2011 Suzuki Equator
MSRP $18,999
The 2011 Suzuki Equator is a bare-bones, midsize pickup. Over the last decade, trucks have gotten bigger. “Bigger is better” seemed to be the mantra of almost every company. The ubiquitous compact pickup seemed to be replaced by a full-size overnight. The Equator is taking us back to the days of smaller pickups.
The Equator is the base level of 5 trims, and comes with the least amount of features. It is more of a midsize work truck. There are plenty of upgrades available with plenty of features, but they add up pretty quickly. Let’s see what you can get for under $20,000 nowadays.
The Equator has a 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder engine that provides 152 horsepower. It has a 6-foot bed, 15-inch steel wheels, rear wheel drive, and a 5-speed manual transmission. It is rated at 17 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.
When we say “bare-bones,” we mean bare-bones. The Equator has no sound system and no air conditioning. It has bucket seats and a center console, and that is it. The first upgrade is the Comfort package, which will get you air conditioning and an AM/FM stereo with 4 speakers and a CD/MP3 player. If you want power accessories, you have to upgrade to the Premium package.
The base Equator has anti-lock brakes, side front airbags, and side curtain airbags. The Equator is a throwback in more than size, though; there is no stability control or traction control. You have to drive this truck “old school.” In government testing under the less-strenuous 2010 standards, the Equator got 4 stars for front impact driver protection and 5 stars for everything else. The IIRC gave it perfect ratings of “good” in all tests.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
This is a fun truck for those who don’t require anything big. It handles light duty just fine, though you might not want to fill the back with refrigerators. For most uses, though, the chassis is more than capable. The steering and handling are better than expected, too.
The steering and suspension are all truck, but the steering is quite responsive. The ride is not nearly as stiff as one would expect from a truck, either. The Equator does a great job of being a truck without giving the stiff ride that heavy-duty trucks usually give. Also, it has an extended cab that is OK for short jaunts in the back seat. The mileage, while not great, is still very good for a truck. Also, the Equator comes with a 7-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Most of the negatives here involve trade-offs. Getting decent mileage out of a truck means that you have to sacrifice somewhere. The 4-cylinder engine, while adequate, won’t win any awards for acceleration or power. The main negative, though, is the lack of amenities, especially AC and a radio.
The verdict: if you want a small truck with no frills under $20,000, the Equator is OK.
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