Overview & Reviews

Part of a growing segment of plus-sized small crossover SUVs, the Chevrolet Equinox splits the difference between compact and midsize utility vehicles and offers roomy accommodations in a five-passenger layout. Like other vehicles in its class, the Equinox emphasizes style, amenities and day-to-day practicality over more traditional SUV attributes. In short, the Chevy Equinox is a fine choice for commuting to work or transporting pets, but it's not suited for towing, or anything more rugged than a gravel road.

Although the Equinox has always had a roomy interior and an easy-driving nature, the plain styling and low-quality interior materials in earlier models are none too impressive by today's standards. Later versions of this Chevrolet crossover have made big strides in quality and are available with more desirable features and engine choices.

User Reviews:

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  2015 Equinox LT2 - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By MI_Yooper - July 26 - 10:15 pm

  Bought the vehicle due to ease of controls and fily features. However after driving 1000 miles reliably I need a jump everyte I want to drive it. Seems this is a common problem. Woyld like to hear if anyones dealer found a solution to this! Seems like something is taking the power out while I sleep..I am guessing its the onstar and the advertised wifi(?)..

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  A mediocre SUV - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dean - July 25 - 1:56 pm

  I recently received my Equinox as my company car. Overall, it is not a bad car, but I hardly see why one would purchase it retail unless a good deal was offered. Ill keep the review simple: Pros: - Rides well and is reasonably quiet if you do not press the accelerator too hard (the 4-cylinder is loud when pressed). This is definitely one of the quieter small SUVs out there. - It handles fairly well for an SUV and comes with great Michelin Latitude tires (a huge plus) - The my link infotainment system works well and is a synch to use. - A/C blows nice and cold - great for those of us in the South - The rear seat has good leg room - Great crash test scores - Build quality seems good - The lane departure warning is helpful Cons: - The turning radius is 42 feet - HORRIBLE!! This thing is a chore to park in tight spaces. It is way easier to park our longer and wider Toyota Sienna (40 foot turning radius). - Speaking of our Sienna, averaging 22 MPG in mixed driving with a V-6. The Equinox is getting an average of 21 in mostly highway driving. - People who say this thing accelerates adequately must be coming from a 3 cylinder or live in a completely flat area. I have driven 4-cylinder accords (3 of them), a 4-cylinder fusion and a 4-cyclinder Rogue. All were easily quicker than this car. Even more sadly, our Sienna would sprint circles around this thing - yes a minivan beating a cool SUV. If you have to accelerate on an incline for freeway speeds, good luck! - The cargo area is relatively small. We had a Rogue before (second generation), and it had way more usable space in the cargo area. Granted, you can slide the rear seats, but then you kill your rear leg room. - Finally, the seat comfort is lacking. The front seats are hard, and are fine on short distances. However, any journey past 2 hours, you will have a sore rear. The rear seat is great for leg room and is more comfortable, but sit in either outboard seat, and you notice a huge gap between it and the door. This translates into less hip room. Not sure why Chevrolet did not stretch the seat out more - there is room to do so. Other small SUVs I have been in do, and they score the same in side crash tests. Overall, this is not a bad SUV by any means. It certainly gets the job done. However, the sticker on my model is right at 30k. There are way better choices for this amount of money (think Rogue, CR-V, Santa Fe, Edge). I am not a crossover guy really, I like the most bang for my buck. You can have a Toyota Sienna LE for about the price of this thing. You get triple the room, a more comfortable ride, better fuel economy and better acceleration. Plus, getting kids in and out of it is so much easier.

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  horrible gas mileage - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By marty - July 21 - 1:36 pm

  Ive had this vehicle for going on 4 months now. I switched from hyundai and kia to the chevy line specifically because I wanted to buy american. Mistake. I live in the northern virginia area, so most of my driving is city, but I visit my parents and my boyfriend frequently and both require highway driving. My office is exactly 3 miles from home - I am averaging between 16 - 19 mpg. This low average is even after Ive noticed how low it is and specifically try to drive conservatively. I feel irresponsible and embarrassed to drive a vehicle that receives such low mileage and I never would have switched had I known this was going to be the case - since switching from my kia, nothing about my commute or habits have changed and Im averaging about 10 mpg lower in this new vehicle. In addition to the low mileage - the engine sounds horrible. It literally sounds like it is eating gas the way it has to chug for any sort of pickup. I have asked several other Equinox owners about their mileage and they all agree on how horrible it is. One lady also said that her car goes through so much oil that the dealership had to replace the engine because it was burned out her vehicle is barely a year old. Other than this major complaint, my other 2 are fairly minor. The seats themselves (shape, support) are very comfortable, but the material is horrible. It doesnt bother my boyfriend, but when Im wearing a skirt, it is itchy and painful due to the hole-y pattern. The other complaint is the highly reflective material used on the trim around the gear shifter. When the sun hits it correctly, it is blinding. Things I do like: layout of the electronics panel and dials, leg room, ceiling height (Im 511), trunk space, back up camera, interior lighting, rear window wiper AND wiper fluid (this is an awesome feature). Unfortunately, all of the pros are completely outweighed by the gas mileage issue. I have officially logged a complaint with Chevy and anyone else who is experiencing this issue should too!

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  Run as far away from these vehicles as you can! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Carlos - July 13 - 12:55 pm

  We purchased our vehicle, 2011 LTZ 4 cylinder with navigation and rear dvd player, brand new. Now 4 years later it is on its 3rd transmission and has been at the dealership more times than I can count. The navigation unit would reset to Washington DC as a starting point whenever we tried to located an address and the clock hardly ever worked. The dealer tried doing a software reset and ended up replacing the unit when it was 1 year old. When it happened the 2nd time they said the unit was out of warranty so we had to deal with it. The fuel efficiency is a joke. GM stated this vehicle at 32 mpg and we average 21 on mixed city driving. Our warranty is almost up and were already looking to trade this in.

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  So underpowered - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Julia - July 10 - 2:21 pm

  This car has a nice interior but it is severely underpowered. I have to floor it to accelerate on the highway all the time. I end up getting tailgated all the time because I cant get the car to go as fast as I want in an appropriate amount of time. This car also uses more gas then it advertises. I got much better mileage from my Dodge Charger honestly. Another minor thing but something that bugs the crap out of me is that the gear shift and Chevy logo on the wheel are ridiculously shiny. They constantly catch the light and blind me. Something so small but matters so much when driving. Im not kidding, it is absurdly shiny and Im blinded 25% of the time I drive. Chevy definitely needs to dull that down. Also dont change your oil when recommended because its inaccurate. Change it more frequently

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  junk! - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By christina26 - June 26 - 3:23 pm

  So disappointed. I bought mine 3 months ago with 59,000 miles. 63,000 miles later "service stabilitrack system" warning comes on. Thank goodness the Toyota dealer I bought it from is offering to buy it back, cant wait to get rid of it. Wish I had looked at the reviews here before purchasing, sounds like a nightmare to own!

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  DEL JOHNKE CHEVY EQUINOX REVIEW - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By deljohnke - June 5 - 9:42 am

  The performance is definitely adequate. It won’t sit you back in the seat like a 460 horse Corvette, but it will pass comfortably on the highway and is real spunky in town. Lets talk mileage. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I do have pictures of my message center of the average mileage

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  It was Good…For a While! - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By wscglw - April 28 - 11:04 am

  Bought the car in 2009 with 30k on it and had no problems until 2014 when the vehicle hit 50k. First, the problems started with the key not coming out of the ignition. The dealer was finally able to fix it on the third try and $900. The Equinox was not affected by the ignition problem recall. Then an issue with factory defective spark plug wires and the plugs. There was an extended warranty on this issue but it took the dealer a few days to fix it. They only repaired one or two at a time, they did not replace all six plug and wires. Finally, at 57k the vehicle stalled and would not start. Took it back to the dealer. Blown Head Gasket this time…$1800 later and we were still having issues

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  Jumpy Shifting and Stalling Out - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ryan Toombs - April 24 - 4:02 pm

  My wife and I bought the 2012 Equinox only a month ago as a Certified Pre-Owned with only 39,000 miles on it. One short month and 1,000 miles later, the check engine light came on. The actuator had to be replaced. No big deal since it was under warranty. The vehicle also shifts very hard/jumpy, like you are being slowly rear-ended. We recently stalled out in a McDonalds drive-thru because of this issue. I was told that the hard shifting of the Equinox is one of the biggest complaints they receive at the dealer. They informed me it is just how the vehicle drives and that I would get used to it. My wife doesnt want to get used to it. No going back for me, but hopefully I saved you trouble!

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  2015 Equinox 2LT 4cyl - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By impalalt - April 19 - 7:45 am

  Hello, We opted for the 4 cyl for our new 2015 Equinox. I find the 4cy plenty powerful and good on acceleration. I think for the reviewer to say youll have to have the gas pedal floored is outrageous. If youre really doing that, than this isnt the car for you to begin with. I just personally feel, that for author to keep beating up on the 4cy is unwarranted. People buy this car to use and for mpg, not for a sports car.