The Chevrolet Equinox is the company's most popular vehicle that's not a pickup truck, and one of the most popular in its compact SUV segment, competing directly with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. For 2025 it was redesigned bringing it in line with Chevrolet's recently redesigned Traverse and Trax, with a sharper look with lineage ties to the Camaro sports car.
With the Equinox coming with a single engine and transmission, buyers only have to choose between trim levels when they're at the dealership. All three grades, LT, RS and Activ, have their own styling characteristics but the basic package remains the same throughout the lineup.
I had the Equinox as my daily driver for a week where it served as the sleigh for errand running, school pickups, shuttle for sports practices and grocery getter - essentially all the things the average family would use it for day in and day out. It was enough to show me what there is to like about the Equinox and what I wish they would have left on the table.
I also found reason to have to fit a generator in the back thanks to Detroit's infamous power outages. It fit swimmingly.
What we tested: Newsweek test drove a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox in Radiant Red Tintcoat for this review. The car had a sticker price of $35,000 with an included destination charge of $1,955.
KEEP: The column-mounted gear selector
Chevy borrows bits from Cadillac here, returning the gear selector to the steering column where it was a half-century ago, and where many other automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai currently keep theirs.
Not only does it free up a ton of space in the center console area for phone storage and charger, I believe it's also the most natural and simple way to switch gears. It's the most user-friendly feature in the vehicle.
CHANGE: The engine
There's only one engine option for the gas-powered Equinox and it's a fuel-efficient, turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 175 horsepower in the vehicle that's approaching midsize. Most of its competition has more power.
Because of the small engine and its associated turbo lag, you'll need to push the accelerator down far, and rev the engine high, to gain speed. That translates to more in-cabin noise.
KEEP: The climate system
The 2025 Equinox comes with dual-zone climate control and two physical controls with the temperature displayed on them. They're easy to find without looking and roll nicely along fingertips. There are a lot of buttons between those two dials, but after a day or two it all becomes second nature.
The air vents are another Chevy specialty because they're just simple rocket-looking tubes that can be angled in any direction. Again, that's easy to do without taking your eyes off the road and they can be closed by twisting. Simple and effective.
CHANGE: The black cladding
This vehicle, and almost every vehicle, would look better with body-colored cladding rather than black cladding. Automakers add the black bits to make the vehicle look more rugged.
In fairness it's easier and cheaper to replace a non-painted black piece of plastic than sheet metal, especially when bouncing around off-road. But normal vehicles that will rarely see a dirt path, let alone an off-roading trail, like the Equinox, do not need the extra protection and it looks silly.
KEEP: The shape
The new design of the Equinox again brings it inline with Chevy's other vehicles in looks, but also in shape. The new Equinox is far boxier than that outgoing model with more angular accents all around. I like the the profile view, too, which looks faster than the outgoing model.
The wide open grille in front also reminds me of the exiting Camaro sports car, as does the hood with several sweeps and creases.
Automakers tend to tweak a vehicle's looks every few years so we should have a bit before these shapes change.
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