Nissan Rogue Vs. Honda CR-V: Compare Cars
For small families, the vehicle of choice is no longer the minivan or the SUV; it's the compact... Read More
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stays stable and well planted at speed
the 2.4-liter four sounds smooth and accelerates adequately, though the power doesn't really arrive until about 5,000 rpm, where a noticeable second wind kicks in
Those habitually hauling full loads, living in the mountains or needing to tow more than 1500 lb. need the substantially more powerful, and louder, 3.0-liter V-6.
The extra couple hundred pounds of [AWD] hardware seem to make it feel much less nimble than the FWD variant
We kept the pedal floored virtually all the time…the transmission upshifts too early otherwise, making the engine bog and feel unduly weak—like it could use a membership to Equinox, the upscale health club chain.
PERFORMANCE | 7 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
stays stable and well planted at speed
Consumer Reports
the 2.4-liter four sounds smooth and accelerates adequately, though the power doesn't really arrive until about 5,000 rpm, where a noticeable second wind kicks in
Edmunds
Those habitually hauling full loads, living in the mountains or needing to tow more than 1500 lb. need the substantially more powerful, and louder, 3.0-liter V-6.
Road & Track
The extra couple hundred pounds of [AWD] hardware seem to make it feel much less nimble than the FWD variant
Autoblog
We kept the pedal floored virtually all the time…the transmission upshifts too early otherwise, making the engine bog and feel unduly weak—like it could use a membership to Equinox, the upscale health club chain.
Car and Driver
A couple of years ago Chevrolet installed completely new powertrains into the Equinox—including a more responsive V-6 and more economical four-cylinder base engine, both with six-speed automatics—and these powertrains still stand out as among the most advanced in the class.
The Equinox family's trump card remains its base 182-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which has direct injection in addition to variable valve timing. Besides being a more modern design than some rival engines, it gets a stellar 32-mpg EPA highway rating. It performs pretty well, too, although there's a fair amount of clattery direct-injection sounds when idling. The more powerful 3.0-liter, 264-hp V-6 engine is smoother and more responsive, but much thirstier. Nevertheless, the V-6 should be the choice if you occasionally need to tow a small trailer or often drive with a fully loaded vehicle. Chevy claims that 0-60 mph comes up in under 9 seconds for the four-cylinder and under 8 seconds for the V-6.
The six-speed automatic transmission that's installed across the model line does a good job of combining a low first gear, for quick takeoff, with taller cogs for the upper gears for keeping revs down on the highway (and fuel economy up). With either version, shifts can be rough, though and the transmission can feel hesitant on hills or on-off throttle situations. Manual shifts can be made not though steering wheel paddle shifters or a separate gate, but through little plus or minus toggle buttons on the side of the shift knob.About the only thing we'd really like to change about the driving experience is the numb feel of the electric power steering, which seems to require a lot of adjustments on center in highway cruising. Otherwise, as we've found on many other recent GM models, brakes are excellent.
Conclusion
Don't count on much driving excitement, but the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox performs adequately or better in every way.
