2008 Chevrolet Equinox Safety Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 40 Equinox reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox does very well in federal government crash tests. It also comes with plenty of accident avoidance features including Traction Control.
The Equinox gets top scores of five stars for both driver and passenger safety in frontal crashes. It also gets five-star scores for front- and rear-seat safety in side impact crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the Equinox its top score of "Good" in frontal offset tests.
Accident Avoidance
The Equinox has both an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and a Traction Control System that uses wheel-speed sensors to detect slippage and reduce torque using Electronic Throttle Control.
Available OnStar with a one-year Safe & Sound Plan offers 24-hour support including Vehicle Diagnostics to check the engine, air bags and brakes. Turn-by-Turn Navigation, included in an optional Directions & Connections Plan, provides detailed voice directions without an in-car map-based navigation system (which is not yet available on the Equinox).
Crash Protection
The Equinox comes standard with advanced dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags. A Passenger Sensing System switches the front passenger air bag on and off based on the passenger's weight and the amount of pressure on the seat. Head-curtain side-impact air bags are optional for all trims.
There are also three standard LATCH devices (Lower Anchors and Top tethers for CHildren) with lower and top tether anchors. Child seats can be fastened using two of the LATCH positions at a time. The rear seat can also accommodate three child safety seats at a time using seatbelts, a safety feature that many reviewers praise. "You forget that it can also accommodate up to three child safety seats," says the Detroit News. The reviewer continues, "I am always intrigued by the moms that I see at the Detroit Auto Show who haul toy wagons filled with car seats so they can test how many they can fit abreast in the rear seats of different vehicles. I say to them, 'Your search is over with the Equinox.'"
