Day-by-Day Review: 2013 Chevrolet Equinox

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January 6, 2013

Photo Gallery:
2013 Chevrolet Equinox

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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As one can tell from my photos Ottawa has been a non-stop snowfest for the past few weeks. So one would think that I would be glad to be jumping into an all-wheel-drive compact SUV with winter tires. In some ways I am, but part of me thinks I’d rather be driving something lighter and nimbler – but that I’m sure will happen later this month anyways.

The first vehicle up for review for me in 2013 is the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. This compact crossover / SUV was redesigned in 2010 and for 2013 GM is bringing a new powertrain to the table after many complained the 3.0L V6 was not enough to get this SUV moving.

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So the 3.0L engine that produced 264 horsepower is gone and has been replaced by a 3.6L engine that produces 301 horsepower and 272 lb-ft of torque. This of course is mated to GM’s new and smooth six-speed automatic transmission and my tester is equipped with the all-wheel-drive powertrain, offering up maximum acceleration performance in my snow-covered neighbourhood.

My tester is a 2LT model equipped with quite a few options, including heated leather seating, power liftgate, sunroof, MyLink navigation and entertainment system with XM radio and collision avoidance protection. All of these options bring my tester into a realm that I feel is a little bit too pricey for a compact crossover, but it is what it is at just over $42,000 after freight.

MSRP as tested (including destination): $42,595

For more information on Chevrolet and the Equinox visit GM Canada

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Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3| Day 4

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Well it turns out ground clearance and AWD were helpful today, despite the fact there was no snow and it is nearly negative 30 Celsius in the capital today. When I got home, lucky me I was greeted by the friendly city snow grader building a wall in front of my driveway. Good thing I got home when I did — five minutes later and I would have never made it into the driveway.

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Besides plowing through snowbanks that snowplows build, the AWD has been useful for the time I’ve had the Equinox as there was a lot of snow on the roads. Better tires would certainly be a plus; the tires my tester is equipped with are Michelin Latitude Green-X winter tires and they are absolutely horrible! Unless you plan on driving sideways and never plan on stopping avoid these tires please — I assume just like green summer tires they trade overall grip for reduced rolling resistance.

But back to the Equinox itself — while I waited for the inside of my windows to defrost today I played around with some of the switches and buttons. The interior layout is pleasing to the eye and the buttons feel solid but they do not seem to work every time you press them. If you press them with gusto they do work but a full on/off cycle of the switches didn’t always seem to work despite feeling like I pressed adequately.

Some of the buttons are also quite small for the HVAC system (defrost and rear-defrost) which means removing any bulky gloves you may be wearing due to said previously mentioned negative 30 weather… don’t get me started on the keyfob, the buttons on it are basically impossible to use without snapping a finger off from frostbite.

Leg room and headroom, though, are excellent and the large size of the Equinox compared to the competition (of compact SUVs) allows for greater rear passenger room as well as a large cargo space area.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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There are some good things to say about the Equinox: the average buyer will love that the Equinox is quiet. It is also comfortable and easy to drive, although the A pillars are rather large, making visibility at four-way stops a little cumbersome. But nobody really reads these reviews for all the good stuff, do they? Good gets boring – but I do want to make it clear the Equinox is a nice drive… but not for the nit-picking.

I would avoid (pun intended) the collision avoidance system that is available on the Equinox. It’s just plain annoying – constantly warning me I may run into the car in front of me, hammering on the brakes as I pass a car that is changing lanes. If you pay attention while you drive it’s really a pain, but if you tend to fiddle with your smartphone, play with the radio or yell at your kids in the back seat, i.e. get distracted, then by all means order this system – it does work to warn and pre-brake.

On to the 300-hp upgraded V6 engine! As others have pointed out it seems odd that GM has gone with this larger displacement engine while the competition is moving to 2.0L turbo engines to save fuel and still develop the power needed to move these larger vehicles. But it is not just odd in concept; it seems like the horsepower has gone on vacation as it is difficult to extract it in the Equinox for some reason.

Even mashing your foot to the floor the Equinox just does not feel like it has 300 hp, but it sure makes a lot of noise trying. There is a bonus to point out, though, and that is that the six-speed transmission does shift smoothly and quickly.

It’s not all bad as I mentioned, visibility to the sides is good when checking your blind spots, but parking lots are not a breeze as in a compact car though they are easy enough to navigate, and the seat heaters warm up your buns to nearly burning levels in just a few minutes!

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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Well the Equinox did grow on me during the course of the week. A trip to the movie theatre and back (sans movie unfortunately) made me realize that an hour and some behind the wheel was very comfortable and quiet. But despite travelling at 100 km/h on the highway and sometimes less, averaging 12.6 L/100 km for the week was really disappointing.

Overall, the Equinox is a very nice crossover that will serve many consumers well indeed. But if you are concerned about fuel consumption, there are certainly better options. Of course the Equinox is available with a smaller four-cylinder, but then I feel it will just be far too underpowered, especially if you opt for the all-wheel drive option.

*Rating out of 5: