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Expert reviewers at TheCarConnection.com consulted what the most authoritative auto critics have written about the new 2009 Suzuki Equator to produce this conclusive review. TheCarConnection.com editors also drove the Equator in order to interweave our expert opinion and help you make the right decision on a new pickup.
Likes:
- Unique styling that's both purposeful and tough
- Good visibility
- Optional 4WD system with VDC, HDC, and HSA make Equator unstoppable
- Substantial feel
- Innovative, attractive bed cargo system is extremely flexible
Dislikes:
- Thirsty engines
- Hefty curb weight
- Ponderous handling at the limit
- Live axle can be crude over bumps and road irregularities
- Somewhat narrow cabin
- Inhospitable rear seats in Extended Cab (base) model
The 2009 Suzuki Equator is Suzuki's first modern pickup for the U.S. market, though the truck is basically a rebadged Nissan Frontier. The base model is an Extended Cab, with vestigial rear jump seats suitable only for children or storage. Moving up to the Crew Cab brings a welcome 4.0-liter V-6 as standard equipment (the base Extended Cab comes with a hard-pressed four-cylinder). The Crew Cab also offers much better rear seat accommodations, providing reasonable comfort and good utility. Two-wheel drive is standard on all Equators, with shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive optional.
Equator's base engine is Nissan's 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder with 152 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque, available with a five-speed manual or a five-speed, electronically controlled automatic. Optional is the same stout, 4.0-liter DOHC V-6 found in the Frontier, an engine based on the award-winning VQ-series V-6 that Nissan and Infiniti use across their lineup. This optional engine is offered only with the five-speed automatic and features 261 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. Neither engine provides overly impressive fuel efficiency, ranging from a high of 23 mpg highway with the four-cylinder and rear-wheel drive to a low of 15 mpg city with the V-6 and 4WD. In base Extended Cab versions, the Equator feels pretty sprightly and light on its feet. But option it up to a Crew Cab, V-6, four-wheel drive, and it can begin to feel ponderous and heavy, as it's now riding on a longer wheelbase and carrying around a bunch of extra steel.
