Friday, July 1, 2011

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Overview

Chevrolet Equinox
The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox is powered by a responsive V-6 or more economical four-cylinder base engine. Significant chassis upgrades help the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox handle better than any previous model.

There's a retractable cargo cover, stretchy net, and two deep cargo wells in back, and the center console well is very deep. Overall, the Chevrolet Equinox is quiet and refined and would make a great highway vehicle for a small family; the ride feels more settled, less pitchy, than former vehicles on this platform—and versus some compact crossover alternatives.

Crash test scores for the Chevrolet Equinox have been stellar, as its safety equipment, and it's been named an IIHS Top Safety Pick. A rear-seat entertainment system, a navigation system, leather seating, heated seats, Bluetooth, steering-wheel audio/phone controls, a sunroof, a rearview camera, and remote start are options.

After last year’s significant and needed improvements to the Equinox, Chevy releases the 2011 model with few new changes. Still doing well in fuel savings thanks to the new engine configurations, the Equinox remains a capable performer that provides a good, capable and comfortable ride no matter which of the two engine choices you choose from. With a starting MSRP of around $23,700, the Chevrolet Equinox is competitively priced within its class. Front wheel drive comes standard on the Chevrolet Equinox, while all wheel drive is available at additional cost. For most people, the 2011 Equinox has more than enough power and capability.
Car Safety Features: Standard traction and stability control, antilock disc brakes, front seat side airbags and side curtain airbags work together to give the 2010 Equinox a perfect five out of five stars in government crash tests and four out of five stars for the rollover rating.

Standard wheel size is 17-inch alloys with an option for a 19-inch alloy wheel upgrade. The Equinox features a one-piece rear liftgate, a single-horizontal-bar grille, raked-forward stance and an overall clean look.

You wouldn’t expect to get much performance out of a I-4 engine in a vehicle as large as the 2011 Equinox, but surprisingly, this engine provides adequate acceleration. Cruising around the city in a 4-cylinder-equipped 2011 Chevrolet Equinox is pleasant. The 2.4-liter 4-cylinder base engine on the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox produces 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. The 3.0-liter V6 gets 264 horsepower and 222 pound-feet of torque. There's a whole lot to love about the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox. Like any vehicle, the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox does have its downfalls

Since the Pontiac Torrent and Saturn VUE are now defunct, the Equinox, Terrain, 9-4X and SRX are the only Theta vehicles in America. The 2011 Equinox rides on a longer 112.5 inch wheelbase and benefits from increased interior space over its previous generation. The current generation, which debuted in 2010, features two new direct injected engine options and all Equinox models use a six speed automatic

Our tester was a 2LT with standard front wheel drive and the new, 2.4 liter direct injected DOHC Ecotec four-cylinder. Along with this engine, our Equinox included standard features such as automatic climate control, Pioneer premium eight speaker stereo system with XM radio and MP3 integration, rearview camera, Stabilitrak-stability control, 17 inch alloy wheels and integrated fog lamps. Standard MSRP was $25,970 but our tester featured the optional $1,295 rear seat entertainment system, $495 power lift gate and $800 leather appointed seats. It is not just the seats in the Chevrolet Equinox that create a cozzy interior. Once at highway speed, the Equinox did a fine job at holding steady. Four cylinder Chevrolet Equinox models feature an “Eco Mode” button that manipulates the transmission’s shift patterns in order to increase fuel mileage. “Eco Mode” was partially responsible for our tester’s average fuel mileage of 23 mpg in mixed driving. With comfort and fuel economy checked off the list, the Equinox needs one more plus to become a “triple threat” success story. This Equinox was made to haul around people and it does so very well.

The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox is a very humble vehicle. Competitively priced within its segment, the Equinox does an excellent job at being a mid size crossover SUV.