Imagine for a moment that you’re getting ready to get into your new compact SUV. You have to get the seat set up for you, so you have to do the weird tango where you grab the under-seat lever and try to scoot forward without hitting your head on the steering wheel. Finally, you’ve boot scootin’ boogie-ed your seat into position and now you’re ready to start backing out of your driveway. Except, hold on…You have to wait a minute for your SUV to get acclimated and ready to drive because you weren’t able to start it before getting into the driver’s seat. This situation could be incredibly different, if you had gone with one of the better trims for compact SUVs, such as the 2022 Chevy Equinox LT.
Most people aren’t sure what the differences between the trim levels are, so let’s look at what the Luxury Touring, or LT, trim that Chevy has included. Then, you can decide whether or not it’s worth the additional upgrade cost.
Exterior
When you see a 2022 Chevy Equinox LT, there are a few exterior features that you will immediately notice are different. Starting with the windows, the LT trim comes with a deep tint that helps keep the interior of the car cooler in the summer and provides drivers and passengers with a little bit of privacy. It also provides protection from sunlight—so you don’t have to worry about sunscreen-ing the kids before getting in the car during the summer heat. Another noticeable difference is the mirror caps. While the mirrors on the lower level trim are black, the LT comes with paint-matched mirrors. This alteration lends a sleeker, cleaner look to the outside of the Equinox.
While these exterior adjustments may seem small, they go a long way in terms of making the 2022 Equinox look better. While the lower trims are still nice, I would definitely pay more to have the windows tinted. I prefer to eat drive-thru food without being judged—and tinted windows make that possible.
Interior
One of the biggest interior differences between the LT and lower-level trims is the addition of a power-adjustable driver’s seat. This addresses one of the most annoying parts about getting a new vehicle or having someone else drive your vehicle. Adjusting your seat is a pain when you have to try to hold the lever and do the squat-shuffle to get your seat into an ergonomic position. The power-adjusted seat takes that struggle away and allows you to adjust your seat with the push of a button. Chevy has also given the driver’s seat power lumbar control, easing personalized comfort.
Both the driver and passengers can enjoy heated seats in the LT trim, which is a pretty big comfort feature for anyone living in colder areas. Another power setting that was added to the LT trim is the ability to have the windows roll all the way down or up with a simple press of a button. This power express up-and-down function for all the Equinox’s windows keeps the driver’s hands on the wheel as much as possible and is a slight upgrade from the previous trim levels that only allow said feature for the driver and front passenger.
The LT trim also has lights on both the driver’s and passenger’s mirrors. This means that there’s no need to utilize the cabin light if you or your passenger needs to check your makeup or make sure that there’s not any lunch left in your teeth. The last major interior change for the LT is the addition of the overhead sunglasses compartment. This is a big one for me because I hate spending money on sunglasses, only for them to get scratched up inside the jockey box (and the protective cases that come with them can be so bulky). Having this overhead compartment makes it easy to find your eyewear and keeps them from getting damaged by loose change and random pens.
Infotainment and Technology
When it comes to infotainment, Chevy gave the LT quite a few upgrades. The major one is an upgrade from the 3.5” monochrome driver information screen to the 4.2” multi-colored one. This increase in screen size and color variety helps give drivers a clearer picture of the information being displayed, making it easier to read and interact with. I certainly think that this is worth a slightly higher price tag.
The LTs come with 2 USB ports, but also have an upgrade to a wireless charger in the front console area. I personally love how simple the wireless charger is to use—and how it completely eliminates any need for cords that get tangled up on the floor of the car. The LT also gets a backup camera, which can be the difference between having room to open your back liftgate and not.
Speaking of the liftgate, the LT trim also gets a hands-free upgrade. So you can make sure you have room to open it and unload the compartment—without ever having to put down your bags of groceries. If you’re a one trip from cart to car person like me, then you know how much of a life saver this can be.
The last bit of technology I really want to touch on for the LT trim is the remote start feature. If you live anywhere that gets into dangerously high or low temperatures, remote start is just about essential to have. Not having to brave the elements to get your vehicle acclimated is a time saver and massively convenient. If you wanted to install this feature yourself, it could cost thousands—so you may as well get all the extra goodies along with the remote start and just upgrade to the LT trim.
Safety
Safety is a pretty major component for anyone considering buying a vehicle, and when it comes down to it, the safety and driver assistance features only get better with each trim level. Standard across the board are automatic emergency braking, lane keep assistance, and lane departure warnings—but that’s just not enough when you’re constantly commuting. The LT trim also includes adaptive cruise control. This is a nice addition because it takes some pressure off your foot while driving and lets your car adjust your speed as necessary.
The LT also comes with daytime LED headlights, which increase your visibility in poor driving conditions and can help other drivers see you on the road better as well. While the LT doesn’t come standard with HD surround vision, this available upgrade comes at a relatively reasonable price—compared to the lower trim levels.
After considering everything that the base model of the 2022 Chevy Equinox has to offer vs. the upgraded LT trim, now it’s time to consider the price difference. The base model for the Equinox starts at only $25,800. This is an excellent price for what the Equinox offers—and it’s competitive against other brands’ crossover SUVs. If you’re interested in the LT, its starting price is still only $26,900. Honestly, I feel that the LT is worth the additional thousand and change—considering you drive home with a lot more for a very small price increase.
