Are you looking for a new vehicle at a reasonable price? You’ll want to check out a compact SUV. Compact SUVs offer a nice balance of space, fuel efficiency, and technology while maintaining a low MSRP and monthly payment. These models are similar to sedans but offer more space and better all-weather-driving capabilities.
Since all compact SUVs offer similar features, choosing the right one can be a real challenge. If you’ve decided to search for a Chevy Equinox for sale, you’ve made the right choice. The 2022 Chevy Equinox is an excellent vehicle for families on a budget, college students, commuters, and couples. However, how does it stack up against other models like the 2022 Subaru Forester? These two models offer very similar features and can feel almost identical at first glance, but upon further inspection, you are going to notice one pulls ahead of the other.
#1 – The Better Option for Vacationing
If you’re traveling with the family, you want a spacious and comfortable vehicle. Both the 2022 Equinox and 2022 Forester offer over 60 cu.ft. of interior cargo space and can carry up to five passengers. In this respect, the two models are quite similar, but that changes when we get into the details. For instance, all but the base trim of the Forester only offer 26.9 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the rear seats, while the Equinox provides 29.9 cu.ft. with both rows in place. Further, the second-row seats in the Chevy will give your passengers a bit more legroom to stretch out during the ride. This gives the Equinox an edge over the Forester when it comes to heading out on vacation loaded up with passengers and luggage.
#2 – Top Notch Standard Driver-Assist Features
The 2022 Equinox comes with standard Chevy Safety Assist across all four trim levels. This technology suite includes six different driver-assist features: Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, IntelliBeam High Beam Assist, Forward Collision Alert, and Following Distance Indicator. The Subaru Forester’s standard driver-assist suite only has five different features. While both models offer standard driver-assist technologies, the Equinox provides more features for a lower price.
#3 – More Fuel Economy and Power
The Forester is more fuel efficient than the Equinox on paper, but barely. Both models get an EPA-estimated 26 MPG in the city despite the Equinox’s torquier turbocharged engine, and the Forester gets only two MPG more on the highway than the Equinox does. The Equinox’s turbocharged I-4 engine produces 170 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque, while the Forester’s 2.5-liter I-4 pumps out 182 hp but only 176 lb-ft of torque. The Equinox is just as fuel-efficient and offers substantially more torque than the Forester, so the Equinix gets the win here.
#4 – Fewer Trim Level Distinctions
You may think that having more trim levels to choose from can lead to more variety, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, too many trim variations can lead to higher pricing––which is the case for the Subaru Forester. The 2022 Equinox offers just as many features within four trim levels as the 2022 Forester offers across six trims. Chevy also offers more packages and options, so you can choose which tech and comfort add-ons you want on your Equinox, no matter which trim level you pick. You have more control over pricing with the Equinox than the Forester.
#5 – Chevy’s Complete Care Package
You get some awesome brand benefits just for choosing a Chevy, and one of those is the Complete Care Package. When you choose the 2022 Equinox, your first maintenance visit is free, and you get five years of no-cost roadside assistance. This means you have vehicle unlocking services, emergency fuel delivery, tire change services, emergency towing, and more for five years/100,000 miles. You also get Chevy’s three-year/36,000-mile Bumper-to-Bumper warranty and five-year/60,000-mile Powertrain warranty. Subaru offers similar warranties but fewer service benefits.
#6 – The myChevrolet Mobile App
Remote access is made easy with the 2022 Chevy Equinox. The Chevy-exclusive myChevrolet mobile app lets you remotely control your vehicle from anywhere. All you have to do is have an active Chevrolet Connected Services plan and download the app. You can remotely start or stop your Equinox, lock or unlock the doors, locate your SUV when it is parked, and more. You can even access your vehicle’s diagnostics, keep a record of any maintenance performed, monitor fuel levels and oil life, and schedule a maintenance visit directly from the app.
#7 – Teen Driver Technology
A GM-exclusive feature, Teen Driver Technology is designed to do exactly what you think it does––help protect and monitor your teenager driver. This technology comes standard on the 2022 Chevy Equinox and allows guardians to set volume limits, curfews, and speed caps. It also provides a report card that monitors mileage, speed, and how often each driver assistance feature gets triggered. You can even track your new driver via the myChevrolet app’s geofence alerts.
Teen Driver Technology has additional features such as Seatbelt Audio Mute, which mutes vehicle audio until the driver and front passenger buckle their seatbelts. Speed Warning is there to alert your teen when crossing a pre-set speed threshold. This technology is unique to GM models like the Chevy Equinox. It allows parents and guardians to have more control over their teen’s driving habits than with the Subaru Forester.
#8 – Buckle to Drive
An add-on for Teen Driver, this feature forces the driver to buckle their seatbelt. Drivers won’t be able to shift into drive for 20 seconds if their seat belt isn’t buckled. Even then, persistent alerts and warnings to buckle up will appear until the driver’s seatbelt is secured. You can use this feature with Teen Driver on the Equinox, but the Forester doesn’t offer anything similar.
#9 – The Sporty RS Trim
Even if visual appeal is not high on your priority list, playing around with your vehicle’s aesthetic is always fun. We prefer the Equinox’s design over the Forester’s because of the unique Equinox RS trim. The “RS” or “Rally Sport” trim has been a popular option on other Chevy models, and the brand decided to carry its appeal over to the Equinox for 2022. Who said practicality can’t be cool?
This sportier take on the Equinox makes a family-friendly, practical vehicle feel much more fun. The RS includes black and red cloth seating with optional leather upholstery, red interior stitching, and black ice chrome accents. The exterior offers black wheels, badging, side sills, and lower fascia. It also has a black mesh grille, black bowtie emblems, and a unique shift knob. When it’s too impractical to own a Corvette, opt for the Equinox RS. While the Forester may be outdoorsy, it isn’t sporty.
#10 – More Affordable Pricing, Same Excellent Features
The 2022 Chevy Equinox is more affordable than the 2022 Subaru Forester, no matter which trim level you choose. What we love most about the Equinox’s pricing is that it comes in four trim levels, which are all more affordable than the Forester’s trim options. The Forester’s price jump happens swiftly, and only the first two of its six trims are available for less than $30,000. Given that the 2022 Equinox and the 2022 Forester both offer many of the same features, the Equinox is clearly the better deal.
