The Chevy Equinox gets no respect from the automotive press, and that’s a mistake. The compact crossover SUV never tops the curated “best” lists or wins prestigious awards. But that’s because car critics are always interested in the fastest, best handling, most rugged, or most technologically advanced vehicles, which the Equinox has never tried to be.

But the buying public understands that the Equinox does nearly everything well at an affordable price, which is why they have bought 3 million of them over the past 20 years, making it Chevy’s best-selling vehicle that isn’t a truck. That’s a remarkable accomplishment because the Equinox competes in the most competitive automotive market segment0.

And the completely redesigned 2025 version should boost sales even more, for many good reasons. It still offers a smooth ride and lots of interior space for a two-row SUV, but now looks even better and has a more refined interior – all for a starting price of around $30,000 for the base LT. There are two upper trim levels that both start at about $35,000, the sporty looking RS and the more rugged looking Activ, which comes with all-terrain tires but is not seriously off-road capable. All-wheel-drive is a $2,000 option across all three levels.

All versions are powered by the same engine, a turbocharged 1.5-liter four that produces 175 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque. Front-wheel-drive versions are mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission, while AWD models get an 8-speed automatic that increases the torque to 203. Neither set up is particularly strong by today’s standards, but acceleration is adequate around town and both can easily keep up with freeway traffic.

The biggest changes for 2025 include a bolder exterior that improves on the previous soccer mom persona. The interior also sees major upgrades, including a 11.0-inch configurable instrument display and adjacent 11.3-inch touchscreen running General Motors’s Google-based infotainment system with standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The result captures the extended displays that are so popular these days without overwhelming the dash. Physical knobs control the temperature and stereo volume, a welcome departure from some vehicles that are moving every little thing into their infotainment systems.

My 2025 tester was an RS AWD with options that pushed the price to $39,875, with $3,480 worth of option.. Although I was prepared to be underwhelmed like all automotive journalists, my reaction was just the opposite. No, the Equinox is not the fastest, best handling, most rugged, or most technologically compact crossover SUV on the market. But it really does do just about everything well, and the result is a very well balanced family hauler that looks good and is a pleasure to drive. The ride was even relatively smooth over the poorly maintained roads in my part of town.

To keep things as affordable as possible, Chevy does not offer a more expensive hybrid or plug-in hybrid version of the Equinox. Although the company sells an all-electric Equinox EV, it is an entirely different vehicle co-developed by Honda and costs about $5,000 more, although it never uses any gas.

The Chevy Equinox has been a best seller because it blends practicality with affordability in the subcompact crossover SUV market. The redesigned 2025 version adds bolder styling, a more refined interior, and more available advanced technologies, all while staying affordable. There should be an award for that.

 2025 Chevy Equinox

Base price: $29,995 (LT)

Price as tested: $39,874 (RS AWD)

Type: Compact crossover SUV

Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-liter 4 (175 hp, 184 lbs-ft – FWD); (175 hp, 203 lbs-ft – AWD, as tested)

Transmissions: Continuously Variable Transmission; 8-speed automatic (as tested)

Drive modes: Normal, Snow/Ice, Off-Road

EPA estimated mileage: 24/29

Overall length: 183.2 inches

Curb weight: 3705 pounds

Final assembly: San Luis Potosi, Mexico