Rocky sections of the trail were handled easily in 4-Lo, but at one point the combination of wet tires, muddy rocks and steep hillside made it necessary to use the electronic locking differential. We pushed the switch, the dash indicator light came on and we crawled slowly and steadily to the top. Ground clearance, at 8.9 inches minimum, made it possible to pick our way through good-sized rocky sections without contacting any of the three skid plates. Clearance under the rear axle is a full 10.1 inches.
Muddy sections had been prepared as well. These consisted of 40-yard bogs created by backhoe and flooded with water. The soil in the area was heavy, black and thick, making for a particularly greasy mud. We found that we could run through the mud consistently, but the BFG Rugged Trail tires did require a good amount of throttle to self-clean in this gummy mud. Anyone dealing with this kind of mud on a regular basis, or anything worse, would probably do well to install a true mud tire.
While we did not have a chance to load the bed of an Equator with its maximum payload, somewhere around 1400 pounds, our test session did include a boat-ramp test. Slippery boat ramps are a common challenge when loading and unloading boats and personal watercraft. Water was low at Canyon Lake marina, so the concrete boat ramp was long and steep. The Equator needed only moderate throttle to pull a 3800-pound Ranger bass boat from the water and up the ramp, although four-wheel drive was needed to pull away on the wet surface. For situations like these, we find the selectable locking rear differential provides the margin of control we want. Sometimes, it's the difference between burning rubber and making it look easy.
One of our colleagues took an Equator for a weekend fishing trip towing a Triton TR 20 bass boat weighing in at about 4000 pounds loaded. The Equator had no trouble with the load, cruising wide-open interstates for a 480-mile round trip at speeds up to 70 mph. The driver found that his mileage was just so-so for that trip at 12.6 mpg, which is consistent with what we would expect. When a V6 is heavily loaded, you'll operate more at full-throttle, and the V6 will be less efficient. However, most mid-size pickups are driven empty most of the time, used as a second car, daily commuter or grocery getter. In those situations, probably 90 percent of the total mileage, the V6 is going to get better economy than a V8. If mileage is your first priority, it's worth noting that a base Equator, with four-cylinder engine and manual transmission, is EPA rated to get 19 mpg around town, and 22 mpg on the highway.
Maximum towing capacity, given as 6500 pounds, would be for a 2WD, V6 sport model, and only with a weight-distributing hitch. With a standard Class 3 receiver hitch, Suzuki spokesmen suggest towing capacity would probably become something in the vicinity of 5000 pounds, depending on the model. Anything more than that, or even approaching that, and we'd recommend a full-size pickup.?SuzukiEquator� Engines_options?????????? ???? ????????? ?? ?????? ??????????????????� ????????????????A*4.0-liter DOHC 24v V6?SuzukiEquator�Interior??????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ?? ????????????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??????????????? ???????? ?????? ?? ????????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ????????? ???????? ?? ? ???????? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??????????? ???????? ??? ???? ?????????? ??????? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ???????? ? ??????????? ??????????????? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ????? ? ????????? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ??????????? ???? ????????????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ???????? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ??? ???????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ??????????? ????? ????? ??????????? ?????????? ????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ??????? ????????? ????? ??? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ? ??????????? ???????? ????? ?? ? ??????????? ??????? ??????????? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ???????? ????? ???? ? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ???????? ??????????? ???? ?? ? ?????? ???? ???????????????????????? ???????? ?? ? ?????????? ??????? ???? ????? ?????????? ??? ???????????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ????????? ??????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???????? ??????? ??????? ??? ????????????????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ?? ????? ??? ?????????????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ? ??????????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ????????????????? ?? ?? ????? ?? ????????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ????????????????????? ???? ?????????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ???????? ?? ? ??????? ??????? ??? ? ????????? ???????????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???????? ????????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ???????? ?? ????????????? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ????????? ???? ??? ?????????? ?? ????????? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ????????? ???? ??? ????? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ?????????? ???? ??????????? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????? ? ??? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ? ?? ? ??? ??? ????? ????????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ???? ? ?????? ????? ?? ? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???????????? ???????????????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ? ???? ???? ????? ?????????? ???? ? Next Page