2008 CHEVY EQUINOX DRIVER

The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox has been around for a few years, and while its crossover wedge shape isn't unattractive, it's starting to look its age.Įdmunds says the Chevy Equinox is “part of a growing segment of 'plus-sized' small crossover SUVs.” Kelley Blue Book describes the Equinox as 'unmistakably a Chevy with big, gold bowtie badges front and rear, plus angular styling.' Car and Driver considers it “handsomely styled,” while calls it “an attractive, utilitarian vehicle.” Autoblog, though, deems it 'dowdy and utilitarian,' even though it’s been “spiffed up with body colored trim and fascias (no more chrome mustache!).' Curtain airbags are an option, and so outfitted, the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox gets five-star crash ratings for front and side impacts. There is no third-row seat, but the Equinox sports an adjustable cargo shelf in back, standard OnStar, and a compass. Behind the seats, though, the cargo area is about the size of that in the smaller Ford Escape. The rear seat's back also folds forward in a 60/40 split, and the right front passenger seat folds flat into a table as well. Chevy has put the rear seat on sliding tracks so that it moves forward and back up across an eight-inch range. But the most impressive element of the interior's accommodations is the vast amount of rear seat hip and legroom. Thick windshield pillars don't help visibility, either.īuilt around a front-wheel drive powertrain and carlike unibody, the Equinox has a completely flat floor that's also relatively low and that combines to amplify the feeling of spaciousness. The shapes are fine-it's the textures and action of the switches that disappoint. This one got out before that became the case. To GM's credit, the company has become a lot better at crafting high-quality cabins like that in the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Inside, however, the Equinox needs to issue a moratorium on cheap plastic.

The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox has been around for a few years, and while its crossover wedge shape isn't unattractive, it's starting to look its age. It's far from a sloppy mess, but it takes no joy in cornering, and the tires on base versions howl at the slightest corners. The Chevy Equinox rides on an independent suspension, and its road manners are anything but athletic. There's almost no fuel economy penalty the AWD Sport gets 16/24 mpg, while the front-drive Equinox with the base engine musters 17/24 mpg. Chevrolet offers the Sport in front- and all-wheel drive, and in general, it's a more enthusiastic performer capable of accelerating to 60 mph in about 7 seconds. The automatic has tap-shift controls for semi-manual gearchanges, a tuned exhaust note, 18-inch wheels, and body-color trim, though it loses its roof rack in the Sportification process. The Chevrolet Equinox Sport model gets its name from its updated appearance and the arrival under the hood of a new V-6 engine with 263 horsepower, teamed to a six-speed automatic. It's either front-wheel drive or, when specified, all-wheel drive. The engine isn't particularly powerful, and even the five-speed automatic teamed with it can't draw out any sort of excitement. The base powerplant is a 185-horsepower, 3.4-liter V-6 that's made in China and used in Buicks sold there. Two powertrains are offered in the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox. It's an aging crossover but still has lots of interior room, great safety, and with a new powertrain, good acceleration. For 2008, it gets minor updates and a new version, the Equinox Sport. The compact crossover Equinox shares platforms and certain components with the Pontiac Torrent. Our car experts also drove the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox to be able to deliver our definitive opinion on the car, to compare it with other cars in the class, and to help you decide if the Equinox is the right car for you. 's editors read the latest reviews on the new 2008 Chevrolet Equinox to write this comprehensive review.

2008 chevy equinox