Liv Leased a 2026 Chevy Equinox EV After Reviewing It. I Tested It As a Family Car and Loved It Just As Much
The Chevy Equinox EV is affordable, spacious, and loaded with top-tier technology. How does it hold up to two toddlers? Spoiler alert: nearly perfectly.
The Chevy Equinox EV gets a lot of love here. Liv Leigh, our resident expert on EVs, loved the Equinox EV so much that she ended up leasing one following her week-long review. She updated her opinion after 8 months, and not much changed—it met all her needs as an amputee with a prosthetic leg, and was incredibly easy to live with. She adored the ease of driving, Super Cruise capabilities, fast charging, and the software.
But how does it function as a family car? Liv doesn’t have children, so I strapped my three and four-year-old daughters into it to see how it fares. I figured it would be a bit small, or that the EV lifestyle would make it a bit more challenging than gassing up and going.
I was wrong. As it stands, it’s one of the more functional, seamless, and affordable EV SUVs I’ve tested. If you’re looking for something that can handle the challenges of kids without breaking the bank, here’s why I strongly suggest the Equinox EV.
This story is 100% human researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
For Families, the Price is Approachable—A Major Plus in Today’s Economy
Not a lot of EVs, particularly all-electric models, can brag about being affordable. If you want a spacious, family-friendly EV SUV with excellent, user-friendly technology, most people (myself included) expect a price tag of $50,000+. The Chevy Equinox EV chuckles at that figure, with a base price of $34,995 for the LT 1 and a maximum price of $44,095. The LT 2 starts at $41,795 (my tester was an LT 2 that had a price tag of a little more than $43,000). All three trims have a max range of 319 miles when configured with front-wheel drive, or 307 miles with all-wheel drive. And yes, all three can have all-wheel drive as an option.
The trim levels represent the different personalities of the Equinox EV, and cater to the different priorities a buyer might have. Here’s how I’d rank them:
- LT 1 (Base Trim): Best value for the price, as it’s the most efficient trim, with a heavy focus on range without skimping on the technology. It’s the best for commuters looking for a solid EV with an excellent range without all the fancy comfort and convenience features. It comes with black cloth, manual seat adjustments, and a smaller screen.
- NOTE: This trim does not offer Super Cruise, not even as an option. You still get adaptive cruise control and other safety features, but not Super Cruise.
- LT 2 (Comfort Trim): Same great range choices, but added cozy features like heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and optional convenience features like a 360-degree camera for parking assistance.
- RS (Sporty Trim): It doesn’t come with extra horsepower, but it’s the most expensive trim because it comes with more standard convenience and comfort features, like RS badging, nicer wheels, blacked out exterior pieces, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and nicer interior with red or blue accent stitching.
The price-to-feature ratio is tough to beat for competitors, too, like the Hyundai IONIQ 5, Mustang Mach-E, Honda Prologue, and Nissan Leaf. The IONIQ 5 is known for its faster charging speeds and more ostentatious styling, but you pay a premium for it. And we love the driving feel of the Mustang Mach-E, but if you want the nicer features, mid and upper trim levels can be pricey in comparison to the Equinox EV. And the Prologue was a solid family car, but its lower range and higher base price make the Equinox EV feel like a no-brainer. The Nissan Leaf is also a great choice, but it is quite a bit smaller than the Chevy.
Without a Traditional Transmission, the Interior Space Feels Endless
One of my favorite features about EVs, no matter the size, is the interior space. Because it lacks larger and heavier traditional drivetrain parts, the cargo and passenger floors are flat. Gas-only cars have to make a tunnel underneath to accommodate those parts, which can take up floor space.
The Chevy Equinox has plenty of interior space, and with 38 inches of legroom, there was more than enough space for my daughters and their car seats without feeling like they were crammed into a sardine can. Up front, the driver and passenger have loads of elbow room, with a long list of clever storage bins and cubbies to keep the footwell and center console tidy.
I also greatly appreciated how easy it was to install my daughter’s car seats. The rear latch points were easily accessible—no removable and easy-to-lose flaps, and no digging around for them. They were right there in the open and simple to secure, just like the top tether points on the back of the seat. And, as I’ve come to find, all new cars with easy-to-remove headrests immediately get a higher score because the seats sit more flush against the back of the seat. Since the entry point was tall and wide, my toddlers had no problems climbing in or out of it, and I had no issues bending down to strap them in. My mother-in-law, who’s fairly hard to please, loved how easy it was to get into the passenger’s seat with her bad knee and shoulder.
The Trunk Isn’t Huge, But It’s Clever
The Chevy Equinox EV has about 26.4 cubic inches of space behind the rear seats (57.2 cubic inches when the seats are folded), which is plenty. It’s about the same space offered by the Chevy Trax, Hyundai Kona, or the Honda HR-V. This is to say it’s not the largest trunk we’ve seen out of an EV SUV, but there’s enough space for your Costco hauls or your luggage.
But that’s not all there is to it. To make more room, you can physically lower the cargo floor to accommodate larger, taller items, like a stroller, ice box, or shoot, maybe even some furniture. I liked that Chevy gave you the option to choose between a shallow cargo floor or a deeper one—depending on what your needs are. That’s something Liv liked, too: its versatility, especially for the price.
The Chevy Equinox EV’s Greatest Strength is the Software and Technology
Many, including myself, critiqued GM’s decision to do away with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in their EVs to push their own software that works in tandem with Google’s OS. Because Google is built in, it took me having to download Spotify and sign in to notice that the Equinox EV didn’t come with Android Auto. Because I already use Google Maps and Google Assistant in all of my personal cars and other press cars with Android Auto, the switch to Chevy’s OS was painless. I can see Apple users needing a bit of adjustment time, but not nearly as much as you’re thinking.
Google’s integration goes beyond Maps, though. Chevy’s relationship with Google Maps means Super Cruise (which is only available as a $2,700 upgrade for the LT 2 or RS trims) can alter your route depending on the location of public chargers, use navigational and traffic data to more accurately calculate your range, and Super Cruise can respond to those changes if need be. It can also enable battery conditioning if you pick a fast charger along your route, too.
The OS doesn’t come with the prettiest interface, in my opinion, but it is highly functional. I liked that all the menus were easy to find (save for the equalizer for the sound system), settings were easy to find and manipulate, and everything was right where you’d assume it would be. I never found myself confused or frustrated trying to find anything. For a software-defined EV, the software gets an A+ from me.
Speaking of Super Cruise…
I’ve mentioned it a couple of times up to this point, and if you’re thinking about saving $2,700 and avoiding the annual fee after the three-year trial runs out, don’t. Super Cruise adds so much functionality to the Chevy Equinox EV, it’s not even funny. I would put in a destination, and the Equinox would do it all for me. I’m a bit wary of the automatic lane change function because the Equinox would change lanes for no reason other than the other lane was clear. However, after I toggled it to make lane changes only when I activate the turning signal, I felt a lot more comfortable. It responded well to being cut off (which happens a lot in the Bay Area) by slowing down when it sensed that a car was merging in front of it, and created more distance before picking up speed again.
In traffic, I liked that it would automatically activate the maximum braking regen function, so it was maintaining its range while stuck in stop-and-go traffic. And, because it’s hands-free, I could reach into the back seat to retrieve a dropped toy, pass my kids a snack, adjust the rear-facing A/C vents, or break up a fight without worrying about crashing into the car in front of me or contributing to traffic. After a while, the Equinox EV will yell at you to keep your eyes on the road, but those few moments of eyes-off driving to tend to my kids made all the difference. In fact, when we got into something that didn’t have hands-free driving, and I’d have to say, “You have to wait, Mommy’s driving,” they were visibly confused. Probably because I didn’t have to say that to them in the Equinox EV.
When I wasn’t keeping two toddlers from tearing the floorboards from the car, I liked that Super Cruise gave me the time to grab my chapstick, switch between my glasses and my sunglasses, grab my FasTrak, or whatever else I needed, without the stomach-dropping dread that it might cost me my life. Or at the very least, my car. For parents, especially for those who commute regularly, Super Cruise is a must.
It’s Fast and Easy to Charge, Too
GM’s EVs come with some of the quickest charging EVs, and the Equinox EV is no exception. For 2026, the Equinox EV has a maximum charging rate of 150 kW, so it can add up to 77 miles in about 10 minutes, or go from a 20 to an 80% charge in about 30 minutes. That’s enough time to plug it in, do your grocery shopping if you’re charging at your local grocery store, and come back to a reasonably charged EV.
If you’re charging at home, there’s an 11.5 kW onboard charger, which can add about 34 miles of range per hour. A 240-volt outlet can fully recharge the battery in about 9.5 hours, so you can pull into your garage after your commute, plug it in, and it will be ready by the time you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed heading to work. Chevy also offers a 19.2 kW onboard charger for faster charging, though that’s exclusive to the RS trim. If you’re limited to a 120-volt outlet, you can charge it from there, though it’ll take a lot longer.
Thankfully, Chevy will give you a swappable plug to go back and forth between 120V and 240V outlets if you need to, and it’s capable of bidirectional charging so you can power your home with your Equinox EV if you need to, though that’s an add-on. It also comes with an NACS port from the factory, giving you access to the ever-growing Tesla Supercharger network.
Chevy Packs the Equinox EV With a Laundry List of Standard Safety Features
The Equinox EV comes with a lot of standard safety features baked in to protect the whole family, like automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection in the front, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward and rear collision detection and avoidance, following distance indicators, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and rear parking assist.
There are optional features, too, like HD Surround Vision to make parking easier, enhanced auto parking assist, and intersection automatic emergency braking. All of this is to say that the Equinox EV inspires a lot of confidence as a parent with peace of mind.
As a Family Car, the Equinox EV Passes All Tests With Flying Colors
As a parent and as a critic, there are several things I look for before I say that a new car is a good choice for families. I look for picky things, like A/C vents in the rear, removable headrests, built-in sunshades, trunk space, entry and exit points, and safety features. I also look for bonus features, like a relaxing ride, intuitive advanced driving assist features, standard safety features, and convenience features. I also look at the price, knowing a lot of parents with small kids aren’t looking to break the bank for the sake of efficiency.
The Chevy Equinox EV offers it all. I loved it as a commuter, but I adored it as a family car, because for the price, it gives you everything you need and nothing you don’t. My kids loved it. My in-laws loved it. My husband loved it. It fit right into my family dynamic, so I was a bit sad to see it go. No wonder Liv ended up bringing one home.
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