2019 Chevrolet Equinox

The 2019 Chevrolet Equinox features a well-designed interior, though it includes too many plastics and low-rent materials to rank as one of the nicer cabins in this class. The seats are comfortable and spacious, but cargo space is below average. A mostly user-friendly infotainment system headlines the features list.

• "The interior materials quality is disappointing for the class and even more so when you consider how expensive the Equinox is. Hard plastics are one thing, but the textures are mismatched and there's a definite downmarket look and feel." -- Edmunds
• The interior similarly places function over form. It'll look familiar to anyone who's been in the most recent Chevrolet Malibu or Cruze, and it's useful and well organized, if a little staid. The topmost Premier trim level uses a nice mix of leather and soft-touch plastics, although cheaper materials creep in as you move down the price ladder into the less expensive LT model (L and LS trims are available, but Chevrolet didn't have any of those price leaders available for us to drive)." -- Car and Driver (2018)
• "When we slowed down and drove like a regular Equinox buyer, we had time to enjoy the redesigned cabin. Like the exterior design, the inside is plucked from other Chevrolet models. This isn't a bad thing, as it does away with the rough plastic-fantastic Equinox interior of yore. Plastic is still used liberally, but there's a clear move toward softer touch and lower impact materials." -- Automobile Magazine (2018)

Seating

The Chevy Equinox seats five and comes standard with cloth upholstery. Leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel are available.

The front seats provide plenty of support, even on long drives, and comfort levels are typical for the class. Both rows of seats offer good head- and legroom, though the optional sunroof noticeably decreases headroom.

There are complete LATCH car-seat systems in the second row's outboard seats and a top tether anchor for the middle seat. The lower anchors present no problems, but the tether anchors can be confused with other hardware if you aren't looking closely enough.

• "The seats in the LT are firm and supportive, though the side bolstering on the seatback might feel a little tight for a good number of drivers. Still, you won't be fighting to maintain a proper upright position directly behind the wheel when traversing tight corners. We preferred the extra bit of coziness the Premier trim's leather seats afforded." -- Autoblog (2018)
• "But two days' driving confirmed one of our initial takeaways: The Equinox's new seats are a step backward. As compact SUVs go, the old Equinox had exceptionally big, comfy seats; these are, well, ordinary. Headroom and seat height are good across the board, but the optional panoramic moonroof annexes nearly 2 inches of headroom, front and rear. Get a car with this feature and tall passengers in back will have to slouch." -- Cars.com (2018)
• Chop out a healthy chunk of wheelbase and one might expect legroom to suffer. But somehow the Equinox has 39.7 inches of rear-seat legroom. That's a fraction of an inch less than the old one and just an inch short of the Honda CR-V. … The rear seat does recline, but the lever is located at the top of the seatback. So, there's really no way to make the seat more comfortable while you're sitting in it." -- Autoweek (2018)

Interior Features

Standard features in the Equinox include a six-speaker audio system, a USB port, Bluetooth, push-button start, a rearview camera, Chevy's Teen Driver system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and the MyLink infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen.

Available features include dual-zone automatic climate control, remote start, satellite radio, HD Radio, navigation, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, a panoramic sunroof, an 8-inch touch screen, wireless phone charging, and additional USB ports.

Available driver assistance features include adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, a safety alert seat, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and low-speed automatic emergency braking.

The MyLink infotainment system makes the driver's life easier because of its intuitive interface. There are also physical buttons for some functions, in addition to the touch screen. However, the system isn't perfect: The sun's glare occasionally washes out the screen, and some settings require several steps to adjust.

See 2019 Chevrolet Equinox specs »

• The touchscreen is awkwardly angled away, making it prone to catching glare and obscuring the display. Otherwise, the layout of the controls is logical, and operating the many systems is intuitive." -- Edmunds
• "One of the first things that struck me when I entered the new Equinox was the restyled infotainment setup. Where last year's edition was essentially a wall of buttons, the updated model has a simple, clean design that's easier on the eyes without detracting from usability. … From a driving perspective, my favorite add-on is the information display screen in the gauge cluster, which, unlike most of its contemporaries, is horizontally oriented. Chevy doesn't give much lip service to this feature, which is becoming a standard offering throughout its lineup, but its lightyears ahead of its predecessor. … The new screen can control music, show navigation directions and even adjust advanced driver assistance settings." -- New York Daily News (2018)
• Audio systems differ depending on trim level – and thus, so might their layout – so this may only apply to the one in the Premier we drove. There's only a volume knob and a couple of physical buttons below the 8-inch touchscreen, with everything else being done through 'virtual' buttons on the screen. That often means drilling down through multiple layers to get where you want – something that tends to take more study and a longer look from the road – but it's not as complicated here as in some. Climate controls consist of rotary temperature and individual mode buttons (nice), but repetitive-step buttons for fan speed (not as nice)." -- Consumer Guide (2018)

Cargo

The Chevy Equinox provides 29.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind its second row and 63.5 cubic feet with the seats folded. Many rivals have more overall space. However, the Equinox's rear seats fold flat, which makes it easy to load and organize cargo, and there's plenty of small-item storage throughout the cabin. A power liftgate and a hands-free power liftgate are available, and there's an under-floor storage area that gives you some extra room and a place to stow valuables out of sight.

• "Cargo space is both large and versatile. Folding the rear seat backs – which can conveniently be done with levers on the seatbacks themselves and on the rear cargo wall (at least on our Premium test vehicle) – results in a long, flat load floor, and there's a huge amount of hidden storage beneath the floor." -- Consumer Guide (2018)
• "Although the Equinox is a bit smaller on the outside, it hasn't lost any cargo capacity. … The seats don't fold perfectly flat, but it's pretty close and should do just fine for the ubiquitous run to Ikea or Home Depot." -- CNET (2018)
• Behind the rear seat, the Equinox offers 29.9 cubic feet of cargo room, … enough to handle a pair of suitcases with plenty of room to spare. The 'kneeling' rear seat features a bottom set of cushions that jut forward to allow the seatback to fold flat, opening up 63.5 cubic feet for storage, putting it within range of all its top competitors but still solidly behind the top-selling Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape." -- New York Daily News (2018)