Used 2005 Chevrolet Equinox Consumer Reviews
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Held up well in accident
I was recently in an accident where the other vehicle ran a stop light and I couldn't do anything except T-bone him. It was a perpendicular hit between the two vehicles and my car held up amazing. It will be totaled but there was no intrusion into the passenger compt. the airbags went off as they should the seatbelt performed it's job. I was able to walk away with minor injuries you'd expect from a hit of that caliber. If I'd been driving anything smaller I would not have been as lucky. Also, I was getting 23-24mpg non highway as my daily driver.
Over 30,000 miles, Nox still runs Great!
I have a loaded 2005 FWD LT, with leather, we bought in January 05. Currently has 33,000 miles. We bought this as a family cruiser and as a universal work horse. Has 3500lb towing capablity. Not many SUV's in this class and price can claim that! Still have the original brakes & tires, which stops smooth. Had no problems, very reliable, handles nice, good performance, nice shifting trans, & great brakes. I also have two boys 7 & 13yrs, that ride in it all the time with my wife. Leather cleans up nice. She loves the Equinox. We had no problems, get advertised fuel economy, looks great, runs great, & still drives nice!
- LT 4dr SUVMSRP: $5,995207 mi away
- LS 4dr SUVMSRP: $4,990476 mi away
- LS 4dr SUVMSRP: $3,950494 mi away
Blind Spots
This car has a lot of blind spots and is very hard to back up in comfortably. The interior does not live up to the price you pay for the vehicle.
My Equinox
I love my Chevrolet Equinox. It is a very smooth ride with lots of options. There is lots of leg room inside, and lots of space for cargo if you need there it. It is so much fun to drive, and I am in heaven
Excellent
This vehicle was purchased for me in October of 2004. When I first got in the vehicle I felt like I was sitting in total comfort. When I drove it, I was totally surprised how smooth the ride was. I love the fact that everything is reachable and easy to access. I especially love my XM radio, the OnStar system, multiple electric outlets, and the tailgate table. I also love the six CD changer and all the extra space I have when I let down the back seats. I love my Equinox and since I have gotten it I have convinced many friends and other people I have met to purchase one for themselves.
Pete's Equinox
It is a good looking small SUV. It is comfortable and easy to drive. The tracking is excellent. Power is adequate and gas mileage is fair. Many people think I'm driving a Luxus. The side view is nicer than the Lexus and costs about $11 thousand less. I would recommend the Equinox to anyone.
No problems so far
We hesitated buying a first-year NOX, but we have had zero problems. Just regular maintenance. Not thrilled with gas mileage, but is average for SUV of that size, so can't complain too much. I have the LT, all-wheel-drive. It does well in snow. My wife loves the color (laser blue metallic). Lots of folks say it look like some model of Lexus. Interior is nice - love the sliding back seat. Leather looks great but is thin. We are careful with it. Worst complaint is turning radius is atrocious, and the paint looks great but is also very thin, scratches very easily. Overall, very satisfied.
Great little SUV
We've had the 'Nox for about 4 months and love it. Gas mileage is about 20- 22mpg. No problems yet. Love the moving seat in the back - has tons of leg room. Just took it on a long vacation and it worked out wonderfully.
A very good small SUV
The Equinox has great interior room, confortable seats for long trips, good performance, and a pleasant ride. The fit and finish on our vehicle was very good, no complaints there. The steering seemed a little overpowered at first, but it's easy to get used to. Drawbacks are few. Solid back seat headrests and high window on hatchback make backing up to parallel park in a tight space a little difficult.
Disappointed
I purchased this vechicle after researching it for months. I am disappointed in the interior features. The gas mileage is nowhere close to what the mpg on the stickers says. Bad gas mileage. It is noisy on rough surface roads. The interior materials are cheap even in the LT. I have owned Chevrolet cars, vans, pickups and SUV's. I must say I am very disappointed with the Equinox. Not much bang for your buck.
LS AWD EQUINOX
This is my first SUV and I've done extensive research prior to buying. I love this SUV. It handles like a car. I can see clearly in the front and the back. The front seat does amazing things, and with my children it's perfect. Chevy definitely hit it right on target with this truck. The only thing I don't like is the gas mileage.
LOVE IT!!!!!
I always envied Lexus suv's. But your only paying for the price. I purchased a used 05 w/32k miles on it (a one owner older man), with leather seats and pretty much the upgraded package (not the highest) and it's a great car. It's gold but a Nice gold. I test drove about 6 different types of suv's (comp to the equinox) and it was the nicest for the money. The car rides so smooth compared to my Ford explorer and you have a ton of room. I love the pic nic table in the back and some of the other perks that come with it. If you are in the market for a smaller yet medium size suv drive everything but the equinox then save it for last--- you are most likely going to know that it's the suv for u
Smart Buy is right!
A very solid SUV! I have plenty of legroom and headroom in front and back and I'm 6'4. It feels very roomy. I'm getting over 21 mpg so far, thanks to the 5 speed automatic, very cool. The engine is fairly quiet, and accelerates the vehicle fine. The ride is comfortable for an SUV, not too soft and not too hard. Steering is different, no way to describe it, nothing bad, just different. Stereo is average, the XM satellite is neat, but i will not renew once the 3 free months are up. It's just not worth the money. I love the compass and temperature display in the rearview mirror. This should be a standard feature in all vehicles. The 17 inch wheels look really sharp. I have had no problems at all so far
Equinox is great
The Equinox is a spacious mid-sized SUV that has enough horsepower to go when needed. The style gets noticed, and the interior design maintains the respect gained from the initial connection. The ride is very comfortable and smooth. The only thing that I would like is better gas mileage. I have been getting about 16 to 18 miles per gallon. I am still under 6,000 miles though.
Love My Chevy Equinox!!
I was in the process of selling my car and got a few calls on the reviews they read on here. I had to come check it out myself as I couldnt believe it I bought my SUV in 2005 used. I have loved it since the day I bought it. It has been an outstanding vehicle for me. It gets great gas mileage for an SUV, its roomy and I love how it tells me when I need to put on the traction control. The car is beautiful inside and out. My car now has 50,000 miles and I have replaced the brakes and the tires it has been a great car. I am actually having a hard time letting it go .Very roomy, great ride and handling and has been reliable. I love my chevy!!
2005 Box of Rocks
Front end makes all kinds of noise due to the poor quality components. Drivers side wheel bearing/hub has blown out 3 times in two years, air conditioner gave out --electrical - cant find the problem. You have to remove the front chrome grill and headlamp assembly to replace a headlight --are you kidding?? Can't see out the back window when backing up.
My 2005 Equinox
After 8 months of driving my Equinox I am having as much fun as I did when I purchased it! I love the ride and handling and style! I do wish the gas mileage was a bit better (hint, hint Chevrolet), but I am perfectly happy with everything else. This is my first SUV and I can assure you as long as they make the Equinox, I will have one!
Just got rid of this car...
We had purchased this vehicle used with 19,000 miles on it in 2007. I immediately realized it needed brakes and rotors. Electrical system was whacky, started would run and run when you tried to start it. Buttons wore badly and paint rubbed off the dash and interior badly as well. Last straw was a flat tire that took 4 hours to get off due to it being rusted to the car. The only good thing was that the dealership liked the features and it only had 53,000 miles on it which made a nice 6k down payment on a new Dodge Journey R/T. Bye Bye Equinox...
Just Bought
Having survived a 45 mph crash that took off the front end of my 2002 Tracker, I can say that the Equinox feels very superior on the road. I agree that there are a lot of blind spots. Spot mirrors on the outside mirrors as well as putting the passenger rear seat down will help. Not smoker friendly! Ashtrays optional. Although I need to quit, I would like the option of an ashtray to store change if I do :-)
Best Chevy I've Owned
Best value in small/midsize SUV category. Best Chevy I've owned. Very smooth transmission. Nice acceleration. Great looks (inside and out). AWD is wonderful in rain and snow. I got it loaded and couldn't be happier. I read all the ratings in here and most are on the mark. Cupholders are flimsy, but the rear headrests have not been an issue. I would highly recommend this SUV
2005 Equinox
I believe that this vehicle is the best fit in the complex world of SUV's. It is stylish, economical and good looking. The power steering is great.
Brand New Owner
The fuel milege is horrible, nowhere near what is advertised. Rear seats should fold flat so they are usable for storage. Itt's slightly underpowered, but not bad. Drives and handles fairly well. Rear vision is horrible. Hood noise on the highway with windy conditions. It's a nice looking vehicle. Plug in location is bad, and the cup holders are cheap and in the way of the parking brake. Steering wheel tilt is useless. Driver seat adjustment is ridiculous.
Hunk of Junk
Where do I even start. This vehicle has been nothing but a problem ever since I bought it. I just put $2400 dollars into it and last year it was $1000. It is only 3 years old with just over 100 thousand kilometers and I have relapced the front stablizer linkage arms twice, head gasket, brakes 4 times, both front bearings and struts, and hanger bearing. The front still sounds like it is ready to fall apart. Sometimes it doesn't want to start.I really want to get rid of it but I still have 2 years left owing on it and if I trade it I won't get anything for it but if I keep how much more am I going to have to put in to it.
Our floorboards are soaking wet
The rear hatch leaks when it rains and now the spare tire well is full of water and the carpet is soaking wet. My local dealership has never heard of this problem and offered me no help. Between oil changes, my Equinox uses more than a quart of oil. Local dealership says this is an "acceptable" amount of oil usage. I've had 10 year old cars that didn't use this much oil between changes! The center console design is terrible. You can't have a drink in the cupholder and pull up the emergency brake at the same time. We traded a Toyota Camry for this vehicle and thought we were trading up. We were dead wrong. I would prefer to buy American but this makes me never want to by a Chevy again.
Good small suv
This car is a really good small suv. Driving it is very fun. It has a very good engine performance the 5speed trans make the ride feel very smooth. Even though some times the last gear takes a bit to long to kick in. Very Nice for long trips. Lots of space inside.
Fine Suburban Hauler
The Equinox is a good fit for our famiily of three and a dog. The interior is useful, comfortable and roomy. The wind noise around the A pillars is the only unwelcome noise at speed. The engine and transmission work well together to move through commuter traffic. It also pulls well in hilly terrain. The adaptive transmission works well in the mountains. I often find myself cruising at 80 mph on the interstates. Get ready to fill up the gas tank often though. It is too small for the poor fuel mileage the car gets. The sandstone exterior color is attractive. Still getting used to the handling. It falls over in corners, but then sticks fairly well, with a bit of understeer.
1st and last Chevy I'll ever own
This car has been a great dissapointment since we bought it. It had a window leak it took the dealer 4 times to fix, gas mileage is 25% lower than sticker (only to find out there was a brake cylinder stuck when we replace the brakes at 60k, dealer never discovered it or attempted to fix poor gas mileage), the alarm dings for no apparent reason and wont shut off, even with car running or key out (again dealers in Tx and TN could/would not fix), satellite radio goes to static in and around cities, even with clear view of sky. Just to name a few of the problems we've had with no resolution from the dealers or Chevy. What a piece of junk. Should have bought the Escape.
Crossover heaven on a budget
I am so happy I found the Chevy Equinox in my search. Great styling both inside and out! But I really love the XM satellite radio, The MP3 Player and the hands-free phone features. I get great gas mileage so far, and the machine is tight and high quality. Plus I am kind of psyched to have bought an American company product.
Beautiful 'Nox! You should buy a 'Nox!
Just purchased our 'Nox last march 22. It already has 4080 miles as of today. This is my first car. It's very comfortable to drive, just like driving a luxury sedan. Though I'm only averaging 18 miles per gallon, I still find it OK for a 3.4liter engine. GM should find ways to eliminate the noise, especially when running at 70miles/hour.
Good so far
Was reluctant to buy a first year model, but have had it four years and 34,000 miles with no problems at all - just regular service. Have the top-of-the-line model with AWD. Live in northwest PA, and it does really well in snow. Have the laser blue metallic with gray leather. Mileage got better over the years - is now about 24 mpg highway. Really lousy turning radius. Front end is noisy - everything sounds loose. Paint is thin and leather is not high quality. Price was good for a good looking AWD crossover. Great sunroof. So far, can't beat it for reliability.
My first SUV
I am a sports car or "Euro-sedan" kind of guy. But, sooner or later you've got to pick up a bag of peat moss. I can't think of a better car to do it in than the Equinox. Few SUVs are exciting cars to drive, and this one is no exception. The ride is biased towards luxury - the long wheelbase really helps. The engine moves it along with little fuss and the 5-speed automatic always seems to find the right gear, making it feel stronger than it really is. The available luxury features, (sunroof, XM radio, etc.) make my commute a pleasant one. No squeaks, no rattles, no problems.
Great vehicle
I fell in love with the styling of this car and its versatility. Larger and more powerful than a CRV or a RAV 4, yet smaller and nimbler than the larger SUV's. I originally bought it because I needed to tow a boat, but because I live in DC I didn't want anything too large. I was a little skeptical about Chevy reliability, but this truck has proven to be a trusty sidekick. It pulled my boat with ease. It has good interior space for moving household goods, and the AWD provides peace of mind in bad weather conditions. I can proudly say I love my Equinox.
Whatever
I bought this new and have 55000 miles on it so far. Tires wear out faster on the front than the rear. It bucks the crosswinds a lot. It has a lot of front end noises and rattles going over rough pavement. Dealer says sway bar links could be the problem, I'll try replacing those, but I think its in the steering (knuckle)? Can't do better than 23 miles per gallon on hwy. Small gas tank. Knock on Wood.
Great vehicle!
This car is comfortable and fun to drive. Its gas mileage is decent, and my kids love how the back seat reclines. it was a very great price for this car.
Equinox is a fun little SUV
I have found the Equinox to be a great transition vehicle from car to truck. It rides smoothly and there is a lot of room.
Good basic transportation
I'm graduating from a 2002 Subaru Outback. I needed AWD and the ability to fit 3 car seats across the back seat. The 2005 Equinox with cloth seats fits the bill. The back seat is cavernous and really easy for the kids to get in and out of their seats (Graco SnugRide, Radian 80, Graco Nautilus). The AWD is great, much superior to the FWD I was renting. I like the higher ride as compared to a car. I like the suspension as compared to a truck chassis like a Trail Blazer. The interior is cheap and basic, but I don't care about any of that and didn't want to pay up for it. The price is hard to beat. All in, this is just what I was looking for.
Amazing Interior Space and a Fun SUV!
I have had my Equinox since Sept 04 and it has exceeded my expectations for an SUV! It isn't too big to drive and doesn't feel like you are driving a bus. It drives like a car and get gas mileage like a car also. I love it.
Very Pleased!
We have three children 6, 16, and 17 yrs old, two of which have long legs! We searched over for something to accomodate our family with size, price,and a great look without feeling like we were driving around in a bus! Equinox was the answer, and we are considering buying a second. Very pleased with our choice.
Love this vehicle
What a smooth ride and just the right size. It has the European look and feel. I see folks looking at it to check out what exactly it is. After weeks, if not months, of searching this one was the best of all we studied...so we bought it fully loaded except for the leather, at a very nice price!
My Nox
Excellent ride.Comfy interior. Great style. Awesome stereo. Fuel economy is not what is stated on the sticker. It's fun to drive.
Great Mini SUV
I drive my Equinox 150 miles at least a day. I have had no problems to report. My wife and I love to get into the Equinox and driving. The vehicle does ride a little loud and has a big turn radius. But coming from a truck and a Buick station wagon the turning radius really isn't an issue. My biggest complaint is the gas tank being on the passenger side.
Awesome
An awesome car. Super fun to drive and tons of space. All my friends love it! It gets 17-22 MPG.
Gas Mileage
I love my Equinox so far. Except for the gas mileage. It's far from the rated 25 mpg. Although it only has 600 miles on it, I am only getting 17 - 18 mgp after 3 tanks. I drive highway 93% of the time usually between 70 - 75 mph.
Build Quality Questionable
The engine is just adequate for this size of SUV, and its performance is great so far. The dashboard design is okay but did not follow any ergonomics principles. The worst things are the locations of the power window switches and the gear shift display. The audio controls are horrible and you might want to get handle mounted controls. The stereo system itself is great. Right now the back door makes a terrible loud squeaking noise, which is a built in defect, and you have to push it hard to close the back doors.
EQI-NOT
At 30,000 miles a rear wheel bearing had to be replaced. The front brake rotors showed serious warping at 30,000 miles. The standard tires were substandard. The vehicle overall has bad gas mileage. It is a very handy vehicle for shopping, hauling. I have always been a GM man even when they rusted out in 3 years. Thank God the Japanese introduced their line. Even though I accumulate GM dollars, I will go foreign the next time around.
Was okay until...
I drive about 80 miles a day plus trips and really had no probs until now. Driveshaft bearing went out and supposedly damaged the CV joint. Still in the shop because apparently this is common. Was great thru Cleveland winter, even got me up the drive in 6" of snow with new Yoko tires. Still too many recurring and issues from the posts I've read. Maybe I'll trade in & get a Buick. I'll not by foreign.
Awesome car
This is the best midsized SUV I've ever had. It is way better than the Escape, Vue, Trailblazer, and Envoy. It is sporty. It almost looks like a Lexus/Mercedes I've been told. It has a lot of power and room. It drives great. It's very quiet and comfortable. It's very sharp looking. I love my new Equinox LT.
I will buy another Equinox
This is one of the most comfortable vehicles I have owned. I usually trade every 3 yrs. This equinox has me sold. I've had foreign cars & trucks. They all seem to have a rough ride & outside noise. This equinox is quiet & takes bumps smoothly. I used it in a courier service for the first 2 years. I routinely take it on long trips. 10 months ago I drove it from Sacramento to LA down I-40 to Amarillo up to Pueblo and back to Sac via hwy 50. Temps outside ranged from 5 to 80 degrees depending on location. Plenty of power for the mountains. Not one problem with this vehicle. I don't work for GM and I'm not being paid to write this. Never had a problem. My next car will be an Equinox or Terrain.
My awesome car
My Chevy Equinox is the best car I've ever owned. It's fun to drive and a very safe, reliable automobile. I look forward to many years with my car.
Never again GM!
I was so looking forward to buying this vehicle. Then I did. I had to tell the salesman the specs on the Equinox. GM's SmartBuy program is a joke. You have to pay them to take the vehicle back if you decide you don't want it! The tires went bald at 15k miles. Then it took 3 months to find tires! The service engine soon light comes on every 4-5 starts and Chevy says just to ignore it, rather than figure out what causes it. They want $13k after 4 years for the vehicle when it goes straight to auction for $5k. Gas mileage is not what they advertised! I get 11-16 mpg. It's supposed to get 19-25. I'll never buy another GM since I can get a much better vehicle for less than what I paid on this one