The Mercury News

The 2022 Chevy Equinox RS AWD SUV

You Are What You Drive — A Bottom Line Review

- By Tony Leopardo

The Bottom Line: What is an Equinox? The Equinox is a compact SUV sold by Chevrolet. This is a crossover vehicle from General Motors, and is manufactur­ed in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, in the joint GM Suzuki CAMI factory. CAMI is taken from the corporatio­n’s name, Canadian Automotive Incorporat­ed.

A refreshed front end highlights the changes to the 2022 Equinox. The makeover brings more distinctiv­e headlights, a new grille design, and updated front and rear bumpers. Chevy also adds an RS model, which includes sporty styling cues such as dark android 19” aluminum alloy wheels, and blacked out exterior trim.

The Equinox has always stood out from the crowd by being a modern looking SUV with excellent design. The 2022 model brings new exterior features that add to the overall look. Now new fog lamps and headlights are more proudly displayed at the front of the vehicle. And every 2022 Equinox comes standard with Chevy Safety Assist, a comprehens­ive package of driver assistance features, that offer peace of mind 24/7.

This week Chevy sent me a 2022 Equinox RS Rally Sport AWD SUV to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this model is: $31,700. The options on the press SUV are: the RS leather package for $1,580, the infotainme­nt package for $895, the advanced safety package for $650, and the metallic tint coat paint for $495.

The total MSRP manufactur­er’s suggested retail price, including the $1,195 destinatio­n charge, came to: $36,515. After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the total out the door and in your driveway purchase price came to: $41,079.

As the average vehicle sales transactio­n price is now around $46,000, the 2022 Chevy Equinox RS SUV is a great buy at only $41K. Not only do you save over $5,000, you get very good gas mileage at 25 MPG city, 30 MPG highway, and 27 MPG in combined driving. Plus the greenhouse gas rating is a 6, and the smog rating is a 7, both out of 10. All very good numbers for a crossover in today’s compact SUV class.

Power starts with a 1.5L liter Turbo DOHC dual overhead cam 4 cylinder engine that puts out 170 HP and 203 lb-ft of torque. That engine is bolted to a 6 speed automatic transmissi­on, and then routed to an AWD all wheel drive driveline with a Stabilitra­k stability control system for full time safety, handling and traction control.

Connectivi­ty & Technology includes: Onstar services with a 4LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, keyless entry, keyless start, SiriusXM radio, and remote start. Safety & Security includes: Chevy safety assist, teen driver assist, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, Intellibea­m automatic high beam assist, front and rear parking assist, rear cross traffic alert, lane change alert, blind side alert, front and rear parking assist, and a theft deterrent system.

The 2022 Equinox RS has the options, comfort, handling and safety systems that you need in a comfortabl­e, good looking SUV, for thousands of dollars less than the competitio­n. To make this SUV even better, it comes with the RS leather package with a jet black leather interior, and comes with a 7 speaker Bose premium audio system.

The Infotainme­nt package starts with 2 USB data ports, a 120 volt power outlet, a center stack 8” HD color touchscree­n with voice recognitio­n, Bluetooth audio streaming with Apple Carplay and Android Auto with in-vehicle apps, plus a heated steering wheel. The Advanced Safety package adds: HD surround vision, outside heated power mirrors with LED turn signals, and adaptive cruise control. All the options you really want, and nothing extra to just pad the window sticker with, for a great running and driving SUV.

The 2022 Chevy Equinox has an overall 5 Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administra­tion, and comes with a 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, and a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. That includes roadside assistance and courtesy transporta­tion, plus your first maintenanc­e visit, all at no charge.

Just Chevy’s way of saying Thanks for buying a new SUV, and welcome to the Family.

So, when you’re ready to buy a new compact SUV, the 2022 Chevy Equinox should be on your ride and drive list, as it’s one of the best priced 2 row SUVs for sale today. Call, click or visit your local Chevy dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review, on the 2022 Equinox. And remember that the base price for a new Equinox starts at only $25,800. Chevy - Find New Roads.

Be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, “You Are What You Drive ©” And maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should “Drive one, Buy one, Today ©”.

This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense © editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. “Tony the Car Guy” is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire. Net at www.autowire.net

 ?? ?? The 2022 Chevy Equinox SUV. Photo courtesy of Chevrolet Internet Media.
The 2022 Chevy Equinox SUV. Photo courtesy of Chevrolet Internet Media.

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