft sensors…
The UK doesn’t get the Equinox, so I’ve no direct relevant experience to add.
However, based on the car shown, it looks like something designed to offend no-one and therefore inevitably delight, rather than satisfy, few. Not a bad plan, as Nissan and Toyota have shown over the years, and Hyundai and Kia are now getting ever better at.
Having said that, it doesn’t work for me, as I still don’t get the SUV thing, although I have no need for 7 seats. Personally, I’d take an insignia or Mondeo any day over this or a Ford Kuga/Escape.
It may be the colour and/or the effect of the sunlight, but that dark tint rear side window makes it look paneled in rather than glazed, and hides the C pillar
The sun was not my friend although you are correct about the dark blue with the tinted windows. Good approaches to photography have always eluded me.
Somewhat like you I don’t fully understand the SUV thing – extra seating is nice but I’ve not ever realized the supposed extra cargo room.
But this was a nice change of pace over a sedan.
I had a chance to drive a Equinox Premier(?) 2.0 turbo for a 200-mile round trip. I liked it in general, and I really liked the powertrain and the subjective feel of the steering, the nice leather seats, nice dashboard. I thought to myself, “this is how every Equinox should drive”. But then I found out the price…the MSRP was either $1000 above or below $40,000 US. That’s pretty rich. Even with discounts.
I drove a rental Equinox 3-4 year ago (earlier body style), and I liked it enough that I would consider buying one. It wasn’t quick, but power was adequate, and car was pleasant enough to drive.
The MSRPs are suggestions. My $40,000 Premier cost $30,000 in December. I have not driven it much but everything works as advertised. My wife has Volvo XC-40 that cost $10,000 more. It does have paddle shifting that we never use but not as many options. The Premier is a good value, has better gas mileage and more room.
The Equinox lost me with your seemingly apt description of it as a “conveyance”.