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Caraganza Review 2022 Chevy Equinox: What day is it?

2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS

 

Sadly, at my age it’s pretty easy for me to get confused; forget why the hell I walked into the kitchen; what day is it? How many kids do I have again?

It’s sort of frightening in a way, I guess. But a product of getting old I reckon.

It doesn’t help my confused state when Chevy throws me a curve ball like they did recently. They sent me a 2022 Chevy Equinox for a recent week. Okay, no big deal. It was red, and an RS model. Okay, okay. Except, just two weeks prior they had sent me a 2022 Blazer, also red, also an RS model. That was about two months after they had sent me a Trailblazer.

I was confused.

The Equinox looked like the Blazer, which isn’t a Trailblazer (even if the names are close), though the Trailblazer is pretty much the same size as the Equinox.

With me so far? Well neither was I. So, I decided to see just what the differences are.

The Equinox, Trailblazer, and Blazer makeup part of the small to mid-sized SUV lineup for Chevy. The Blazer is the largest of the three, a little bigger than the Equinox, but not by much. For example, the EPA passenger volume is 107.8 cubic feet in the Blazer compared to 103.5 in the Equinox; cargo space for the Equinox is 29.9 cubic feet, the Blazer 30.5. The Blazer has a bigger engine under the hood with, naturally more horsepower, a 3.6-liter V-6 with 308 hp for the Blazer, a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 170 horsepower for the Equinox.

When it comes to the Equinox and the Trailblazer, the Equinox is 10 inches longer on the outside than the Trailblazer, though both models are about the same height and width. On the outside the Trailblazer has a bit more rugged of a look, and the option for a two-toned paint job.

On the inside the Equinox has about 5 extra cubic feet of passenger volume. When the rear seats are folded down, the Equinox can hold up to 63.9 cubic feet of cargo, while the Trailblazer can fit 54.4 cubic feet. One advantage for the Trailblazer is a flat-folding front seat, which can add a bit of extra cargo-hauling versatility that the Equinox doesn’t offer. Which can make it look a little tougher, I suppose.

2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS

 

Under the hood the Trailblazer has the least power of the three with a 1.3 liter 4-cylinder delivering 155 horses. Of course, that means the Trailblazer gets the best fuel mileage of the three; but the Blazer is more fun to drive, hence the reason Chevy markets it as the “Camaro of SUVs.”

The Trailblazer is also the least expensive; the model I had for my week topped out at $31,900. The Equinox RS, 36,515, and the Blazer $50,585.

Sure, the week I had with the Equinox was good (I had one in 2018 the first year of a new generation, and not much has changed since then), in addition to the black-painted 19-inch wheels, a black interior with red accent stitching, a power liftgate, and roof rails that come standard on the RS, I also had the leather package with leather upholstery and a Bose sound system and the Infotainment package with a wireless charging pad, a 120-volt power outlet, an 8-inch touchscreen, an upgraded backup camera, heated steering wheel, driver’s seat memory settings, a power-adjustable passenger seat, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera system, and a navigation system.

All in all, it’s a great smaller SUV that will do just fine for most. The problem for me, is the fact that I had a week with the Blazer which sure, costs more, but also had that bigger engine. The Equinox’s turbocharged 1.5-liter 170 horsepower four-cylinder seems almost underpowered, though not as much as the Trailblazer.

There’s a reason they call the Blazer the “Camaro of SUVs.” It’s more engaging and fun to drive; but that comes at a cost. With the Equinox for $20,000 less you can have something not too far off if you don’t mind not having as sporty of a drive.

Truth be told, if it were up to me, I’d choose the Blazer; but then again, I also need a place to live and be able to afford my mortgage. And if my wife found out I’d spent $20,000 more for a vehicle she’d probably make me disappear. “Honey why is there a woodchipper in the back yard?”

Come to think of it, my first new car was a Camaro; a 1984 model with a V6 under the hood. It was all I could afford at the time. No, it wasn’t an RS, and no I couldn’t do any sort of stop light to stop light racing, but it did look good and did what I needed it to do. And I was just fine with that.

Sort of like the Equinox. Which at the end of the day, makes it pretty much alright with me.

What the hell day is it again?

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS AWD
MSRP: $31,700
MSRP (as tested): $36,515
Engine: 1.5-liter 170 horsepower @5600 rpm, 203 ft-lbs. torque @ 2000-4000 rpm
Transmission: 6 speed shiftable automatic
Fuel Mileage (EPA): 25 city, 30 highway, 27 combined
Fuel Mileage (as tested, mixed conditions): 28 mpg
Base Curb Weight (pounds): 3478

Exterior Dimensions (inches)
Wheelbase: 107.3
Length: 183.1
Width, without mirrors: 72.6
Height: 65.4
Front Track Width: 62.2
Rear Track Width: 62.2

Interior Dimensions
Passenger / Seating Capacity: 5
Total Passenger Volume (cubic feet): 103.5
Front Head Room (inches): 40
Front Leg Room (inches): 40.9
Front Shoulder Room (inches): 57.2
Front Hip Room (inches): 54.2
Second Row Head Room (inches): 38.5
Second Row Leg Room (inches): 39.9
Second Row Shoulder Room (inches): 55.5
Second Row Hip Room (inches): 51.7
Cargo Space/Area Behind Front Row (cubic feet): 63.9
Cargo Space/Area Behind Second Row (cubic feet): 29.9

Warranty
Basic: 3 years / 36000 miles
Powertrain: 5 years / 60000 miles
Corrosion: 3 years / 36000 miles

 

Greg Engle
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