Shane Halter <\/a>(the last Tiger to play all nine positions in a game) of autodom. Customers demand all-around performers that are good at everything from utilitarian shopping needs to road trips through mountain twisties. Spina and team have defied their motto: Equinox and CR-V are good at dang near everything.<\/p>\nIn targeting the CR-V \u2014 which invented the class way back in 1996 \u2014 the Equinox took on a moving target. The CR-V, too, has undergone a complete (if more evolutionary) remake that incrementally increased length, width, height and rear legroom. Honda sells so many models from its Marysville, Ohio assembly plant that it should call it McCR-V and put a big sign out front reading \u201cOver 4 million served\u201d (the actual number they\u2019ve sold to Americans).<\/p>\n
Honda\u2019s remarkably taut chassis is based on the same platform as the Audi A3-baselined Civic play-toy that has motorheads drooling. How serious is Honda about SUV handling? CR-V project leader Takaaki Nagadome\u2019s first job at Honda was body engineering for the NSX supercar. It shows.<\/p>\n
I first drove the CR-V last fall in flat Marysville farmland and was soon pining for twisty, mountain roads. I\u2019m not saying the CR-V is a Civic hot hatch, but Car and Driver recorded similar skid-pad numbers as the once-untouchable Mazda.<\/p>\n
Throw the Honda ute into a 90-degree right-hander and it bites. Even the CR-V\u2019s safety system freaked at the speeds I was taking corners: the auto-brake assist flashed \u201cBRAKE\u201d in the instrument panel as I hurtled into one ess turn.<\/p>\n
With its new bod, Equinox goes toe-to-toe with its Japanese rival. Chevy\u2019s confidence was apparent as it set media testers loose on the Blue Ridge Mountains\u2019 serpentine roads. With an aluminum-block, 1.5-liter, base turbo engine up front, the crossover doesn\u2019t plow through corners. The Mazda may still set the standard for this class, but the Equinox turbo has better giddyup than the CX-5\u2019s normally aspirated 2-liter. The giddyup winner of this comparison, however, is the Honda\u2019s 1.5-liter turbo that was first introduced in the Civic.<\/p>\n
Heat up this hot tamale over 3,000 rpm and the CR-V really sizzles. Equinox is nearly as spicy, but it\u2019s a 170-horsepower base engine compared to the Honda\u2019s 190-horse premium offering (a normally-aspirated, 2.5-liter is the base mill). The CR-V\u2019s engine strategy emphasizes economy: married to an excellent continuously variable tranny, it boasts 29 mpg (3 mpg more than the Equinox) despite its higher output.<\/p>\n
Touting bigger-is-still-better when it comes to performance, Chevy will offer a muscular 252-horse, 2-liter turbo as its prime engine later this year.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth noting that the sticker on my $38,122 loaded Equinox \u2014 with moon roof and Premiere trim \u2014 was $3,500 above the $34,635, similarly equipped top-trim Touring CR-V with the premium 1.5-turbo. How expensive will that 2-liter Equinox be?<\/p>\n
Chevy says the price is justified by going the extra mile on technology and refinement. For example, the Equinox went shopping at the upscale GKN boutique for a twin clutch-pack system that can move drive torque front to rear. Attack a snowy hill in the dead of Michigan winter and Chevy says you\u2019ll feel the difference.<\/p>\n
But will buyers feel enough of a difference to deter them from the tried, true and cheaper CR-V?<\/p>\n
Chevy goes the extra mile inside with a more-sculpted interior, more buttons and optional gee-gaws like heated rear seats and surround-vision camera. The CR-V comes away looking cheaper \u2014 especially those plasticky steering-wheel controls. But the Honda comes with typically clever ergonomics of its own including versatile center-console storage and rear doors that open nearly 90 degrees for better entry.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, these valedictorian students of American taste are an even match, covering every driver need: hidden rear-storage compartments; grocery-friendly, kick-open rear hatches; fold-flat rear seats.<\/p>\n
And Chevy and Honda continue to show why they have been pioneers in smartphone-app connectivity as Android\u2019s Google Maps embarrassed both Honda Navi and Chevy OnStar in navigation tests.<\/p>\n
What may ultimately decide your choice between these evenly matched rivals is your design taste. Neither will challenge the pretty Mazda for the title of Miss Crossover.<\/p>\n
The Chevy\u2019s sleek shape may earn its best-in-class .336 drag-coefficient, but it\u2019s determined to offend no one \u2014 the designers even managed to make the problematic split-grille a generic shape. If the Equinox were ice cream, it would be vanilla.<\/p>\n
The CR-V is Chunky Monkey. The youthful design details are familiar \u2014 bat-wing taillights, funhouse wheels \u2014 but with more attitude. The front grille looks like a bulldog with a pronounced underbite.<\/p>\n
Lest you think Chevy still doesn\u2019t value plus-size cars, you\u2019ll be pleased to know that the forthcoming midsize Traverse is XXL<\/a>. But for its compact SUV, the Equinox matches the CR-V as proof you can do everything with less.<\/p>\nHenry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/p>\n
2018 Chevrolet Equinox<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n\n\nVEHICLE TYPE<\/strong><\/td>\n| FRONT-ENGINE, FRONT- AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, FIVE-PASSENGER<\/p>\n CROSSOVER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPower plant<\/strong><\/td>\n| 1.5-liter, turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nTransmission<\/strong><\/td>\n| Six-speed automatic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nWeight<\/strong><\/td>\n| 3,375 pounds (FWD); 3,540 pounds (AWD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPrice<\/strong><\/td>\n| $25,370 ($38,122 Premier AWD as tested)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPower<\/strong><\/td>\n| 170 horsepower, 203 pound-feet of torque<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPerformance<\/strong><\/td>\n| 0-60 mph (NA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nFuel economy<\/strong><\/td>\n| EPA 26 city\/32 highway\/28 combined (FWD)<\/p>\n EPA 24 city\/30 highway\/26 combined (AWD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n\n \n\n\nHIGHS<\/strong><\/td>\n| LIGHT ON ITS FEET; TERRIFIC INTERIOR DETAIL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nLows<\/strong><\/td>\n| Vanilla styling; Premier-trim sticker shock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\nGrading scale<\/strong><\/p>\nExcellent \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605Good \u2605\u2605\u2605Fair \u2605\u2605Poor \u2605<\/p>\n 2017 Honda CR-V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n \n\n\nVEHICLE TYPE<\/strong><\/td>\n| FRONT-ENGINE, FRONT- AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, FIVE-PASSENGER CROSSOVER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPower plant<\/strong><\/td>\n| 1.5-liter, turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nTransmission<\/strong><\/td>\n| Continuously variable automatic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nWeight<\/strong><\/td>\n| 3,307 pounds (FWD); 3,508 pounds (AWD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPrice<\/strong><\/td>\n| $24,945 base ($34,635 AWD Touring as tested)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPower<\/strong><\/td>\n| 190 horsepower, 179 pound-feet of torque<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nPerformance<\/strong><\/td>\n| 0-60 mph, 7.6 seconds (Car and Driver)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nFuel economy<\/strong><\/td>\n| EPA 28 city\/34 highway\/30 combined (FWD)<\/p>\n EPA 27 city\/33 highway\/30 combined (AWD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n\n \n\n\nHIGHS<\/strong><\/td>\n| FUN-TO-DRIVE SUV; EASY-ACCESS REAR SEATS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nLows<\/strong><\/td>\n| Bulldog front end; plasticky controls<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bigger isn\u2019t always better. That line seems heresy in an American auto market where vehicles have grown with each generation to accommodate bigger performance demands, bigger storage needs and bigger (ahem) waistlines. Ford F-150s are the size of Detroit apartments, sports cars are more muscled than John Cena, and a Mini Cooper isn\u2019t mini at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20354"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20354"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20355,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20354\/revisions\/20355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/22c84e41f95caa98383fb4605630fe7fdbf0785a\/c=0-79-3544-2744&r=x393&c=520x390\/local\/-\/media\/2017\/03\/28\/DetroitNews\/DetroitNews\/636263165913573973-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>