It will be an excellent opportunity, I thought, to directly compare rival, top-selling crossover compacts from two domestic automakers.

The 2015 Chevrolet Equinox would arrive on Monday morning, overlapping by two days my possession of the 2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. Side-by-side they’ll sit in my garage.

They’re among the four best-selling compacts in the crossover category.

They’re near-sized; the Equinox is 5 inches longer in overall length, while the Cherokee is 60 pounds heavier.

Equinox supporters say it is of smoother operation than the Jeep; the Cherokee has a big edge in ruggedness and is “much more outdoorsy,” say Jeep devotees.

My plan of comparison, though, came to an abrupt halt on delivery; it was like skidding on two wheels.

There sat the Chevy Equinox – in front-wheel-drive form.

My word, aren’t SUVs and crossovers sent to Colorado expected to be of all-wheel-drive or four-wheel configuration?

Isn’t that what a big part of Colorado auto testing is all about, lending its rugged terrain to four-wheel maneuvering?

Few front-wheel-drive SUVs are sold here, and the manufacturers most often send their two-wheelers to more-flatland, nicer-weather territory.

However, it’s here with FWD, not AWD, and I’ve not tested an Equinox for several years, so let’s go ahead and crawl into the driver’s seat.

The Equinox offers a roomy cabin, impressively quiet on the highway. Its front-wheel-drive setup was equipped with a less-than-robust 182-horsepower, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission. Optional power is a 301-hp, 3.6-liter V-6.

The 4-cylinder, slow in low-end acceleration, delivered an average of 27.7 miles per gallon in a 50/50 split of city/highway maneuvers. Pressing an Eco button more often might have lifted the efficiency, though the power lack is more evident in that mode.

On a wheelbase of 112.5 inches, with normal-width track of 62.9/62.1 inches, the Equinox is a decent handler; the ride can turn somewhat harsh off the smoother roadways.

Along with navigation, featured in the center stack is the Chevrolet MyLink radio with 7-inch touchscreen, hands-free smartphone integration with Pandora and Stitcher, Bluetooth audio streaming, CD/MP3 and XM satellite.

The Equinox’s rear seat will move 8 inches fore and aft in a tradeoff between legroom for rear-seat passengers and cargo space at the rear of the Chevy. While the Equinox has more rear legroom than does the Jeep, the Cherokee is wider overall in the rear seat.

My attitude on the Latitude (Jeep Cherokee) is that it is one of the premier four-wheel-drive compacts, with dialing capability for terrain settings of automatic, snow, sport or sand/mud. The Cherokee 4-by-4 was equipped with a 3.2-liter V-6 engine with stop/start and a 9-speed automatic transmission. Its fuel-mileage average was 24.1.

Only the headliner is of light-colored finish in the Cherokee Latitude, all the rest of the interior is dark or black. The Jeep Cherokee is offered in trims of Sport, Latitude, Limited and Trailhawk.

Pricetag on the Jeep Latitude was $33,825. I reviewed a Cherokee Limited in budwells.com two months ago.

The Chevy Equinox, in its FWD form, was reasonably priced at $27,805, including rear vision camera and power windows/locks/mirrors, in addition to aforementioned amenities.

Here are the specifications for the ’15 Chevrolet Equinox FWD:

• Capacity 5-passenger crossover
• Wheelbase 112.5 inches
• Length 187.8 inches
• Width 72.5 inches
• Height 66.3 inches
• Curb Weight 3,758 pounds
• Track 62.9 inches front, 62.1 rear
• Ground Clearance 6.9 inches
• Turn Circle 40 feet
• Drivetrain Front-wheel-drive
• Engine 2.4-liter 4-cylinder
• Horsepower/Torque 182/172
• Transmission 6-speed automatic
• Steering rack-mounted electric power
• Suspension strut front, multilink rear
• Fuel mileage estimate 22/32
• Fuel mileage average 27.7
• Fuel Tank 18.8 gallons, regular
• Wheels 17-inch
• Tires Michelin Latitude P225/65R17
• Cargo Volume 31.5 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/100,000 powertrain

Competitors Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Kia Sportage

Assembly Plant Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 65%,

Base Price of Lowest Model $22,995; Base Price of Review Model $26,170; Destination Charge $875; Sticker Price $27,805.