2022 Chevrolet Equinox vs 2023 Lexus GX

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox featured several styling updates, including a new grille, LED headlights, and LED daytime running lights, along with subtle changes to the rear fascia. The headlights were bisected by trim pieces extending from the grille, giving it a sleeker look. The grille appeared more upright and was flanked by large fake air intakes, making the 2022 Equinox look chunkier than its predecessor. The Equinox maintained its car-based crossover appearance, avoiding the rugged styling of competitors like the Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4. Its tall roofline and puffed-up front fascia made it look less car-like than the Ford Escape, striking a balance for some buyers. The interior featured a creative dashboard design with a touchscreen and large air vents at the center, decent materials, and fit and finish. The new RS model added black exterior trim, darkened 19-inch wheels, and a black interior with red stitching, though the interior felt too subdued.

The 2023 Lexus GX had a commanding presence with its huge spindle grille, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and a total height of 74.2 inches. The front end looked ready to dominate the road, framed by massive headlights. The GX Black Line Special Edition returned for 2023, limited to 3,000 units and available in three paint colors, including the new Eminent White Pearl. Despite its luxury badge, the GX's dimensions seemed to shrink when viewed from the side, with a short 109.8-inch wheelbase and minimal overhangs. The GX's design leaned sleeker compared to Toyota's blocky designs, with a hood that fell away from sight sooner than the Toyota 4Runner or Tundra, making it easier to place in technical driving. The interior, however, was marred by a disappointing amount of plastic material, though it still offered luxury touches like heated and cooled front seats, a power-retracting steering wheel, and impressive leather upholstery.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. It offered standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Equinox had more torque than most rivals but less horsepower. In city driving, the turbo-four engine provided good torque for stop-and-go situations, but at higher speeds, the lack of horsepower became apparent, with the engine feeling coarse and unresponsive. The automatic transmission's shifts were also a bit rough. The Equinox wasn't designed for sporty handling, lacking the fun-to-drive nature of the Mazda CX-5 and the solidity and refinement of the Honda CR-V, though it was decently comfortable on poorly maintained pavement.

The 2023 Lexus GX was defined by its 4.6-liter V8 engine, producing 301 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The V8 provided a linear rise in power and noise, with plenty of gusto down low in the rev range. However, it didn't win many battles on paper compared to more advanced engines like Toyota's 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid. The GX had a 6,500-pound towing capacity but lagged behind other SUVs in this regard. The V8's fuel economy was poor, with EPA estimates of 15 mpg city, 19 highway, and 16 combined. The GX's weight made it roll through corners, though the roll felt predictable and controllable. The steering was vague off-center, but the brakes were strong and solid. The GX featured a Torsen torque-sensing limited-slip differential and a standard four-wheel drive (4WD) system, making it user-friendly in various conditions.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox offered seating for five across two rows, with decent headroom in both rows and good second-row legroom. However, some competitors offered more legroom for front seat occupants. The tall seating position provided an unobstructed forward view, though the rear pillars created a bit of a blind spot, and the small rear window hampered rear visibility. The climate control buttons and knobs were prominently placed below the touchscreen, making them easy to access. The Equinox had 29.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 63.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, near the bottom of the segment. A power liftgate was available, but it lacked features like a sliding second-row seat or cargo-area storage bins.

The 2023 Lexus GX retained plenty of cubby space for small items, with a deep center console bin, a handy space ahead of the shifter for a phone, and conveniently placed cupholders. The GX stuck with hard buttons for controls, which was a blessing for those put off by touchscreens, though it took time to get comfortable with all the controls. The center console lid had sliding mechanisms to adjust the armrest for different-sized occupants. The second row was comfortable, with captain's chairs or a three-across bench seat option. Legroom was good, and headroom was excellent. The third row was too tight for regular use, suitable only for emergencies. The side-hinged trunk door required muscle to open and offered 11.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 46.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 64.7 cubic feet with both rows folded, less than a Toyota RAV4.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Higher trim levels got an 8-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch instrument-cluster screen. Navigation and a Bose 7-speaker audio system were available. The 8-inch touchscreen was responsive and easy to use, with large, smartphone-like menu icons and good screen graphics. The addition of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a major advantage, and the Equinox offered plenty of USB ports and power outlets. However, the center-console slot for a phone was too small. The infotainment system covered the basics well, allowing drivers to access software features without much fuss.

The 2023 Lexus GX's infotainment technology, revamped for the 2022 model year, already looked dated. The 10.3-inch touchscreen was a massive improvement, sitting high on the dash and including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The Lexus Remote Touch Interface (RTI) was still present but unnecessary due to the improved touchscreen. Three years of Lexus Enform Remote came included, and the test car had a 17-speaker Mark Levinson premium stereo and a CD player. However, the touchscreen lagged, and the graphics were not as crisp as in competing models. The GX's tech offerings paled in comparison to newer Lexus models. The GX excelled in off-road capability, with a real 4WD system, downhill assist, hill-start assist, traction control, stability control, and the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS). The Off-Road Package added a multi-terrain monitor, transmission cooler, fuel-tank protection, crawl control, and a multi-terrain select system.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox received top "Good" scores in most Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests but received a "Marginal" rating in the updated side crash test. It received the highest "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech in vehicle-to-vehicle situations and the second-tier "Advanced" rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios. The Equinox also received an "Acceptable" score for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2022 Equinox a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash tests. Standard driver-assist features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, a Safety Alert Seat, and Chevy's Teen Driver system. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change alert, and a surround-view camera system.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had crash-tested the 2023 Lexus GX. The GX was originally engineered for the 2010 model year, and there have been improvements in structural safety since then. However, Toyota and Lexus included advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in the GX, such as automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, and automatic high beams. Although it lacked some top-end features like lane-tracing assist and road-sign recognition, the GX's safety features were significantly newer than its body.