2009 Suzuki Equator Crew Cab Sport 4WD - Short Take Road Test - Car and Driver
Among compact pickups, the Suzuki Equator breaks no new ground, yet surely represents The New Frontier. In a five-truck comparo [June 2005], a Frontier LE finished second to a Honda Ridgeline RTS, and we’ve come to appreciate the latest Frontier’s solid chassis, composed handling, controlled body motions, off-road prowess, and surprisingly accurate... The Equator comes in extended- and crew-cab iterations, with a five- or six-foot-long bed—a classy-looking spray-on bed liner is standard—and Nissan’s 261-hp, 4. 0-liter V-6 is a must-have option that’s standard in crew cabs. Both trucks—Equator and Frontier—dispatch the quarter-mile with nearly identical speeds and ETs. Our Equator’s fabric front seats looked good and were fantastically comfortable, but the rears feature a slab-flat seatback and a cushion so low that your knees poke up to bellybutton level. Apart from a brake pedal that was as mushy as a meadow muffin, the Equator was otherwise a composed, confidence-inspiring vehicle evincing relatively few of the shivers and quivers to which so many trucks are prone. Well, a base Equator is $245 cheaper than a base Frontier , and our Equator cost $355 less than a comparably equipped Frontier. Then there’s this: Nissan’s powertrain warranty spans five years/60,000 miles versus Suzuki’s generous seven years/100,000 miles. Source: www.caranddriver.com
