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Chevrolet Equinox

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  • rctennis3811rctennis3811 Member Posts: 1,031
    thanks tidester
  • chevyguy657chevyguy657 Member Posts: 216
    dindak was in a silver sedan and you, reg, were in a red hatch with a 5-speed. Then things got ugly when you took Rach into the Rendezvous and ran over dindak, but horrible driving skills.

    Then dindak got into his new Nox and was about to run over you, but the Chinese 3.4 died.

    So then you both had hissies outside of Edmunds.
  • rctennis3811rctennis3811 Member Posts: 1,031
    Chinese 3.4 LOL
  • bhartbhart Member Posts: 4
    went to detroit got in one of the Equinox in display,looks nice outside,actually looks slightly bigger than escape and crv.
    Inside on driver and passenger is much bigger than my crv2002,plenty of leg room( I'm 6ft),pretty comfortable,knobs are close to what the crv has,didn't have much time to play around with everything because of the amount of people looking around,the back seat is less comfortable than crv,recline less and doesn't goes flat. the only reason so far of not buying this vehicle(i need to get a new one in the next 2 years) will be the trunk space ,GM screw it up placing 2 tower like where the tires hump should be in order to get some sore of table/space separator,it really reduces the space,if your plan for this vehicle is to just commute may be ideal,but if you plan to travel,do some shopping ,you are looking at the vehicle with less usable space of his category.
    will be interesting to check later on how it perform in different driving conditions,and how does in gas/milleage. Price is going to be very competitive especially for being a v6.
    so far I will get another crv
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    chevyguy657 : I think your going over the edge now. BTW.. Reg and I are buds.. we just bicker for fun.

    bhart : Do these pillars you mention really take up that much room? How does it compare to the VUE (built on the same platform)?
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  • bhartbhart Member Posts: 4
    dindak:sorry been busy,they are actually like towers,not humps like the VUE,they are used for the height adjustable shelf/privacy/table,so it really takes space ,imagine the humps or pillars up to the level of the windows or almost the height of the back seat .
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Interesting... I will make note of it all when I see it in 3 weeks.

    I did do the 360 view here and it looked ok though...

    http://www.chevrolet.com/equinox/gallery.htm
  • murfdogmurfdog Member Posts: 61
    Do you know when the Equinox will be available to the general public. When can we first test drive one. I heard Spring. Is there an official date. THanks
  • larryt22larryt22 Member Posts: 125
    I visited my local Chevy dealer on Saturday to press the "Hot Button". No, I did not win!!! I was talking to the salesman about the Equinox. He was trying to explain to me how it was going to be just like the Trailblazer, only just a little smaller. It was obvious he didn't have a clue about the 'Nox. I asked him when he thought they might get one and his response was it was an '05 model, so it would probably be awhile. Seems like GM's image is not going to improve anytime soon if they don't do something about replacing the salesmen that are the link between the customer and the product.
  • larryt22larryt22 Member Posts: 125
    I noticed today that you can now do a dealer inventory search for the Equinox. This has just been added in the last few days. However, I searched both FWD and AWD and found no inventory in my vicinity. I assume the availability of the search engine means the 'Nox is about to be shipped.
  • rhouser2rhouser2 Member Posts: 114
    will the Nox have metal or composite body panels? I went to the auto show in Omaha,ne last week and the Nox was absent. From the autos I saw, the Nox is still in the running(untill we see one) as well as the CRV,Sante Fe and the 05 Escape/Tribute. Sat in a new vue and was not impressed at all. matter of fact i was very disappointed. While the Honda engine is a plus to the Vue,it'snot nearly enopugh to get us to consider it for our next purchase.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I hate to break it to ya, but Honda and other car makers all have sales people of the same caliber. Only place I have not seen bad sales people is Saturn.
  • lichtronimolichtronimo Member Posts: 212
    that Chevy guy would have rather sold you a Trailblazer today, than an Equinox tommorrow...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I doubt it'll get the plastic panels. I didn't check when I saw it at NAIAS though.

    -juice
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    I got to climb around in one at the Providence Auto Show this weekend. I saw a lot of vehicles, so forgive me for the random assortment of details and not being able to recall more.

    The outside - It's long. It appears to be longer than the VUE, and has a shape very similar to the Trailblazer. Both were parked a few feet away, so I was able to make reasonable comparisons. If not for the smallish engine options and (presumably) low price, I'd consider this buggy competition for the Highlander.

    It does not have plastic panels. The tire/rims were pretty big. If you like Chevy truck styling, this is a good-looking rig.

    Up front - The front seats offer decent support (better than those in the Colorado). The controls are very similar to the VUE in terms of where they are placed, but they are not exactly the same parts. The dash, door handles, and a few other controls have an interesting circular design to them. Unfortunately, the radio controls look like something from a 1980's boom box. The passenger seat folds flat and, like the VUE, has a plastic back to prevent damage to the fabric.

    In back - The back seat stinks. Legroom is plentiful, but the seat cushion is just plain bad. The extra room will be good for carseats, but the cushions make it a poor choice for toting adults.

    Cargo - The cargo area has a floor that can removed (like the CR-V's picnic table). However, it is designed to be placed on top of the strut towers in the back and used like a shelf. Consider it a solid cargo cover. While I think this shelf/cover will be a nice feature, the strut towers take up way too much space. My brother-in-law remarked that he would never be able to fit a baby stroller in the back. The GM demonstrator overheard him and stated that wheelchairs won't fit either. Add to that the fact that the second row does not fold flat (not even close), and I have to give the Nox low marks for cargo capacity.

    Oddly enough, I found some rust in the engine compartment, but the tires looked like they were new (suggesting that it was not driven from show to show). The power was disabled, so I could not see mileage or evaluate several features.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The block is iron, not alloy, was that where you saw rust?

    -juice
  • lichtronimolichtronimo Member Posts: 212
    "The GM demonstrator overheard him and stated that wheelchairs won't fit either."

    At least the autoshow staff is very helpfull...
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Juice - The most glaring rust was visible where a shield over the front of the engine met it's mounting point. That could have been part of the block, I don't recall. However, there was also rust spotting on a hose clamp and a few other components.

    Could have been worse... The Scion xB had wires held together with duct tape. =) (Obviously, it had been vandalized.) We tried to write OEM on the tape with a pen, but the surface was too wrinkled.

    Speaking of vandalism, I accidentally broke the Toureg. Thankfully, they did not have a "you break it, you buy it" policy.

    Lichtronimo - I thought it was odd. Just seemed like a random item to blurt out.
  • zeenzeen Member Posts: 401
    I carefully inspected the Equinox at the Philly show and varmint is dead on with his comments. The wells over the rear struts take up half the cargo area. The back seat is hard and has little thigh support. I am also thinking that the 185 horses will be on the light side. The first road tests should be interesting.
    I like the styling very much, more so than the VUE but with the 250 horses and what seems to be more usable space in the rear of the VUE, I may reconsider. I did note that the Chevy had the computer module mounted right in front and on top of the engine compartment for very easy access.
    Chevy rep would only say that the debut is in the Spring. I have no doubt that they will be flying out of the dealerships given the great shape and style.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    WRT the back seats, keep in mind the seats do move back. Did you try that feature?

    As for the cargo room, if what you say is true that is disappointing. The VUE has a decent cargo area so I am actually a bit surprised.
  • zeenzeen Member Posts: 401
    The fore and aft adjustment in the back seat is great and definitely improves legroom. It does nothing however for the firmness of the seat or the lack of thigh support.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Back seat will have kids. Don't care much about leg support. I do care about the cargo room though!
  • zeenzeen Member Posts: 401
    FYI, according to Edmunds' specs, the Equinox has a rear luggage capacity of 35.2 vs. the VUE's of 30.8 and totals for cargo are 69 and 64 respectively. I suppose that because the Equinox has a larger body than the VUE, even though a lot of the luggage space in the Equinox is taken up by the strut wells, it still has more capacity than the VUE. That assumes that Edmunds' specs are correct. I would be interested in others' observations.
  • joey2brixjoey2brix Member Posts: 463
    I hope those strut towers were not increased just for that stupid plastic shelf. Probably why the Nox is the largest in class but has less interior cargo space then a CRV. Rusty motor? What do you expect from a cheap Chinese cast iron engine probably made of American scrap iron. GM better be afraid of Kia and Hyundai. The war with Honda and Toyota are already lost. C&D had a short review of the V6 Vue in the March issue. They were all raving about the Honda V6 power and complained that the Vue had poor handling and less interior space then an Escape.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    The VUE has a little less room than the Escape, but it's not that much less. Handling was excellent IMO when I tested a 3.0L.

    VUE competes very well with CR-V and is much better than RAV4. Saturn has not lost the war to Honda and Toyota?

    Rusty engine could be because this is not a production car, It's likely hand built proto.

    I will pay special attention to the rear cargo room in the NOX as it's important we can get a stroller and some luggage into the back with no problems.
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    I suspect that the Nox has a higher roofline, which would add to the cargo volume. I don't have a problem with the total volume of the cargo space. It's how use friendly that space is that looks like an issue.

    As for the rust, I made note of it because it was odd for a show car. I'm sure it's not a quality thing.

    Dindak - No, I did not slide the rear seats (I'm guessing they were already in their rear-most position. There was absolutely no issue with legroom (the height was also okay). However, as Zeen correctly noted, the real problem is with the seat cushion.

    Joey2brix - Unless they have significantly revised the suspension (from VUE to Nox), I saw no other reason for the huge strut towers. FWIW, the suspension does intrude in the VUE. It's just that the VUE's towers are rounded and much shorter. You can work around them.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I had heard that the seats all the way back offer decent space. I will double check that next week when I see it. Comfort padding is not a big factor for the back seats as it's for kids. How were the front seats?

    As I said, I have seen a NOX on the road (I live about an hour from the plant) so they are being built and coming very soon. I would not be surprised to see them locally at dealers by month end.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    varmint: I ask because Chevy hosted a Malibu intro event, and the engine display they showed also was sprinkled with rust spots. I'd thought it was weird and even suggested to the hosts that they not show off rust!

    Still better than duct tape. :o)

    But yeah, show cars take serious abuse. Notice most removable items are already taken off? Like shift knobs...

    Back to the Nox, I'm disappointed that it only gets 4-5 extra cubes. It should be a lot bigger with the longer wheelbase, not just marginally bigger.

    -juice
  • joey2brixjoey2brix Member Posts: 463
    always seem to be right in the center of the cargo well. So while a kids stroller would probably fit, I doubt a large television box would. I would rather take my sport sedan on trips and use the mini-ute for hauling purchases, so maximizing the space is more important. A big mistake on Chevy's part. Leave the cute shelf for the Vibe. The new Mazda6 sport wagon might actually have a more square cargo space with a nice OHC V6. Hmmmm. Zoom-zoom.
  • zeenzeen Member Posts: 401
    It certainly is possible that the strut towers were raised for the shelf to work.
    I doubt a TV box would fit.
    Front seats were quite comfortable and supportive.
    It was very easy to exit the rear seat. My feet didn't get caught the way they did when I exited the Escape.

    The Mazda6 wagon was very nice and roomy as was the new Legacy wagon that got a nice redesign.
     
    The '05 Escape is a little nicer looking with the new lights but otherwise the size and shape are unchanged. I think they should have slope the rear a little (like the NOX) to make it more appealing.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I noticed that the shelf "lip" seemed to take up space, also.

    Look at the Legacy, since you mentioned. The suspension is tucked in nicely, the shock towers barely intrude at all. Less than half the intrusion of the Nox.

    -juice
  • rhouser2rhouser2 Member Posts: 114
    Do you think it possible that the Nox you sat in does not have the same seat cushions that will be in the regular production Noxs?
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Dindak - The front seats didn't leave a big impression. (I sat in a lot of cars that day.) If they were particular bad or good, I think I would remember. So I'm going to say they were "fine", with the caveat that every kiester should come to its own conclusion. =)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    varmint : Thanx. I guess I will see for myself. Notice any lumbar controls?

    rhouser2 : Backs seats of the VUE are not great either. I'm not surprised if they don't have much padding/support. I've sat in other vehicles like this also.

    zeen : The lady that cuts my hair offered me a family/friend Ford discount card if I wanted one. The Escape is definitely on the shopping list.
  • murfdogmurfdog Member Posts: 61
    I was hoping this would be my next car; however, if the cargo room is as described then forget it. Might as well get a sedan.

    I have a buick rendv and it easily fits our kid's jogging stroller plus a whole lot more stuff. We leave the stroller in there because there is plenty of room around it. Its a big jogging stroller not one of those little mall stroller.

    I realize the Equinox is smaller,but I was expecting to atleast fit the jogging stroller.

    I will wait and see for myself and judge it then. If the cargo space is poor, then to me, I might as well get a sedan. Might have to get a second buick Rendv.

    I was hoping to get the orange equinox if the orange was the right shade since I am a UTexas alumn.

    Oh well
  • murfdogmurfdog Member Posts: 61
    One more comment. If this car is suppose to be a true crossover then it missed the mark if the cargo space is small. In my opinion, a true crossover looks kinda like a SUV, rides like a car, driver is up high like an SUV, cargo space and movability of seats and other stuff is like a minivan.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Maybe Chevy was afraid it would steal TrailBlazer sales?

    I think cargo space could have been much better.

    I'll be at the Philly Show tomorrow so I may check it out again. I thought the seats were kind of spongy but I'll try it again.

    -juice
  • joey2brixjoey2brix Member Posts: 463
    Nox was always to be a mini-suv to replace the way outdated Tracker and Blazer. (And they're still selling that junk!) I think the Buick RDV was more first gen crossover with Nissan FX45 and Pacifica being the most modern versions. More of a tall station wagon with AWD. Still more of a people mover not stuff hauler. The Nox is a very nice styling update over the Vue, but the extra wheelbase length didn't produce any real space improvements. I think the TB is wastefully to big for most people. Anyway with incentives it looks like I could get a nicely loaded TB for less then a NOX. But who wants 15MPG and all that bulk?
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    The cargo space is not small. It simply isn't shaped very well.

    Joey2brix - The term "cross-over" generally refers to an SUV-like vehicle that is based on a uni-body car-like platform. So, yes, the Nox is a cross-over. Most of the small SUVs are. That includes the Escape, CR-V, RAV4, Santa Fe, Forester, VUE, and Outlander (which is pure junk).

    I don't question whether or not the Nox is a cross-over. I'm still not convinced that it's a small SUV. It's that big. I mean, C&D classified the VUE as a mid-size during their last round of testing. The Nox is even bigger.

    That's not a bad thing. I just think (size-wise) it's getting awfully close to being competition for the Highlander, Rodeo, Montero Sport, Sorento, and a few other 2 row mid-size SUVs. The new Durango super-sized its way into the next larger segment. Perhaps the Nox is going to do the same.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    C&D did something interesting - they looked at overall length as well as curb weight to determine where to draw the line for mid-sizers.

    I think it was 180 inches for length, 3900 lbs for weight, but you had to exceed *both* to no longer be considered a compact SUV.

    So the Grand Vitara XL7 was still a compact, for instance. I think the Nox would still be a compact by those standards.

    -juice
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I love the Trailblazer but the gas and insurance will kill me. It does have a sweet engine though and I love the looks. Old blazer is smaller than a VUE inside I think I read somewhere. The thing burns more gas than a TB with nothing to show, people still buy them though.

    VUE seems to be the leader here for my SUV choices. Best power train, good mileage #s and decent space. I have a $750 off coupon for use before April 30 and I have $1000 GM cash on my GM card. Would make for an ok deal though I'm hoping for 0% financing.
  • npgmbrnpgmbr Member Posts: 248
    I'm confused as to what the real problem is. Is everyone assuming that this shelf is unmoveable?

    I mean .......... that would be a pretty stupid move on GMs part don't ya think! There simply is no reason to invest in a rear seat that folds to create more space if its only gonna be obstructed by in immobile table.

    If this is is immobile then I guess they are stupid.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'd consider a Vue Redline if the seats and interior are improved from the 2003 model I test drove.

    -juice
  • lichtronimolichtronimo Member Posts: 212
    with all that body add on stuff, when the Honda V-6 is available in the regular vehicle?
  • zeenzeen Member Posts: 401
    The shelf is moveable and it comes out. The towers that support the shelf are what limit the usable space. The towers do have little storage bins on top of them.

    I'm curious how pricing will be on this vehicle. Edmunds shows invoice and sticker. I am assuming that it will be pretty close to sticker for the first few months. Question whether this is such a great vehicle that it's worth paying extra for. This is still a Chevy with a lot of plastic. In any event, I'm waiting to see how one dealership here in the Philly area will price this vehicle when it comes out. This dealership advertises very aggressive prices. I'd be happy to let people know what that pricing is.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Answer: suspension. The base suspension was mushy. Ride too soft, too much lean. Redline package was needed to button it up a bit.

    I have to try one to see if it has a better ride/handling balance.

    -juice
  • zeenzeen Member Posts: 401
    At the Chevy website, if you have Quicktime, there are views of the interior that you can access. I do not have Quicktime but it may show the rear for those who haven't seen it.
    Here is the link: http://www.chevrolet.com/equinox/gallery.htm
  • rctennis3811rctennis3811 Member Posts: 1,031
    So wait, does the Vue have more cargo room than the Equinox or is it the other way around?
  • zeenzeen Member Posts: 401
    rctennis: See message 634 and subsequent discussion. Chevy has more but usability is the question.
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