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Chevrolet Equinox

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Comments

  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    Actually the high level of torque that OHV engines produce is better suited for SUVs.
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    Equinox SS would be very cool though mileage would drop substantially.
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    how agressively they tune the engine. If they do not do it for sport then it should be fine. Meybe they will make the engine a bit more efficient, too?
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Can hardly be labelled an SUV. More like tall wagons. It's not like you are gonna take it out mudbogging. A modern OHC engine with decent displacement and VVT will do the job. Just like every other non-GM make uses.
  • eldradeldrad Member Posts: 5
    Thx but I don't have a light over the center console. I only have one light which is basically above the feet of the rear seat passengers...it only has a switch on it (on, off or auto)...no ability to press on it.

    thanks though
    eldrad
  • eldradeldrad Member Posts: 5
    Thx
    am i able to change what mode my headlights are in?
    how?
  • eldradeldrad Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the radio tip - will def try that.

    About the Door Locks: I don't carry the keyless remote because I hate stuff in my pockets, so I go with a "lite" key chain (car & house *keys* only, no remote). I dont wear these tight pants so my key chain bulges out!

    Another annoyance found: the rear view mirror & dash board vibrates on even the smoothest of roads.

    This car clearly wasnt made for me.

    Dear Subaru:
    Please make an affordable 6 cyl Outback Wagon soon. I beg you...Please...Really...kissing your virtual feet...will even make campaign donation to crafty politician of your choice...blubbering...whimpering...
  • sgr5516sgr5516 Member Posts: 163
    Sorry for the confusion. I was just using references I picked up in the Malibu forums. The computer automatically switches between daytime mode (when DRL are on) and nighttime mode (when headlights are on), using input from the light sensor on top left of dashboard.
  • sgr5516sgr5516 Member Posts: 163
    I think cokekiller was not referring to the flip up console. He meant the console that has the gear shifter and the window switches. You should have two lights above the rearview mirror that come on when you open the doors. I thought all the NOX models had these. These are the map lights. You can push on the light lens of these lights to turn them on and off manually.
  • eldradeldrad Member Posts: 5
    apparently i don't have these...hmm
    thanks
  • mr_botsmr_bots Member Posts: 236
    That is the same way you reset the oil-life in any GM car, and has been for years. I never found it to be too much of a problem.
  • fent710fent710 Member Posts: 1
    I need some help please. I've been researching the Equinox for close to a month now and I'm so confused, so I thought someone could help me, please! I am curious if leather and heated seats come in the 2LT ONLY or can it also come on the 1LT. I'm so confused, hopefully someone can help me out. Thanks!
  • sgr5516sgr5516 Member Posts: 163
    The Oil Life Monitor System on some new GM cars is different. You can display and change various vehicle functions through the Driver Information Center built into the radio display. You push a button to get to the oil life monitor reset screen then push another button to reset it. Another screen counts down and displays the percentage of oil life left. When it's time to change the oil, a message is displayed when you start the car.
    My Malibu has this as does the Potiac G6. I think the new Impala's have it too.
  • slinky1slinky1 Member Posts: 42
    It is going to be a 3.6 L , 250hp
  • slinky1slinky1 Member Posts: 42
    2008 my though..........
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    I have a loaded 2005 FWD LT, with leather, we bought in January 05.
    We bought this as a family cruiser and as a universal work horse.
    I also have two boys 5 & 10yrs, that ride in it all the time with my wife. She loves the Equinox.
    We had no problems. We get advertised fuel economy, Stereo sounds good, no problems with noise, smells,leaks, interior fit & finish, interior noise, or drivability problems.
    In fact, just the opposite.
    Fit and finish is excellent we find the ride to be excellent.
    Emergency maneuvers are excellent since my wife and I were able to avoid two accidents.
    1st: two kids ran in front of my wife on a hi-way, the anti-locks kicked in, missed the kids with out incident. She keeps telling me, "This Equinox has great brakes".
    2nd: My family and I were on vacation, driving 65mph on I_70 in MO, a car merges and cuts in front of me,
    I swerved hard to adjacent lane without incident. The Equinox road manners are great!
    Knowing that the Equinox is 5 star rated is also a bonus.
    ;)
  • jde5jde5 Member Posts: 14
    hi,
    long story, but i've managed to bend my rear driveshaft hanger bearing bracket so that it makes contact w/ the drive shaft when i'm driving 'fast' -- >60km/hr. my dealer corrected the problem for me by straightening the bracket. it's a good thing for me money-wise since a replacement would be far more expensive, but i would appreciate if someone could tell me this solution is ok, and is not considered risky or anything like that.
    i haven't had a chance to drive on the expressway, but i don't hear anymore clanking sound driving upto 80 km/hr.
    thanks!
  • friascesarrfriascesarr Member Posts: 1
    :) Hola. I just bought an EQUINOX 2006, it feels great and soft, I read a lot about of equinox problems I DONT HAVE ANY!!!!!.... however, I have a question that I will like that someone here in this forum can answer.... as far as i know the stereo is XM satelite radio prepared...isn´t? if so do I have to buy a separate XM equip? or I just need to take my SUV to the dealer so they can activate it? please help!!?? I live in Mexico.
    Thanks!!!
  • slinky1slinky1 Member Posts: 42
    XM is an available option, if you have that option, you need to subscribe to it, at a monthly fee, talk to your dealer...........
  • slinky1slinky1 Member Posts: 42
    It should'nt be risky at all, if you bent it again, or a few times i may be concerned, but not one time.......consider it a cheap fix!!!!
  • balichbalich Member Posts: 62
    Here is LINK :
    http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2006-02-16-drive-torrent-usat- _x.htm

    A Torrent of criticism for Pontiac's new SUV
    This won't be one that wows 'em with General Motors' new dedication to premium presentation.

    One of Torrent’s strong points is its attractive styling. It looks more expensive than it is.


    Torrent, Pontiac's version of the crude Chevrolet Equinox crossover SUV, seems cheap and clumsy — like the Equinox (Test Drive, June 18, 2004). The front-wheel-drive test vehicle's plastic parts were yester-tech; brittle and flimsy. The automatic transmission gearshift lever slopped, clackety-clack, through its positions. The back of the front seat feels as if it's throwing you forward off the seat. The markings on the wiggly, imprecise climate control knobs are almost impossible to see in daylight (though easier when illuminated at night).

    Using the turn-signal lever — as a designer at a rival company once said about his own flop — feels like breaking a chicken's leg. Audio control buttons on the steering wheel spokes are so small they are hard to push with a bare hand, never mind a gloved one. The gear-position indicator is down by the shift lever instead of up higher in the main instrument panel. That means you have to drop your eyes from the road ahead to tell if, for example, you got the lever all the way into drive, or spaced out and left it in that lower gear you used coming down a steep hill. (Eventually the engine drone would give you a clue, but why not make it easy?)

    Plastic trim that surrounds the ignition slot and covers part of the steering column was feeble and loose in the test vehicle.

    The V-6 engine vibrates. You notice how much when you shift into neutral waiting at a stoplight and the Magic Fingers shaking ceases.

    Handling — defined here as the ability to go around a corner quickly, gracefully — is OK at lower speeds, but becomes suddenly cumbersome and unusually nose-heavy (even for a front-drive vehicle) with the addition of 1 or 2 mph, and does so without telegraphing to the driver where the dividing line is. Body lean is minimal when Torrent is in its well-behaved handling mode, but the lean grows rapidly as cornering speed increases even a little. Not what you expect from a sporty brand, as Pontiac is trying to become anew.

    Faint groans issued randomly from the rear of the test vehicle, which had about 4,100 miles on the odometer. In its defense, that's a lot of miles for a vehicle that goes from one beat-it-hard journalist to another. But not enough to justify such noises. And they were the maddening kind — unpredictable, so you wouldn't be able to describe the circumstances to your friendly service guy, nor expect the Torrent to misbehave when he drives it to check.

    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration files show no recalls, no investigations and almost no complaints. But they do show a significant number of technical service bulletins, or TSBs. Manufacturers send a TSB to alert dealers to a widespread problem and to have them all fix it uniformly.

    The first one that pops up on the TSB list at www.nhtsa.dot.gov is a doozy, suggesting the Torrent has problems with the engine losing power, the transmission failing to downshift, the heater motor going on strike and the speakers buzzing. Others deal with safety belts that are difficult to use. Car companies have been installing belts only about 50 years, so you can see why they might not have it figured out yet.

    The front-wheel-drive test vehicle — no four-wheel-drive model was available for testing — was pitiful in the slick, uphill driveway test. Regardless of whether the traction control was turned on or off, Torrent barely could claw upward through snow and slush. And even though it was able, finally, to climb the driveway, Torrent got left at home that day for fear it wouldn't handle safely in the slippery mix of snow and slush. Just another example of what a fraud it is to pitch traction control as a substitute for all-wheel drive, or as a great thing for slippery winters. All makers, not just GM, are guilty of that.

    All Torrent's problems are due to its close kinship with the Equinox. GM put a Pontiac body and trim on the Chevy and called it a new model. Instead it's just a different wrapper around the same flaws. Worse, it's a throwback to the bad old days of so-called badge engineering — essentially the same vehicle sold by different GM brands. The automaker has pledged not to do that from now on.

    But Equinox and Torrent predate GM's recent get-serious effort, which explains the Torrent but doesn't excuse it.

    If you ignore the flubs and focus on Torrent's good points, you find:

    • It is handsome, a vehicle that'll catch your eye and make you think you're looking at a much classier, more-expensive SUV (which makes the shortcomings seem that much worse). Cargo space is generous and cleverly supplied with bins and nooks so that small stuff needn't pitch and roll in the way-back vastness.

    • The back seat slides fore-aft to tailor the vehicle for cargo or passengers. Even with the back seat fully forward, legroom in back is remarkably good. Long-limbed adults fit. Alas, the stiff and poorly contoured back seat isn't a great place to be, regardless of roominess.

    • The back of the front passenger's seat folds flat for more cargo space.

    • The transmission is a decent-shifting five-speed automatic instead of the smooth but dated four-speed gearboxes on many newer-design GM models.

    • Kid-seat attachment hooks, called Latch connections, are easy to reach instead of being buried so deep in the upholstery you swear they aren't there. GM thoughtfully provides three sets instead of the normal two. That means you can sit your precious in the middle of the back seat, which is the safest spot. It also means you can quickly attach three kid chairs across the Torrent's back seat, if the kid seats aren't too wide.

    • There's a good deal of side-flop space in the front seats for those who like to draw up the outboard leg and lean it toward the door when cruise-controlling down the big road. The reason the room is there — and it's a major comfort plus — is because the power-window switches are in the center console instead of on an intrusive pod on the door panel. You decide if the unfamiliar location of the switches is a fair price for the side-to-side leg space.

    The best news is that Torrent is blatantly atypical of vehicles GM has launched recently. It's hard to take Torrent seriously as anything but a kind of wink-wink, nod-nod place holder in the lineup.

    2006 Pontiac Torrent

    • What is it? Small, unibody crossover SUV, similar to the Chevrolet Equinox. Available with front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Manufactured at Ingersoll, Ontario.

    • How soon? On sale since August.

    • How much? Front-drive model starts at $21,990 including $590 destination charge. Four-wheel-drive starts
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    That's harsh.
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    Come on!
    First of all, I didn't know this was a Torrent message site. :confuse:
    This does not sound like a unbiased and fair test drive review!
    Sounds to me like a "Big GM" SUV ran over Jim's old lady's cat, and he's venting his frustration the only way he knows how.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    But he DID mention how bad he thought the NOX was. And they ARE pretty much badge engineered. So that article has a place here. No matter how obviously biased it is.
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    You know as well as I know, all auto and truck makers do the rebadging stuff.
    Some are just better at it, than others.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    But rebadging is another. The Trailblazer, Ascender, Saab 9/7x, Envoy, Ranier, and Bravada. And the sad part is you see that they are the same car.
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    Gee, all the same car?, don't you mean SUV?

    Wow! They all look so different.
    I could not tell they were all the same.
    Like I said, some do it better than others.
    No wonder GM sells the most vehicles in the U.S.!
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Whatever. Selling the most and making a profit are two different concepts. GM needs to work on the profit part.
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    The sad thing is that "Big Media" likes to trash "Big GM" Corporate America. (Ford's included)
    No one thought GM would make it past the 70's.
    Profits come and go.
    Does anyone know that Mitsubishi was dropped like a hot potato by Daimler-Crysler? and is practically bankrupted?
    Does anyone know that Toyota has about a million engines that can sludge up under warranty and when it happens, blames the customer.
    Does anyone know that Nissan was also struggling a few years ago while GM was holding up their end of the stock market?
    The answer is no, because the "Big Media" made it so.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Mitubishi IS in dire straits. But I think even they said they are starting to make some headway. I doubt it though.

    Strange the sludge thing has kinda died down here on Edmunds. It's it usually the clearinghouse of vehicle complaints. I think the the Toyota sludge thing has run it's course. Those engines have been phased out for over 5 years now.

    And Nissan was struggling enough to be bought out by Renault. That's why thier cars look so funky these days. It's that French bloodline.

    Only the Mitsubishi fact is actually current. And anyone following the news would know. There's no conspiracy.

    GM makes it soo easy to trash them. The largest automaker in the world still depends on pushrod engines and leaf springs in its "World Class Sports Car"? Refuses to offer OHC engines across the board. Refuses to produce cars that prove to be durable mechanically as well as cosmetically comparable to the Japanese competition.
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    Actually that was 3.3 million 1997 through 2002 Toyota and Lexus vehicles with 3.0-liter, V-6, or 2.2-liter four-cylinder engines, that owners where notified about the sludge issue.
    http://yotarepair.com/Sludge_Zone.html
    I had no problems with getting 200,000 miles on my GM cars with a push-rod engine. Having a "Toyota Sludge" engine is a different story.
    I also save $400+ every 60,000 miles, since I don't have replace a timingbelt/waterpump, like you have to, on those so-called reliable "Hi tech" engines.

    Gee, curious, do you own a Toyota, work for edmunds or the media?
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    "Most" people are starting to care about something. Since "most" people no longer buy American.

    Yes I do own a Toyota(Lexus) and two Hondas. I regularly post on Edmunds and I read the media. And each of those experiences have taught me to avoid GM products. Along with the brand new 2000 Silverado that I owned for 8 months. At least 2 of which were spent in the shop. I had several 100,000+ mile Toyotas and Hondas that were much more reliable.

    Timing belts are 100,000 mile intervals now and Honda new has timing chains on its 4 cylinder engines. Even the "hi-tech" engines are still improving.

    Additionally, the sludge issue seemed to be a problem that reared its head under short trip conditions. It should and is very easy to get over 200,000 miles out of one of those engines. And the headliner will still be attached. All the electricals will still be working. The paint won't be faded. And all the body panels will look straight since they aren't plastic or cladding. Durability covers many aspects past the engine.

    But hey, you get what you pay for. And with domestic car makers's depreciation, you really can't expect too much from 100,000 mile Chevys. Sure it may run, but would you really want to be seen in an old Lumina?
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    Well, why don't you go to your (rebadged) Toyota site and tell everyone how great it is!

    I don't go around to other sites to "trash" as a sport.

    I currently own an Equinox and that is why I'm here.

    So, lets agree to disagree.

    I also like my American attitude!

    I don't know too many people with 200,000 miles on their foreign cars.
    The ones I hear from tell me how expensive it is to repair these cars.
    I also see cladding on lot's of foreign cars and SUVs including the Lexus.
    My family has put 200,000 miles on Pontiacs, Buicks, and Cadillacs.
    I sold my 89' Cadillac with 180,000 miles in excellent condition, no fade and
    clean.
    He is a co-worker, has 200,000 mi on it and gets 27mpg on the hi-way and loves it.

    I plan on taking the $20,000 I saved buying a Chevy, to buy a Mustang!
    "See ya at the light!"

    Gee, have a beer and while your at it have some apple pie
    and Thanks for the ride! ;)
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    While the engine in the NOX comes from China and the car itself is built in Canada. Who is more "patriotic"?

    I'm not trashing GM. I'm just agreeing with those in the automotive media (Edmunds included) that say they could and should build better products or they wouldn't lose so much market share. With Hyundai and the Chinese coming to this market, it's only going to get even more important that domestics get their act together. That's not bashing, that's a warning.

    I'm glad you have gotten so much longevity out your domestic vehicles. If that were the rule, I'm sure domestic brands wouldn't be in so much trouble.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    On the flip side, GM Is China's Top-Selling Automaker. And a few months ago GM was trying to buy more production capacity in Korea (link). (Inside Line)

    There's more GM (and Honda) discussions over in News & Views. Let's get back to Equinox specifics in here please.

    Steve, Host
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I've been bying GM products since 1977. Chevelle Malibu (1977) S-10 Blazer (1984) Safari (1992) S-10 Blazer (1994) Venture (1999) and Equinox (2005). And din't have any problems with any of theme. I guess this proves something. No?
    And my next vehicule will probibly be another GM product. I don't want to put anyone on unemployment by bying a japanese product.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Domestic and Japanese/Foreign is getting more and more fuzzy. My Accord is more domestic than the NOX.
  • equinoxc8equinoxc8 Member Posts: 45
    What makes me :mad: about this editorial/comment is that the test vehicle was fairly new (the first Equinox was built in February 2004) this dude had a June 04 model. As time goes on changes are constantly made to the Equinox during production that resolve issues that customers have by filling in their JD Power survey or their Customer Audit Survey that came with their Equinox. Changes that may appear subtle to the common customer but very apparent to the factory worker like myself. We know what changes are happening. Over 200,00+ units have been built now with improvements. This dude took some of the problems he saw with the Equinox and pasted them with the Torrent based on the notion that being a rebadged Equinox there should be some common issues. Not a very good job of being a reporter I may say.
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    I test drove a base Equinox today and had a few points that were very disappointing. 1) The steering was very light and I could turn the wheel up to 15 degrees in either direction before the car would steer. 2) The combination of the headrests mixed with the small rear windows created a dangerous problem of not being able to see over my shoulder. (I am 6'1" tall) The third complaint/opinion is a minor one, but I felt the A-Pillars were too thick and the window was not wide enough...creating an effect like I was trying to drive through a tunnel constatnly. I did really admire the quality of the interior, the controls were well placed and of good touch. The interior was extremely roomy and very functional. Just my two cents.

    Greg
  • equinoxc8equinoxc8 Member Posts: 45
    Greg, did you kow the Equinox has a electric assist steering controls? That explains the light steering feel. Were you looking at a 2006 model or a 2005 model..the 2006 model has smaller rear headrests..that should improve the view a little more.
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    Yeah, I really shouldn't be surprised since many people in the cobalt forum have complained of the same issue. The vehicle was an 06 only 10 miles on it...the dealer was making a hard sale since we went there to look at a TB. The headrests themselves were a nice design, but probably the combination of the headrests and the thick B-pillars with small windows. Just not what I had expected when listening to the many satisfied owners on this forum.

    Greg
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    Most of those components are Japanese. The workers are non-union, and all the money goes back to Japan.

    When he bought his nox he bought a vehicle with parts from all over the world and most of which are american. Its true the engine and tranny are foreign but just about everything else is domestic.

    The money that he spent is circling its was through OUR economy. not Japans. Thats the difference and thats why he did the right thing.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006602190337

    "General Motors' Chevrolet Equinox SUV is made in a Japanese-GM joint venture plant in Canada with a Chinese engine."

    Whereas...
    http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/020105-3.htm

    "Currently about 85 percent of all Accords sold in the U.S. were produced in North America and those models have a domestic content level of 97 percent."
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    I just read in another thread the content was 70%. Everyone has a website, I got one for you...

    GM is the US #1 buyer of healthcare, who is better for the US? Who sells more cars in the US? Who buys more components in the US? Its GM, all GM.

    They are going out of the US for some parts B/c they have serious trouble. The difference is they can go back. Japan does what they do to trick us into thinking they are American. This is clearly for Gullable people.

    This is a Japan based company and every sale for them is a smack in our face.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I got a discussion for you :shades:

    Buying American Cars: What Does It Mean?

    There are others in News & Views; let's get back to the 'Nox in here please.

    Steve, Host
  • 04sunfire04sunfire Member Posts: 4
    I own a Pontiac now and absoultely love it! Have had no problems with the car whatsover but was considering buying an Equinox/Torrent because I am little and want to be able to sit higher. I love the Pontiac name but I kind of like the Equinox better becuase of the clear tail lights and I would rather have the black door handles then the body color. I also liked the style of both cars but hear that these cars have had major problems with their starters. I also hear that they are not getting 18/25 miles to the gallon its more like 10/15. I never test drove one but they look like they have a very wide blind spot in the back also. Can anyone give me some info on these issues. Thanks.
  • equinoxc8equinoxc8 Member Posts: 45
    The starters on the Equinox/Torrent are electronically controlled. Same system used on some other GM vehicles with remote start. Equinox doesn't have a remote start as a feature. Any ways..the starter is designed where all you have to do is "flick" the key in the START position briefly and let the starter do its thing. The starter will keep turning the engine over till it starts..a NORMAL thing. As for mileage...some people use Ethanol/mix blend of gas and that will rob you of some MPG. Many other factors can change the MPG rating...hills, temperatures, brief drives, stop and go traffic..most of which are under human control. Plus the EPA recently changed their testing methods to acquire a more realistic ratings. If you like the clear tail lights on the Equinox you can buy a set from your GM dealer and install them onto the Torrent. They are interchangeable.
  • tiretechtiretech Member Posts: 1
    Have any of you had a problem with road noise from the factory tires. if you have, and changed the tires, wich tires remedied the problem. what was the tire that was making the noise. please let me know, im having some issues. thanks people :confuse:
  • roger17roger17 Member Posts: 1
    Yap, after about 12,000 kilometers i had a hell of a headache with road noise from tires i assumed, took it back
    3 times to the dealer and we finally had an agreement $$
    to change those 235/60r/17 Brigestone Dueller H/T,s ( JUNK )to Hankook tires, another mistake, dam, now what?

    I hear Michelein is now out with this size tire, only wish
    they had it earlier? I would of taken those.

    roger
  • jim_dandyjim_dandy Member Posts: 94
    Actually these Dueller H/T are very good tires,
    and I've been through alot tires; regular, sport and performance.

    I also have 12,000 mile on them.

    Even the best tires will degrade in a short time with improper tire pressure, not rotating tires, and poor alignment.

    The tires are not the problem.
    ;)
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