2010 Chevrolet Equinox - Review

Call it a case of sibling rivalry.

When General Motors redesigned the Chevrolet Equinox for the 2010 model year, the company decided to give GMC its own compact SUV, one that would share its platform with the Equinox. Hence the birth of the 2010 GMC Terrain.

Both vehicles share more than just the same platform--the two also share the same engine choices and the same six-speed automatic transmission. Both are available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

I had the chance to test both the Terrain and Equinox with V-6 power and all-wheel drive. The optional 3.0-liter V-6 makes 264 horsepower in both models.

The Equinox offered a slightly lower base price than the Terrain, at $27,195 compared to $29,200 for the Terrain. Both offer standard features like ABS, traction control, an antiskid system, a rearview camera, fog lamps, a remote start, remote keyless entry, a USB port, and satellite radio. The Terrain offers larger standard wheels--18-inches over 17-inches. Leather seats are also standard on Terrain, but they are an option on the Equinox.

The Equinox came equipped with a longer list of options, including a $3,440 navigation system (with rear seat entertainment, auxiliary input jack, and a 40 gigabyte hard drive), a cargo management package (cargo net, cargo cover, and roof-rack crossbars, $245), the V-6 itself ($1,500), heated leather seats ($1,050), a sunroof ($795), a programmable power liftgate ($495), towing equipment ($350), and optional 18-inch wheels ($250). With the $745 destination fee, the total came to $36,065.

By contrast, the Terrain clocked in at $33,525, thanks to a shorter options list. That list includes the same cargo management package, along with the same V-6 engine, same sunroof, same liftgate, and same towing equipment, all for the same prices as listed above. The "carbon black metallic" paint job added $195.