Cars.com Names 2011 Chevrolet Equinox Best SUV for Families

CHICAGO Feb. 3, 2011; Cars.com named the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox the winner of its $29,000 SUV Shootout. The shootout took nine midsized SUVs and crossovers with a sticker price under $29,000, five automotive journalists, celebrity car enthusiast Joey Lawrence and his family and three days of head-to-head testing to determine the winner. The Equinox stood out among all judges for its value and luxury feel.  

Vehicles tested included:

• 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
• 2011 Dodge Journey
• 2011 Ford Escape
• 2011 Honda CR-V
• 2011 Hyundai Tucson
• 2011 Kia Sportage
• 2011 Nissan Rogue
• 2011 Subaru Forester
• 2011 Toyota RAV4

"Midsized SUVs and crossovers might be the most competitive segment in the market right now," says Cars.com Editor in Chief, Patrick Olsen. "Even with the struggling economy and gas prices, families still need to get themselves and their cargo around. For some families, these midsized vehicles are really their only option."  

Vehicles were tested the way average families would drive them. The cars were put through a mileage challenge and two days of real-life road tests to choose a winner. Vehicles were judged on ride, room, family-friendly features and handling. Each car was scored by judges from Cars.com, MotherProof.com, MotorWeek and USA Today.  Cars.com also asked Joey Lawrence and his family to participate in order to get feedback from a real family about how they use their car.

"The opinions of actual families are invaluable additions to the expert opinions of our editors," said Olsen. "In addition to being an actor and a car enthusiast, Joey Lawrence is also a dad with two young daughters. He and his wife have the same concerns about styling, comfort and convenience that other young families do."

About Cars.com

Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo , Gannett Co., Inc. , The McClatchy Company , Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company .