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It also rides smoothly and shuts out most exterior road and wind noise. The Chevy Equinox displays stable and confident handling, with precise steering and little body roll around turns. Press on the gas and the engine takes a good second to respond to the input, making it tough to accelerate out of corners or out of a sticky situation." - CNET … My only complaint from behind the wheel is the throttle lag.

#2018 EQUINOX CHICAGO DRIVER#
Manual shifting capability is possible in the transmission's L setting but can be operated only by an awkwardly placed toggle switch atop the gear lever (paddle shifters aren't available)." - Car and Driver The little four-cylinder also seems buzzier and less refined than it is in the Malibu sedan, likely because it's working harder to move this heavier crossover. The transmission is keen to shift into higher gears, presumably to benefit fuel economy on the EPA test cycle, which would be more tolerable if the downshifts weren't so sluggish when more power is requested. The turbo 1.5-liter inline-four produces a decent amount of low-end torque, but the lazy six-speed automatic doesn't make the most of the output. "With such solid and composed handling, it's a shame that the standard powertrain isn't more eager.It's not a dealbreaker, we just wish it wasn't so eager to settle down so quickly into a higher gear." - Automobile Magazine Though small, the turbocharged engine provided great torque, only to be let down by the somewhat lazy six-speed. "On the road, the 1.5-liter works harder to motivate the heavier crossover than it does in the Malibu, but it remained impressively smooth and strong when pushed.Acceleration is also somewhat delayed, with slow throttle response. The Equinox's base engine provides decent power and torque, but it's hampered by a sluggish transmission. GM estimates the 2.0-liter engine at 28 mpg/highway and the turbodiesel at 40 mpg/highway. With all-wheel drive, it drops to 24/30 mpg city/highway. With front-wheel drive, the standard engine earns an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. Two other powertrains will be introduced later in the year: a 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine that produces 137 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that, along with a new nine-speed transmission, produces 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, it produces 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. The standard engine in the 2018 Chevy Equinox is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four cylinder. For sheer driving fun, the Ford Escape and Mazda CX-5 are still kings of the hill.". It's a vague, slow-ratio process to point the SUV in new directions, and feedback doesn't improve much through long sweeping turns. "Chevy has improved on the old model's spongy brakes and excessive body roll, but the steering remains too soupy for any curvy-road thrills.Combine that extra pep with steering that's noticeably heftier than the Toyota RAV4 or the Nissan Rogue, and you've got a hint of flavor in an otherwise bland class of vehicles." - New York Daily News … With the reduction in size comes a slight dip in horsepower, but the turbochargers boost torque and responsiveness earlier in the rev range. Chevy has made the Equinox four inches shorter, shaving off five inches from the wheelbase and dropping 400 pounds in total body weight. "Performance-wise, the 2018 Equinox is nothing to write home about, but a few adjustments have been made to punch things up a bit in this department.
