The sensible choice here is a modestly equipped 2018 GMC Terrain with either turbo-4 gas engine. It’s equipped like a luxury crossover, but it’s also priced like one. Make sure to specify the Driver Alert Package II on either crossover to get the most advanced safety tech-something rivals like Toyota, Honda, Subaru, and Mazda make available at a much lower price point.įinally, a loaded Terrain Denali lists for more than $44,000. The least expensive Equinox with automatic emergency braking is about $1,300 less than an equivalent Terrain. In our eyes, safety is also a major selling point. To get the same on an Equinox, you’ll have to step up to the Premier trim level with its power tailgate and rear cross-traffic alerts for around $1,000 more. A Terrain SLT with all-wheel drive comes standard with leather, dual-zone automatic climate control, and heated front seats for about $34,500. ![]() If leather seats are on your must-have list, the tables turn. One note: GMC charges $395 for most paint colors other than white, while Chevy only levies an extra charge for a few hues. Short of a leather-wrapped steering wheel on the Terrain SLE, there’s not much else you’re missing. An Equinox LS with all-wheel drive runs a hair over $28,000, while a Terrain SLE sets back buyers nearly $31,000. Neither crossover’s base trim level is available with all-wheel drive, however, so snow-belters will find another big disparity. Three abreast in the back seat is a challenge for adults outboard passengers will find their heads pushed into the headliner and their backs resting against the edge of the seat.Īside from the 9-speed automatic standard on the Terrain in place of the Equinox’s 6-speed, the two crossovers are outfitted about the same at the base level with keyless ignition, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, and a rearview camera. ![]() The matte metallic and faux wood touches look suitably upscale even on the base Terrain SL.īoth crossovers have comfortable front seats and good rear seat room for two. Clearly, the Terrain presents the solution to a problem nobody was having.ĭespite that setback, the Terrain’s interior is otherwise the winner here, with more use of soft-touch materials and French stitching scattered about. Going between park and drive isn’t a chore, but selecting a lower gear for engine braking while you descend a hill requires a lengthy look away from the road. We can’t say the same about the Terrain, which instead forces drivers to look down and tug buttons toward them to select a gear. Taking up considerable real estate in its center console is a conventional gear lever. The Equinox is curvier with its gentle dual cowl-like dashboard giving way to a standard 7.0-inch or optional 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Inside, these two crossovers diverge even further. The GMC’s additional sound deadening measures hush the outside world better the Chevy is surprisingly loud. On the highway, the Equinox and the Terrain track well. Light, accurate steering makes both crossovers easy to drive around town, but there is more lean into corners and a less athletic feel to those two crossovers than you’ll find in some rivals. ![]() Opting for the larger 18- and 19-inch units firms things up, but not to the point where either is punishing over rough terrain. Moreover, the turbodiesel is rated to tow just 1,500 pounds, while the 2.0-liter can lug 3,500 pounds.īoth crossovers ride softly, especially with the 17-inch wheels standard on lower trim levels. There’s also a 137-hp, 1.6-liter turbodiesel inline-4 that delivers up to 39 mpg on the highway but it struggles to motivate either crossover. It furnishes robust acceleration and a driving experience that comes up just short of the zesty Ford Escape and Subaru Forester. Both earn the same 26 mpg combined, and we think the GMC’s smoother shifts are worth the modest fuel economy hit.īut our money is on the optional 2.0-liter turbo-4, which pairs to a slick-shifting 9-speed automatic on both the Equinox and Terrain. Oddly, there’s a highway fuel economy hit with the GMC’s 9-speed: with all-wheel drive, it’s rated at 28 mpg, while the Chevy’s 6-speed comes in at 30 mpg. The vast majority of Terrains and Equinox crossovers are fitted with the 1.5-liter-it’s the same engine in both crossovers, but the GMC gets a trick 9-speed automatic transmission while the Chevy uses a lower-tech 6-speed automatic. The Equinox, meanwhile, is evolutionary, with only a more pinched front fascia and van-like taillights separating it from the outgoing model.Ī 1.5-liter turbo-4 good for 170 horsepower is standard, while a 2.0-liter turbo-4 that puts out 252 hp is on the options list. ![]() It’s polarizing, but GMC deserves credit for breaking out of the blocky approach seen on the last Terrain. You’ll find far more expressive styling on the Terrain with its gaping maw up front and “floating” rearmost roof pillar visible from the side and the rear.
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