Oh, the Holidays! For some this may be a time of relaxation but for my family it involves circumnavigating the lower half of California all in one weekend. This Thanksgiving we were prepared (as much as you can prepare) to drive to Lancaster, then Bakersfield, then a wedding in Ramona, and back home again. In total it would be just around 800 miles and take well over 10 hours in the driver’s seat for yours truly. Thankfully, the good folks at General Motors allowed us to spend that quality time with the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ. So strap in for some real-world road trip experience behind the wheel…
Glendora To Lancaster, CA
We started the long journey on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to avoid the Holiday traffic. Pro Tip: under no circumstances try to drive in the Los Angeles area on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving… took me nearly 5 hours one year from LAX to Lancaster – average speed of 15MPH.On first impression the Equinox LTZ has a pleasant leather interior and the subtle exterior updates for 2016 are a welcome update. This particular Equinox uses a 2.4L 4-cylinder motor cranking out 182 ponies. When channeled through the six-speed automatic and AWD drivetrain the 182 ponies are fairly winded and rarely prepared to actually accelerate the SUV. Acceleration from 0-60MPH takes almost 9 seconds and any passing maneuvers require a fair bit of some encouragement from your right foot. We made it on our first leg without any issues and the Chevy fared well despite a lack of power.
Lancaster to Bakersfield, CA
This leg of the journey included some colder mountain passes and the heated seats and comfortable interior really shined. The 2016 model was equipped with GM’s 4G WiFi and worked well to stream music and browse the tablet on the long drive. The setup for the 4G was less than intuitive however and required talking with an OnStar specialist to get the password as there are no settings in the entertainment system. Most 2016 Chevrolet models with 7 or 8 inch MyLink systems are now equipped with support for Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Sadly the Equinox isn’t on that list and won’t be getting it until late in 2016 or possibly even the 2017 model year.
Bakersfield to Ramona, CA
This would be the longest leg of our travels and also some of the more dynamic terrain. The ascension up the grapevine portion of the 5 freeway led to several more choice words regarding the lack of power and my right foot certainly had its work cut out for it. Gas mileage numbers as we headed up the steep grade were well under the age of consent in most of the US. After time with the car and transmission you learn how to downshift and ready yourself for passing at highway speeds. Headed out of Los Angeles and into the San Diego area we had a nice downpour but the AWD system in the Equinox gripped the SUV firmly to the road. The rear storage was filled to the brim and had plenty of room to carry the various luggage and items we were bringing to the wedding that weekend.
Ramona to Glendora, CA
Headed back to home base finally with a good 24 hours to relax and contemplate the drive. The current Equinox is going on 6 years since a major update and it certainly shows in some areas. The interior comfort and technology are still competitive with updates to the MyLink system but the drivetrain is ancient. With the current V6 the Equinox is a much better car to drive but a complete refresh of the Equinox would be welcomed with open arms. The Equinox is still the 5th best selling vehicle in the US for 2015 and the price is right for most people. Our Chevy was optioned up to around $35k and I wanted just a bit more value for money when considering you are edging up on Lincoln MKC (FWD model) territory at that point.
