With apologies to sportscaster Al Michaels, Do You Believe in Miracles?
Chevy’s new Equinox compact crossover/SUV didn’t dethrone any Russian vehicles, or hockey teams, but it sure as heck could ice the sales of its competing crossovers of similar stature. That’s because Chevy redesigned one of its top-sellers inside and out while keeping its price roughly the same as it has been for the past five years.
That is to say Equinox is a bonafide bargain and primo family hauler. No need to give up on your automotive dreams.
Here’s why I love the Equinox so much.
First, it’s a good looker with a recognizable Chevrolet grille and now squared off wheel wells that enhance its trucky appearance. I mean trucks outsell cars by about 2 to 1 these days, so why not rub a little truck musk on your small family vehicles?
Equinox looks modern outside, and the stylish interior says Chevy is tired of being the old fuddy-duddy carmaker with cheap plastic oozing out of every panel. The 2025 Equinox’s interior looks great, but more on that in a sec.
Importantly Equinox is roomy enough for four or five adults, features good cargo room, and slightly improved gas mileage too. Pricing is almost ridiculously low for what you get. A base LT lists at …. wait for it … $31,080 for a front-wheel-drive model and add $2 grand for AWD. That’s the same for all three trim levels, and there are just three now.
The tester was a sparkling Lakeshore Blue Metallic Equinox RS (think Rally Sport?) with a black roof. It and the more off-road targeted Activ (no E) trim both list at $36,875 including delivery for the AWD model, still incredibly low for all that is standard here. This one added $2k of essential option packages to hit $38,420.
For new shoppers, that’s about $7,000 below the average price of a car/crossover these days. You can close your gaping jaw now.
I know I’m cheap, but there’s a lot to like here, such as standard safety equipment.
Pretty much it’s all here. For instance, there’s emergency braking, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, lane-keeping assist and departure warning, forward collision alert, automatic high beam headlights, rear cross-traffic and reverse braking, blind spot steering assist, smart cruise control and some sensors that warn of traffic at an intersection if you start to pull out and it isn’t clear. That’s gotta be inspired by the preponderance of red-light runners in our Milwaukee market.
A $1,085 safety and tech package also adds HD surround vision, a rear pedestrian alert, traffic sign recognition, fog lamps and a rear camera mirror.
But what if you don’t care about all those safety doodads?
OK, how about heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats, plus a heated steering wheel? Some of that is part of a $950 option package, but quite affordable considering the base price of Equinox RS.
There’s also a wireless phone charger. Hey, the similarly equipped Subaru Outback I recently drove didn’t include that.
That rear hatch is powered too, the outside mirrors heated, and the steering wheel is a flat-bottom number. Bravo!
Need remote start so you can fire up your Equinox from indoors when there’s snow and slop outside and the temperature is threatening to rise above zero? Oh yeah, this RS has that too.
Then there’s the new 11-inch info screen, up from 8 inches just a couple years ago and gas mileage has improved by two mpg city and one for highway drives.
That’s because Chevy uses a new 1.5-liter turbo I4 that cranks a modest, but perfectly useful 175 horsepower and 201 pound-feet of torque. That’s a smaller and less horsy engine than before, but it’ll still power the Equinox to highway speeds at a reasonable trot and just a slight hesitation upon heavy acceleration.
A smooth new 8-speed automatic transmission has replaced a 9-speed in the previous model and there are three useful drive modes, Snow/Ice, Off-Road, and Normal, all easily adjusted via a dial on the console. No Sport mode, and none is needed. This isn’t a sports car.
Handling remains good, easy to keep in its lane and simple to park. Plus, AWD is simply engaged with a button to the left of the steering wheel when needed. Steering effort is a little heavier than say the Outback, or recently tested Nissan Rogue, but still easy to control. Note though that the steering wheel is rather thickly coated with leather. Folks with smaller hands may want to test out their grip to make sure it’s comfortable.
Ride is mid-size sedan comfy so the family will enjoy a cross-country trip, and leg and headroom are generous front and rear, with an attractive 30 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seat. It splits and folds flat to increase that to nearly 64 cubic feet if the family needs to haul a Christmas tree, or a sleigh-full of gifts.
All the while, the Equinox manages decent gas mileage, rated at 24 mpg city and 29 highway. I got 25 mpg on the nose and the Chevy drinks regular unleaded whereas the tester five years ago drank premium. So, more savings for the fam to spend enjoying a trip to the Dells.
Before we wrap this up, I have to ooh and ahh over the interior’s looks, beyond the bigger info screen.
This blue beauty featured a black dash (no surprise there) but it featured a soft diamond-patterned wrap on its face for trim, plus red rocket-engine shaped outer air vents and an equally dark red accent bar on the passenger’s side dash. I’m a sucker for interior color, yet this was tasteful as were the dark gray seats with red patterned inserts on the edges along with blue and red stitching and red piping. Seat material is easily cleaned Evotex, a simulated leather.
That thick leather steering wheel also features red stitching while there’s some gloss black door trim and console top.
Equinox looks sharp and youthful, definitely not your father’s Oldsmob … well, Chevy.
For the record all my negatives from five years ago have been corrected in the 2025 model. So it’s perfect, right? Well no, but even most luxury makes aren’t perfect.
I’m not a fan of the shift lever being back on the steering wheel column, as they were in the 1960s. It just felt awkward to use, pull it forward and push up for Reverse or down for Drive. But I know the thinking here, and in Mercedes-Benz models too. This design frees up console space for wireless chargers, cup holders, etc. Still …
The tested Equinox also had no sunroof, although one is available for another $1,695 or so. But if your budget allows, that still keeps a new AWD well equipped Equinox at around $40k.
Note too that the Equinox is assembled in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, which means it may be subject to possible future tariffs, if those are enacted by the new administration.
But at $38,420 it’s hard not to think of this new good-looking, well-equipped Equinox as anything but a miracle on tires that deserves a gold medal.
One final note, there’s also a new all-electric Equinox coming out. That’ll start around $44-$45,000, but is reportedly totally different from the gas-powered model. We’ll let you know when we get to test the EV, so stay tuned.
FAST STATS: 2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS AWD
Hits: Handsome, roomy crossover with good power, easy handling, comfy ride and AWD. High-value family pricing, sporty interior design, good cargo room, power hatch, solid safety offerings, big screen, heated/cooled front seats, heated rear seats and steering wheel, 3 drive modes, wireless charger. Activ model available for off-roaders.
Misses: Shift lever on steering wheel column and no sunroof.
Made in: Mexico
Engine: 1.5-liter turbo I4, 175 hp, 201 torque*
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 3,474 lbs.
Wheelbase: 107.5 in.
Length: 183.2 in.
Cargo: 30-63.5 cu.ft.
MPG: 24/29
MPG: 25 (tested)
Base Price: $36,395 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $35,772
Major Options:
Safety/Technology pkg. (HD surround vision, rear pedestrian alert, traffic sign recognition, front fog lamps, rear camera mirror/washer), $1,085
Convenience pkg. (8-way power front passenger seat w/2-way lumbar adjustment, cooled front seats, front seat memory settings, heated rear outboard seats), $950
Front license bracket, $40
Universal remote credit -$50
Test vehicle: $38,420
Sources: Chevrolet, www.kbb.com, *Car & Driver
