The redesigned Chevrolet Equinox sits on a new platform with a longer wheelbase and a wider track, which translates to increased interior room compared to the previous generation. This is an important vehicle for Chevrolet; not only is it in the highly competitive compact SUV class, but it’s also Chevy’s second-best-selling vehicle, after the Silverado pickup truck.
We found that it’s a fine small SUV, with a pleasant powertrain, a comfortable ride, decent enough handling, and a roomy cabin. But some of the controls are either unintuitive or inconvenient, and the reality is that there’s little about the Equinox that makes it stand out in this crowded segment.
One tester summed up our experience with the new Equinox, saying, “There’s nothing exciting or novel about it, but it’s quiet and comfortable and has a good mix of features for the price. It might be GM’s best mainstream vehicle overall.”
We bought a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD for $35,270—anonymously from an area dealer, as we do with every vehicle we test—for the purpose of this road test review. The Equinox is assembled in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
Driving experience
The Equinox uses the same 175-horsepower, 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the previous model. It’s paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in front-wheel-drive versions, or an eight-speed automatic in all-wheel-drive models like our tested vehicle. This is a reasonably good powertrain. It’s free of low-speed hesitations (unlike many vehicles these days) and has adequate power for around-town driving. The transmission isn’t always smooth, though; you feel some of the shifts, and downshifts don’t come as promptly as they should when the driver is looking for more power. While the engine is fairly refined at low speeds and when cruising, it feels strained and gets loud under hard acceleration, returning an agricultural-like sound.
By the numbers, acceleration is just ho-hum. The Equinox needed 9.1 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph, which is on the slow side for the class. Fuel economy didn’t earn top marks, either. It only managed 25 mpg overall in our testing, some 3 to 4 mpg aft of class leaders.
The Equinox feels a bit soft through turns, lacking the responsive, sporty nature of competitors like the Mazda CX-5—the benchmark for small SUV handling prowess. Extra body movements also make it feel less tied-down at highway speeds than we’d like. But what it gives up in handling precision, it gains in ride comfort. The suspension proved adept at soaking up most bumps we encountered.
Braking performance is a high point, with short stopping distances and a pedal that is easy to modulate out on the road.
Engine and wind noise are subdued, but some road rumble does enter the cabin.
Cabin comfort
The cabin atmosphere is rather drab, but the quality of the materials isn’t bad for the money. There are more soft-touch surfaces than we expected to see, such as the upper and mid-dash areas, which also have some creative texturing and contrasting stitching. The inner door panels are also nicely padded, while the steering wheel gets a thick wrap that feels good in your hands. We were pleased to see that even our entry-level LT came standard with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and remote start—the last of which we grew quite fond of during colder months, since it also automatically kicks on the heated seats and steering wheel.
The driving position drew some criticism, as many testers felt like they were sitting too tall in the saddle and were unable to get the seat as low as they wanted. We also found the left footrest to be too close and upright for optimal comfort, causing a few drivers to move the seat rearward so as not to feel cramped.
Outward visibility is a challenge in the Equinox due to thick roof pillars most of the way around. The windshield pillars, in particular, get extremely thick at the base, which makes it challenging to see pedestrians, cyclists, or other vehicles in urban intersections.
The front seats are more supportive than in some other recently tested General Motors models. Although the side bolsters aren’t bad, we still wished for a bit more lateral support to help hold us in place through corners. We were pleased to find the driver’s seat has two-way lumbar support. The rear seat has ample space and decent comfort. Our one gripe here is that the bottom cushion is short on underleg support.
Opening the liftgate reveals a large rectangular profile and a flush load floor, which makes it easy to slide cargo in and out. We were able to fit four suitcases behind the rear seat in its raised position, which is impressive for the class.
Controls and usability
Many of the Equinox’s controls are similar to other recent GM models. The 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is easy enough to use, and we like that the Equinox has physical knobs and buttons for the climate system. But the button for the emergency flashers is high on the overhead console, out of the driver’s line of sight or quick reach. The headlights are controlled by a tiny button on the center screen, which forces you to look away from the road if you need to manually turn the headlights on or off while driving.
Active safety and driver assistance
Standard active safety and driver assistance features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking that operates at highway speeds, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Some of the Equinox’s safety warnings are communicated via vibrations to the driver’s seat (called the “Safety Alert Seat”), a feature we’ve appreciated in numerous other GM products.
We’re happy that both a rear occupant alert system and a belt minder are standard. The former is designed to remind the driver—based on rear-door logic—to check the rear seat when they turn the Equinox off to help prevent children and pets from suffering heatstroke or hypothermia if unintentionally left behind in the vehicle. The rear belt minder alerts the driver if a rear passenger unbuckles their seat belt during the trip. There’s also a standard Side Bicyclist Alert that will warn you not to open your door when parked on the street if the system detects a cyclist approaching from behind.