2017 Chevrolet Equinox Review

After a few notable updates last year, the 2017 Chevrolet Equinox soldiers on with minimal changes, but it still figures to get plenty of consideration from SUV shoppers. When you think about it, that's pretty impressive; after all, the current Equinox debuted back in 2010, which is a long time ago in car years. Many rival crossovers have received full redesigns since then, so it's a credit to Chevrolet that the Equinox is still catching shoppers' eyes. But objectively speaking, does the aging Equinox have what it takes to compete with the best?

The base four-cylinder engine is one thing that gives us pause. Although its EPA fuel economy estimates are fairly impressive, we haven't been able to reproduce those numbers in real-world driving. Moreover, this engine lags behind leading four-cylinder alternatives in terms of both acceleration and refinement. On the bright side, the optional 301-horsepower V6 is the strongest engine offered in this segment, so if you're willing to pay more for spirited performance, the Equinox certainly delivers.

Other drawbacks include mediocre interior materials and the limited availability of Bluetooth audio, which puts this Chevy behind the times. But the Equinox's ride should be sufficiently smooth and quiet to please any shopper in this class, and the capacious backseat slides and reclines to accommodate different physiques. If you're getting the sense that the 2017 Equinox is a mixed bag, you're onto something. There are some positives here, but we advise weighing your priorities and thinking about whether the Equinox gives you enough of what you're looking for.

Perennial standouts among affordable small crossovers include the well-rounded Honda CR-V and the sporty yet fuel-efficient Mazda CX-5. The Ford Escape gets a number of upgrades for 2017 in a bid to keep it fresh, while the Toyota RAV4 was similarly updated last year. We're also fans of the redesigned Kia Sportage, which rivals the Equinox's rear-seat hospitality and adds extra style and fun. But if you're searching for a roomy two-row crossover at a reasonable price, the 2017 Chevrolet Equinox may still merit a closer look.

Standard safety features on the 2017 Chevy Equinox include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front seat side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags. Also standard are a rearview camera and GM's OnStar emergency communications system, which includes automatic crash notification, an emergency assistance button, remote door unlock and stolen vehicle assistance. Optional on the LT and Premier are rear parking sensors and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, while the Premier can also be outfitted with forward collision alert and a lane departure warning system.

In government crash tests, the Equinox received an overall score of four stars out of a possible five, with four stars for frontal crash protection and five stars for side protection. In testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Equinox earned the highest possible rating of "Good" in the small-overlap frontal-offset, moderate-overlap frontal offset, side impact and roof strength tests. Its head and seat restraint design was also rated "Good" for whiplash protection in rear impacts.

The 2017 Chevrolet Equinox is a compact crossover SUV that's offered in four trim levels: L, LS, LT and Premier.

Standard equipment on the entry-level L includes 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, a partial power driver seat with power height and lumbar adjustments, a 60/40-split second-row seat that slides and reclines, cruise control, a trip computer and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. In terms of onboard technology, the Equinox L comes standard with Bluetooth phone (but not audio) connectivity, OnStar communications (with an in-car 4G WiFi hotspot), a 7-inch touchscreen interface, a rearview camera and a six-speaker sound system with an auxiliary audio input jack and a USB port.

The Equinox LS is very similar but has a few extra features, most notably available all-wheel drive, satellite radio, a compass and an available towing package that's likewise optional on LT and Premier. It also comes with a standard Exterior Appearance package that includes different 17-inch wheels, body-color bumpers with gray trim and body-color door handles.

The LT adds body-color mirror housings, heated mirrors, LED daytime running lights, rear privacy glass, roof rack side rails and an upgraded touchscreen infotainment system that includes Chevy's MyLink interface, Bluetooth audio connectivity, voice controls and smartphone integration for Internet radio apps (Pandora and Stitcher).

At the top of the line, there's the Premier, which further adds 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, unique exterior trim with chrome accents, remote start, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an eight-way power driver seat, heated front seats, driver memory settings, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and automatic climate control. Premier models equipped with the V6 engine also get firmer suspension tuning.

The LT's optional Convenience package adds a number of the Premier's standard features (remote start, automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, eight-way power driver seat, heated seats). Ordering it also unlocks the separate option of a power liftgate. The LT Midnight package adds black paint, various black exterior trim pieces, 18-inch black-painted wheels, black leather upholstery and driver memory settings. The LT Sport package mirrors the Midnight package except that it substitutes white exterior paint.

Optional on both the LT and Premier are a sunroof, a Driver Confidence package (adds rear parking sensors and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert) and a Technology package (adds a navigation system and an eight-speaker Pioneer audio system).

Optional on the Premier only is a Driver Confidence II package (adds lane-departure warning and forward collision alert) and an Enhanced Convenience package (adds the power liftgate and an eight-way power front passenger seat).

The 2017 Chevrolet Equinox's standard engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder (182 hp, 172 pound-feet of torque). A 3.6-liter V6 (301 hp, 272 lb-ft) is optional on LT and Premier. Both engines come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional except on the base L trim.

In Edmunds testing, a front-wheel-drive Equinox with the four-cylinder engine accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, which is slower than average for this segment. Complete EPA estimates were not available as of this writing, but expect 23 mpg combined (20/28) with all-wheel drive. While these numbers are respectable, we've had a hard time reproducing them in the real world, especially on the highway.

The 3.6-liter V6 comes with dual exhaust tips and much more muscle. In testing of the essentially identical GMC Terrain with the V6 and all-wheel drive, we recorded a swift 0-60 time of 7.0 seconds. There's a price at the pump, though. For last year's 2016 Equinox, the EPA said to expect 20 mpg combined (17/24) with FWD and 18 mpg combined (16/23) with AWD.

Properly equipped, four-cylinder models will tow up to 1,500 pounds, while the V6 towing capacity climbs to a handy 3,500 pounds.