Nov 1st, 2011 by Ross Edwards
It’s a pretty common problem: you want an SUV, but can’t really justify sub 20-mpg fuel efficiency. You don’t need thousands of pounds of towing and hauling capacity, but want a tall, comfortable, capable vehicle. Luckily for you, the car companies have figured that a lot of people want good gas mileage with their SUV and have created a whole slew of crossover SUVs that combine the commanding view of the road that buyers love with the gas mileage they need. The Chevy Equinox is one of those Crossovers, and is the most fuel efficient non-hybrid small SUV on sale right now with a 32-mpg highway rating.
The 2012 Chevy Equinox beats out the competition with both its fuel economy (most competitors are around 28-mpg highway, close but not quite at that magical 30-mpg number that separates the fuel efficient cars from the gas guzzlers in most people’s minds) and it’s horsepower. The Equinox makes 180-hp with its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, 11 more than the Ford Escape and 16 more than the Honda Element.
The 2012 Chevy Equinox isn’t just a small car masquerading as an SUV, though it isn’t exactly off-road ready, it has 63.7 cubic feet of available cargo area. More than enough to fit your skis, boogie boards, a bike or basically whatever you need for an adventure. The 2012 Chevy Equinox also has 6.9 inches of ground clearance, which helps if you do decide to go someplace the road doesn’t. The Equinox starts at $23,450.