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2012 Chevrolet Equinox

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Rating8.2

Ranked #1 in 

Compact SUV
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$23,530 - $30,970
Starting Price 

Year

Nathan Dyer's image
Nathan Dyer 

Senior Editor,

Updated on June 10, 2024

ProsConsWhat's New

Impressive mileage with the base engine

The steering feels numb

Forward collision and lane departure warning systems with the V6 LTZ trim

Spacious cabin

Premium audio setup is not the best

Blind-spot monitoring is now found as standard with the LT and LTZ trims

Refined ride quality

Lots of additional storage spaces

Specs & Features

$25,280

price

182 hp @ 6700 rpm

horsepower

172 lb.-ft. @ 4900 rpm

torque

6-Speed Shiftable Automatic

transmission

2.4L 4cyl AWD 6A

engine

-

basic warranty

Overview

The 2012 Chevy Equinox MSRP of $23,530 features to retain the thrust of the 182 horsepower 2.4L I-4 and 264 hp 3.0L V-6 engines just like its predecessor. That being said, its duo of the mileage of up to 32 MPG along with both FWD and AWD configuration on offer is another add-on in its overall multitude purpose similar to its grit of 1,500-3,500 lbs towing capacity. Also, a maximum cargo capacity of 63.7 cu-ft is going to be as it this season across its LS, 1LT, 2LT, and LTZ trims, however, these configurations have now a blind spot monitor as standard to them besides that optional Chevrolet MyLink Infotainment. 

 

2012 Chevrolet Equinox Buying Advice

The 2012 Chevy Equinox and 2010 Equinox have got similar build quality and performance dynamics. Their comfort and convenience are also at par throughout the trim levels. Therefore, it is advisable to invest in the 2010 MY and save some extra bucks. 

The 2012 Equinox has got the jolt to get the rivalry heated against the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape, where each of them has parallel towing capacity. However, CR-V and RAV4 are a little more generous in their cargo management and volume which can challenge the charm of Equinox's plentiful interior for sure. 

2012 Chevrolet Equinox for sale

The used 2012 Chevy Equinox is up for sale with a price variation of $8,700-$15,600. Along with that, we can even avail of this 5-seater SUV's 1LT trim through a lease deal of $129/month for 60 months besides a signing due of $2,000. 

Buying Advice

The Chevy Equinox 2012 LTZ with FWD is surely the one that has the best proposition among all owing to the superior ambiance, interior ease, and impressive practicality in both towing and fuel mileage. Therefore, it has got to be that gets the most of the attention. 

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Comparative Analysis against Competition

The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox has seen no major change as such yet it has improved in some of its engineering reliability as its J.D power rating now hits 84 as compared to the 82 from last year. That quality index at your realm along with 182 horsepower 2.4L I-4 and 264 hp 3.0L V-6 engines further bolster its driving stance without compromising its payload practicality from 1,095 lbs(I-4) to1,199 lbs(V-6). 

Coming on the charges and finances, the Chevy Equinox price can be a cumulative of almost $24,000 which entails the payments for maintenance, repair, fuel, and insurance after a span of 5 years. Digging to more specifics highlight the annual maintenance expense is alone a balance of $563, which is $67 less than the 2011 MY maintenance investment, which changes as this 5-seater SUV ages older. 

Buying Advice

The Chevy Equinox 2012 LTZ with FWD is surely the one that has the best proposition among all owing to the superior ambiance, interior ease, and impressive practicality in both towing and fuel mileage. Therefore, it has got to be that gets the most of the attention. 

Features
8.0/10

The 2012 Chevy Equinox LS starts the lineup at an expense of $23,530. This trim is a package of 17-inch Alloy Wheels, Cruise Control, and a 6-speaker audio unit. While the Equinox 1LT 2012 further adds Bluetooth Connectivity, a Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel, and Premium Cloth Seats for a price of $25,050.

The 2012 Equinox 2LT goes on to get in the likes of the Heated Front Seats and Pioneer Premium 250-watt 8-speaker Sound System over for a cost of $26,870. And the range-topping LTZ amazes you with Perforated Leather-Appointed Seats and Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist and charges you an MSRP of $29,220. 

Trim

LS

1LT

2LT

LTZ

MSRP (FWD)

$23,530

$25,050

$26,870

$29,220

MSRP (AWD)

$25,280

$26,800

$28,620

$30,970

Key Features

17-inch Alloy Wheels

Premium Cloth Seats

Fog Lamps

Available 19-inch Chrome-clad Wheels
 

Cruise Control

Available 18" Machined-aluminum Wheels

Remote Ignition

Memory Settings For Driver And Exterior Mirrors
 

Air-conditioning

Roof Rails

Heated Front Seats

Perforated Leather-Appointed Seats 
 

6-speaker audio unit

Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel

Automatic Climate Control

Digital Music Storage
  Graphic Interface Display

Bluetooth Connectivity

An Eight-way Power Driver Seat

Chrome Appearance Package
   

Deep Tinted Glass

Pioneer Premium 250-watt 8-speaker Sound System 

Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist

Fuel Economy
7.0/10

The 2012 Chevy Equinox MPG goes up to 22/32/26 MPG of the economy in city/highway/combined driving conditions which helps in having a combined range of 468 miles in a single refuel of an 18.8-gallon fuel tank. However, the mileage struggles by some margin as the fuel efficiency do not cross the bar of 20/29/23 MPG in the AWD layout. 

That being said, the Equinox 2012 with the V6 has got the capacity to be an even more intense gas guzzler owing to its 17/25/20 MPG returns while operating in sync with the FWD. This gets worse by 1 MPG as soon as we switch to the AWD platform due to its preference for extra traction. 

Models

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Honda CR-V 

2012 Toyota RAV4

2012 Ford Escape

MPG (City)

22

23

22

23

MPG (Highway)

32

31

28

28

MPG (Combined)

26

26

24

25

Fuel Capacity (Gallons)

18.8

15.3

15.9

16.5

Range (City/Highway/Combined, in Miles)

413/601/468

352/474/398

349/445/397

380/462/413

The 2012 Equinox MPG remains 4 MPG better than the RAV4 and Escape on the highway, however, the CR-V improves its mileage by 3 MPG this year. That being said, the Escape gives up 55 miles earlier than the Equinox when it is a matter of combined range and the CR-V boils down to 70 miles less travel against the same Equinox in the same driving situation. 

Interior
8.0/10

The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox interior is simply as practical as it has ever been with impressive spacious all around but it tends to decline its overall stature with those cloth-finish manually adjustable seats. However, these seats are replaced by the 8-way Power Driver Seat for the Equinox 2LT and Equinox LTZ configurations along with leather upholstery for the LTZ. 

Moreover, the Chevy Equinox has been incorporated with manual climate control for maintaining the temperature for the Equinox LS and 1LT trims. But it gets generous with the automatic climate control inside the 2LT and LTZ variants. On top of that, there are heated front seats as well for the top two trims as standard. Apart from these, cargo space of 31.4-63.7 cu-ft is available in its realm. 

Models

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Honda CR-V 

2012 Toyota RAV4

2012 Ford Escape

Seating Capacity

5

5

5

5

Front Row (Head/Shoulders/Legs) (in)

40.9/55.8/41.2

39.9/58.6/41.3

40.8/57.1/41.8

40.4/56.6/41.6

Second Row (Head/Shoulders/Legs) (in)

39.2/55.3/39.9

38.6/56.4/38.3

39.7/55.3/38.3

39.2/55.9/35.6

Cargo Capacity (cubic feet)

31.4

37.2

36.4

31.4

As per data, the 2012 Equinox cargo space is 5.8 cu-ft less than that of the CR-V and 5 cu-ft smaller than the RAV4 but is comparable to the Ford Escape. Apart from that, the 2012 Equinox can outshine the Escape in its 2nd-row roominess with 3.3 inches larger legroom. Along with that cometh, the standard Graphic Interface Display(GID) as the interface unit across the lineup. 

 Adding to the features of the 2012 Equinox is the 6-speaker audio unit and the Bluetooth Connectivity but the latter gets into the function from 1LT onwards. Things do change as we climb up the hierarchy including the Pioneer Premium 250-watt 8-speaker Sound System for the musical vibes of the 2LT and LTZ trims. Some of the other noticeable interior features have been mentioned below:

  • Manual/Automatic Climate Control
  • Manual/Power Seats
  • Heated front seats
  • GID
  • Cloth/Leather upholstery
  • AM/FM stereo
  • XM Radio10 with three trial months 
  • CD/MP3 player and six-speaker system
  • 6-speaker audio unit

Exterior
8.0/10

The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox comes with no change in its design from last year as the halogen headlamps with automatic exterior lamp control still lighten up the front. The overall appeal is further achieved by a duo of the split grille and bow-tie emblem that makes that radiance stands with subtlety. 

Making the design flow slightly more streamlined are the roof rails sitting right on top for enhanced cargo loading from LT1 onwards. Not just that, those 17-inch Alloy Wheels, 18-inch Machined-aluminum Wheels, and 19-inch Chrome-clad Wheels are also there to bring out varied exterior outplay of different trims. 

Models

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Honda CR-V 

2012 Toyota RAV4

2012 Ford Escape

Curb Weight (lbs)

3,786

3,305

3,360

3,268

Length (in)

187.8

178.3

181.9

174.7

Width (in)

72.5

71.6

71.5

71.1

Height (in)

66.3

65.1

66.3

67.9

Ground Clearance (in)

7.8

6.8

7.5

8.4

Wheelbase (in)

112.5

103.1

104.7

103.1

Based on the figures, the Chevrolet Equinox 2012 has 0.6 inches lower ground clearance than the Ford Escape. Meanwhile, it sits 1 inch and 0.3 inches higher than the CR-V and RAV4 respectively, thereby, giving extra protection while riding on the gravel-laden tracks. Moreover, its 518 lbs higher curb weight than Escape is another disadvantage in its handling pursuit. 

  • 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Projector headlights with fog lamps
  • Roof rails
  • Sunroof (Optional)
  • Heated mirrors

Safety
9.0/10

The 2012 Chevy Equinox safety rating stands at 4-star NHTSA and "Good" IIHS remark for its chassis and platform. Not just that, the "Top Safety Pick" award has been tagged along with its nameplate too this year yet again by the IIHS. In addition, there are some noticeable safety features across the lineup that are mentioned below:

  • Daytime Running Lamps with Automatic Exterior 
  • Lamp Control 
  • LATCH (Lower Anchors and Top tethers for Children) system
  • Automatic Crash Response 
  • Power rear door child safety locks 
  • StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System 
  • Traction Control and rollover mitigation 
  • Theft-deterrent system: content-theft alarm 

 

Competition
9.0/10

 2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs. 2012 Honda CR-V

The 2012 Chevy Equinox and the 2012 Honda CR-V are some of the most exhilarating options in the space but with better range coverage and parallel towing utility, the former seems to take a lead in the race. The cabin arrangement is also enough for all the 5 passengers with a scope of improvement in cargo capacity inside the Equinox. On the whole, it is Chevy Equinox 2012 that has the edge here. 

2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs. 2012 Toyota RAV4

The Chevy Equinox 2012 and the 2012 Toyota RAV4 are capable of towing similar cargo in a go but the latter could give up earlier due to its lower range reach. That being said, the payload and cabin spaciousness are negated for both of them as they match each other to a large extent. However, the RAV4 could get you a little more thrilled with its dynamics. So, the lever weighs both SUVs on the same level.  

2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs. 2012 Ford Escape

The 2012 Chevy Equinox is a step ahead of the 2012 Ford Escape in range stamina. The same narration stays true for the interior organization as well. However, there is hardly any variation between them in terms of their interior tech-ends and packages. All in all, the Equinox 2012 proves to be a little more enticing than the Escape. 

Final Verdict

With the 2012 Equinox, Chevrolet has pushed its limits and offered what it lacked against the competition in the past. And with a fairly powerful engine, impressive fuel economy, and spacious cabin, it comes as a good value for the price. Although rivals offer few things better than Equinox, it still manages to offer a complete package for the segment.

Trims

    LS
    $23,530 onwards
    • 17-inch silver aluminum Wheels
    • A-Spec Sport Seats
    • Cloth Seat trim
    • Driver Lumbar support
    • Front manual air conditioning
    • Remote keyless entry
    • Seek-Scan Radio
    • Siriusxm AM/FM/Satellite
    1LT
    $25,050 onwards
    • 1St row LCD monitor
    • Heated mirrors
    • Parking assist
    • Premium cloth Seat trim
    2LT
    $26,870 onwards
    • Front automatic air conditioning
    • Front Fog/driving lights
    • Front passengers heated-cushion
    LTZ
    $29,220 onwards
    • Leather Seat trim

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Torque

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2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs competitor's 0-60

    Car Name
    0-60 MPH
    Quarter Mile
    Top Speed
    		SourceCompare
    		8.7 sec16.9 sec-
    		6.6 sec14.2 sec112 mph
    		6.8 sec15.4 sec122 mph
    		7.3 sec15.6 sec-
    		7.3 sec15.5 sec-
    		7.4 sec15.8 sec132 mph
    Read More

    2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs competitor's MPG

      Car Name
      MPG City
      MPG Highway
      MPG Combined
      Fuel Tank Capacity
      Range (C/H)
      		SourceCompare
      		22 mpg32 mpg26 mpg18.8 gal.413.6/601.6 mi.
      		23 mpg31 mpg26 mpg15.3 gal.351.9/474.3 mi.
      		22 mpg32 mpg26 mpg18 gal.396/576 mi.
      		23 mpg28 mpg25 mpg16.6 gal.381.8/464.8 mi.
      		21 mpg28 mpg25 mpg16.5 gal.402.5/490 mi.
      		23 mpg28 mpg25 mpg15.9 gal.365.7/445.2 mi.

      2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs competitor's dimensions

        Car Name
        Length
        Width
        Height
        Ground Clearance
        Wheelbase
        		SourceCompare
        		187.8 in.72.5 in.66.3 in.6.9 in.112.5 in.
        		201.8 in.79 in.72.5 in.8.4 in.118.9 in.
        		197.1 in.78.9 in.70.4 in.7.6 in.112.6 in.
        		192.4 in.72.2 in.66.6 in.7.3 in.113.8 in.
        		185.3 in.72.8 in.66.3 in.6.9 in.112.5 in.
        		184.2 in.76 in.67 in.7.9 in.111.2 in.

        2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs competitor's trunk space

          Car Name
          Trunk Capacity
          Passenger Volume
          Max Trunk Volume
          		SourceCompare
          		31.5 cu.ft.99.7 cu.ft.63.7 cu.ft.
          		36.3 cu.ft.98.8 cu.ft.65.7 cu.ft.
          		29.2 cu.ft.99.5 cu.ft.66.3 cu.ft.
          		21 cu.ft.151.7 cu.ft.80.7 cu.ft.
          		32.2 cu.ft.108.4 cu.ft.68.9 cu.ft.
          		34.2 cu.ft.108.3 cu.ft.78.2 cu.ft.

          2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs competitor's cargo space

            Car Name
            Cargo Volume
            Cargo Volume w/ Seat Area
            Max Cargo Volume
            Bed Length
            		SourceCompare
            		10 cu.ft.31.5 cu.ft.63.7 cu.ft.212 ft.
            		62.4 cu.ft.26.1 cu.ft.62.4 cu.ft.-Jeep USA
            		78.2 cu.ft.34.2 cu.ft.78.2 cu.ft.-
            		18.7 cu.ft.37.2 cu.ft.70.9 cu.ft.-
            		55.6 cu.ft.-61.2 cu.ft.-Jeep USA
            		83.1 cu.ft.32.2 cu.ft.68.9 cu.ft.98 ft.

            2012 Chevrolet Equinox vs competitor's towing capacity

              Car Name
              Towing Capacity
              Payload Capacity
              Weight
              		SourceCompare
              		1500 lbs.1183 lbs.3777 lbs.
              		5000 lbs.881 lbs.4143 lbs.
              		5000 lbs.-4557 lbs.
              		4500 lbs.1631 lbs.4780 lbs.
              		3527 lbs.1000 lbs.-Jeep USA
              		3500 lbs.1150 lbs.4076 lbs.Jeep USA

              2012 Chevrolet Equinox SUV Problems, Issues, Complaints, Recalls, and which year to avoid?

              3

              Recalls

              3

              Investigations

              680

              Complaints
              Overall Safety Rating
              Read More

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              2012 Chevrolet Equinox User Reviews

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              Heather Rodriguez

              2012 Chevrolet Equinox

              LS 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

              Not Rated

              User Overall Rating

              Posted On: July 8, 2024

              Recall should have covered more.

              Pros - ["Color black", "Size small suv"]

              Cons - ["Keeps breaking down", "Not reliable"]

              I believe a recall on a vehicle of this nature should cover repairs to make sure your vehicle is reliable. I haven't had a reliable vehicle now due to the recall on it for going in two years. My vehicle is my job so I have struggled relentlessly.

              Not Rated
              Features
              Not Rated
              Interior
              Not Rated
              Design
              Not Rated
              Safety
              Not Rated
              Reliability
              Not Rated
              Deal Value
              Not Rated
              Dealer Review

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