2022 Chevrolet Equinox

The Equinox is one of those models that does its best work behind the scenes. Now in its third generation, the Equinox has filled the compact-crossover slot in Chevy’s lineup since 2005, where it now sits size-wise between the more recently-added Trailblazer subcompact and Blazer small midsize. While it’s hardly a household name, the Equinox outsells every other Chevrolet model except Silverado, and that includes the three-row Traverse. It’s small but mighty. 

That said, the reason the Equinox soldiers on in relative obscurity is that there isn’t a lot about it that stands out. Traditionally, it’s been the epitome of “anonymous crossover.” For 2022, GM attempts to change at least some of that with a facelift that sharpens its exterior appearance, some flashy new available paint colors and icy LED lighting. Some new tech comes onboard, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, suggesting that the modest Equinox is in fact poised to join the 21^st century.

There’s also some trim shuffling this year. GM drops the former base L trim and adds the racy RS —which is such a nice appearance upgrade with its smoked chrome, red interior stitching, and plentiful blackout elements, that you can’t help but forgive it for being “sport” in name only. The decently-equipped LS is now the base, with the next-step-up LT bringing better package availability for powered items along with safety and convenience features. Above the RS sits the Premium, with its fancier interior and standard frills like memory settings and vibrating “Safety Alert Seat.”

However, the Equinox steps backward in performance, having dropped its peppy, optional turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder at the end of 2020. All Equinoxes now come equipped with a 1.5-liter four. It’s turbocharged too, but delivers sleepier performance. Nor is there much pretense of off-road adventure in the Equinox, though all-wheel drive (AWD) is a $1,600 optional and models so equipped get eight inches of ground clearance. It’ll handle fairly smooth dirt or gravel roads, but not much more.

The Equinox competes against segment mainstays like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, as well as up-and-coming nameplates like the Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson that have made major strides in recent years in tech and styling. This is a highly competitive class, and while the Equinox is comfy, quiet and useful, it’s where other manufacturers are trying their hardest and where lineups are growing in powertrain and option variety rather than shrinking.

Like all of these vehicles, the Equinox seats five, but in contrast to many competitors, it offers only a single, unremarkable powertrain choice. Unlike the CX-5, it offers no exciting performance variant, and unlike the Escape, CR-V, Tucson and Kia Sportage, it lacks hybrid or plug-in versions. The Equinox will tow a maximum of 1,500 pounds when properly equipped, putting it in line with its segment-mates.

Performance: 9/15

Every Equinox is now powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder—the sprightly 2.0-liter is discontinued, and the once-optional thrifty diesel is a couple of years in the rearview. That’s a shame because this single-choice, 170-horsepower engine is nothing to write home about. It gets you from A to B and feels peppy enough around town, but highway passing can be an ordeal. The 6-speed automatic does its job innocuously, but is tuned for economy and isn’t eager to downshift. 

Sadly, the Equinox doesn’t offer any driving modes, so your options for waking this powertrain up are quite limited. 

The Equinox’s road manners are a good match for its powertrain and its overall demeanor in that they’re pleasant but uninspiring. It boasts a nicely-damped, compliant ride, though the higher trims’ larger 19-inch wheels add a bit of harshness. All trims can be optioned with all-wheel drive, and a quirky feature of the Equinox is that this can be toggled on and off via a button in the console, enabling you to cruise in front-wheel drive to save gas. Steering is light and easy, if a little numb.  

Fuel Economy: 10/15

You’d think the lack of power would pay dividends at the pump, but fuel economy is only average. A front-wheel drive model gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city, 31 on the highway, and 28 combined. Adding AWD knocks a point off each of these figures. That’s still a few points better than a more powerful crossover like a Mazda CX-5, but slightly thirstier than a Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V. And of course the Equinox has nothing on hybrids like the Hyundai Tucson and Ford Escape, whose combined mpg figures reach 37 and 41, respectively.

The Equinox has some tricks to stretch its fuel, like a standard auto stop/start that operates quite seamlessly (and unlike on some previous GM models, it can be disabled). However, there’s no eco mode, and in a week of mostly-city driving I was only getting about 22 mpg. 

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 11/15

The Equinox earns a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, with five stars on all crash tests, except rollover where it scores four. IIHS rates the Equinox “Good” on all crash tests except an updated side-impact test (added after its 2018 redesign) where it was rated “Marginal.” 

Standard equipment includes forward-collision alert, a following distance indicator, auto high-beams, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and auto emergency braking, including front pedestrian braking. Parking sensors, blindspot monitoring with lane change alert and rear cross-traffic alert can be added to lower trims by package, and become standard on RS trim and up. 

Adaptive cruise control, while standard on many import competitors, can only be added to LT trim and up for $650, but even on the top Premier trim it requires adding packages of unrelated equipment.

Comfort & Room: 13/15

Cabin comfort is a high point in the Equinox, with plenty of room in both rows by compact-crossover standards. Seating is comfortable and supportive, and 8-way power adjustability on the driver’s side is available on the base trim and standard on the rest. Heated front seats can be had on most trims, but ventilated seats, heated rear seats, and a powered passenger front seat can only be added by package to the Premier trim. The optional leather is rubbery, so sticking with the lower-trim cloth is a good idea if you can forego the higher-trim frills.

The rear feels similarly spacious, with room for three adults thanks to a smartly-placed center console carve-out and a nice flat floor, contrasting the drivetrain hump still found on some AWD competitors. The back seat’s 39.9 inches of legroom is segment-competitive, and although the seats will recline slightly they don’t seem able to slide. A panoramic sunroof is available, and it feels a little dark back there without it, due to the high beltline and small rear window openings. 

Infotainment: 13/15

GM’s Infotainment 3 operating system is another strong feature. It’s a rich yet simple and intuitive interface, with logically laid out menus and snappy responses. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, though wireless charging is not available. The optional 360-degree overhead camera is one of the best in the segment, offering a multitude of exterior closeup views, including at least two to assist with trailering and a crisp, detailed picture. 

The screen itself is on the small side by today’s standards: a 7-inch screen is standard, but an 8-inch screen optional and standard on the higher trims. However, this leaves plenty of room below for the large and well-laid-out physical controls, including the straightforward knobs and buttons for climate settings. Only the steering wheel’s button game gets a bit busy, with controls so plentiful that some are on the back of the steering wheel, where it feels like paddle shifters should be.  

The gauge cluster feels a little low-tech, with its old-school analog gauges and small info screen looking a  bit shrimpy next to the all-digital clusters arriving in products like the Hyundai Tucson. But there’s a lot of customizable info that can be displayed there, so it’s at least quite functional.

Cargo Space & Storage: 12/15

The Equinox’s passenger room comes at a price, as cargo space is a bit constricted at just 29.9 cubic feet with the rear seats in place, or 63.9 with them folded flat. That beats only the very cramped Jeep Cherokee (54.7), the sub-par Mazda CX-5 (58.1) and the GMC Terrain (63.6), while falling well behind cargo champs like the Toyota RAV4 (80.3) and Honda CR-V (75.8). The Equinox’s cargo hold is useful, though, with proper chrome tie-down loops and handles to fold down the rear seats remotely. The liftgate height can also be set from either the rear or with a switch near the driver’s seat, making it easy to adjust for low-hanging structures. 

Small-item storage is similarly average, with passenger roominess robbing a bit of space from cubbies and compartments. The main center console compartment, for example, is adequate but slim, in order to increase elbow room for front passengers.

Style & Design: 7/10

The new facelift (initially scheduled for 2021 but pushed back by supply chain chaos) certainly modernizes the Equinox’s appearance, with the slim headlights and subtle chrome accents (especially the smoked chrome on the RS) contributing to a premium look. However, it lacks the swoopy styling of the Blazer (the crossover one size above it in Chevy’s lineup), and the Trailblazer (one size below). The Equinox is more staid in its appearance and more closely resembles a miniature Traverse—which isn’t a bad thing, just more nondescript than Chevy’s most style-forward designs. 

Interior styling is also very traditionally Chevrolet, with its analog gauges, mechanical shifter and rubbery leather. It’s not the glamorous interior you’ll find in a modern Mazda or Hyundai, but the sturdy straightforwardness of the design is appealing in its own way. Ample red stitching on the RS trim keeps this all-black interior from feeling drab, but lower-trim interiors with their limited options can feel dark and dour.

Is the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox Worth It? Which Equinox Is The Best Value?

The Equinox gets a $2,000 price bump this year by dropping its lowest trim, but at $27,695, a front-wheel-drive LS is still within $1,000 of the starting price of everything in its segment. A base Honda CR-V (front-wheel drive) is just $350 more, while a Mazda CX-5 runs $170 less and comes with AWD.

A pricier front-wheel drive RAV4 ($28,310) comes with adaptive cruise control, plus two years of complimentary roadside assistance and scheduled maintenance. At the lower end of the scale, a front-wheel drive Hyundai Tucson beats the starting price of the Equinox by $600, and includes standard blindspot assist with cross-traffic alert, and sharper styling inside and out. It’s also got more cargo space.

Still, unlike many competitors, moving up the trims of the Equinox will not break the bank. Even a top-trim Premier with the $1,600 AWD added, rings in at just $34,495, which is thousands less than AWD-equipped competitors.

For the value-minded customer, the mid-trim LT keeps the price reasonable while unlocking the ability to add niceties like heated front seats, a programmable power liftgate, and dual-zone auto climate control.

How Much Does It Cost To Insure The Chevrolet Equinox?

Insurance for the Chevrolet Equinox is on par with its competition. According to our data, the average 30-year-old female driver with a good record can expect an annual premium between $1,856 (LS) and $1,929 (Premier, RS) for the Equinox. Competitors like the Honda CR-V would cost between $1,722 and $1,920 to insure, while the Ford Escape would cost between $1,823 and $1,950. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, see our car insurance calculator.