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Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

2011 Chevrolet Equinox - Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

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Safety Bottom Line

The Equinox’s crash-test assessment is in a word, awesome, and just short of perfect, while its safety equipment list isn’t missing anything—except rearward visibility. Read more »

Likes

Quiet, refined ride
Nice, supportive seating front and back
Distinctive but not overwrought design

Dislikes

Appalling outward visibility
Some chintzy interior details
Not as roomy overall as rival models

MSRP FROM $22,995

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Bengt Halvorson

Deputy Editor BIO

Bengt Halvorson is Deputy Editor of High Gear Media's portfolio of car sites, overseeing the production of reviews, evaluating vehicles firsthand... More

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December 14, 2010

Overall Review » 8

Interior / Exterior » 8

Performance » 7

Quality » 8

Safety » 9

Features » 8

Fuel Economy / MPG » 7

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Around The Web

'Good,' frontal offset; 'good,' side impact; 'good,' rear impact; 'good,' roof strength; Top Safety Pick

IIHS »

Four stars overall; four stars frontal; five stars side; five stars side pole

NHTSA »

SAFETY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

'Good,' frontal offset; 'good,' side impact; 'good,' rear impact; 'good,' roof strength; Top Safety Pick
IIHS

Four stars overall; four stars frontal; five stars side; five stars side pole
NHTSA

The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox comes with six airbags in all: dual frontal airbags; head curtain side airbags, and pelvic/thorax seat-mounted side airbags. Those preferring to avoid accidents in the first place will also like having standard four-wheel disc brakes with StabiliTrak electronic stability control and traction control. OnStar is also standard.

Crash test scores for the Equinox have been stellar. In the federal government's all-new crash-test and ratings system, the 2011 Equinox earned four stars overall, with a four-star score in frontal impact and five stars in the side test. The Equinox also achieved top five-star results in NHTSA's tough new side-pole test. And in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, the Equinox achieved top 'good' test scores in all categories—culminating in a Top Safety Pick Award carried over for the 2011 model.

For us, the biggest flaw in the Equinox is its truly appalling rear three-quarter vision—somehow worse even than many vehicles in this class that appear to have higher beltlines. The large side mirrors are an absolute necessity, because looking over your shoulder when merging shows little more than interior trim surrounding a tiny window opening. Rear-seat headrests don't remove or fold down to open up vision in the rear-view mirror. Thankfully, the LT has a reversing camera fitted as standard.

Conclusion

The Equinox’s crash-test assessment is in a word, awesome, and just short of perfect, while its safety equipment list isn’t missing anything—except rearward visibility.