2021 Ford Explorer vs 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

There was a time when everybody in America seemingly drove an Explorer. That may be an exaggeration, but not by much. In its first four years of production, Ford sold over a million examples. In 1998, Ford was selling its second-generation Explorer at a rate of nearly 440,000 per year. Whether your family purchased an Explorer or not, this was the nameplate that invented the midsize SUV segment.

Fast forward to the 2021 model year and the Explorer is in its sixth generation. It's now a three-row SUV that clocks in at a maximum of 4,700 pounds, with a price tag north of $50,000 for the Explorer Platinum trim level. Long gone are the days when it was the only game in town. Almost every automaker has a competitor. So how does the Explorer shake out for 2021?

Chevrolet was a pioneer in small SUVs with the original S-10 Blazer, but today’s Chevrolet Equinox is just one of many small crossover SUVs competing in a market segment that has become the default choice for many new car buyers. Among the Equinox’s many rivals are popular crossovers like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4.

All of those competitors are much fresher than the Equinox, which was last redesigned for the 2017 model year. This third-generation Equinox was a major leap forward when it launched, as the model it replaced was fairly long in the tooth at the time. But now Chevy risks getting left behind by competitors again.

The Equinox does get a number for small changes for the 2022 model year, including revised styling, a new RS model with sporty design elements, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, available front and rear park assist and automatic parking assist, heated power-adjustable exterior mirrors with integrated indicators, and a handful of new color and interior trim options.

We spent a week with an Equinox RS for this review. The new-for-2022 RS is positioned near the top of the Equinox lineup, above the base LS and LT trim levels, but below the top Equinox Premier model.