2012 Chevrolet Equinox Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Chevrolet Equinox review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Equinox, and includes Chevrolet Equinox safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

A compact crossover SUV, the Chevy Equinox is a stylish and comfortable competitor to the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-7, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4 and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Standard equipment levels rise across the board, with blind-spot side mirrors added to all models, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity included on the Equinox LS, an in-dash color touch-screen radio with a USB port and a reversing camera added to the Equinox LT, and a new lane departure warning and forward collision alert system optional on the Equinox LTZ. Chevrolet MyLink mobile application connectivity with Pandora music streaming capability is also a new option for 2012, and the LT and LTZ models can be equipped with a new touch-screen navigation system with SD card slots as well as a set of 18-inch chrome-clad wheels. Finally, the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder model is E85-compatible in most states this year.

There are three different types of Chevrolet Equinox: LS, LT and LTZ. Even the base Equinox LS is well equipped, featuring air conditioning, power windows with express-down operation, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power side blind-spot mirrors, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cruise control, and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity. A handsome set of 17-inch aluminum wheels is standard, along with a stereo that includes a CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary audio input jack, and three free months of satellite radio service. Other standard features include a trip computer, an outside temperature display, a compass, floor mats, cloth seats, a power driver’s seat height adjuster, a 60/40-split rear seat with recline feature, and automatic headlights. Every Equinox is also equipped with a free six-month subscription to OnStar telematics, which includes several safety-related services. Except for all-wheel drive, there are no factory options for the Equinox LS. But dealers can install a number of extra-cost items if you desire.

Given the healthy standard feature list, you might wonder why anyone upgrades to the Equinox LT. Premium cloth upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel are two good reasons, along with LED ambient console lighting, dark tinted rear privacy glass, roof rails, and heated side mirrors with body-color caps. Perhaps more important than any of these items, the LT is also equipped with a color touch-screen radio with a USB port and a reversing camera system.

Chevy actually splits the LT model into two sub-trims called 1LT and 2LT. The 1LT model gets a new-for-2012 All-Star Package that adds a V6 engine, 18-inch chrome-clad wheels, Pioneer premium sound, remote engine starting, and an eight-way power driver’s seat. The 1LT model is also available with AWD and a power sunroof.

Choose the Equinox 2LT and you’ll get everything in the All-Star Package except the V6 engine and the chrome wheels, plus automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated front seats, and fog lights. Additional options for the 2LT model include AWD, the V6 engine, a power sunroof, a power tailgate, perforated leather seats, a navigation system, and the shiny 18-inch wheels.

Sitting at the top of the lineup, the Equinox LTZ is equipped with perforated leather upholstery, a power tailgate, and rear park assist sensors. You can tell this model apart from the LS and LT by its body-color bumpers, chrome-capped side mirrors, and chrome-dipped door handles and roof rails. Additional LTZ features include memory settings for the driver, projector beam headlights, a cargo cover, and a cargo net. Options for the LTZ are limited to AWD, the V6 engine, exclusive 19-inch chrome-clad wheels, and a new-for-2012 Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning system.

The Chevy Equinox is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine featuring direct fuel injection. It makes 182 horsepower, and drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission with an Eco mode that modifies shift points to maximize fuel economy. In many states, this engine is now E85 compatible for 2012. Fuel economy estimates are 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive. Equip the Equinox with the optional all-wheel-drive system, and fuel economy numbers drop to 20-city/29-highway.

A direct-injected, 3.0-liter V6 engine making 264 horsepower is optional on LT and LTZ models. It is equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, but an Eco mode is not offered with this engine, as is reflected in fuel economy ratings measuring 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive and 16-city/23-highway with AWD. Like the four-cylinder engine, the V6 is E85 compatible in many states.

Chevrolet equips every Equinox with a substantial number of standard safety features. Six airbags, four-wheel vented-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction control, stability control with roll mitigation technology, trailer sway control, and hill-hold assist are included in the base price of the Equinox LS. It also comes with a six-month subscription to OnStar, with Automatic Crash Notification service that, when the airbags deploy, helps speed rescuers to the Equinox’s location even if the SUV’s occupants cannot respond to the live OnStar operator.

Additionally, all models except the base Equinox LS are equipped with a reversing camera, and if you choose the top-of-the-line LTZ model you’ll get rear park assist sensors. The LTZ model is also available with a new Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Alert system, as long as a V6 engine is installed under the hood.

If an accident does occur, the Equinox is likely to protect occupants well. It gets a 4-Star overall crashworthiness rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), comprised of 4-Star frontal impact, 5-Star side impact, and 4-Star rollover resistance ratings. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the 2011 Equinox a Top Safety Pick, a rating that is expected to carry forward to the structurally identical 2012 model.

If only the Equinox could boast of an equally impressive reliability rating. At this point, Consumer Reports is predicting average long-term reliability, while J.D. Power and Associates also thinks dependability will prove average over time. To assuage concerns, Chevy includes a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty on every Equinox.

To help maximize passenger comfort or cargo space as necessary, the 2012 Chevy Equinox is equipped with a MultiFlex rear bench seat that slides fore and aft nearly eight inches.

With the MultiFlex rear seat moved all the way forward (to the point where there’s virtually zero legroom), the Equinox holds 31.4 cubic-feet of cargo. Chevy declines to give a figure when the seat is moved all the way back in its track. Fold the rear seat, and maximum cargo volume measures 63.7 cu-ft. These are not particularly compelling specifications, even for the compact SUV crowd.

With its optional V6 engine, the Chevy Equinox can tow 3,500 pounds. Stick with the standard four-cylinder engine, and it can tow 1,500 pounds.

Equinox models with a four-cylinder engine are equipped with electric steering. Models equipped with a V6 engine feature traditional hydraulic steering, which typically feels more natural to the driver.

With an approach angle of just 14.8 degrees and a breakover angle of 16.5 degrees, you don’t want to think about taking a Chevy Equinox off-road, despite its 7.8 inches of ground clearance. This SUV is best used for battling snowstorms, not bashing boulders.

The Chevy Equinox weighs a hefty 3,777 pounds, which might explain why we only got 21.2 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving when we conducted a small SUV comparison test last year. If GM could trim some weight, the Equinox might actually achieve fuel economy numbers close to what the window sticker claims.

The Equinox is currently built in two Canadian cities: Ingersoll and Oshawa, Ontario.

There may be no better way to discover how easy a vehicle is to own and live with than by taking a long road trip over an extended weekend. We picked up the keys to the V6-equipped 2012 Chevy Equinox LTZ the day before Thanksgiving and were soon moving “over the river and through the woods to Grandfather’s house.” Or, more realistically in our case, out on the densely packed highway for nearly five hours of four-lane wrangling with the Equinox packed with enough clothes to cover five days of travel for four travelers. Needless to say, the Equinox was stuffed.

With the odometer zeroed out, we drove two miles to reach the freeway onramp for the first leg of our 760-mile round trip. The Equinox’s seats were firm and we wondered if the firm ride would lead to dull back pain. We’re pleased to report our backs survived just fine.

We turned on the adaptive cruise control and started our journey with the satellite radio tuned to Radio Disney and two kids safely buckled in the back seat with a mix of DVDs and iPods, pillows and coats piled between them. Both kids gave the legroom two thumbs up while the adults who later sat in the back seats (who are Honda CR-V owners) were favorably impressed by the space as well.

Fuel economy over the first 310 highway miles measured 22.4 mpg, so we lagged the EPA estimates by 1.5 mpg. Not a big surprise since much of the drive through rural Utah had posted speed limits of 80 mph and 87 was a common cruise-control setting. In fact, once we broke free from heavily congested traffic after about two hours on the road, we rarely saw speeds lower than 75 mph. So 22.4 mpg on the highway is respectable. But when you consider that you can return 22 mpg driving the larger three-row Chevy Traverse on those same roads, plus gain a lot more horsepower and storage space, that fuel-economy score moves from respectable to merely acceptable.

Once we arrived at our destination and consumed our Thanksgiving feast, we made our way to the Black Friday sales and loaded up the Equinox with gifts for birthdays and holidays alike. That meant we were overloading an already-stuffed car. It took a few attempts at baggage management, but we eventually managed to jam all the packed and acquired stuff into the back. Frankly, it was an impressive feat and the Equinox proved it could handle plenty of people and gear without issue.

This next stage of driving was mostly in the city and fuel economy dropped to 18.6 mpg. But our city days were numbered because we were headed from warm Southern Utah to the much colder Northern Utah mountains for a big Sunday dinner with the other side of the extended family. After 360 highway miles that included a trip up and over a narrow mountain pass, we averaged 21 mpg.

Considering all that we had loaded in the Equinox, we were impressed by this small SUV’s performance. It was easy to maintain 80-mph speeds on the highway with minimal shakes, rattles, rolls and noise. The Equinox drives like a car but has storage space for a family of four or five and their gear. No wonder the Equinox performed well in a Vehix 2011 small SUV comparison test. We just wish fuel economy matched the EPA estimates a little more closely.

Generally speaking, we like the Chevy Equinox. It’s good looking and comfortable, is equipped with a healthy list of standard features, posts impressive crash-test results, and comes with a long powertrain warranty. Chevy likes to tout the Equinox’s impressive fuel economy ratings, but they’re numbers we’ve been unable to achieve in testing. As long as you approach the Equinox with the understanding that the four- and six-cylinder engines aren’t as thrifty with fuel as advertising might lead you to believe, we’re sure you’ll be satisfied with your purchase.

By Christian Wardlaw and Michael Waterman