Equinox, the forgotten child?

[I hope GMRULES again]

How come I never see anything in this section about the Equinox? I know they sell pretty well. Does anyone have one or know somebody with one? I'd be interested to hear some feedback about the Nox. :)

[Croc]

There just isn't much news on it. It's carryover for 06, and it is a solid vehicle and has been a solid seller. What's there to talk about?

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I am your man. I own one and my parents also own one. So far we both like ours. Gas mileage is about 17 in the city and 23 on the highway. They handle pretty well. Ride well. They are as quiet as most cars. Both of ours have enough power for our needs.

[ponchoman49]

Does anybody know why the 06's dropped 2 mpg on the highway? They went from 25 to just 23 on the same 4 wheel drive model. I can't understand why they wouldn't get 25 or more mpg on a trip. They have the same 3400 designed engine as the minivans and have a newer more efficient tranny and about the same curbweight too. Add a 2.65 final drive ratio into the mix. The 3400 minivans are well known to achieve 22 mpg combined and over 26 on the road. Most everyone with an EXT lenght version seems to get these figures.

[Cadillacfan]

New EPA mileage for all cars in all car companies. A lot of them decreased in mileage.

[HarleyEarl]

I am curious how that Chinese engine in the Equinox is doing. Still makes me nervous about the reliability and integrity of the materials used. Does anyone know if this engine is entirely made in China or just assembled there?

[cavalier36]

i drove an equinox and thought it was a pretty nice truck.. im hoping they offer the 3.9L V6 as an option..

[Sixty8panther]

I dislike car based SUVs. GM or not. WTF is the point of designing a mini "suv" around a corolla/civic/cobalt chassis? Retarded. That's why they've traditionaly scored the lowest in crash tests. That being said I'm sure the Equinox is better than most. I'd never buy one. Edited October 20, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[pow]

I dislike car based SUVs. GM or not. WTF is the point of designing a mini "suv" around a corolla/civic/cobalt chassis? Retarded. That's why they've traditionaly scored the lowest in crash tests.

That being said I'm sure the Equinox is better than most. I'd never buy one.

[post="31733"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

The Equinox isn't based on any GM car. Theta is original, unibody or not.

[pow]

Back to the question, the Equinox is one of my favorite Chevys in that it does every right. It looks sharp, has an inoffensive interior, and drives well enough. While some trim levels are ridiculously overpriced ($30K+), a "simple" LT with cloth upholstery and the mandatory beige interior and 17" wheels (it looks drab with grey interior and the base wheels) is good value after discounts and incentives.

[Flybrian]

I dislike car based SUVs. GM or not. WTF is the point of designing a mini "suv" around a corolla/civic/cobalt chassis? Retarded. That's why they've traditionaly scored the lowest in crash tests.

That being said I'm sure the Equinox is better than most. I'd never buy one.

[post="31733"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Dude...do you read anything, like the NHTSA site?

2006 Chevy Equinox
2006 Ford Freestyle
2006 Nissan Murano

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer
2006 Ford Explorer
2006 Nissan Pathfinder

Car-based SUVs scored similar or - in most respects - better than their traditional SUV counterparts.

Both have advantages and disadvantages and tradeoffs. Both are also just jacked-up station wagons. And if you don't like them, fine, but c'mon now...

[pow]

Dude...do you read anything, like the NHTSA site?

2006 Chevy Equinox
2006 Ford Freestyle
2006 Nissan Murano

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer
2006 Ford Explorer
2006 Nissan Pathfinder

Car-based SUVs scored similar or - in most respects - better than their traditional SUV counterparts.

Both have advantages and disadvantages and tradeoffs. Both are also just jacked-up station wagons. And if you don't like them, fine, but c'mon now...

[post="31755"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I think its more anti-unibody crap. The Volvo XC90 is probably the safest SUV you can buy, and gasp, it's not BOF. Ditto overweight (but sturdy) pigs like the Cayenne and Touareg.

[Croc]

Yea, some posters here are a broken record and just post for the sake of posting without adding any meaningful insight. Completely unlike this post. This post is extremely insightful, and as a result of reading it, you have a great understanding of not only the Chevrolet Equinox, but also of the entire auto industry as it pertains to North America. Pretty impressive, eh?

[I hope GMRULES again]

Click here for more info on the Nox. A pretty cool web site for owners and fans. Edited October 21, 2005 by I hope GMRULES again

[Sixty8panther]

Fly: I was referring to a few years ago (like ealry 2000s) when I read several articles abotu how small cute-utes like the Escape/CRV/Rav4 are less safe than any other type of vehicle... they had crappy crash test scores and worse still their high center of gravity combined wiht a narrow wheelbase made them very prone to rollovers in emergency manouvers esp. with the typical demographic they were selling to: teenage inexperienced drivers and Soccer moms. If I'm going to roll over at least a Wrangler has a roll cage and it's wheelbase is not as narrow as a Corollas. I like certain car based SUVs (original X5 and SRX come to mind) but not the compact ones... why be cramped in a stupid little Civic based CRV or a Corolla based Rav4 when you can buy a decent midsize sedan for the same amount of money. Empowah: the XC90 is NOT a small "cute ute" based on the underpinnings of a compact car so it has no relevance to my argument. Plus, it's Vovlo... obviously it's going to be ahead of the curve in terms of safety. It's thier specialty & no. 1 selling point after all. And for the record I did not bring up or alude to BOF vs. Unibody. <_< As far as the Equinox, call me naive but I'm pretty sure Theta shares more than a few things with delta... but perhaps I'm wrong. It would be pretty unorthodox in todays day and age. Croc: drop dead You want to talk about meaningful insight? You consider the SSR a "sports car"... enough said. :lol: Edited October 21, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[Flybrian]

Fly: I was referring to a few years ago (like ealry 2000s) when I read several articles abotu how small cute-utes like the Escape/CRV/Rav4 are less safe than any other type of vehicle... they had crappy crash test scores and worse still their high center of gravity combined wiht a narrow wheelbase made them very prone to rollovers in emergency manouvers esp. with the typical demographic they were selling to: teenage inexperienced drivers and Soccer moms.

If I'm going to roll over at least a Wrangler has a roll cage and it's wheelbase is not as narrow as a Corollas.
I like certain car based SUVs (original X5 and SRX come to mind) but not the compact ones... why be cramped in a stupid little Civic based CRV or a Corolla based Rav4 when you can buy a decent midsize sedan for the same amount of money.

[post="32100"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

But that makes them no different than many truck-based SUVs of their time either, which is what you were saying. Look at how well the Isuzu Rodeo/Honda Passport, Chevy Blazer, and others performed.

As far as Wrangler vs. Corolla(?)...
2005 Wranger (Ftrack/Rtrack): 57.80/58.30
2005 Corolla: 58.30/57.50
2005 RAV4: 59.30/58.90
2002 Corolla: 57.50/57.10
2000 RAV4: 57.50/57.70

The current RAV4 has the widest track and sits lower to the ground (less ground clearance & overall height). It has more safety features and also, how many RAV4s have you seen with jacked up springs and knobby 'offroad' tires?

Wrangler is a fine vehicle for offroading and it looks cute on the beach, but I wouldn't consider it the best thing for an urban environment.

As for your last comment, I don't know. I also don't know why a family of four buys a Ford Excursion or why an executive thinks he looks good pulling up to a nice restaurant in a Cummins Dodge Ram 3500 or why some little bitch likes to do burnouts in his POS '89 Firebird in front of my house every night at 12:30am, but its called 'choice' and 'preference' and as dumb or confunding as I may think their choices are, its theirs, not mine...except for the Firebird bitch, he's getting on my nerves.

[Sixty8panther]

What inconsiderate guys wiht 3rd gen. F-bodys have to do wiht thiis thread I'm not sure. Ever heard of getting a license plate number and calling the cops??? I do my burnouts in industrial parking lots or behind the mill building... usualy in the afternoon not even at night. The only time I've ever been doing them past midnight was at the Worcester Burnout contest... 100% legal, police presance and the whole city is aware of them. So don't try to group me wiht this asshole. Now as far as the RAv4 and CRV, I guess I was wrong about the wheelbase... do those figures take into account wheels offset? Either way take a Rav4 or CRV for a spin... they handle worse than my old Blazer IMHO.

[Flybrian]

So don't try to group me wiht this asshole.

Never did. Merely saying that people buy/have certain tastes for vehicles for various reasons and - as long as those don't bother others - its okay.

Now as far as the RAv4 and CRV, I guess I was wrong about the wheelbase... do those figures take into account wheels offset?

Yes.

Either way take a Rav4 or CRV for a spin... they handle worse than my old Blazer IMHO.

[post="32133"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

My father had a '95 4-door Blazer as a company truck for a few years. Handled like shit and felt very disconcerting on the offramps here, which aren't really graded that well for turns. Still, felt bad.

[I hope GMRULES again]

My father had a '95 4-door Blazer as a company truck for a few years. Handled like crap and felt very disconcerting on the offramps here, which aren't really graded that well for turns. Still, felt bad.

[post="32142"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

They did drive like crap,they were so clumsy.My bro had one but sold it after 2 years. The Equinox is so much better.

[pow]

As far as the Equinox, call me naive but I'm pretty sure Theta shares more than a few things with delta... but perhaps I'm wrong. It would be pretty unorthodox in todays day and age. 

[post="32100"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Again, the Equinox isn't based on any car. Theta is in an entirely different size classification from Delta. The Equinox is 8.8" longer, 3.5" wider, and ~800+ lbs. heavier than the Cobalt.

[Satty]

Some parts of this thread made my brain cry sad tears.

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Does anybody realize the Equinox recieved a 5 star crash rating? Yes it did which makes me feel pretty good. I think mine feels very solid when driving it. The parents think the same of theirs. I think the revised EPA estimates come closer to showing the real world mileage of the Equinox. Overall I like it and think it was a good choice for me. My parents like theirs too.

[CARBIZ]

Yeah, well, now that the Torrent is around to steal her Thunder, GM had better being planning a major refresh for 2007. The 2006 model has redesigned a/c controls and shrunken rear head rests. Big deal. Get rid of the ugly cloth. GM has a big hole at this time because we don't have a 7 passenger SUV that isn't a pig on gas. We need something to battle the Pilot, the Freestyle, Pacifica and others that have a 3rd row bench and are smaller than the Tahoe or Trailblazer EXT.

[BlkHhr104]

I dont think te Equinox should have a 3rd row, being I own there isnt enough room in the trunk as it is, but it drives very well and is very solid, and on that Equinox Central site it shows a orange Equniox, GM changed any plans of making it in pronage last minute because they didnt have enought ornage paint to supply the car i wonder how they found one. Edited October 23, 2005 by BlkHhr104

[The O.C.]

Fly: I was referring to a few years ago (like ealry 2000s) when I read several articles abotu how small cute-utes like the Escape/CRV/Rav4 are less safe than any other type of vehicle... they had crappy crash test scores and worse still their high center of gravity combined wiht a narrow wheelbase made them very prone to rollovers in emergency manouvers esp. with the typical demographic they were selling to: teenage inexperienced drivers and Soccer moms.

If I'm going to roll over at least a Wrangler has a roll cage and it's wheelbase is not as narrow as a Corollas.
I like certain car based SUVs (original X5 and SRX come to mind) but not the compact ones... why be cramped in a stupid little Civic based CRV or a Corolla based Rav4 when you can buy a decent midsize sedan for the same amount of money.
Empowah: the XC90 is NOT a small "cute ute" based on the underpinnings of a compact car so it has no relevance to my argument. Plus, it's Vovlo... obviously it's going to be ahead of the curve in terms of safety. It's thier specialty & no. 1 selling point after all. And for the record I did not bring up or alude to BOF vs. Unibody. <_<

As far as the Equinox, call me naive but I'm pretty sure Theta shares more than a few things with delta... but perhaps I'm wrong. It would be pretty unorthodox in todays day and age. 

Croc: drop dead

You want to talk about meaningful insight? You consider the SSR a "sports car"... enough said. :lol:

[post="32100"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I'm not partial to either truck-based SUVs or unibody-based SUVs.....they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

The reason many people buy those Escapes, CR-Vs, and RAV-4, or those "cute-utes" is because they don't need off-road capability, but like a higher seating position combined with the flexibility of a usable cargo hold, front-or-all wheel drive for rainy or snowy conditions, ALL of this combined with an "SUV" that pretty much drives like a car.

Equinox is a great GM product that would only really benefit from the Honda V6 from the VUE. The pushrod 3.5L is really the only aspect of the Chevy SUV that I dislike. Interior quality in some parts might be questionable, but the interior design overall is attractive, roomy, and quite functional.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

How come I never see anything in this section about the Equinox? I know they sell pretty well. Does anyone have one or know somebody with one? I'd be interested to hear some feedback about the Nox. :)

[post="31404"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Partially because Equinox is a car, not a truck. How about a sporty LTZ trim level with the 3.6-liter DOHC High Feature 250hp V-6 engine as standard? Ditch the 3400 V-6 engine and don't even think of putting any High Value engines in there. Also, expand LS-trim standard equipment to include aluminum wheels and deep-tint rear glass, but take some equipment out of the current LS to make a new Base CS trim. Otherwise, I think Equinox is fine as is. And how about some other special editions, like The North Face Edition? And how about optional two-tone paint (and not just cool grey-aka fake silver). And also, I got my Torrent brochure finally yesterday-other thann the steering wheel and two-tone interior door panels, the Torrent has absolutely nothing on the Equinox. As wasted, if not more so an effort than the Jeep Commander. Edited October 26, 2005 by Mule Bakersdozen LS

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Thats not true!! The Pontiac does have the red guages. Seriously though I dont know what the reason for the Torrent is. At my dealership they have both sitting side by side. I just wish GM had done a little better on the 1st year issues these had. They can for some people ruin what really is a very good vehicle in my experience.

[CapitalTruck]

I sure do wish they would make stability control standard features on the Equinox and Torrent. My parents were thinking about buying one of those models but the lack of ESC turned them off. Meanwhile, Honda CRV has standard ESC. It is stuff like this that makes me wish GM would just get it together. Also, the Equinox kinds of looks like it suffers from the same problem as the Aztek, that short rear end. The independent rear suspension shock towers also intrude pretty badly into the luggage area. I think they could have done a better job with it, it just looks like there wasn't a whole lot of care put into either the design or execution of the vehicle. I am hearing a lot about crossovers coming from GM, maybe these new crossovers will be better constructed. Lets hope so. Edited January 5, 2006 by CapitalTruck

[cavalier36]

they need to offer the 3.9L V6 as an option in the Equinox!! id even ditch the 3.4L and make the 3.5L V6 standard!! this would make it more competitive!! im sure both the 3.5L and 3.9L would be much quicker and the towing capacity would increase.. why are they still even using the 3.4L?? is this the only GM vehicle that still uses it?? all the other GM models have switched to the 3.5 and 3.9L V6's..

[pow]

they need to offer the 3.9L V6 as an option in the Equinox!!  id even ditch the 3.4L and make the 3.5L V6 standard!!  this would make it more competitive!!  im sure both the 3.5L and 3.9L would be much quicker and the towing capacity would increase..  why are they still even using the 3.4L??  is this the only GM vehicle that still uses it?? all the other GM models have switched to the 3.5 and 3.9L V6's..

[post="71708"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

The 3400 is made in China, which helps keep the Equinox's price down. Perhaps we can get the HFV6s if China makes them, too. ^_^

[regfootball]

pros

pleasant and sporty exterior (as long as you get body color bumpers :angry: )
good mpg
lots of passenger seating space and fairly airy cabin feel
sliding and reclining rear seat
nice climate controls
remote start
5 speed automatic
'after rebate' prices are good

cons

no manual transmission option
no 4 cylinder option
high feature engine SHOULD BE OFFERED AS AN OPTION
stupid window switches on the console!?!?!?! WTF? :angry:
horrifically bad interior plastics quality
horrifically bad leather and cloth choices
interior layout somewhat ok but with horrible plastics looks more bland than the cheapest Korean products
cheesy ass classic crappy GM style T bar shifter
really bad looking parts bin GM malibu stereo
no manumatic
rear trunk area efficiency is pathetic and is small, maxx is roomier almost Edited January 11, 2006 by regfootball

[Derek77]

pros

pleasant and sporty exterior (as long as you get body color bumpers :angry: )
good mpg
lots of passenger seating space and fairly airy cabin feel
sliding and reclining rear seat
nice climate controls
remote start
5 speed automatic
'after rebate' prices are good

cons

no manual transmission option
no 4 cylinder option
high feature engine SHOULD BE OFFERED AS AN OPTION
stupid window switches on the console!?!?!?!  WTF? :angry:
horrifically bad interior plastics quality
horrifically bad leather and cloth choices
interior layout somewhat ok but with horrible plastics looks more bland than the cheapest Korean products
cheesy ass classic crappy GM style T bar shifter
really bad looking parts bin GM malibu stereo
no manumatic
rear trunk area efficiency is pathetic and is small, maxx is roomier almost

[post="72300"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

When's the last time you looked at an Equinox or Torrent? The Equinox doesn't come with grey bumpers anymore. They are all painted body color. The only difference is in the LS and LT's mirror (painted or black). They also don't come with those cheesy ass classic crappy GM style T bar shifter. That was a feature that never made it from the pre-production model shown at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. THe cargo area has been reworked mid-year 2006. The cargo shelf is now an option.

On another note, I know the Equinox is going to get the hybrid option that is in the Vue Green Line. Did any one notice the New Hybrids video on GMtv? They showed the silhouette of several vehicles coming in the near future. They only showed a few of the ones that are coming and what is available now. Looks like the one on the bottom left is the Equinox.

EDIT: I forgot to add that they don't remote start either. Edited January 11, 2006 by Derek77

[regfootball]

When's the last time you looked at an Equinox or Torrent? The Equinox doesn't come with grey bumpers anymore. They are all painted body color. The only difference is in the LS and LT's mirror (painted or black). They also don't come with those cheesy ass classic crappy GM style T bar shifter. That was a feature that never made it from the pre-production model shown at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. THe cargo area has been reworked mid-year 2006. The cargo shelf is now an option.

On another note, I know the Equinox is going to get the hybrid option that is in the Vue Green Line. Did any one notice the New Hybrids video on GMtv? They showed the silhouette of several vehicles coming in the near future. They only showed a few of the ones that are coming and what is available now. Looks like the one on the bottom left is the Equinox.

EDIT: I forgot to add that they don't remote start either.

[post="72330"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

sat in a torrent a couple weeks ago while getting the oil changed on my pontiuck.....and i've sat in many equinoxes before.......the interior plastics are horrible. quite possibly the nastiest plastic available in any car for sale today. there is no trunk space in the equinox, with or without the shelf...the wheel thingies take far too much space and there's not much hieght, depth, or width overall. Edited January 12, 2006 by regfootball

[BlkHhr104]

I like em', and its not that cheap, if anything Dodge has the cheapest when it comes to the Caliber, yeah a caliber is what Chrysler is gonna need when they see eveyones reaction to it.

[avro206]

I see far more Saturn Vues on the road as far as FWD/AWD litle SUVs. While the Equinox would have some advantages over the Vue (cause its newer) I don't care for the extra size (wheel base and length) or the mini van rear end. Plus I love blowing them away in my wifes 05 250hp! Saturn. :P

[BlkHhr104]

Yeah but ill take the my Nox's stylin over ur wifes ice cube tray lookin front end VUE, even if u got the better engine :D