I was impressed by the new Equinox's handsome styling, good tech content, and well-designed passenger cabin.

I was disappointed by the Equinox's lackluster powertrain and limited cargo capacity.

The base front-wheel-drive Equinox LT starts at $28,600, while the range-topping all-wheel-drive Activ and RS trims start at $35,000.

Fees and nearly $4,000 worth of optional luxury and technology features pushed the Mexico-made SUV's as-tested price to $40,370.

Like other recent additions to the Chevy's SUV lineup, the Equinox's exterior design was heavily inspired by the brand's pickup trucks.

The most striking element of Equinox's new look is its front facia, which is dominated by a large, wide grille flanked on both sides by LED headlights with thin horizontal running lights up top.

At 183.2 inches long, the Equinox is roughly the same length as the Nissan Rogue but about 1.5 inches shorter than the Honda CR-V and three inches shorter than the Mazda CX-50.

The Chevrolet Equinox's only engine option is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that carries over from the previous generation.

The motor, which produces 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque, is mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission on all-wheel-drive equipped models. Front-wheel-drive Equinox's get a continuously variable transmission.

The EPA rated my Equinox RS AWD test car at 24 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. Front-wheel drive variants get one extra MPG in combined driving.

These figures fall short of the all-wheel-drive Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue's fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg and 31 mpg, respectively.

How was the Equinox to drive?

Let's start with the good part. It rode exceptionally well, successfully cushioning rough roads without feeling floaty. It also handled corners with relative ease.

But all of that good work was undone by the truly lackluster performance of its drive train.

Even with fairly smooth shifts from GM's Hydra-Matic eight-speed automatic, stepping on the gas pedal usually results in some intrusive engine noise but not much else. You can feel the little four-cylinder's 175 ponies trying their hardest to drag along the 3,600-lb SUV, but the Equinox is just woefully underpowered.

This was particularly evident when merging onto the highway or tackling mountain roads in the foothills of the Appalachians.

According to Motor Trend, the 2025 Equinox can make the run from 0 to 60 mph in a leisurely 9.2 seconds. This was the slowest of the nearly three dozen vehicles I tested this year.

Chevrolet did a good job with the Equinox's interior. Cabin ergonomics are excellent, with intuitively placed controls, a good balance between physical and digital controls, and oodles of useful storage.

There's also a good mix of different materials and textures, with red accents to add a pop of color to the cabin.

The red turbine-design air vents that felt out of place in the Blazer EV add an interesting visual element.

The Google-based infotainment system is highly responsive, smartly designed, and a piece of cake to navigate. Built-in Google Maps gives Chevy one of the best integrated navigation systems around.

The Equinox also comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

My test car also came with the optional 360-degree surround-vision camera.

Also in front of the driver is a configurable 11-inch digital instrument display that comes standard on all trims. The display looks great and can be tailored to show traditional gauges, active driver's assistance features, and Google Maps.

It was a $1,495 optional extra.

The black seats, upholstered in an imitation leather called Evotex, feature attractive red accents and RS-branded headrests.

With 39.9 inches of legroom, the Equinox's rear cabin is larger than the Mazda CX-50 and Toyota RAV4's but trails the Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-V.

The rear seat passenger in my test car had heated outboard seats, dedicated AC vents, and USB sockets.

The Equinox's cargo compartment is half a cubic foot larger than the Mazda CX-50 but roughly five cubic feet smaller than the Honda CR-V and a whopping 9 cubic feet smaller than the Hyundai Tucson.

When the rear seat is folded flat, cargo capacity expands to 63.5 cubic feet. Under the rear cargo floor, there's also a small storage area and a spare tire.

Additional features like traffic sign recognition and rear pedestrian alert are available as optional extras.

Chevrolet came so close to excellence with the 2025 Equinox. They nailed the styling, the interior, and the tech. But alas, the engine. No modern compact SUV can make do with just 175 horsepower. Even the similarly sized 1999 Chevy Blazer from a quarter century ago had 190 ponies. I recognize the importance of fuel economy standards in the decision-making process, but Equinox cries out for more power.

Fix the engine and you truly unleash the potential of the Equinox.

I was impressed by the Trax's strong slate of features, competitive pricing, and attractive styling.

Unfortunately, the SUV's three-cylinder engine felt underpowered when loaded with passengers, and its lack of an all-wheel-drive option may be a dealbreaker for some consumers, especially in colder climates.

The Chevrolet Trax comes in five versions, with the base LS trim starting at $20,400.

My top spec Trax 2RS test car starts at $24,300. Freight fees, a sunroof, and optional driver assistance tech pushed the Korean-made SUV's as-tested price to $27,000.

The Trax features a muscular and athletic design with broad shoulders that GM says is inspired by the big brother, the Chevrolet Blazer.

The design gives the impression that the Trax is bigger and wider than it actually is.

Overall, I think it looks terrific.

At 178.6 inches long, the Trax is three inches longer than the Toyota Corolla Cross and seven inches longer than the Nissan Kicks.

The base Trax LS has 17-inch steel wheels, while all other trims have 17-, 18-, or 19-inch aluminum wheels.

All versions of the Trax are powered by a 1.2-liter, turbocharged, direct-injected Ecotec three-cylinder engine that produces 137 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque.

The turbo three, shared with the Buick Envista, is mated to a shiftable six-speed automatic transmission.

The Trax is front-wheel-drive only and does not offer an all-wheel-drive option.

My Chevy Trax 2RS test car boasts EPA fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined.

The Trax isn't very sporty or particularly fun to drive. But it does offer reasonably responsive handling and a comfortable ride.

As with its cousin, the Buick Envista, the Trax's biggest shortcoming is its 1.2-liter engine.

The 137-horsepower, turbocharged three-cylinder has enough juice for daily errands around town. It struggles if you ask it to do anything more than that.

When you load the 3,000-lb SUV with people and their stuff, the tiny engine feels outmatched by the task, throttle response becomes lethargic, and there is noticeable turbo lag.

Motor Trend found the Trax accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in a pedestrian in 8.6 seconds.

The Chevrolet Trax is a great example of delivering an interior on a budget without it feeling cheap. It would be a stretch to call the interior luxurious or premium, but it also doesn't punish you for being frugal.

Interior quality is good, and there are plenty of soft-touch materials in the high-contact area. The red turbine-design air vents that felt out of place in the pricier Blazer EV worked well here to add a pop of color and visual appeal to the cabin.

The seats were pretty comfortable but lacked much adjustability.

The Trax is equipped with an eight-inch digital instrument display instead of a traditional gauge cluster. There are also handy audio controls located on the back of the steering wheel.

The Trax's infotainment system has fairly limited features, but what it does have is very intuitive to use.

There's standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as a backup camera.

With 38.7 inches of legroom, the offers 2.5 inches more than the Mazda CX-30 and six inches more than the Toyota Corolla Cross.

Rear seat passengers also have access to dedicated USB-A and USB-C plugs.

The Trax's 60/40 split rear bench can fold nearly flat to expand cargo room to 54.1 cubic feet.

Chevy Safety Assist includes key features such as forward collision alert, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking.

Adaptive cruise control requires an extra Driver Confidence Package.

The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is an attractively styled small crossover with a comfortable interior and is generally pleasant to drive.

Though it could use more power and an option for all-wheel drive, the content it delivers at a sub-$30,000 price is very good. The value proposition gets even better when you look at the sub-$25,000 price point of the mid-grade LT and 1RS trims.

Dollars and cents aside, where the Chevrolet Trax really shines is that it feels more expensive than it actually is. And that sounds like a good deal to me.