The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox is expected to return for its sophomore season with no notable changes. It’ll essentially be the same vehicle introduced for model-year 2010 to replace the 2005-2009 Equinox. That first-generation Equinox was a plain-looking SUV with plain-awful road manners. The second-generation replacement, based on a design developed by General Motor’s European Opel arm, is handsome, quiet, and highly competent.

Should you wait for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox or buy a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox? Little reason to wait for the 2011 Equinox. It isn’t apt to be altered enough in appearance or equipment to offset the lower sticker price and better deal you’d likely get on a 2010 Equinox.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Changes

Styling: The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox styling won’t change beyond some new exterior color choices and perhaps a fresh wheel style or two. It’ll continue as a four-door wagon with a one-piece rear liftgate. Styling highlights include a single-horizontal-bar grille that’s nice interpretation of Chevy’s strong family face. Bold wheel arches, a raked-forward stance, and the illusion of wrap-around tailgate glass complete a clean, confident look. Equinox’s exterior dimensions are smack dab in the middle of the midsize-SUV field. But its 112.5-inch wheelbase is the longest in its competitive set. Wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear axles and key to how much space a vehicle can devote to passenger room. The long wheelbase not only provides Equinox passengers with generous leg room, it plants the wheels close to the edges of the body. That benefits ride quality and promotes an athletic stance on the road. General Motors reskins the Equinox for sale as the GMC Terrain and also borrows some of this engineering for the slightly smaller but more upscale Cadillac SRX. All are crossovers, so-called because they combine SUV traits, such as elevated ride height, with car-type unibody construction. Unibody means body and frame are essentially one unit. Old-school SUV design employs truck-type construction in which the body attaches to a separate frame. Unibody design is lighter in weight to improve fuel economy and handling, although it’s less suited to heavy-duty towing or hauling. The 2011 Equinox should return in four trim levels, base LS, volume 1LT, slightly plusher and 2LT, and top-of-the-line LTZ.

Mechanical: The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox will continue to follow midsize-crossover convention by offering four- and six-cylinder engines and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. Both engines employ the precision of advanced direct fuel injection to enhance power and fuel efficiency. The four-cylinder is a 2.4-liter from GM’s Ecotec family of engines. At 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, it’s among the more powerful four-cylinders in the class. (Torque creates pulling power and throttle response; horsepower sustains momentum.) The V-6 available in the Equinox is a 3.0-liter with 264 horsepower and 222 pound-feet of torque. That horsepower figure is solid but most rivals use V-6s of 3.5- to 4.0-liters that furnish substantially more torque. Both Equinox engines come only with automatic transmission; they’re contemporary six-speeds with a floor lever that can be toggled to mimic manual-gear selection. All 2011 Equinox models should continue with a choice of front-wheel drive or extra-cost all-wheel drive (AWD). Front-drive places the mass of the drivetrain over the tires that propel the car, a traction advantage on slippery surfaces. Equinox’s AWD provides an extra measure of grip by automatically shuffling power to the rear tires if the fronts begin to slip. It’s not intended for serious off-road use. Traction and antiskid stability control systems are standard to improve movement away from a stop and to minimize chances of a sideways slide in turns. Also standard are four-wheel disc brakes with antilock management for additional control in emergency stops.

Features: The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox will again come with a laudable array of standard features -- even in base LS trim. An impressive selection of luxury amenities kicks in as you ascend the model line or peruse the options sheet. Every Equinox comes with head-protecting curtain side airbags that cover both seating rows and are designed to deploy in a side collision as well as when sensors detect an impending rollover. Also standard is GM’s OnStar assistance with complementary one-year service. It includes automatic crash response and enables OnStar personnel to unlock the vehicle remotely or even diminish the engine’s power if your car’s been stolen. Power windows, locks, and mirrors will again be included in the base price of every Equinox. So will air conditioning, keyless remote entry, and tilt/telescope steering wheel with audio controls. Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity will likely continue as standard on 2LT and LTZ models and optional on LS and 1LT. Two-tone leather upholstery, USB iPod interface, and an audio unit with hard-drive music storage are among available features. A navigation system, rearview camera, and dual-screen rear-seat DVD entertainment also are optional. The 2011 Equinox will again be among the few SUVs in this price range to offer a power liftgate as well as a remote engine-start system that also activates the climate-control and optional heated seats. Base wheels should again be 17-inch alloys with 18-inch alloys available at extra cost on the LT models and the LTZ. The 2011 LTZ will likely repeat as the only Equinox with body-color bumpers and chromed door handles and the only one available with optional chrome-clad 19-inch alloy wheels.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Prices

Prices for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox won’t be released until shortly before the vehicle goes on sale. But don’t expect a big jump over model-year 2010 prices, which offered good value for the money. Crossover competition is fierce and the Chevy brand is built on affordability.

Estimated 2011 Chevrolet Equinox LS pricing will start around $23,700 with front-wheel drive and around $24,500 with AWD. (Base-price estimates in this review include the manufacturer’s mandated destination fee; Chevrolet’s fee for the 2010 Equinox was $750.)

Figure a base price for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox 1LT model of around $24,600 with front-wheel drive and around $26,300 with AWD. The 1LT will again add to the LS such features as upgraded upholstery, a compass readout, and heated mirrors.

Estimated starting price for the 2011 Equinox 2LT is $26,700 with front-drive, $27,500 with AWD. The 2LT should again add to the 1LT such features as automatic climate control, a Pioneer 250-watt eight-speaker audio system, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a rearview camera that displays on a portion of the inside mirror when backing up.

The top-of-the-line 2011 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ’s estimated base price is $29,300 with front-wheel drive, $31,000 with AWD. To the 2LT the 2011 LTZ should again add standard leather upholstery and heated front seats. A comprehensive “Vehicle Interface Package” that includes remote start, Bluetooth, and USB iPod linking should again be standard on the 2LT and LTZ and optional on the 1LT.

Note that the V-6 engine is available only on the 1LT, 2LT, and LTZ models, where it will add about $1,500 to the base price. Several optional combinations of rear DVD entertainment and navigation systems are available depending on trim level; prices are likely to again range from around $1,300 without navigation to around $3,400 with it.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Road Test

From behind the wheel:
To find happiness with a four-cylinder Equinox, recalibrate your acceleration expectations. Around-town pep is fine, but you’ll need to commit to full-throttle assaults when merging with freeway traffic and leave plenty of room when passing on a two-lane. The V-6 generates less drama, though, frankly, not that much less. You expect more from 265 horsepower but soon realize the important figure is this 3.0-liter’s 222 pound-feet of torque, which simply isn’t sufficient to scoot a 4000-pound wagon with much verve.

Bottom line: make peace with a four-cylinder Equinox’s leisurely pace and you’ll free yourself to enjoy this crossover’s many other dynamic virtues. Atop the list is that well-calibrated suspension with European DNA. Equinox handles with pleasing competence: grip is good, body lean in directional changes is never exaggerated, though there’s never much power to pull you through corners quickly. Straight-line stability is great, with Equinox’s steering flawed only by a reluctance to return to center after low-speed turns.

(No change to the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox will significantly alter its performance or passenger accommodations from those of the 2010 model. Statements in this review about performance and accommodations are based on detailed test drives of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox.)
Dashboard and controls:
The speedometer and tachometer are housed in side-by-side rectangular housings that look a little misshapen, as if their plastic was melting. It’s reminiscent of the sad-eyed binnacles in the Chevy Camaro. It looks no better here and, like in the Camaro, the gauge faces can be partially obscured by the steering wheel rim.

We’ll quibble with distracting sun reflections off the chromed gear-shift collar, but Equinox’s control layout is otherwise hard to fault. A helpful screen between the instrument panel binnacles displays such useful data as instant and average fuel economy and distance-to-empty. The central stack of dashboard controls is attractive and neatly organized. Soft-blue ambient cabin lighting accentuates the center-console cupholders and door pulls, while most gauges and controls are crisply lit in complimentary colors.

That lighting effect, thankfully, is tasteful, and the quality of Equinox’s cabin materials exceeds expectations, too. Even the 1LT model dresses up with a contrasted-color stitching effect on seats and door armrests. The fabric upholstery is a sturdy, modern tech-weave, and leather upholstery is available in a two-tone that’s sporty without being overdone. Padding on cabin panels is rationed, but few ring hollow and most surfaces have a nicely grained, matte finish.

Room, comfort, and utility:
Equinox’s front seaters get plenty of head room and generous seat travel. Driver positioning is good. Rear-seat room and comfort vies for best in class. The bench slides fore and aft nearly eight inches to maximize leg room or rear cargo space. The seat itself is firmly supportive, elevated slightly for a theater effect, and has a reclining backrest. Equinox is wide enough to accommodate three adults in the back seat if they don’t mind brushing shoulders, though the center rider doesn’t get much seat padding. With two in back, Equinox shows an upscale touch with a rear center armrest that hinges from the backrest at perfect elbow height.

That Euro-influenced suspension that aids Equinox’s handling excels at providing impressive ride comfort. This SUV takes bumps firmly but is never rude to occupants. And there’s no queasy jounce or float when the road surface gets wavy.

The cabin is rich with small-items storage bins and cupholders, and the deep front center console swallows a laptop computer. The power liftgate can be programmed to open to several heights – to clear an overhead garage door, for example. But Chevy seems to calculate that Equinox families are best served by a crossover that favors rear-seat room over outright cargo volume. You’ll need to slide that rear bench fully forward and sacrifice some leg room to create 31.4 cubic feet of luggage space behind. Fold both 60/40 rear seatback sections and you’ll open 63.7 cubic feet of cargo room. Both figures are good by absolute standards but at the low end of the competitive set. And unfortunately, Equinox’s rear seatbacks don’t drop to create a fully flat load floor. Utility also suffers from intrusion of the rear wheel housings.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Economy

Final mileage figures for 2011 models were not released at the time of this report, but the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox fuel economy ratings should not change much from 2010 levels. That would again place the front-drive, four-cylinder model among the most fuel-efficient midsize crossovers on the market.

Expect the 2011 Equinox to repeat with a rating of 22/32 mpg (city/highway) with front-wheel drive and 20/29 with AWD. For model-year 2010, the four-cylinder front-drive Equinox was the only crossover in its competitive set to exceed 30 mpg on the highway.

By contrast, the 2011 Equinox with the V-6 is squarely mid pack for fuel economy. It should return at 18/25 mpg with front-drive, 17/24 with AWD.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Safety

The Chevrolet Equinox scores very well in government crash-test ratings (safercar.gov). It earns the maximum five stars for driver and passenger protection in frontal and side collisions. In government assessments of rollover resistance, Equinox rates four stars on the five-star scale, a score that puts it among the best crossovers SUVs in that test.

For quality and reliability, the Chevrolet brand earns average ratings from J.D. Power and Associates, the leading automotive consumer survey firm (jdpower.com). Chevrolet is ranked average for initial overall quality measured after the first 90 days of ownership. It also rates average for dependability in J.D. Power surveys that measure problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old vehicles.

The 2010 Equinox was rated average in J.D. Power surveys of overall initial quality in the first 90 days of ownership. Owners gave powertrain quality the highest possible marks but rated the design of some accessories below average. Debuting for model-year 2010, today’s Equinox design hasn’t been on sale long enough to be included in J.D. Power surveys of dependability

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Release Date

The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox should be in showrooms by late summer 2010.

What's next for the Chevrolet Equinox

Launched in its current form for model-year 2010 and likely to undergo its next full redesign in model-year 2015 or 2016, expect the Equinox to get a mid-cycle freshening around model-year 2013. Such revamps typically include slight revisions to nose and tail appearance and some fresh interior textures but don’t change to a vehicle’s overall shape or size.

Equinox’s engine lineup probably won’t be drastically altered during this generation. GM had offered a gas-electric hybrid version of the similarly positioned Saturn Vue crossover. It was available with a gas four-cylinder/electric-motor combination that produced 169 horsepower. And plans for a more advanced V-6/electric model with 255 horsepower were the works before GM shut down its Saturn division during its bankruptcy crisis.

Don’t look for Equinox to grow a third-row seat, either. It’ll stay a five-passenger wagon sandwiched between the larger, more expensive eight-passenger Chevrolet Traverse crossover and the 2012 Chevrolet Orlando. The latter is part of a new wave of mini-minivans with seven seats and engineering shared with compact cars, in Orlando’s case, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Competitors

Ford Edge: Due for a styling facelift and a revised engine lineup for model-year 2011, this five-seat Ford makes a selling point of its advanced infotainment gadgetry. The tech is marketed as the MyFord system and centers around a dashboard LCD touchscreen and software developed in conjunction with Microsoft. Ford also aims for suspension upgrades that would help the 2011 Edge handle with more agility than its overweight chassis has been known for. Improvements to its subpar fuel-economy ratings of 15/22 (16/24 with AWD) also is a critical goal. Room and comfort should remain in the plus column. A base price range of $26,000-$34,000 is in the cards.

Hyundai Santa Fe: Freshened for model-year 2010 with revised styling and a new engine lineup. This U.S.-built crossover from South Korea’s Hyundai competes with Equinox on value while offering a toddler-sized third-row seat for seven-passenger capacity. Santa Fe is priced aggressively at around $23,000 with the 175-horsepower four-cylinder engine (22/27 mpg) and around $27,000 with the 276-horsepower V-6 (20/26). Korean designers created a cabin large enough to include a toddler-sized third-row seat. Lexus-like looks, outstanding interior materials, and a strong warranty are selling points.

Subaru Outback: Perhaps not the most obvious rival to the Equinox but one well worth exploring. Outback is more of a puffed-up five-passenger station wagon – and that’s a good thing because it has a relatively low center of gravity for good handling, yet comes standard with an adept AWD system, plus more ground clearance than most SUV-costumed crossovers, Equinox included. Outback is solid and roomy and actually beats Equinox for cargo space, with 34.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 71.3 with the rear seat folded. The 170-horsepower four-cylinder model (22/29 mpg) starts around $24,000, the 256-horsepower V-6 version (18/25) around $29,000.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Review and Prices

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