A little over a week ago I picked up a new company car. It's a 2014 Equinox LS. Base model, zero additional options. 4cyl, FWD. After about 110K miles on a 2010 Impala, I thought I would choose something with a little more cargo flexibility. I've put almost 1,100 miles on it in the 10 days I have had it.
So here are my impressions:
The 4 cyl is no rocket, but is more than adequate with the 6 speed auto. No issues merging with highway traffic. So far, it is averaging 25 MPG with fairly evenly split highway/local driving. It's a bit loud under hard acceleration, but steady cruising is pretty quiet. Acceptable for me.
The interior is very nice for a base model. Panels all fit together pretty well, no odd noises. The overall layout is nice, but the steering wheel blocks a good portion of the speedometer in any seating position I would choose. Not a huge problem as the little display between the tach and speedo can be set to show speed. Seats are comfortable and the material seems like it will wear well. I went with the straight black interior as I thought the two-tone was a little garish and would show dirt too prominently.
The interior feels very roomy and the driving position is nice. Spent about 5 hours driving yesterday and no fatigue to speak of.
Sound system is good. Display is very readable. The aux input and USB ports are inside the compartment in the center console and I think they are in a terrible spot. Very easy for the plugs to get damaged when you're reaching in for something.
Telescoping steering wheel was a nice surprise. There are lots of useful little cubbys and pockets for stuff. I always travel with tons of things and this really helps keep the interior free of clutter.
Typical GM penny pinching in some areas. No light in the glovebox. GM deleted the plastic floor cover behind the back seat and the roof rack side rails for 2014. I'm disappointed that a vehicle that lists for over 25 grand does not come with the rear cargo shade.
The switchblade key seems stupid to me. I just don't see the purpose. It functions fine, but I would rather have a separate key and remote.
My impala had the accessory outlets powered constantly. The Equinox switches the ones in the passenger compartment off with the ignition. This is irritating as I often leave my phone charging in the car when I am in a meeting. I wired some of my accessories to a battery circuit in the fuse box, but it irritates me that I had to. I had a 2004 Chrysler that let me move a fuse to switch between constant power and ignition. Not major, but irritating nonetheless.
A really neat feature is the ability to turn the child lock off and on using a button on the dash. I have a kindergartener so I like to have the locks on for the weekend, but I frequently take customers out to lunch and I usually forget to flip the switch on each back door. Now I can just press a button near the radio and they are set free.
The standard alloy wheels are good looking and it came with Michelin tires. I know the ones they sell the OEM's are not necessarily as good as the retail tires, but I am glad to see a premium name instead of the Hankooks that Ford so often uses. The Michelins run quiet and handle on rams as fast as I am willing to go with no howling.
I'm sure there's more, but that is all I can think of at this time. Keep in mind that I don't own this car or make payments on it so I may be a little more lenient on some things than if I were writing the check. Still, it like it a lot. I don't feel like I'm driving around in a cheap base model car. It offers great comfort and utility for a small family or someone who hauls a bunch of stuff around regularly.
If you're looking for a smaller CUV, it's worth a look. I'll let you guys know how she holds up over the long haul. I usually put around 35k miles on a year, so we'll find out soon enough.
So here are my impressions:
The 4 cyl is no rocket, but is more than adequate with the 6 speed auto. No issues merging with highway traffic. So far, it is averaging 25 MPG with fairly evenly split highway/local driving. It's a bit loud under hard acceleration, but steady cruising is pretty quiet. Acceptable for me.
The interior is very nice for a base model. Panels all fit together pretty well, no odd noises. The overall layout is nice, but the steering wheel blocks a good portion of the speedometer in any seating position I would choose. Not a huge problem as the little display between the tach and speedo can be set to show speed. Seats are comfortable and the material seems like it will wear well. I went with the straight black interior as I thought the two-tone was a little garish and would show dirt too prominently.
The interior feels very roomy and the driving position is nice. Spent about 5 hours driving yesterday and no fatigue to speak of.
Sound system is good. Display is very readable. The aux input and USB ports are inside the compartment in the center console and I think they are in a terrible spot. Very easy for the plugs to get damaged when you're reaching in for something.
Telescoping steering wheel was a nice surprise. There are lots of useful little cubbys and pockets for stuff. I always travel with tons of things and this really helps keep the interior free of clutter.
Typical GM penny pinching in some areas. No light in the glovebox. GM deleted the plastic floor cover behind the back seat and the roof rack side rails for 2014. I'm disappointed that a vehicle that lists for over 25 grand does not come with the rear cargo shade.
The switchblade key seems stupid to me. I just don't see the purpose. It functions fine, but I would rather have a separate key and remote.
My impala had the accessory outlets powered constantly. The Equinox switches the ones in the passenger compartment off with the ignition. This is irritating as I often leave my phone charging in the car when I am in a meeting. I wired some of my accessories to a battery circuit in the fuse box, but it irritates me that I had to. I had a 2004 Chrysler that let me move a fuse to switch between constant power and ignition. Not major, but irritating nonetheless.
A really neat feature is the ability to turn the child lock off and on using a button on the dash. I have a kindergartener so I like to have the locks on for the weekend, but I frequently take customers out to lunch and I usually forget to flip the switch on each back door. Now I can just press a button near the radio and they are set free.
The standard alloy wheels are good looking and it came with Michelin tires. I know the ones they sell the OEM's are not necessarily as good as the retail tires, but I am glad to see a premium name instead of the Hankooks that Ford so often uses. The Michelins run quiet and handle on rams as fast as I am willing to go with no howling.
I'm sure there's more, but that is all I can think of at this time. Keep in mind that I don't own this car or make payments on it so I may be a little more lenient on some things than if I were writing the check. Still, it like it a lot. I don't feel like I'm driving around in a cheap base model car. It offers great comfort and utility for a small family or someone who hauls a bunch of stuff around regularly.
If you're looking for a smaller CUV, it's worth a look. I'll let you guys know how she holds up over the long haul. I usually put around 35k miles on a year, so we'll find out soon enough.
