The usual price of this large feel: anyone hoping for agile handling won’t find it. This probably attracts more people than it turns off, even if fewer people are seeking to “live large” these days. “Bigger is better” thinking persists within General Motors, and especially once underway the Equinox feels larger than it is, and it already is a half-size larger than most competitors. The Equinox’s cabin isn’t broad but, as in many current GM vehicles, the instrument panel runs high and deep between massive A-pillars. Ironically, the distantly related Cadillac SRX pairs a larger number of rear seat amenities-rear vents with automatic controls, seat heaters-with a much more cramped, lower, and less comfortable rear seat. Seats front and rear are moderately firm and comfortably contoured, and the rear cushion is high enough off the floor to provide adults with thigh support. Inside, this translates to modest shoulder room and exceptional legroom. Like the Terrain, the Equinox combines the width of a compact crossover with the wheelbase and length of a midsize. Overall, this is the segment’s best interior. Most of the interior plastics are hard, and some appear lower rent than others, but this is typical of the price point. Both models share a stylish, well-organized center stack complete with ambient lighting, red in the Terrain, blue in the Equinox. The Chevrolet Equinox had the optional black and brown leather (also available in the GMC), and it makes for a much warmer, more luxurious, and altogether more attractive interior. The tested GMC Terrain’s black cloth had a bit much of a work truck vibe. The droopy headlights of which Chrysler and VW have been so fond lately make an unfortunate appearance on the Equinox as well, but this minor design faux pas pales next to the noses that various Japanese companies has been cursing their cars with lately. No one does a double take when a Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, or Volkswagen Tiguan crosses their path. Though not striking, the second-generation Equinox is blandly attractive, if anything more so than any of its primary competitors. The Equinox’s much more conventional exterior, in contrast, shouldn’t offend anyone. Though the Terrain’s chunky exterior has fans, you’d never know it from the comments at TTAC. But the sheetmetal differs so greatly that “rebadge” is not appropriate. The Equinox and Terrain are essentially the same vehicle aside from sheetmetal.
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