Despite above-average gas prices, the sport utility market is still growing. The reason is that these nearly all-capable vehicles give customers what they want. Sales may be declining right now, but they will increase as more fuel-efficient cars enter the market. SUVs can transport people, move objects, pull objects, go off-road [well, maybe not the Equinox], have better handling than many cars, etc. Fortunately, not all of them are gas guzzlers. The Equinox from Chevrolet and the Freelander from Land Rover are two examples. Let’s examine these two small SUVs.
Chevrolet Equinox – The mid-size Equinox SUV from Chevy, which is based on a car, is attractive. It is only marginally smaller than the TrailBlazer. When I say a car is “car-based,” I mean that it is actually built on a car platform and has more car-like handling and driving characteristics (for example, the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4). This means that the Equinox is primarily designed for the road; therefore, if you want an off-roading experience, you should choose the TrailBlazer or the Freelander. Okay, I digress.
There are two different drivetrain options for the Equinox: front wheel drive and all wheel drive. The Equinox has a 3.4L V6 engine with 185 horsepower and seats five people. There is no option for a manual transmission; the engine is paired with a five-speed automatic. The front-wheel-drive Equinox comes with traction control as standard, and all models have electric steering and ABS. For the Equinox, standard features include air conditioning, an AM/FM stereo, a CD player with six speakers, power windows, power mirrors, and power locks with Remote Keyless Entry. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given the Equinox a 5-star rating for frontal and side-impact crash tests. With other models in its class, the Equinox’s starting prices are extremely competitive. Just over 22K for the FWD and 24K for the AWD are the base MSRPs.
Land Rover Freelander – The Freelander, a small full-time all-wheel drive SUV with either three or five doors, is the smallest Land Rover. In contrast to the Equinox, every Land Rover model, including the Freelander, has complete off-road capabilities. The Freelander has many features, including a perimeter security system, air conditioning, fog lamps, a 5-speed automatic transmission, a 2.5L Quad Cam V6 engine, ABS, a four-wheel electronic traction control system, a stereo/CD system with RDS radio, and much more. The starting price for the five-passenger Freelander is just over $27,000.
Both the Equinox and Freelander are solidly constructed compact SUVs with two distinct uses: the Equinox is built primarily for the highway and around town and has the stronger engine, while the Freelander is built for both the highway and trails. The Freelander is manufactured in England, while the Equinox is constructed in Canada.
