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Chevrolet Equinox

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Comments

  • bc0831bc0831 Member Posts: 1
    I am looking for a car for my wife and I looked at a Equinox LT. I do not know anything about these cars. Are they reliable? Do they have good gas mileage?
  • angie7angie7 Member Posts: 3
    Hi There, We have had our Equinox for a little over a year now and Love It. It has lots of room and seems to be running fine. We think you get a lot of vehichle for the money with an Equinox.
  • philwphilw Member Posts: 5
    Dear Angie07,

    I have had my Equinox since new about a year ago. I t now has 40,000kms and has been relatively trouble free. It is my work car. I ts an LT with leather and Sunroof. But get this , the outside mirrors have no heaters; not vet good for the Canadian winter.
    May I suggest you look at the Hyundai Santa Fe or the Tuscon. I would say that dollar ofr dollar the Hyundais are a better value. More featues less money equal or better reliability with the Hyundai. Better warranty with the Hyundai.

    The only reason I went to Equinox was because I re-newed my lease early so GM did everything to take me off the market.

    If you get a chance, have a real good look at the Hyundais
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    My equinox is a 05 LT and I love it. (3 yrs old on 24th of may). Good smooth ride, lots of room. Good visibility except for the windshield pillar (but you'll get used to it). Just turned 22,000 miles on it and the only problem that I had where the front rotors, had to be machined twice because of vibration when braking.
    As for the gas mileage.... made 3 trips over 3,000 milles each (mostly highway) and everytime I average 25 - 26 m.p.g. @ 70 m.p.h. but in city driving never got more than 14 - 15 m.p.g. and even worst in winter driving. 12 m.p.g.

    I'm very satisfied with my nox.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Having driven both the Equinox and the Cobalt - I doubt you'll be happy trading from the Equinox DOWN to the rattletrap, noisy, Cobalt. If mileage is everything to you, you may make a few MPGs on the deal, but now much is misery worth? You should be getting 19 combined MPG in the Equinoxious - the cobalt may get you 24. 5 MPG will equate to about 3 bucks less a month in gas expense.....worth it? You have to decide. To me, it's not.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Thanks for the advice. I guess I would have made a big mistake trading my Equinox for a Cobalt. I'm taking your word for it, you seem to know what you're talking about. People like you should be on these forums more often to help others like you just did for me. I would have made the worst decision of my life. Thanks again.
  • sgr5516sgr5516 Member Posts: 163
    I have a 2005 Equinox LT FWD, a 2006 Cobalt LS Coupe with manual trans and a 2007 Cobalt LS Sedan with automatic in my family. All three were purchased new, and none of them have had any problems to date, only normal scheduled maintenance.

    Your MPG ratings are quite accurate and match mine. My annual MPG averages are Nox 19.5, Cobalt Sedan automatic 24.5 and Cobalt Coupe manual, 28.5. If each car is driven 1000 miles per month the cost for gas at $3 per gallon would be

    Nox 1000/19.5=51.28galx$3=$153.84
    Cob Auto 1000/24.5=40.82galx$3=$122.46, mo. savings vs Nox=$31.38
    Cob Man 1000/28.5=35.09galx$3=$105.27, mo. savings vs Nox=$50.57

    Since my under 20 kids drive the Cobalts and pay their own expenses, the $31/$51 savings per month is significant for them.

    However, I agree, the Equinox is much better and safer for winter driving. And that is more important to me than MPG/Gas cost.
  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    Did you know that the engine in your Equinox is made in China? Did the MFG sticker say so? Did anyone tell you about the engine being made in China and brought to the USA and put in your Equinox?
    The reason I ask is on one car dealers web sites tells about how to overcome customers objection of parts being made in China. The article states that this started in 2005, ans as little was said by customers that GMC is planning on adding more China made parts in all GM vehicles.
    How do you feel about this?

    farout
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    The Equinox has a 3.4 L LNJ engine that is built in China by Shanghai G.M. and the transmission (transaxle) is built in Japan and all the plastic parts are made in Taiwan and in the U.S. The engines and transmissions are sent to Vancouver by ship then by land to Ingerstoll Ontario Canada (near Toronto) where the Equinox is assembled at Cami Enterprise.
    The 2008 Equinox Sport has a 3.6 L. engine (this engine is built in the U.S.)
    So I figured that the Equinox is only assembled in North America and that's about it.
    Can we say that the Equinox comes from North America? Hmmm!
    Mine is a 2005 LT.
  • philwphilw Member Posts: 5
    So you are concerned that your 3.4 is assembled in China? Let me share my experience with the 3.4. In the past I had 2 Pontiac Montanas both with the 3.4 engines in them. From day 1 these two engines sounded like they were going to fall apart they were so noisy.
    The Chinese assembled 3.4 in my 2007 Equinox is so different both in sound and performance, that I had to take a second look to see if it really was a 3.4. I have 50,000Kms (30,000miles) on this car and it hasn't missed a beat; and it's quiet.
    I think that the overpaid north american union boys should take note; it's all about workmanship.
    Furthermore, Why on earth would GM build a vehicle destined for the north american marketplace and not include heated outside mirrors? I purchased my Equinox fully loaded (so I thought). During the first winter storm I noticed that my outside mirrors were not de-icing. So I took the Equinox in to have this fixed only to find out that Equinoxs don't come with heated mirrors. You can have heated leather seats, an sunroof, great looking chrome rims and a great sounding XM boom box but no heated mirrors
    Did GM miss the boat on this one? You bet!! Take a look around at Hyundai, Honda, VW, ...al the foreign brands. These companies understand the needs of the north american marketplace. The least expensive Hyundai made had heated mirrors.
    I like everything about my Equinox is does what I need it to do however, all things considered (price, fit and finish and bang for the buck) I will probably be going to a Santa Fe next. By the way these are also assembled in the US of A.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I know what you're talking about. Before my 2005 Equinox I owned a 1999 Venture almost the same as your Montana but it's a Chevrolet and "Yes Sir" do I ever miss those heated mirrors we sure need those up here with our winters and the automatic level control suspension on the Venture was great. The engine in my Venture was a 3.4 L but I didn't have any problem with it but I noticed that the Equinox is a bit more expensive on gas.
    You're right my Equinox is a LT, heated leather seats, sun roof, inboard computer/compass, aluminium 17's wheels they told me "fully loaded".
    Fully loaded without heated mirrors? NAH!
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    So far, wife and I put 34,000miles on our Equinox since purchased Jan 2005. Still looks good, runs and drives great! No problems to date. The 3.4L is a strong proven GM design which is assembled overseas. I have no problem with GM saving some money by out sourcing the assembly of their V6.
    The 3.4L has been in GM cars since the mid 1990's. My bother currently has over 100,000 miles on his. It is a reliable engine design, thats easy to assemble, and has a timing chain which lasts the life of the engine.
    The best part is I save $400+ every 60,000 miles, since I don't have replace a timingbelt/waterpump.
    I also think that GM did a nice job with mating nice smooth [non-permissible content removed] transmission with
    the 3.4L.
    So far, the Equinox is a keeper for us.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Right on! Jim Dandy

    Bought my LT, FWD in May 2005 and so far so good. I love it. Purrrrs like a kitten.
  • bob171bob171 Member Posts: 2
    well then obviously you havent drove other vehicles. this was the worst vehicle i ever bought. i had significant problems after the first few days of owning it. check engine light came on periodically....took many visits to figure out that something clogged the vent hose off the gas tank. if that was even the problem. they replaced the computer..stilll had problems. the evap canister was cracked. the turning radius on these vehicles was worse then my full size truck...had to make many more 3 point turns. brakes were shot after 20,000 miles. the gas mileage sucked. i was lucky to get 18 miles to the gallon...mostly averaged around 15. the snow build up on the front windshield was terrible due to the inset windshield, and tough to clean off. and then finally the loud backfiring noise that they couldnt figure out. after many attempts...gm put out a tech bulletin saying that this was normal operation of the evap sensor selenoid..and they refused to do anything about it..and believe me i contacted everyone from the dealership, to a high executive officer at gm , and they still wouldnt help me. all they did was pass the buck...its not the dealers fault because it should be under gm waranty..yeah right...its not gms fault because the dealer is responsible because they actually purchased the vehicle from gm, so its their problem....blah blah blah..ive heard it all , but after 6 months and filing a complaint with the better business bureau under the lemon law( free by the way)..and after 3 offers by gm to avoid arbitration, gm finally agreed to buy my vehicle back from me. just so this wouldnt be made public information. the only thing i liked about it was all the room on the inside....but the 30000 dollar price tag wasnt. thats why i bought a toyota and i will never buy another gm product again!
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I have to differ with you on the 3.4L engine. I've had two of them, and they have both failed me. The one in my 2000 Olds Alero has breeched the intake manifold gasket, and is leaking coolant out onto the ground. The one in my 2001 Chevy Venture just over heated because the cooling fan relay is faulty. Now coolant is in the oil and the engine is knocking. I fear the engine is toasted. Only 79,000 miles on the Venture, and 80,000 on the Alero, and no, I don't neglect them. Not impressed with the 3.4L ChiCom assembled engine, nor with GM in general, though I have plenty of their cars.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    For the bad gas mileage it always depends on how you drive, then some poeple are harder on brakes than others, the turning radius is reasonable and quite understanding for a 108 inches wheelbase vehicule (this you should have known before buying it) it's not G.M.'s fault, the snow build up is obvious I could see the problem even though I bought mine in may and about that loud? backfirering noise... they all do that and yes it is normal.
    I've owned G.M. products since my first vehicule ( 8 in all ) since 1975. My first car was a used car then the rest were all bought new. Can't say a word about bad quality, maybe I was lucky? Sure I had some problems with my cars but mechanic will always be mechanic, you'll never get a perfect car. And my next vehicule will still be probably a G.M. again.
    I'm not the type of guy who throw a dozen of eggs in the garbage because one of them was cracked.
  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    Were you aware the of engines orgin? I n the sales guide it says not to say anything about it unless asked. There appears to be a slip it in if you have to, but don't bring it up unless you really have to. Thanks for your imput.

    farout
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    Wow! I'm just minding my own business,
    thinking life is great in my trouble free Equinox,
    cruzin down the hi speed digital highway, then BAM!

    Crap! a "Hit and Run Blogger"

    Oh what a feeling!

    Hey Jim, do ya think we can convert him?

    No it's too late, he's gone to the Dark Side. ;)
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Crap! a "Hit and Run Blogger"

    Hey, I still have the Venture, and a GMC Sierra right now as well, so I'm not exactly on the Dark Side. Just not thrilled with this 3.4L ChiCom lightweight motor.
  • luv_my_noxluv_my_nox Member Posts: 14
    "Obviously" I have driven alot of cars in my time and the Equinox is a great vehicle.
    All car manufactures have seen there share of problems, even Toyota.

    Google "Toyota Sludge" and you will see what I mean.

    The Equinox is a smooth running SUV.
    No complaints here. :)
  • gmanydaygmanyday Member Posts: 4
    Hi there.
    I dont mean to step on your toes, but suggesting to someone to buy a hyundai????.I agree that at first glance they may seem like an attractive option, however in the end they are not a wise choice.Maintenance is expensive,parts are ridiculously expensive,mysterious check engine light that is almost always on for some reason or other......etc.etc..etc. I'm a certified automotive technician and have been so for nearly 13 years and i can tell you that we see our fair share of hyundais and about 7 out of 10 owners say they wouldn't consider buying another one.Yes they have excellent warranties(they have no choice, its probably their strongest selling point) however most people want to buy a good vehicle, not a good warranty.Personally i want to get in my car in the morning and get to work on time and not have to console myself by saying "at least the warranty is good".The equinox is an excellent vehicle that will get you Where you want to go, When you want to go, with absolutely no fuss and in great comfort and style.Plus if you have kids, especially teens the rear seat is by far the most spacious in its class and even more spacious than many full size s.u.v's
  • philwphilw Member Posts: 5
    So, 13 years as an auto mechanic ...Well how about 22 years as a Hyundai owner and not one of them has cost me a dime. I even owned a pony. My personal history and that of all of my friends who own Hyundai brand vehicles speaks for itself. I find that problems may occur with Hyundais when untrained technicians with per-conceived negative ideas about Hyundais, attempt to fix cars that they don't know. That would be like a VW tech trying to fix a Chevy. When I service my Chevy, I go to a GM dealer. My Hyundai dealer would always look after my Hyundai issues; but that's never happened because my Hyundais have never needed Hyundai service. I drive my Equinox every day for work. It starts it runs and it stays on the road. It's noisier than a Santa Fe, it's smaller than a Santa Fe, it's less peppy than a Santa Fe, and it's every bit as reliable as a Santa Fe. Oh and did I mention that the Santa Fe is less expensive to own than the Equinox? The fit and finish is better on the Santa Fe. Hey the Santa Fe has heated exterior mirrors. (something you would think would be standard on a vehicle destined for the North American market) .
    My point is The Santa Fe is a much better bang for the buck. And you don't have to drive North American brands to get comfort, reliability and good value; that's just false.
    Our family (brothers, sisters in-laws etc..) owns 25+ vehicles. I have to say that the GM's see the shop more frequently than the Hyundais. The Fords are the worse. The Chryslers don't do well beyond 3 years (60Kms). I just have no hesitation to recommend Hyundais. They are all excellent value for the dollar.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    mysterious check engine light that is almost always on for some reason or other....

    I don't want to start a war here - but this is interesting to me - I have indeed experienced a fair amount of Check Engine lights on Hyundais, and especially Kias.....however, the brand that has almost universal mystery lights on in my experience is good ol' General Motors. In fact, the "Service Engine Soon" light is currently lit in my 2002 GMC Sierra pickup as we write this! It's 2 knock sensors that are both faulting, and require dismantling of the intake manifold and everything on top of it to get to them.

    Hyundai isn't perfect, but IMO, it's better than, or no worse than, GM as far as mystery lights are concerned, and I've sold a ton of both cars.
  • elfjonelfjon Member Posts: 1
    some may say there is a price for performance, but the Equinox carries neither. the engine is slow and every ineffiecient. 3.4L in a V6 should be making well over 200 hp. in the Equinox, they make only 185 hp. that's less than the 3.0L V6 in the Escape, and the same as the V6 in the Sportage, which uses significantly less fuel. GM as a much better V6 in so many of their other cars...the 3.6L. fortunatley, it is available in the Equinox, but only the top trim level. At least it will offer better fuel economy and a better tranismission.

    handling needs to be improved also. the steering is light and unresponsive. at least it is smooth. they either need to kill the nasty electric steering and get the hydraulic steering back, or retune it so that it is up to par with the Malibu's. Body roll is pretty significant and the turning circle is huge. a long wheelbase is great, but then the steering needs to be that much more responsive.

    the ride is ok, but it can get bouncy on the highway.

    the exterior may look ok (compared to its twin the Torrent, the Equinox is dated), but the interior quality is deplorable. GM really needs to nicen up the inside. Make the easts more comfortable, get rid of the plastic, move the sifter to the floor with a console, and more the window switches to the door where the belong. at least the rear seats are roomy and slide. the cargo area is pretty big too.
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    I do like the Ford Escape, engine and fuel economy is about the same, but I like the looks of the Equinox better. Both have towing capability of 3500lbs. Ford makes nice trucks.

    Now the Kia Sportage is a whole different animal compared to the Equinox or Escape.
    Or should I say, a squirrel compared to a jack rabbit.

    The Sportage can't even tow 3500lbs.!
    The Sportage mpg is 17/23mpg. Equinox is 17/24mpg.
    The Sportage engine 173hp/178ft-lb torque. Equinox is 185hp/210ft-lb torque.
    The Sportage has black bumpers. Equinox is colored keyed.
    The Sportage looks Blahhhh! :P The Equinox looks Sporty. :shades:

    I also went to the Sportage "Maintenance and Repair" blog site.
    Check out message #299.
    lmp4, "Kia Sportage Maintenance and Repair" #299, 18 Mar 2008 3:05 am
    There is a great discussion with pics on a 2001 Kia Sportage "Exploding Transfer Case".
    So much for a reliable Kia drivetrain.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I agree completely with your assessment of the Kia. They aren't really close to either the Escape or the Equinoxious.

    I have purchased both for customers - Personally, I prefer the Escape of the 3. It's a Japanese design (Mazda), built in Michigan, the Equinox is a GM design, built in Mexico. The Kia is Korean, not that there's anything wrong with that - but it's built in Korea and VietNam. If you get the VietNam edition, they tend to have problems. I rented a Sportage and put 800 miles on it in Costa Rica in a week. It performed flawlessly, but was less fun and less comfy than either the Escape or the Equinox.

    Beyond all that though, the Equinox is very nice driving and designed very well in the interior. The Escape is a tad more solid to me, and would be my first choice, either in the Escape, Mazda Tribute or Mercury Mariner version. 3 flavors, if you will, of the same candy. YMMV, but that's how I feel, having experience with all 3.
  • commuter10commuter10 Member Posts: 26
    I love my Equinox too. A small point. The Equinox is made in Canada at a joint GM-Suzuki plan with an engine made at a joint GM Shanghai motors plant with a Japanese Aisan transmission.

    I have 22,000 miles on my 2006 and it has performed well so far.
  • gmanydaygmanyday Member Posts: 4
    hey there! Just to let you know the equinox is indeed a G.M design,however it is built in Ontario Canada not in Mexico.
  • camiguycamiguy Member Posts: 3
    The Chevy Equinox , Pontiac Torrent and Suzuki xl-7 are made in Ingersol Ontario Canada. These suv are based on the Saturn Vue plateform. GM uses the old 3.4 litre engines but now has the new 3.6 in the sport and GXP. The Suzuki uses only the 3.6 litre engine. The Equinox was designed in GM 's Oshawa Ontario design center. Also 100 special fuel effecient Equinox were made in Oshawa to be used in selected cities in the U.S. for test markets and research.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Yes, I stand corrected, thanks to everyone. One more editorial on the engine - the 3.4L motor I have had several of, and each one has disappointed me by failing catastrophically once the car hit the 70,000 mile range, by either breaching an intake manifold gasket and leaking coolant outside the motor, or worse, INSIDE the motor - the one I currently have dumps it into the crankcase. This is not a good long-term motor, so if you're considering an Equinox, get the 3.6L motor. Just my advice. :cry:
  • commuter10commuter10 Member Posts: 26
    I read that the gasket problem you speak of was fixed a few years back, and was on an older domestic version of the 3.4l. What year engines were your 3.4s?

    Thanks!
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    You may be right - mine were a 2000 and a 2001. IMO though, it's still a crappy engine. Although, it seems better than it used to be in the new Equinoxes I've driven.
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    That is a none issue with the Equinox's 3.4L.

    It has the redesigned gasket, manifold, and bolts.

    In this case it's better to stick to a motor that has the problems worked out and fixed,
    then to try and take a chance new unproven motor. Just my advice.

    By the way my local GM sevice dealer gets Equinox's in his shop with 100,000miles for routine maintenace only.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I once had a 1999 chevrolet Venture and it had a 3.4 L. also and at 37,000 miles I had to replace the head gasket. Now I own a 2005 Equinox with the 3.4 L. engine and no problem with the gaskets and I'm at 22,500 miles.
    The only thing I can't figure out is that it's a bit harder on gas consumption than my Venture was. Go figure!
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    grosloup, I don't know why you Venture would be better than the Equinox, other than the different transmission and shift points the Equinox has.

    I did discover my odometer reading is not accurate with city driving. Maybe you or someone else can confirm this. I do remember reading a thread on this odometer error problem awhile back.

    In city driving, I found the Odometer .5 miles off for 5 miles driven and 1 mile off for 10 miles driven. My Odometer reading was 4.5 for 5 miles and 9.0 for 10 miles!
    I confirmed this with two other cars I owned, by taking the exact same 5 mile multiple stop-and-go route.
    The positive thing about this is the mileage warranty is longer, the negative is poorer gas mileage calculations, so 300 miles on a tank of gas is really 330miles on a tank of gas.
    At 330 miles instead of 300, this would add about 1.5 to 2.0 city mpg increase of actual gas mileage.

    On the highway, I used the mile markers to verify my odometer and found it reading 9.8 miles for 10 miles of driving. Not as bad but still .2 miles short.

    Just wondering if this is an odometer error issue with just mine or all 2005 Equinox's?
  • camiguycamiguy Member Posts: 3
    When the Equinox, Torrents and Suzuki come of the line they are taken to a station we call roll test. The suv goes on rollers and is driven with test equipment and computers. Things are tested such as brakes , shifting, acceleration and speedometer calibration. U.S laws give a small amount that speedometer can be out. This is what I understand. I will have to check and get back to you.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Hey! I thought I was crazy but yes my odometer is wacko. I often go to the same places that I usually went with my Venture (and other vehicles) and the mileage is shorter but always using the same road. I said to myself "better not talk about this, they'll say I'm crazy". Go figure! and it's worst in city driving.
    Does this mean will have fun longer with our Nox and have a better "trade in" value? It's cheating itself on its mileage. That explains everything.

    Another little thing that I'm trying to figure out is my gas tank gage and capacitie. Sometimes my indicator light comes on, next morning I start the truck it's off, then on again and I drive with the indicator light on for 15 milles without problems (city driving) and never ran out of gas. The gas tank is suppose to be a 16.4 gal. Always afraid to run out of gas, I decide to fill it up (to the rim) and most off the time not more than 13 gal. goes in.
  • sgr5516sgr5516 Member Posts: 163
    I have the exact same problem with my 2005 Equinox. There is a TSB out to reprogram the PCM to correct the odometer reading. However I opted not to fix it. Why accelerate the end of the mileage warranty or extended warranty if you have one. It takes a little more time to adjust the calculations to get true MPG. But I was happy to find out the MPG is actually higher than I originally calculated before I knew of this issue.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    This post is not about the Equinox. But since it's an automotive forum I've got a little question. I'm thinking of joining the A.A.A. (triple A).
    Is it good or I'll just be trowing my money out the window? I own a FWD 2005 Equinox LT
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Only you can decide whether joining is worth it. You should visit the AAA website and review the (many) benefits of membership. If you travel a lot you may find the benefits enticing.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I bought a 2005 Equinox (new). Now I wonder when would be the best time for me to trade it in so it would be to my advantage? Some say for the first 3 years you shouldn't trade a car, you loose to much. Is it at better at 3 yrs, 4... 5 or more?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    The short answer is "It depends!" :)

    If your Equinox is in good running condition then I don't see a need to trade it in. The trade off is that if you keep it you won't be making car payments (!) but as the car gets older you may have to put more money into maintenance. My personal choice would be to drive it as long as I could but it's your decision in the end. If you feel the need to have the latest and greatest then you have to include that into the equation too. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Hi there,
    One of the vehicles I've got on my long list of considerations for next year is the Equinox. I have looked at them, and I think they are very intelligently laid out, comfortable, good size (not too big, not too small) ,etc. The only reason I didn't buy one last time I was car shopping was that I was not crazy about how it drove. I thought it was very underpowered. Have I been given to understand that some of the engine problems have been worked out? Or that you can now buy one with a slightly bigger engine?

    The other big issue that I'd be curious about is their long term investment worth. My current vehicle is a lease, but I don't think I want to keep doing that time after time. In looking at this forum, I don't begin to see the number of "problem topics" that I see under the Jeep forums for example (scary!) and I haven't heard too many people who have had them talk about a lot of repair issues. Would like to hear from some longer term owners, and info about the engines? Many thanks! :)
    Karen
  • philwphilw Member Posts: 5
    Karen,
    First of all, a car is not an investment. It is something you buy as a necessity. North American cars are some of the worst for holding their value. Generally speaking most North American cars are worth less than 1/2 their original value after 3 years. The Equinox would be the same. The retail value may be slightly higher than 1/2 of the original value after 3 years however the wholesale value( what a dealer will pay for one is surely less than 1/2 of the original value.
    I have had my Equinox for 18 months (2007) and I currently have 36,000 miles on it. I don't find it underpowered at all. I live in Eastern Ontario in Canada; the car was built up here in Ingersoll for the North American market. One thorn in my side is that it does not have heated mirrors. To me that is a necessity in Canada. The centre console is very poorly designed; if you drop something down there it's like gone in a big black hole. I got this car because I ended a GMAC lease early and so I was tied in to getting another GM product to avoid penalties.
    I will drive this car to the end of its lease at 60.000 miles. I don't anticipate any catastrophic failures. The major components seem to be holding up fine.
    What I have observed is that there is better value in a Hyundai Santa Fe or even a Veracruz. Hyundais have come a long way over the past few years and have become serious players in this market. Just this W/E I did a brake job an a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. This vehicle had 150,000 Kms (90,000 miles)on it and it was on its second set of rotors and pads. I replaced the rear shoes the front calipers and pads and rotors. All else on this car is solid. The engine is quiet and runs like a top.
    My point is, don't jump in to an Equinox before having a thorough look at the Hyundais. The value for the dollar is far superior in a Hyundai than it is in an Equinox. I have owned Hyundais since 1986 and not one of them has ever cost me a dime over and above regular maintenance. In fact the Hyundai vehicles cost me less per mile to maintain than my North American cars.
    I hope this give you a little bit of fuel for thought when picking your next car.

    Phil.
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Hi Phil,
    First of all, a car is not an investment. It is something you buy as a necessity. North American cars are some of the worst for holding their value.

    Totally agree with you there! I think when I said investment, I meant more as in something worth keeping after a lease would expire than not. I know all cars are really just a money pit!

    And no worries on jumping into anything -- I am definitely taking my time and have promised myself that I will look at everything out there. I am more seeing what long term issues might be out there.

    Thanks! :)
    Karen
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    Karen,
    For us it is a long term commitment and good investment. We will probably keep it 10 years minimum. It is my wife's vehicle and she bought it for hauling our two boys, and for her business. She fell in love with this (New at the time) 2005 Equinox LT, which has a sunroof, leather interior and exterior is in Galaxy Silver.

    One of the features that sold her was that the arm rest moves out of the way, and opens up the center to put her hand bag and other things. This GM innovation has made alot of women happy. Almost all SUV's have these space robbing clumsy center consoles, with no place to conveniently put you bag of goods or a womens bag.
    My wife has her own business. She can fold & lock down the front passenger seat flat, and put her LapTop PC on the flat seat platform. It will stay there while she drives and she can use it when she is parked, very convenient and smart. Totally Cool!

    For safety, Equinox has airbags, traction control, antilock brakes, 5 star rating and the newer ones have stabililty control. All these safety features are there if you need them. We live up North and she drives the Equinox thru the winter snow with great handling and control.

    As for resale value, it depends how much you paid below List Price. For us, we got a great deal with incentives and rebates, that after 3 years, we could sell it for $2000 less than what we paid for it.

    So far, we had the Equinox over three years and has been trouble free for 37,000 miles.

    GM has made the Equinox reliable, with extreamly low maintenance, and easy to drive. The best part is we save $600+ every 60,000 miles, since I don't have replace a timingbelt/waterpump that you would have to do in alot of these other foreign vehicles.

    So far, the Equinox is still a keeper for us. ;)
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Hi Jim,
    Thank you very much for that post. I too am very impressed with the interior design of them. I think they definitely had some women helping to design them -- seriously, no offense to any guys out there, but a lot of SUV type vehicles were clearly designed to look tough and macho and not have an ounce of practicality in the interior! (i.e where to stash your purse, etc.)

    Whatever I end up getting next, I'm looking at keeping it on the long term, so I'm trying to be a smart shopper. I am also happy to hear that they handle well in bad weather. I live in southern PA, which is hit or miss for bad winters. Sometimes we get off easy, sometimes it's a snow/ice/sleet mess every week, so bad weather handling is another thing I put into the mental mixture.

    Thanks again! :)
    Karen
  • daddysangeldaddysangel Member Posts: 14
    Hi, kmauss. I have a 2005 Equinox LT with upgraded upholstery, bells & whistles. It is a low-mileage vehicle. It hauls my frail dad, senior ladies, groceries, rolling walkers and folding walkers nicely. My only major complaint is that its 44 foot turning circle makes it hard to park in Marsh Hometown Market store & church parking lots. My home town driving speed ranges from 20 to 35 mph with lots of stops & gos so the 14 MPG is lower than what was posted for 2005MY. All it has needed is oil changes & tire rotations. As to the motor; it does have get up & go both in town & on the highway. Just about all you have to do is put the peddle to the metal; then steer where you want to go. I plan on keeping blue boy as long as my WWII VFW dad is alive. We get snow, ice & salt here. With the Traction Control on, higher ground clearance, tires properly inflated, downshift to a lower gear, & a lower speed you shouldn't have very many problems. Turn off the TC to rock out of a slick spot should you be unlucky enough to get stuck (use plain clay kitty litter for grit under the tires). :blush: daddysangel
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Thank you very much for that post! I appreciate the info. I'm very far from making a decision, but I think the Equinox has gotten an unfair bad rap. They get poorly rated by Consumer Reports and things like that, but literally everyone I've ever talked to that has one really likes it, has few if any problems and has no intention of trading it.
    Karen
  • rvothrvoth Member Posts: 147
    I'm looking for the build date of a 2008 LT AWD Equinox. Last time I did this,a helpful GM tech searched the last six or eight numbers of the Vin and told me on which day and week it was built. So if someone out there could help me again here is the last few #'s of the VIN F086035555
    Russ
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