It’s not uncommon to see a Chevy Equinox when driving down the road – I spot them often across New York State and I’ve been curious about how they perform so when I was offered to test drive a 2019 Equinox, I hopped right into the driver’s seat.

The first thing I noticed is how spacious the vehicle is. I drive an SUV now, but even my kids (ages 12 and 14) noticed the legroom and overall spacious design once you get into the Equinox.

Our first stop was the mall and I really liked how the cargo space door pops right open – it’s a simple feature, but one that I don’t have in my 2017 vehicle. There was plenty of space to store back to school shopping bags with room to spare!

I felt comfortable and safe driving the Equinox, which utilizes several modern safety features. First off, the camera, which Chevy calls Surround Vision – it gives you a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle along with the rear-view camera. At first it seemed distracting, but I quickly adapted, and it came in very handy at home – I could see exactly where my dog was standing in the driveway in relation to the vehicle!

Speaking of dogs, the Equinox has fabric or leather seating (depending on which package you choose) and both are designed to clean easily and resist scuffing. With pet travel becoming increasingly popular, it’s a practical feature to include in the vehicle.

The Equinox also features what Chevy calls, “Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning” - gentle steering wheel input and alerts to help prevent you from unintentionally drifting out of your intended lane. Luckily, I stayed between the lines and never needed this feature!

When it comes time to change lanes, Chevy’s “Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert” provides side-mirror alerts to help you avoid a collision with a vehicle that’s either in or rapidly approaching your side blind zone. This is helpful and serves as another safety backup, but I suggest that drivers continue to rely on their eyes and visually check the blind spot before changing lanes and use this alert to assist.

It’s easy to stay connected in the Equinox with little distraction. Apple CarPlay will read your text messages aloud so the driver isn’t tempted to reach for their phone, yet I can still see the need for a co-pilot to assist with the infotainment system so if you’re buying an Equinox, be sure to have your salesperson explain the system to you before you drive off the lot.

The AAA Center for Driving Safety & Technology rates the Equinox infotainment system with “moderate demand” – it got high marks for calling and dialing, but researchers felt that the touch screen had small buttons out of comfortable reach. Again, and drivers are reminded to become familiar with the features before putting the vehicle into drive mode. 

One electronic feature that was a huge hit with my kids (again, ages 12 and 14) was the built-in WiFi hotspot! They loved being able to connect with their friends – the Equinox can pair seven devices!

Overall, the Chevy Equinox offers a smooth ride with a nice pickup and it was enjoyable to drive. My social media posts about the test drive got a lot of engagement – in fact, I was surprised how many people commented raving about their Equinox!