You probably plan ahead by accelerating well before the merge.
I can’t be the only person to notice that there are a whole lot of people who maintain ~35 mph on highway entrance ramps–until the very last second, when they expect their vehicle to be able to accelerate like Colonel Stapp’s Rocket Sled.
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Or expect the semi that’s cruising along at 60 mph to get out of their way or slow down, You’d be surprised how many times I get the 1 finger salute because they weren’t paying attention
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No, I wouldn’t be surprised!
Nowadays, it seems that–more often than not–the people who are honked-at because of their inattention are the ones throwing a one-finger salute at the folks who are perturbed because of that inattention.
In earlier comments the OP stated she is having trouble getting her 2015 Equinox to accelerate up to at least 55mph on highway entrance ramps. She may be dealing with short entrance ramps. Missouri, where she lives, has woefully short entrance ramps and merge lanes on many of the limited access highways throughout the state.
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@parcora You’ve stated you have trouble accelerating to 55mph on highway entrance ramps and merge lanes. Are those by chance older, short ramps and merge lanes built back in the 1960s or 1970s or even earlier?
Also, you may wish to have a qualified mechanic make sure your Equinox is accelerating properly both in terms of engine power and how smoothly and properly the transmission is shifting up through gears. Both throttle response and transmission behavior are key to reliable acceleration.
I’m not really sure how old the entrance ramps are but they’re definitely on the shorter side in my opinion. I drive highway 70 from st. louis to columbia every weekend and I really only feel safe merging if i’m driving during a time with low traffic. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the car mechanically, but I might have it looked at just in case.
Also, i’m not sure if I mentioned this previously but I paid for the equinox in full upfront. I’m not paying a loan and I have the ability to sell it and get most of if not all my money back if I do choose that route, not sure if that changes anyone’s advice or not.
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Not unless you bought it really cheap, as soon as you drove it off the lot you lost 30%
@It_s_Me I got it used for $11,500 about two months ago and i’ve seen cars with similar mileage online listed for that much or more. Would I really still lose 30%?
@parcora I doubt you’d take that big a hit on value. This is a four year old model used vehicle. It is brand new vehicles that take an immediate big depreciation hit, although not necessarily as much as 30%.
@parcora Oh, that section of I-70 can be scary in heavy traffic. It is the busiest section of interstate in MO. It’s been awhile since I drove it, so I don’t recall the on ramps through there. But if it is anything like trying to merge onto westbound I-44 at the 44/270 interchange or at Hwy141, then yes, that is hairy, scary driving when traffic is busy; nowhere to go but squeeze in or get plastered. 
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Private party or dealers ?
@It_s_Me I’ve seen both and they’re around the same. I doubt i’ll have any trouble selling it, they seem to sell quick in my area at least.
The Tahoe was design in the 80s when fuel was less than a dollar per gallon. It had a huge v8 making a decent amount of power anytime it ran.
The equinox was designed 10 years ago when fuel was 4 times the price. The name of the game is engine down size. It can make the power of the old v8, but it needs to be screaming at you while doing so. Any sports sedan you choose will likely have down sized engine as well
And don’t think about the mom car status because you have more important matters going on in your life. As much as I like to drive a Porsche Caymen with a stick, we have a 7 seat baby mobile because that’s what our babies need. I don’t lament about it. I rather focus on my career now and hopefully get that Porsche somewhere down the line. Don’t let the Equinox or any other material objects be a distraction and focus on your education. College is hard no matter what you study (speaking as a liberal arts/engineering double major here).
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I was going to suggest to OP a Mazda Miata. I owned a 1966 MGB in the early 1990s. I considered my new 1996 Miata a “theoretical” 10th generation MGB. I used to have a fantasy of the perfectly balanced car. Horsepower, torque, and handling. Mazda achieved it! I had high horsepower cars up to 450hp and a couple of them actually handled OK. I also had owned 4 British 2 seat sports cars. 1960 Austin Healey Sprite Mk 1, 1960 MGA 1600 roadster, 1962 MGA 1600 Mk II coupe, and the 1966 MGB. They were all fun to drive and pretty much reliable if well maintained. The Miata attained perfection for that type of car.