Test Drive: 2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS

2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS AWD

Class: Compact Crossover SUV

Miles driven: 219

Fuel used: 8.6 gallons

Real-world fuel economy: 25.5 mpg

Driving mix: 70% city, 30% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 25/30/27 (mpg city/highway/combined)

Fuel type: Regular gas

Base price: $31,700 (not including $1195 destination charge)

Options on test vehicle: RS Leather Package ($1580), Iridescent Pearl Tricoat ($995), Infotainment Package ($895), Advanced Safety Package ($650)

Price as tested: $37,015

Quick Hits

The great: Generous passenger room with easy entry and exit; pleasant road manners

The good: Easy-to-use available infotainment system offers lots of useful features

The not so good: Acceleration is middling, and a more powerful engine is no longer available; cargo area isn’t as large as many class competitors’; optional equipment pumps up bottom-line prices

More Equinox price and availability information

John Biel

Of the several modifications that Chevrolet has made to freshen its Equinox compact crossover SUV for 2022, the one sure to be universally appreciated among buyers is a smaller number on the window sticker. Base prices in the slightly revised lineup are $400 to $500 lower than they were for the ’21s. For example, a front-wheel-drive LS that started at $27,495 with delivery last year now costs $26,995. Shoot up to the high end and the all-wheel-drive Premier that previously stickered for $34,195 has become a $33,795 vehicle.

The more tangible changes to the Equinox consist of revised front and rear fasciae, a new grille, LED headlights and daytime running lights, a shift to wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto capability, new interior trim on LS and LT models, available front and rear park assist, and a button to disable the automatic engine stop/start system. Model offerings are a little different: The former base L trim, available only with front drive, is dropped but a sports-appearance RS is added. Consumer Guide sampled one of these newcomers, an AWD job that began at $32,895 but reached $37,015 with an option load of leather upholstery, premium paint, and added infotainment and driver-assistance features.

The RS slots between the LT and Premier. As with all ’22 Equinoxes, it is offered with front-wheel or, for an additional $1600, all-wheel drive. Most of the standard-equipment items that raise it above the LT come out of the Confidence and Convenience and Confidence II packages, namely dual-zone automatic climate control, remote starting, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power liftgate, front and rear park assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-change/blind-spot alert. In addition, the complement of new lighting is completed with LED taillights, and just for fun there is a distinct blacked-out wave-pattern grille, black roof rails and badging, and 10-spoke 19-inch aluminum wheels with a finish Chevy calls Dark Android.

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An RS Leather Package took the test truck a little further with Jet Black hides and red contrast stitching in place of black cloth on the seats. The option generates a little more value for its $1580 ask by tossing in a premium Bose audio system with seven speakers as well as a pouch on the back of the driver’s seat to match the one behind the passenger seat.

As in ’21, when Equinox backed down to a single powerteam, there’s nothing but a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine under the hood, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. If 170 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque sound somewhat modest, the proof is in the driving. The Equinox is strong enough to get out of its own way on the street and cruise the highway without exasperation but it is not a stoplight rocket. At least it’s fairly quiet, even when floored. The little mill also doesn’t always play well with the trans. In street driving we encountered some oddly timed shifts and slow-reaction changes that allowed the engine to rev futilely for a long moment.

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EPA fuel-economy estimates—25 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 27 combined—aren’t quite as high as those of some more powerful class rivals. However, when this reviewer put 123 miles on the Equinox RS with 58 percent city-type driving it returned an overachieving 27.9 mpg.

Steering response and feel impart a good sense of maneuverability and control to the driver. The Equinox corners and makes lane changes without great drama. Ride is quiet and forcefully upset only by bigger surface imperfections, with good rebound control.

Even with the leather package the RS isn’t overly plush to the eye or to the touch. There’s lots of finely textured plastic in the cabin, and while the RS’s Black Ice chrome accents on the steering wheel and vents are appropriate for the model, they contribute to an overall monotone look. The Infotainment 3 Plus system (with navigation) that was added to the test vehicle allowed easy input of audio presets and instant response to finger taps on the 8-inch touchscreen. The climate system benefits from convenient dials for temperature settings and a keypad with a limited number of clearly marked function buttons.

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For the Equinox’s size, passengers will find lots of room for their heads and legs in either row on comfortable and supportive seats. Three subadults could occupy the back seat, but the middle one won’t find the seat back as comfortable or foot room as expansive behind the front console. Driver vision to the front and sides is fairly open, but rearward visibility suffers some due to the roof-pillar shape. Cargo space with all seats up is a middling 29.9 cubic feet—several compact-SUV rivals offer more space. There’s a large covered bin under the load floor and the rear 60/40 seats fold flat to allow for as much as 63.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Cabin storage for incidentals is handled by a roomy glove box, large console box with a suspended tray for small items, four door pockets, the seat pouches, and cup holders in the console and pull-down rear armrest.

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Some of the other standard features in the RS are satellite radio, OnStar driver-assistance service, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, keyless entry and starting, and GM’s Teen Driver monitoring system. The Infotainment Package adds several USB ports and a 120-volt power outlet, and adaptive cruise control and a surround-vision camera are components of the Advanced Safety Package.

If added increments of refinement, power, and/or potential fuel economy are paramount and a modest amount of money is no object, shoppers may prefer one of our “Best Buy” picks—Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, or Subaru Forester—to this Chevy. If the object is to have a roomy and nicely equipped small SUV while still saving a few bucks, the Equinox can answer the call.

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2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS Gallery

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