Eric's Autos: 2025 Chevy Equinox

It's interesting that Chevy -- General Motors -- offers two iterations of the Equinox. One of them sells really well.

The other not so much.

You can probably guess which one -- and why.

What It Is

The Equinox is a compact crossover that seats five in two rows. It's also Chevy's best-selling model after the Silverado 1500 pickup. So it's very important -- to Chevy -- to not mess that up. And that's probably why there hasn't been any move to "electrify" it, even partially (i.e., make it into a hybrid). Because that's not what most Equinox buyers are interested in.

For the few who might be, Chevy also sells a battery-powered Equinox -- but it's sold as a separate model.

The regular Equinox has a starting price of $28,600 for the base LT trim with front-wheel drive; the optional all-wheel drive system bumps the MSRP up to $30,600. The two other available trims -- RS and Activ -- have the same sticker price of $33,000 but differ in their cosmetics, with the RS being the sportiest-looking of the two, and the Activ the most rugged-looking.

What's New for 2025

The Equinox gets a major cosmetic makeover (inside and out) for the new model year but remains mostly the same under skin.

What's Good

-- Looks more like an SUV now than a crossover -- for those who like the more hunky appearance of an SUV.

-- Standard dual-LCD displays -- for those who like the smartphone look.

-- Conventional eight-speed automatic is standard with AWD-equipped versions.

What's Not So Good

-- Standard (and only available) engine is small and so relies on turbo boost to generate adequate power to move this 3,428-pound small crossover.

-- A continuously variable automatic is standard with front-drive versions.

-- Though slightly larger than rivals like the RAV4, it has less cargo room.

Under the Hood

Every Equinox comes with the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It has a turbocharger -- because it needs boost to produce enough power (175 horsepower) to adequately move this pretty heavy Chevy. With a driver and passenger of average weight on board, this compact crossover approaches two tons.

If you buy the front-drive version of the gas-engine Equinox, you get a CVT automatic, while AWD-equipped models get a new eight-speed conventional automatic that shifts through gears as opposed to varying through ranges. As a rule the latter are less long-term reliable than the former -- and some people do not like the shiftless feel of CVTs, which tend to keep the engine's revs up during acceleration.

So why a CVT? Because -- usually -- there's a small uptick in gas mileage, because CVTs are more efficient. And that's the case here. The front-drive Equinox with the CVT rates the already mentioned 26 mpg city, 31 mpg highway. With AWD -- and the conventional eight-speed automatic you get with that -- mileage is 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, a slight but significant difference.

On the Road

The astonishing part is how this thing moves as well as it does given its weight the smallness of its engine. Turbos work miracles.

Except when it comes to saving you gas.

They offer the power of a larger engine without the larger engine -- and the lure of higher gas mileage than a larger engine. The latter word italicized to emphasis a truth that's not well known about small, turbocharged engines. It is that they can use less gas, because they flow less air, than a larger engine when they are not under boost. But when they are under boost, the airflow (and fuel flow) increase to make the power of a larger engine -- and when that happens, gas mileage goes down. So basically, when your right foot goes down, so does your gas mileage, and -- here's the subtler catch -- your right foot will go down more when your vehicle is heavy, and it is powered by a small engine that isn't powerful enough by itself to adequately move the vehicle.

I was pushing the gas pedal down a lot to keep the Equinox going up the mountain passes where I live and found I was averaging around 22 mpg. That's thirsty for a compact crossover.

The restyled Equinox looks like it's more SUV than crossover, but it's still all crossover, and that's good if you prefer a vehicle that rides and handles like a sedan rather than a lifted 4x4. It's powerful enough to not feel slow, and once you're up to speed, it is quiet -- but the CVT in FWD models increases drivetrain noise while you're getting up to speed. AWD models with the eight-speed automatic are ... quieter getting up to speed and feel (and sound) less tinny and less like a small engine overall, because the small engine isn't revving as high or as long when the vehicle is accelerating.

At the Curb

At 183.2 inches long, the Equinox is one of the larger compacts in its class. It is nearly 3 inches longer than a Toyota RAV4, for instance. So it's surprising it has less room for cargo behind its second row (29.8 cubic feet) and with its second row folded down (63.5 cubic feet) than the smaller RAV4 has (37.6 cubic feet and 69.8 cubic feet respectively).

What the restyled Equinox does have is a bolder look than the RAV4 and others in this segment that have many functional virtues but look so much alike it's hard to tell them apart.

Chevy worked hard to differentiate the Equinox from the crowd with this new, more squared-off shape and bigger/heavier-looking squat. Activ trims can be had with two-tone paint schemes and what look like a 4x4's wagon wheels with tall (rather than short) sidewall tires, as if it were ready to do some rock-crawling.

But don't be fooled by the restyled Chevy's hunkier new looks. This is not one meant for off-roading (or pulling).

The Rest

It's interesting to note how quickly big LCD displays went from available only in the highest-end makes and models -- such as the Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 -- to standard features in entry-level crossovers such as this one. It makes one wonder how the high-end makes and models continue to justify their high-end prices (especially given that many of them also have small, turbocharged engines now as well).

All trims also come standard with a Wi-Fi hotspot and multiple new-style (oval) USB charge ports.

The Bottom Line

Chevy hasn't fixed what's not broken.

========

Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.