2025 Chevrolet Equinox ACTIV is the Best One Yet #cars #automobile

Chevrolet has done a lot to improve the Equinox and I'm here to tell you all about it. A reminder, subscribe to the channel and watch these on your TV. We shoot this with Pro 4K gear. They look great. Equinox is a big deal at Chevy. After pickups, it's the bowtie brand's best selling vehicle. The third generation was becoming long in the tooth. Generation 4 here is a major reset. Looking like Big Brother Traverse left in the dryer too long, its visual is as rugged as the outgoing model was generic. It does battle in the fiercest segment. Competitors are Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage plus Ford Escape and Bronco Sport. Let me clear up any confusion. There are two completely different Equinox models in the Chevy lineup now. I've already profiled the EV which is built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform called Ultium. This is strictly internal combustion and the two don't look anything alike. Two and a half inches wider now, Equinox is available in three trim levels. This lightly optioned Active AWD stickers for $37,470. In cacti green over maple sugar, it should appeal to buyers from Arizona to Canada. Active is mostly a rugged-looking trim package and can be had as a front driver. There's more machismo in the grille. Cladding is purposeful but understated, looking at you Subaru Wilderness models. The only real functional upgrade is all-terrain General Grabber tires on 17-inch wheels. The 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is a carryover. Hooked up to all-wheel drive, it makes 175 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. Front-drive versions deliver 19 pound-feet less. There's no hybrid powertrain. So you know, the front-wheel drive Equinox gets a continuously variable transmission. All-wheel drive motors with an 8-speed gearbox. There are manual shifts here if you hit the low button on the steering wheel. Generally, all-wheel drive needs to be dialed in. Chevy's system is not automatic. However, pop it into off-road or snow mode and the setup is smart enough to engage the back wheels. Towing? All-wheel drive is rated as high as 1,500 pounds. Front-wheel drive is 800. I did a couple hard acceleration runs in front-wheel drive mode to check if there was any torque steer off the line. You know, it's that tugging of the steering wheel. Not much. Probably because Equinox isn't overly powerful. It saunters up to 60 miles an hour in just under nine seconds. So if you're looking for a powerful Equinox, maybe go with the all-wheel drive EV model. Thing is, in city driving, this never feels underpowered. It's perfectly fine. And the engine is very smooth. The 1.5-liter has the kind of refinement that was once exclusive to Toyota and Honda. And the last time I drove a gas-only RAV4, it felt kind of coarse. Visibility out of the Equinox is quite good. That's not a given these days. This is moderately quiet. It reminds me of the Honda CR-V. And one thing that's impressive, not an awful lot of road noise off the Grabber all-terrain tires. Kind of curious what the all-season treads are like with the RS. I'm not off-roading the Active because other than the extra traction the tires add, it has no trail advantage over other trims. Equinox, any Equinox, should handle dirt roads that people take to access hiking and mountain biking trails without breaking a sweat. As far as ride quality and driving dynamics go, Equinox is pretty much set for comfort, not sport. Hit a big bump and it does bounce a little bit, but it's not out of control. It's never overly floaty. Also, Active has taller sidewalls on the tires, so it absorbs sharp bumps very nicely. But again, this is set up the way it should be for everyday drivers. The steering effort is nicely weighted. On rare cases, the suspension can make itself heard when unloading over big bumps. The Active's suite of standard electronic ADAS tech includes adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and bicyclist detection, rear automatic braking, and blind zone steering assist. The lane departure allows a lot of drift before warning drivers to pay attention. I haven't driven the front-wheel-drive Equinox, so I can't speak to the CVT, but the 8-speed in the all-wheel-drive version is exceptionally well calibrated. Unless you're paying attention, you don't really notice the Now, there has been a few times when it has upshifted aggressively, probably for better fuel economy, but for the most part, this is really well done. Nice job, GM. Like most modern ICE vehicles these days, there's fuel-saving automatic engine stop-start. Shutdown is smooth. It can be turned off, there's a physical button, but most people will probably leave it alone because it's very smooth, even on startup. Which brings me to fuel economy. The EPA average of the all-wheel-drive Equinox is 26 miles per gallon using standard-grade fuel. That's actually down by one mpg. I'm guessing it's because of aerodynamics. This generation Equinox is definitely blockier. The Chevy is a little less efficient than the ICE versions of RAV4 and CR-V, about even with Tucson and Sportage. Either the General Motors accountants are less stingy or Chevy hired a new interior decorator. Equinox gets one of the better-looking cabins in class now. Many surfaces are soft-touch. Graphics, textures, and colors harmonize. Heated microfiber seats are supportive and breathable. There's no need for the extra-cost venting. The driver's chair gets power. Passengers move things manually. That can be upgraded. The only real option on this car is the safety and technology package. That adds surround-view camera and a digital mirror that's helpful if loading cargo to the ceiling. The unbranded sound system is just okay. Consider upgrading unless all you listen to are baseball games on AM radio or NPR. I had to really fuss with EQ to make it sound okay. Plenty of small storage nooks scattered around the cockpit. A glasses garage. AirPods fit in this slot. No shortage of compartments and power ports. I will gripe that the shiny black plastic will collect fingerprints and scratches. I find the user interface extremely intuitive. It can be split or not. Dragging icons around helps to customize the high-resolution screen to anyone's liking. Graphics are easy to read. Response is snappy. For some, the screen might need to be used too much. This is where GM is putting headlight controls these days. I have no issue with the location. Typically, they're always in automatic. Other than that, there are the right amount of hard buttons. It seems like this big drive mode dial is a waste of space for just three settings. The charge slot is easy to use. Surprisingly, phones don't slide around much. The General has kicked Android Auto and Apple CarPlay out of its EVs, but the gas-fired Equinox still gets it. Equinox would be a good family vehicle. I can see the backseat getting pressed into duty quite often. If you like that feature where the seat slides fore and aft to max out leg or cargo room, that's not happening here. But at 5'9", there's a lot of room for me. Look at that headroom. Very generous. Knee, leg and foot room also generous. Cushions are high enough so that thighs are well supported. Door openings are on the average side. Getting car seats in and out shouldn't be any problem at all. There are a number of small cubbies. Always useful. And pockets on both seat backs. It really helps with storage. Phones can be charged. No separate climate zone. At least there are adjustable vents. The cushions themselves are a bit on the flat side. Heated seats are an option that aren't on this vehicle. The floor? That's board flat. Great for foot room. Three people my size on trips across town would actually be fairly comfortable. On longer excursions, especially if you're going to be using the armrest and the cup holders, then yeah, keep it to two. The tougher look is the best thing to happen to Equinox since it hit the road in 2004. It's not overdone or a sport-ute caricature. The two-tone colorway draws eyeballs and I'm a fan since it reminds me of the Forest Service pickup truck that I learned to drive in. The swage line up and into the C-pillar adds design strength. The smoked chrome on Active's face is a tasteful touch. Overall, I kind of wish the EV looked more like this. Equinox does not have a kick to open tailgate. Instead, it's the kind where you just stand by the back for a second with the fob in your pocket or purse and it's automatic. Great when you're clumsy, like me. Storage under the floor? Yes, it's not dual-level and the panel takes a small amount of effort to remove. But hey, there's a spare tire. That'll be a lifesaver out in the wilderness. For the OCD out there, these two bulges are clearly different sizes. There's a power port and tie-downs, naturally. No remote releases, and it's a reach-in to grab these. Go around to the back doors to keep bumper schmutz off the Levi's I should have. No 40-20-40 split, and the floor is not completely level. This measures out to 63.5 cubic feet of storage. RAV4 and CR-V offer up more hauling space, especially the Honda. Seats up, Equinox takes on 30 cubic feet of kit. That turns out to be seven bundles of my measurement metric. The Honda scores a nine in this test. Design alone should draw people to test-drive the Equinox. The newly found refinement should help close the sale. It's more than the sum of its specifications. This vehicle is a pleasant surprise. The more I drive the Equinox, the more I like it. It looks great, the interior is very nice, same with the user interface. It's pretty quiet and comfortable, it's very refined. Alright, it's not the fastest crossover out there, and it's not available as a hybrid. Plus, it's not quite as roomy as some of the competitors, but overall, this is definitely worth a look now. It competes in the toughest segment in the automotive biz. The added goodness should make the Chevy even more popular. All of the players have strengths and weaknesses. The long and short of it? Equinox appeals by playing it straight down the middle. As always, a shout out to Martin Campbell who takes the thumbnail photos and drives while I shoot running footage. Check out his Instagram page for more shots of the Equinox and all of the other cars that we've reviewed. The light was especially nice out in Carnation, Washington, where we drove this. We're lucky to live in such a nice area. Real quick before I go, General Motors is on record saying it will be bringing plug-in hybrids back, leading some to believe that the late, great Chevy Volt will be making its triumphant return. But I don't think so. The armchair product planner in me believes that people want SUVs and crossovers just like Equinox, so the P-HEV system will be going into this. People really don't want sedan-like hatchbacks anymore. And I own a Chevy Volt, okay? But really, I think Equinox is going to get it. Just spitballing here. Not sure, but that's my prediction. Thanks for watching. Remember, subscribe to the channel, click notifications, follow me on social media, and if you have a question, leave it in the comments. I'll try to get to you. Thanks for watching. That's Driven. I'm Tom Voelk.