2005 Chevrolet Equinox Road Test
When a new vehicle enters a segment that's already well served by existing models, you have to ask yourself why you should buy it rather than one of the fine units already available.
Why would you buy a Chevrolet Equinox, then, when there's Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Sante Fe, Kia Sorento, Subaru Forester, Suzuki XL-7, Toyota RAV4 and other worthwhile sport-cutes to choose from?
Turns out there's a fairly simple and compelling answer to that: the Equinox is the equal of those other models on price, equipment, quality, power, and fuel economy, but it has a more car-like ride and -- the real trump card -- it's a lot roomier.
My bet is that a sport-cute that suits the larger frames of North American consumers rather than forcing them to cramp up in something from Japan is going to be very well received indeed.
For its part, Chevrolet likes to say that the balanced package is what will make Equinox appealing, and that's fair. To me, that's another way of saying that the vehicle has been designed to meet the multiple needs of its primary customers from Canada and the U.S.
For my first driving experience, I got to take the V6-powered Equinox along hundreds of kms of regular old Canadian roads, from Toronto up into cottage country north of the city and then down the shore of Lake Huron to Sarnia into Michigan and the other side of Detroit, and back to Toronto, all in about 30 hours.
All the way I was completely comfortable and relaxed and impressed with the ability of Equinox to handle what it encountered, regardless of road surface or traffic conditions.
This had a lot to do with the interior space of the Equinox, since I am a significantly large human being. Normally, I find sport-cutes a little cramped, which I understand is my fault as much as theirs, so being this comfortable in one was a huge treat. It's so roomy, in fact, that I could actually have sat behind myself (with the front seat fully extended) and been comfortable back there as well.
This is going to come as a pleasure to people using the Equinox who are used to traditional sport-cute dimensions. It is, in computer terms, the killer-app.
When a new vehicle enters a segment that's already well served by existing models, you have to ask yourself why you should buy it rather than one of the fine units already available.
Why would you buy a Chevrolet Equinox, then, when there's Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Sante Fe, Kia Sorento, Subaru Forester, Suzuki XL-7, Toyota RAV4 and other worthwhile sport-cutes to choose from?
Turns out there's a fairly simple and compelling answer to that: the Equinox is the equal of those other models on price, equipment, quality, power, and fuel economy, but it has a more car-like ride and -- the real trump card -- it's a lot roomier.My bet is that a sport-cute that suits the larger frames of North American consumers rather than forcing them to cramp up in something from Japan is going to be very well received indeed.
For its part, Chevrolet likes to say that the balanced package is what will make Equinox appealing, and that's fair. To me, that's another way of saying that the vehicle has been designed to meet the multiple needs of its primary customers from Canada and the U.S.
For my first driving experience, I got to take the V6-powered Equinox along hundreds of kms of regular old Canadian roads, from Toronto up into cottage country north of the city and then down the shore of Lake Huron to Sarnia into Michigan and the other side of Detroit, and back to Toronto, all in about 30 hours.
All the way I was completely comfortable and relaxed and impressed with the ability of Equinox to handle what it encountered, regardless of road surface or traffic conditions.
This had a lot to do with the interior space of the Equinox, since I am a significantly large human being. Normally, I find sport-cutes a little cramped, which I understand is my fault as much as theirs, so being this comfortable in one was a huge treat. It's so roomy, in fact, that I could actually have sat behind myself (with the front seat fully extended) and been comfortable back there as well.This is going to come as a pleasure to people using the Equinox who are used to traditional sport-cute dimensions. It is, in computer terms, the killer-app.