2010 Chevrolet Equinox First Drive
The twice annual equinox denotes the crossings of the equator by the sun, when the length of daytime and nighttime are roughly equal.
This has nothing at all to do with the small-to-midsize crossover utility vehicle of the same name offered by Chevrolet for the last several years. Well, except that it is possible to balance a raw egg on end in the general vicinity of any Chevy Equinox, at anytime of the year. This is because of a special gravitational dispensation awarded General Motors with use of the name "Equinox" and also because one can balance a raw egg on any day of any year, anywhere.
target="_blank">2010 Chevrolet Equinox First Drive
This has nothing at all to do with the small-to-midsize crossover utility vehicle of the same name offered by Chevrolet for the last several years. Well, except that it is possible to balance a raw egg on end in the general vicinity of any Chevy Equinox, at anytime of the year. This is because of a special gravitational dispensation awarded General Motors with use of the name "Equinox" and also because one can balance a raw egg on any day of any year, anywhere.
target="_blank">2010 Chevrolet Equinox First Drive
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Now, will somebody write a review about the vehicle without the smell?
The Equinox was worth considering until Gov't Motors took over and now - Buy a Ford!
Another spoof, duplicate of all the "other" SUV's they have. No wonder GM is bankrupt! It looks so close to the rest of them anyway, like the Traverse.
Wow! A nice car, but how "many" do we need in the line up. I thought GM would downsizing to an efficient, strong line up?! It seems like they will never learn, and simply shows that their commercial they have out now is not all truthful and of course not their words, choice in the matter! If they had it their way...well, need I say more.
I am not bashing the car, but wondering why we made the frivolous move?! How much money did we spend for this?
But Americans think profits first, everything else is secondary, there is no thought about the future, there is only today. Because of that mindset, the American car companies are in the mess they are, and millions of fat, stupid Americans are driving vehicles that only get 15 mpg and weigh 5,000 plus pounds in this day and age of gas price instability. Both are equally at fault in this mess, and if any company deserves American tax payer help, it's the American car companies. Every idiot you see driving around in an Excursion, Escalade, Tahoe, F150, Silverado etc. deserves to be paying back for their wasteful, and unequal consumption of natural resources. I liken it as a punishment for gluttony.
Unfortunately responsible people such as myself, who have never owned an SUV, truck, or a car with an engine bigger than six cylinders is also being punished in the bailout, but that's the price we pay I guess for living in America.
How do you know these are the same people? A diverse society supports diverse opinion and, sometimes, we hear one side more clearly than another.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
we own a crossover[ 06 torrent that cosistantly gets 25 mpg] but we believe we truely use it for the features it has over a car. and we own a 2007 gmc 1500, but again we have a real use for its features over a car and the torrent. but you are right. american business never looks down the road, just the balance sheet.
Now that Ford and GM are producing some really desirable models you bemoan the fact that you had to wait for them, and how dumb the execs were for not doing it sooner! They sold us what we wanted, so don't blame them. They're in business to make money. After all, if you're running a social welfare and retirement program that builds cars on the side, you need to make some profit somewhere.
So be glad that the American car companies have finally got it heading the right direction and buy something GM or Ford or Chrysler badged. Help out the companies and your country. And take your crying somewhere else!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
anyone hear an updated launch date at dealers for the new Equinox... just turned in my wife's '06 Pilot.. now looking to see what the '10 Equinox rides like...
The criticism that falls on Chrysler and GM isn’t much different. For several months now we’ve been bombarded with the views of people that have no idea what it takes to run these companies but have the safety of anonymity to protect them from the challenge of explaining their themselves. Of the many statements on the topic of Government bail-outs; the idea that consumers should walk away from Chrysler and GM because they took tax payer funding to stay alive is laughably ridiculous.
How can I say such a thing? Well its quite simple .any person that makes a statement saying they don’t support a company because it received federal funds is slapping themselves in the face! Fact is .if consumers invest in Chrysler and GM again they gain a far better chance of getting their tax dollars back with interest. To do anything less speaks of complete and total hypocrisy because that action highlights the fact that you care nothing about your tax dollars because your true goal is getting as many consumers as possible to hate Chrysler and GM just as you do.
Anyone that thinks it takes just a few months to bring and automobile from an idea to a sellable product is uninformed. The average industry time that it takes to bring an auto from an idea, to research and development, testing, and manufacturing is three years. That means that the cars rolling out of factories now were planned in 2006.
1st impressions were a huge improvement over the 2009 and older versions of the Equinox! Not so much the outside, although I do like the new sheetmetal better as well. But, the interior, from the seats to the center stack and window and lock buttons being where they should be, on the door!
The seats are really nice to sit in. A lot more support and they actually look kind of expensive for cloth seats. The center stack has a much higher quality feel to it as well. The knobs and buttons feel very high quality and all in all a much better feel than the regular "slap a radio into the dash and call it good" that Chevy is typically used to doing. I actually liked the interior better than the new Traverse, and I thought that it was well put together.
As far as how well it drives...It was a nice firm, but yeilding, comfortable and really quiet ride! The 4 cylinder drove like a 4 cylinder engine drives. It didn't feel like I had to get out and push, but it wasn't setting me back in the seat either. I was impressed with the sounds from the 4 cylinder engine. Even at high RPM's it never felt like it was being thrashed. And, with the manual mode on the 6 speed automatic, I could hold the gear to higher RPM's before upshifting.
I am really impressed with the way this Equinox feels all the way around. Even at $27k it had some really nice features like a rear back up camera that shows up in the rear view mirror, and blue tooth that takes about 30 seconds to pair and automatically recognizes your cell phone is in the vehicle as soon as it starts up!
Oh yeah, and before I forget. I set the cruze control at 75 MPH while I was on the highway for about a 10 mile stretch, and set the computer to show the average fuel economy. I reset the computer after I set the cruze control to 75 and the average MPG over the extent of the highway ride was 29 MPG! And that is on a brand new Equinox with 9 miles on it when I started the trip...can you imagine what it will get once it is broken in?!
I have driven the Honda CRV, the Toyota Rav4, and the Ford Escape. None of them have the room of the new Equinox (as was the case with the older models) but now the new interior materials, fit and finish, look and feel of the interior, just Bang for your Buck and fuel economy to boot; I think this is going to be a home run for Chevrolet!
i really liked everything BUT, the seat bolsters. the seats were extremely comfy to sit in, but exiting the vehicle you had to raise up and over the bolster. that annoyed me. but again, sitting in the seat was great. the other thing was the v6 was sluggish. i had high hopes that since the i4 has the same HP as the previous model v6 and with the gas mileage differences between the new i4 (32 hwy) and the v6 (23 hwy) it would feel peppy, but it wasn’t. however, for most buyers, im sure it will be fine. i would just like more. 285hp would be perfect.
some likes:
the room was amazing. i have always been amazed that the equinox had more rear legroom than a tahoe (old model too) with the sliding rear seat. im a former equinox owner. i drove an 2006 model for a year and half, before getting a company car.
for any car i get in, i always sit in the drivers seat and adjust accordingly then see how much room is directly behind me to see what kinda comfort (or lack of) my passenger will have. for starters, i loved getting in and sliding the seat all the way back and realizing it went too far. i am only 6'00'' but usually i drive in as faaaaar back as the seat will allow. i left it back as far as it would go and tried the back seat thinking worst case scenario. i had plenty of room and my knees still didn’t touch the drivers seat. i like!
the rear seats were also crazy comfy. as much as the drivers seat was bolstered the rear almost collapsed in squishy comfy unbolstered seats. the flip up DVD players were great too. they fold into the seat and don’t take up any space. pretty awesome car for the price. $31k for all that? pretty good deal imo.
From the outside the Equinox looks fairly large and that was a concern for me because I'm used to owning medium size vehicles i.e. my first car 89 Baretta GT, second Geo Tracker and current 99 Infiniti G20. Im a single guy and don't have anyone to drive around but myself and the occasional friend(s).
This is my first SUV and I was fairly impressed with the interior space because there was plenty and I wouldn't have to stretch across a canyon to reach the glove box from the drivers seat or interact with passengers. The amount of space in the rear seat can be simply surmised as joy, and add to that the fact that the floor is flat which only makes room for more space and comfort. The ease of moving the rear seat was great and at a 6'1" tall guy I had ample head room.
The materials GM chose to use were top notch (for the Equinox's segment). The interior of the Equinox bests the competition in design as well. Personally, I find the CR-V to be rather plasticky and the placement of the shifter rather minivanish and lacked of masculinity. I find the RAV-4 to be too cute, too small and again lacking in a masculine grown-up feel. I really like the exterior design of the Escape because its masculine but its becoming dated. I like the interior of the Escape but it suffers from a cramped feeling much like the RAV-4 and although the design of the dash is masculine it needs updating that comes away from the square look Ford has going on there.
Of course space and design is a matter of preference but I believe GM has as winner. Then again, im sure it won't be long before the Comps get refreshed.
I fell in love with the Equinox and plan to buy one before years end.
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The new Equinox puts the interiors of all the competition to shame in my opinion. I have sat in all of them and there is no comparison. I am sure Honda and Toyota are working on new models and will catch up but for now, GM has the best small SUV on the market in my opinion.
Probably got his College degree from "Mickey Mouse University".
"GM Needs ENGINEERS WITH COMMON SENSE OF DESIGN."
Perhaps it's time to head back to spelling class now. :lemon:
Today, headlights are design specific and cannot be purchased off the shelf and this eliminates the need for automakers to design the front end of the vehicle around headlights. Do a Bing search on headlight design to get more info because you are clearly uninformed.
We've always based our purchases on price, mpg (even before $4 a gallon gas), functionality, lots of research, and test drive after test drive. We have two kids (ages 5 & 10) so safety and rear seat space are concerns. And my wife is an art teacher and avid gardner, and I'm a drummer, so ample cargo space is needed, too. The Equinox not only delivers all this, but with style.
During our search for a vehicle to replace our 2000 Mazda MPV, we researched and test drove the following: Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Subaru Forester, Nissan Rogue, and - finally - the Equinox. Honestly, the 2009 Equinox wasn't even in the running, but while reading a review of the CR-V, my wife noticed a banner ad for the 2010 Equinox trumpeting its 32 MPG highway fuel efficiency. Skeptically, she clicked on the ad. A month later, we've got one on order.
From the redesigned exterior (which I find aggressive and bull-doggish, but my main car is a Scion xB, so take that with a grain of salt), to the stylish and SUPER-quiet interior, we were impressed. Cavernous backseat, comfy front seats, and loads of bells-and-whistles really made an impression on us. The drive and handling were among the best we'd experienced of the compact SUV/CUVs we'd driven. Yes, it's a four-cylinder and you won't be outrunning the cops in it anytime soon, but the trade off of 26 MPG combined city/highway is well worth the pedestrian acceleration to us. We prefer hypermiling to quarter-miling, anyway.
The only things that concern us are reliability vs.Honda and Toyota (past models of the Equinox have taken a hit in this department) , and the long-term effects of a 4 cylinder engine powering a 3800+ lb. vehicle for 5+ years. But with me not being an automotive engineer and GM slapping a 100K mile warranty on the powertrain, I'll take my chances on the latter issue.
With the reliability concern, I've heard some very good things from people who own GM vehicles. Likewise, I've heard some very bad things as well. But with GM stating their intentions to be more customer-focused, with the success of the Malibu and Camaro, and with GM's "sink or swim really, really well" position in the market, I am willing to invest in GM's future by purchasing the Equinox.
Today, my wife and I are excited about our purchase. We are hopeful that we will feel the same in 5, 10 years.
For the record, we've ordered a Equinox 2WD 1LT w/Sunroof, Vehicle Interface Package and Power Driver's Seat. Price: $23,788 w/Conquest cash (if still applicable on delivery) plus tax, title and fees.
Could you please both look at my posts/questions in the "2010 Equinox Problems" thread and let me know your experiences related to what I bring up there? Thank you.
"Their biggest concern was the engine location and the transmission design,the location of other drive train parts underneath the hood."
What does that mean...that Chevy doesn't know how to put an engine in a vehicle all of a sudden? You can't get to the bulbs to change them if they burn out...when was the last time you had a vehicle in which the bulbs burnt out?
"If you have a mechanic of your own seek out his advice,but also quiz GM dealer about the warranty conditions on this vehicle."
The warranty on this vehicle is 5 years or 100,000 miles! Its the best warranty you can get on a new vehicle. I think you should quit worrying about GM succeeding and find another hobby.
Now the thing that sticks out most to me is that you have known these mechanics for over 60 years and say that they are ASE certified. If thats the case these mechanics should very well know that the vast majority of vehicles made today require an owner to take the vehicle to a mechanic to have the bulbs replaced.
That very fact is true for my 10 year old 99 Infinity G20 (which I will soon replace with a 2010 Equinox). Ask your mechanics why headlamps are designed this way? Their answer will reveal whether or not they can be certified to work on modern vehicles.
To give a vehicle a grade of 3 out of 10 on just two things is suspect. It screams of either bias or lack of knowledge.
Considering the size of the Equinox as compared to its competitors and the fact that it gets better fuel mileage than its competitors should have rang a bell with you ASE certified friends. Is it possible that the way the engine and transmission are configured helps to contribute to the fuel efficiency of the vehicle?
If I were you, I'd ask a professional these questions and see what they think. A very good place to start is Pat Goss of Goss' Garage. This man knows his stuff and will give it to you straight.
I purchased my new Equinox on Sept 18, now have 1750 miles on it. Love it!.
Well that explains it. You're a bunch of senile old farts. I would advise narrow minded old gits like you NOT to buy an Equinox.
However, I'm going to enjoy my Equinox, the room, the quiet ride, the modern electonic console and the 22/32MPG. The styling is cutting edge as well. Plus, it's an American designed automobile manufactured by an American company that employs American workers (inclding some Canadians and Japanese etc.)