2019 Chevrolet Equinox

It’s at the rear that things start to fall apart with an upright look that feels more minivan than crossover to us. Equinox crossovers with the upgraded turbo-4 engine feature a pair of chromed exposed exhaust outlets, a subtle reminder that they’re peppier.

Step inside through especially wide front and rear doors and the Equinox reveals a curvy dashboard that’s logically arranged. Unlike the Terrain’s transmission buttons, the Equinox uses a conventional lever and it’s all the better for it.

Centered high on the dash is a 7.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment on most models. An 8.0-inch version comes on the Equinox Premier only.

Depending on the trim level, Chevy offers numerous interior shades ranging from workaday gray cloth to blackout charcoal to warm brown leather.

Those interested in more thrust should opt for the 2.0-liter turbo-4 available in the LT and Premier trim levels. With 252 hp and 260 pound-feet of torque on tap, the bigger turbo-4 rarely struggles. Its 9-speed automatic can seem confused by the number of cogs available. Don’t expect the most powerful Equinox to be a sports car alternative, however. Like the rest of the lineup, its handling is good, with confident steering and a supple ride—but it’s no sportier.

Likely to be rare on dealer lots, at least unless gas prices spike, is the turbodiesel option. The 1.6-liter turbodiesel’s 137 hp may sound weak, but the 240 pound-feet of torque that comes on at 2,000 rpm delivers decent performance. The diesel option may be thrifty—the EPA says it’s good for 32 mpg combined—but it’s not without its demerits. For one, towing capacity is just 1,500 pounds compared to 3,500 pounds for the 2.0-liter gas engine, which erases one conventional reason for buying a turbodiesel. Moreover, the option costs $2,400, which will take a long time for even long-haul drivers to recover.

Regardless of engine, the Equinox has a quiet, composed ride and its steering is light but accurate. In our testing, we’ve found that models with the 17-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin rubber—L, LS, and most LTs—can feel a little squirrely when pushed. The 18-inch Hankook tires on high-spec models deliver crisper handling without any noticeable detriment to the way the crossover rides.

No Equinox is ready for off-road use beyond a trundle up a dirt driveway, which makes its part-time all-wheel-drive system a head-scratcher. The system can be set in two-wheel-drive mode to save fuel, which seems nice, but drivers must then remember to flip it back to all-wheel drive when the snow flies or the rain drops. For pavement-oriented crossovers such as the Equinox, we prefer simpler systems that disconnect the rear wheels automatically and don’t require driver intervention.

Shop wisely, though: the base Equinox L and LS trims have a driver’s seat that’s not height-adjustable. Those configurations are likely rare on dealer lots, though, and the Equinox LS with the inexpensive Convenience Package subs in an 8-way power driver’s seat that’s standard on the rest of the lineup. The front seats offer good support, are adequately bolstered, and offer terrific ingress and egress.

We miss the old Equinox’s useful sliding second row, but the rear bench has good room for three abreast in a pinch even if its cushion is a little flat and its doors surprisingly wide for tight parking spots. Cargo utility remains an Equinox asset. The two-piece rear seatback folds to grow cargo space from nearly 30 cubic feet to 63.5 cubes and a relatively high window line means it’s easy to stack suitcases without blocking the view astern.

No Equinox feels especially dressy inside, though materials are adequate for the prices Chevy charges. The standard cloth seats have a tough, durable feel that makes them appealing. Only the Equinox Premier includes leather upholstery, which bumps the price of entry to about $32,000.

The range-topping Equinox Premier comes standard with blind-spot monitors, which are optional on the LT and not available on the L and LS trims.

Optional only on Equinox LT and Premier trims—and bundled in expensive packages—is a suite of high-tech safety gear including low-speed automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, and adaptive cruise control. Competitors such as the 2019 Toyota RAV4 and 2019 Subaru Forester come standard with even more advanced gear such as full-speed automatic emergency braking. Most other rivals make such important safety tech available at a more reasonable price.

The Equinox LS doesn’t offer much in the way of options aside from a single package with a power driver’s seat and tinted rear windows for about $700, but it’s fairly well-equipped for less than $30,000 with all-wheel drive.

We’d still pop for the Equinox LT, mainly because it’s the gateway to the advanced safety gear we covered in a separate section. For about $31,800, an LT with the optional Confidence and Convenience package and all-wheel drive strikes us as a good value with a few nice features such as heated and air conditioned cloth seats up front.

If leather is on your list, you’ll have to step up to the Equinox Premier. Even then, we recommend the Confidence and Convenience package that boosts the price to about $35,000 with all-wheel drive. That’s not light money, and adding the more powerful turbo-4 engine, one of several dashing extra-cost paint shades, and Bose speakers with an 8.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment and baked-in navigation pushes the Equinox into the $40,000 range. And that’s before you’ve tossed in niceties such as a panoramic moonroof.

High-trim Equinox crossovers with the 2.0-liter turbo-4 use costly premium fuel and are rated at 22/28/24 mpg with all-wheel drive and 22/29/25 mpg with front-wheel drive.

Now, for the miserly versions—with a caveat. The turbodiesel engine is an expensive upgrade—about $2,400 depending on the trim. With all-wheel drive, the Equinox turbodiesel is rated at 28/38/32 mpg. Front-wheel drive turbodiesels are the least-thirsty of the bunch at 28/39/32 mpg.