2023 Chevrolet Equinox vs 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox presented itself as an attractive crossover, even if it didn't boast the futuristic design of a Kia Sportage or the rugged appearance of a Toyota RAV4. Its restrained bodywork was complemented by a chunky front end, which made the grille appear smaller and more refined compared to the aggressive front fascias common in the industry. The gold Bowtie emblem, while a bit garish against certain paint colors like Radiant Red Tintcoat, looked appealing on others such as Blue Glow Metallic and Harvest Brown Metallic. The Equinox was available in four trim levels: LS, LT, RS, and Premier, with options for either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The interior of the Equinox, especially in the Premier trim, featured handsome two-tone leather upholstery and standard heated front seats, although the overall design felt somewhat dated with its small touchscreen and basic driver-information display. Despite this, the Equinox was practical and user-friendly, with a traditional PRNDL shift lever and ample space for passengers.

In contrast, the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, particularly in the mid-trim Limited with the S Appearance Package, offered a more sophisticated look with body-colored door handles, gloss black grille accents, and 18-inch wheels. The split grille was flanked by standard LED headlamps, and the LED tail lamps spanned the rear width. While minivans like the Pacifica Hybrid might lack the cool factor of SUVs, they provided practicality with sliding doors and ample cargo space. The Limited trim's interior, though predominantly black, featured handsome Nappa leather seats and a sophisticated dash design. The controls, including chunky HVAC and audio knobs, were user-friendly, though their proximity to the transmission selector dial could cause confusion. The Pacifica Hybrid's interior was comfortable, with heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a spacious third row accessible via a large center pathway.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which received a slight boost to 175 horsepower for the model year. Despite this increase, the Equinox's performance remained modest, with 203 pound-feet of torque providing satisfactory low-speed acceleration. However, its power output felt lacking at higher speeds, taking about eight seconds to reach highway speeds while producing noticeable noise. The Equinox's six-speed automatic transmission, while older compared to competitors' CVTs or eight- and nine-speed automatics, contributed to the powertrain's noise by holding gears longer. The AWD system required manual engagement via a button on the center console, a quirk that some might find inconvenient. The Equinox's braking system was upgraded to an electronically assisted brake-by-wire system, offering smooth and predictable braking. Its suspension handled bumps well, and the steering was tight and accurate, making it enjoyable to drive.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid combined a 3.6-liter V6 engine with a 16-kWh battery and two electric motors, making it the only plug-in hybrid minivan available. The EPA rated it for 32 miles of all-electric range, 520 miles of total range, 82 MPGe, and 30 mpg combined. In practice, the Pacifica Hybrid exceeded these estimates, achieving 33 miles of electric range and over 550 miles of total range. Charging the battery on a Level 2 home charger took just two hours, while a standard outlet would require 14 hours. The Pacifica defaulted to all-electric mode before switching to hybrid operation, which was efficient in city driving but less so on highways. The Pacifica Hybrid was FWD only and lacked a spare tire and towing package, unlike its gasoline-only counterpart. With 260 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque, the Pacifica Hybrid offered sufficient power for highway passing, and its CVT operated smoothly. The battery's placement in the floor improved handling by lowering the center of gravity.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox offered a cargo area of 29.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats, which was larger than the Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester but smaller than the Honda CR-V. Folding the rear seats expanded the space to 63.9 cubic feet, less than most competitors except Mazda. Passenger space was ample, with plenty of headroom and legroom for a six-foot-tall driver and rear passengers. The interior featured higher-quality plastic components, numerous cup holders, a sizable center console bin, and good door pockets. The Premier trim's standard power liftgate operated quietly.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid featured the FamCam interior camera, allowing parents to monitor children in the second and third rows. The camera could even zoom in on specific seats. The interior included heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a comfortable driver's seat with an adjustable center armrest. The second-row seats were comfortable but low, while the third row offered enough space for adults, though taller passengers might prefer the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna. The Pacifica Hybrid lacked the Stow 'n Go seats due to the battery placement but still provided 32.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 87.5 cubic feet with the seats folded, and 140.5 cubic feet with all seats down. However, the Kia Carnival and Honda Odyssey offered more overall space. The plug-in hybrid also missed out on the built-in vacuum cleaner and heated second-row seats.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox's technology offerings were straightforward, with a 7-inch touchscreen in the LS, LT, and RS trims, and an 8-inch screen in the Premier. While not as flashy as Kia's UVO or Jeep's UConnect5 systems, the Equinox's infotainment was easy to use, with crisp graphics and quick response times. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Premier trim featured a wireless charging pad, and the driver-information display, though simple, provided useful features like music, navigation, and trip computer information.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid came with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5, known for its ease of use and crisp graphics. It supported wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and dual-phone Bluetooth connectivity. Our tester included the optional rear seat entertainment system, adding two 10-inch screens for second-row passengers with games and streaming capabilities via Amazon Fire TV or HDMI. However, the cost of this feature might be hard to justify given the prevalence of personal devices. The Pacifica Hybrid offered numerous charging options, including USB-A and USB-C ports, 12-volt outlets, a 115-volt outlet, auxiliary ports, and wireless charging.

The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox came equipped with a suite of standard advanced driver assistance systems, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection and braking, lane-keeping assistance, lane-departure assistance, and automatic high beams. However, it lacked genuine level two autonomous driving technology. The NHTSA awarded the Equinox five stars overall in crash tests, but the IIHS rated it Poor in the moderate overlap front crash test and Marginal in the side-impact crash test.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid offered a comprehensive array of standard safety features, such as blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking assist, and adaptive cruise control. The forward collision warning system provided both visual and audible alerts, while the adaptive cruise control system operated smoothly. Additional features like parallel parking assistance and front and rear parking assist required a package or the top Pinnacle trim. The 2023 Pacifica Hybrid had not been rated by the NHTSA, but the 2022 model received a five-star overall safety rating. The IIHS gave it Good marks overall, with Marginal grades for seat belt reminders and Average grades for headlights and LATCH ease of use.