AURORA | Meat sandwiches. More than 70 minutes of whale sounds. Xanthan Gum. Half-used brick of Speed Stick.
All of the above meet my criteria for “Things that are more exciting than a crossover.”
That’s not necessarily a dig at the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox — a compact crossover that gets overlooked more than table salt.
Do you find the dictionary exciting? Probably not. But you find words in the dictionary, and that’s what makes it highly useful. Same goes for the Equinox.
Nearly 184,000 people found the Chevrolet Equinox useful in 2012, (that’s how many GM sold last year) which was good enough for a top 15 finish among all auto sales in the U.S. and the fourth-best selling model for General Motors behind the Silverado, Cruze and Malibu. That’s a lot of meat sandwiches.
The name alone evokes somewhat of a sleeper feeling already. The car is equal parts family car and cute commuter, identically feature-less and feature-rich, symmetrically uniform and proportionate to whatever the task you’re asking.
For the highly competitive segment that the Equinox competes in — alongside the Toyota Rav4, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe — that kind of anonymity is preferred by automakers because “unique” equals “alienated buyers.”
The 2013 Chevrolet Equinox therefore mostly falls in line. The body is nearly identical to the 2012 edition, which was nearly identical to the 2011 edition, which was nearly identical … you get the idea. The four-door crossover is handsome in its presentation, with a 6.9-inch ground clearance and 112-inch wheelbase that is deceptively larger. The second-generation Equinox holds its own three years into its life cycle as other models, such as the Rav4 are rolling out significant updates to their body styles for 2013.
New this year for the Equinox, however, is a curiously upgraded V6 option. Last year the Equinox was offered with either a 2.4-liter EcoTec four-cylinder engine that produces 182 horsepower and a 3.0-liter V6. The former engine option remains, but the latter has been replaced by a 3.6-liter V6 that offers 301 horsepower, up from 264 last year, while returning the same fuel economy figures from the smaller 2011 engine.
Whereas most compact crossovers are either downsizing V6 engines, or eliminating them altogether in Ford’s case, Chevrolet has increased the size and horsepower of its bigger engine option year-to-year in their best-selling crossover. That may be interesting to some — although not likely — but the bump in spec is likely due to a broader application and engineering enhancements on the 3.6-liter engine instead of an across-the-board call for Equinoxes to hit drag strips across America.
Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that helps the four-cylinder engine hit the mid- to high-20s in MPG and the V6 make around 22 to 23 mpg in cruising.
Although our test model was fitted with the larger engine, I’m guessing the four-cylinder is adequate for most applications — including all-wheel drive.
The Equinox comfortably seats five adults, albeit at the cost of a little cargo room in the back. The interior is quiet and unobtrusive, exactly what crossovers should be. The center console and display feels a little too far away from the driver, although the menu system and Bluetooth setup for streaming audio is solid. Our tuning knob on our test model didn’t work properly when the temperature dropped, but that’s just small stuff to look at when buying a crossover.
On-road handling probably doesn’t fall within most crossover buyer’s checklists, although the Equinox’s suspension is among the best in its segment. The Equinox’s FE2 suspension package comes on the V6 LTZ model, like our tester, and gives somewhat of a reason to look forward to corners in an Equinox. All-wheel drive comes as a $1,600 option, and it’s likely preferred for mountain states. Same goes for the upgrade from the four-cylinder to V6, that’s $1,500, and it’s probably worth the cost for mountain passing and not having to flog the smaller engine.
The entry price is likely the most attractive option for buyers as the Equinox starts at just over $24,000 and can rise quickly to $36,685 like our V6, all-wheel drive test model. Value for money might be exciting like Speed Stick, but it’s useful and it’s a good reason why so many people might be interested in the Equinox.
As for the runaway popularity of the Equinox, it’s clear the unassuming characteristics may be the most popular part of one of GM’s best-selling cars.
A bigger, more robust engine coupled with a better suspension for the class helps the Equinox stand out, but the compact crossover’s ability to meld into everyday life and be more than serviceable gives it life.
What’s the definition of functional?
I think I know something that can help with that.
Aaron Cole is a syndicated auto columnist. He knows he’s wrong, he’d just rather hear it from you. Reach him at aaron.m.cole@gmail.com or @ColeMeetsCars