2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox?
All new this year, the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox enters the compact sport/utility fray with standard V6 power, available on-demand all-wheel-drive, and the longest wheelbase and largest opening doors in the segment.

Advantages of the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox:

• Torquey V6 engine
• Simple stereo and climate control layouts
• Flexible interior space
• Comfortable rear seats
• Easy to climb into and get out of

Objections to the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox:

• Front seat comfort is lacking
• Grainy, coarse powertrain not as energetic as Honda V6 in Saturn Vue
• Artificial feel of electric steering
• Noisy interior
• Not much fun to drive

Editor's Advice:
Chevrolet's version of the Saturn Vue enters a crowded marketplace populated with such competitors as the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4. The 2005 Chevrolet Equinox is a stylish and roomy alternative to established players, but with its general lack of refinement, middling performance and handling capability, and marginal front seat comfort levels we'd hesitate to recommend it over more well-known models from the competition.