2023 Chevrolet Equinox

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox competes in the heated compact crossover segment, where it goes up against rivals such as the Nissan Rogue and GMC Terrain, but far from being a fierce competitor, the Equinox enters the ring already a little breathless. It's almost a little worrying, considering there are cutting-edge competitors to the Chevrolet Equinox, which includes the Mazda CX-50 and the Ford Bronco Sport, both with starting prices not too far from that of the Chevy SUV. This leaves the Equinox looking and feeling like a middle-of-the-road option, and it won't blow you away - it looks like any other generic SUV and isn't blessed with an engine that imbues it with any sort of performance attributes. Under the hood, you get a standard 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 175 horsepower - up five horses from last year. This is still not much to write home about, and since it's not overly luxurious either, what reasons are there to keep it on your shortlist? With a lot of standard features higher up in the range, a spacious cabin, and a comfortable ride, don't discount the new Chevrolet Equinox as a family SUV just yet.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox's price starts at $26,600 for the FWD LS trim level. That price increases to $27,700 for the LT, $30,700 for the RS, and $31,800 for the Premier. Going for AWD configurations will see costs increase by $1,600. These prices are MSRP and exclude tax, registration, and a destination fee of $1,395.

The fantastic Honda HR-V starts at under $24k, and the equally impressive Mazda CX-5 is yours for less that $27,000, so do a bit of shopping before you make your final decision.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox doesn't come across as being the most athletic of cars, and most won't expect riveting handling dynamics, but this Chevy drives impressively well for what it is. At lower speeds, the Equinox offers smooth and comfortable handling and light steering, making it perfect for the daily suburban hustle. Speed up, and the steering becomes a bit more weighted, but there's noticeable lean when going through corners. In fact, speeding up in itself can be a chore as the engine isn't eager to comply. Take off feels frustrating in most cases, and even more so when the heavier all-wheel drive system is added. The ride doesn't do well to isolate the occupants from road abrasions, either, so expect a ride that is on the harsher side. At leas the steering is direct and the car goes where you point it.

In this highly competitive corner of the market, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd. Manufacturers go all out to deliver cars that offer maximum cargo space, excellent fuel economy, and safety. The Equinox does tick some boxes, but it doesn't stand out.. The exterior and interior of this compact crossover SUV aren't in your face, and the driving dynamics are rather bland. Still, the interior is comfortable enough that passengers won't whinge during the daily commute. Like the cabin, though, the engine is uninspiring, to say the least. The turbocharged four-pot isn't going to set the world on fire, and it just about gets the job done. With so much competition that offers more for similar money, the Equinox fails to blow us away; the middle of the pack is a safe place to be, but with cars like the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V roaming around, the Equinox runs the danger of being a bit too forgettable.

Price-wise, there's not much separating the Equinox trim levels, so we'd suggest skipping the base level and looking at the LT and up. All Chevrolet Equinox trim levels share the same power specs, too, so it's mostly about feature content. If we were buying, we'd go for the sporty-looking RS. The RS shares many of its features with the top-of-the-line Premier and adds aggressive exterior styling for some much-needed attitude. We'd go for the AWD version and add the safety and infotainment package, which includes heated power outside mirrors, an eight-inch infotainment display, a rear 120-volt power outlet, adaptive cruise control, front USB ports, an aux jack, an SD card reader, a heated steering wheel, and HD surround vision.