Chevy Equinox Celebrates Summer Victory As IIHS Pick Of “One of The Best Vehicles for Teens”

 

Many Parents we talk to that visit us here at West Chevy of Knoxville have expressed excitement, anticipation and perhaps a few jitters when their teenager begins driving! If the Chevy Equinox happens to be within your sights, there is going to be a lot to love about it; the Institute for Highway Safety has rendered the 2016 and up Equinox compact crossover as one of the best vehicles for teenage drivers from the perspective of safety and reliability.

 

The 2020 Safe Vehicles for Teens list identifies vehicles that they believe are the safest for teen drivers, and they know that not all families have a large amount of money to spend on their teen's first car. All of the vehicles on the list range from a little over $5,000 to nearly $20,000, so it covers a fairly broad spectrum of costs. To be included in the list, a vehicle must  have achieved the best possible rating of Good in the IIHS' moderate overlap front, roof restraint, side, and head restraint test, as well as an acceptable or good rating in the driver-side small overlap front test.

 

We have always known Consumer Reports to be an excellent source of information when it comes to finding out about vehicle reliability and if they are a good purchase choice. The vehicles on this list also had to receive the minimum rating from Consumer Reports with regard to emergency handling capability and reliability and achieve a certain minimum dry braking distance. Active safety features and overall crashworthiness also led to the 2020 Equinox being a Top Safety Pick, as well as the Teen Driver Technology on board.

 

By using the Teen Driver features the driver can turn to Buckle-to-Drive to make the seatbelt imperative, limit the vehicle's top speed, and even set audio volume limits for a quieter cruise. Fuel efficiency was another factor in the Equinox making this list. The standard turbocharged 1.5-Liter LYX 4-cylinder and available turbo 2.0-Liter LTG are both excellent in the mpg department, and the Equinox is also a relatively inexpensive vehicle to obtain used. The standard active safety features new for the 2020 model were forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keep assist.

 

There is also a new Midnight Edition for the LT trim that adds black metallic paint, gloss-black 19-inch wheels, a black grille, black Chevrolet bowtie emblems, and black interior with leather-perforated seats. Other options available include a power liftgate, power moonroof, a heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, wireless charging, and dual-zone automatic air conditioning.