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2010 Chevrolet Equinox First Drive

Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
edited March 2014 in Chevrolet
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

Comments

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    32 mpg! 32 mpg! 32 mpg!
  • roho1roho1 Member Posts: 318
    I found the article to be disappointing. The writer, as I seem to see more often lately, is too concerned with trying to be clever than just reporting the facts. The first two paragraphs were a waste of my time. The whole tone of the article left me feeling the writer was looking down on this vehicle because it was a Chevy. It's time these writers got off their high horse(BMW and Lexus loaners) and started doing their jobs.

    Now, will somebody write a review about the vehicle without the smell?
  • rhouser2rhouser2 Member Posts: 114
    I couldn't agree more! I would relish a revue of any car that is factual, not punctuated with an attempt of cute satire.
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    GM was 10 years late getting to the party. They make good vehicles now and have been for the last 5 years.

    The Equinox was worth considering until Gov't Motors took over and now - Buy a Ford!
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    You have got to be kidding right??!!
    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?
  • dgs4dgs4 Member Posts: 66
    Americans are to blame for much of this mess, as they were the idiots buying all of these behemoths in the first place. It's incredibly two-faced for the typical American to bash American car companies for now just getting on the small car, environmentally conscious, fuel efficient bandwagon when they were the ones buying the SUV's and trucks in record numbers for so many years. They voted with their wallets and when the votes came in, 5,000 lb trucks were selling and 2,500 lb fuel efficient cars were not. At least not by GM or Ford. Honda and Toyota have always believed in small, fuel efficient vehicles and the excellence of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla is testament to that.

    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.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    It's incredibly two-faced for the typical American to bash American car companies for now just getting on the small car, environmentally conscious, fuel efficient bandwagon when they were the ones buying the SUV's and trucks in record numbers for so many years.

    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
  • rhouser2rhouser2 Member Posts: 114
    amen to what you posted!
    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.
  • basswoodbasswood Member Posts: 6
    Boy, you holier-than -thou enviroquacks really burn my toast! You poor babies suffered along with the poor mileage and huge size that, obviously, everyone wanted or people wouldn't have built them or bought them! Did it occur to you to NOT buy a car if they weren't to your liking?
    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!
  • cmhj2000cmhj2000 Member Posts: 381
    Well said!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Anyone have comments on the Equinox itself or the article? There are other places to discuss politics.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • stakeoutstakeout Member Posts: 173
    amen.. get rid of the politico's... it's bad enuff I have to listen to my two neighbors battle it out all the time.. stuff gets old...

    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...
  • npgmbrnpgmbr Member Posts: 248
    Funny you should say that because my feeling mirror yours exactly.
  • npgmbrnpgmbr Member Posts: 248
    Its very easy to sit on the sidelines and be critical of others particularly when you yourself are not expected to produce the perfect product for judgment by the community. Its like film critics that seem to know everything about making the perfect film yet none have dared to try it.

    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.
  • d_sandersd_sanders Member Posts: 8
    I just got through test driving a new 2010 Chevy Equinox 1LT AWD. Sticker price was just over $27k. It had the in line 4 cylinder and was rated for 29 MPG on the highway.

    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!
  • minarets2minarets2 Member Posts: 11
    my dealer finally got one in. it was a 2LT pretty loaded. nav, backup camera, BT, rear assist, everything but sunroof i think. it was pretty nice. it was the mocha color with brownstone interior.

    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.
  • npgmbrnpgmbr Member Posts: 248
    My local dealer got two last week so I went out to take a look at them this weekend. I was really hoping that the vehicle would look as nice as what I had seen in pictures and I was somewhat disappointed that GM didn't take short cuts. Yeah Right....

    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.
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    "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".

    ------------

    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.
  • clebo1clebo1 Member Posts: 78
    Sir, you are pile!! I owned a 1955,1957,1961,1967,1972, Chevrolets,Plus 1980, and 1986 and 1995 olsmobiles.These vehicles ran very well with very few problems.Patriotism is a two way street,and if a auto dealer builds garbage vehicles,they must suffer the consequences such such customers and declining sales.
  • clebo1clebo1 Member Posts: 78
    The equinox Is a piece of Junk.You Buy it and be stuck with with It. loyalty is one thing,stupidity is another!!!!
  • clebo1clebo1 Member Posts: 78
    Please note I am not critical of a well made product and will give it it just do,but when you have vehicle whereby you can't even change the headlight bulbs without taking to a dealer,I wonder what Idiot of an Engineer designed this Vehicle.
    Probably got his College degree from "Mickey Mouse University".
    "GM Needs ENGINEERS WITH COMMON SENSE OF DESIGN."
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    Thanks for those useful posts.

    Perhaps it's time to head back to spelling class now. :lemon:
  • npgmbrnpgmbr Member Posts: 248
    Well apparently you have not owned a import model. If so you would not have made such an uninformed comment about headlights because it was the foreign automakers that first made these types of headlamps that are difficult to replace. The Big 3 jumped on that band wagon rather late not to mention that much of what you're griping about is due to headlight design which until the last ten years or so was determined by the fact that headlights could be purchased off the shelf.

    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.
  • npgmbrnpgmbr Member Posts: 248
    Trust me, I've seen the Equinox in person and when I get mine I'll be basking in that piece of junk and wallowing in my own stupidity with a big fat smile on my face because I'm EXTREMELY Confident that GM has the leg up on the competition. They did it with the CTS, the Malibu, the 2010 Lacrosse, the Enclave and now the 2010 Equinox and every new GM vehicle will truly be competitive.
  • jturnage40jturnage40 Member Posts: 2
    First, let me state that, over the last 25 years, my wife and I have owned or leased a couple of Dodges, a Saturn, a Honda, an Oldsmobile, a Mazda, and a Scion. Sort of a United Nations of vehicle ownership. Now we add the 2010 Chevy Equinox to the list.

    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.
  • wallyuwlwallyuwl Member Posts: 166
    jturnage40 and d_sanders:

    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.
  • clebo1clebo1 Member Posts: 78
    I know you have heard some good things about the Equinox but there are also some bad things,I have driven it, I went with which 2 ASE certified mechanics whom I have knowned for over 60 years with over 70 years worth of experience. The Gm dealer where we tested it thought they were relatives. On a scale of 1-10,10 being the highest they rated it a (3)The styling of the vehicle is excellent but the controls are mostly in the wrong place and you can't get to the bulbs in front to change your bulbs if they burn out;thus you must remove a radiator shroud or pay a dealer what he will charge you for Labor plus the cost of the bulbs. Their biggest concern was the engine location and the transmission design,the location of other drive train parts underneath the hood. I hope this helps. If you have a mechanic of your own seek out his advice,but also quiz GM dealer about the warranty conditions on this vehicle. Have a Nice Day!!!Please ask questions. many they want be able to answer!!!
  • d_sandersd_sanders Member Posts: 8
    So, what exactly is your point? You drove one...why? Are you looking to buy one? I always wonder why some of you guys write into these forums and put your two cents in on a vehicle that you obviously would like to see fail. You are obviously stretching here to find something wrong with the new Equinox, and saying some very vague things about it.

    "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.
  • atimetotalkatimetotalk Member Posts: 1
    Very well put. Hey it's America, buy what you want and like. I do. It's called free enterprise. I have owned Chevys all my life, I'm 57 and don't plan to change. If you buy according to where components are placed, you won't be buying anything. Not any car is built today with a do it yourself manual attached.
  • wallyuwlwallyuwl Member Posts: 166
    d_sanders, could you please look at the "2010 Equinox Problems" thread and let me know if you noticed the "self-braking" sensation when it downshifted from 4-3 and 3-2, or any jitteriness, during your driving of the vehicle? Your input would be appreciated, as I just talked to the dealer and they are saying nothing is wrong (predictably). Thank you.
  • npgmbrnpgmbr Member Posts: 248
    Wow thats a really interesting grade (3 out of 10)?

    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.
  • nifty56nifty56 Member Posts: 279
    I have a Mazda 3 and in the manual it says if a headlight bulb needs to be changed take it to your dealer, It also shows you how to change it. I have changed 2 so far with no problem. Maybe GM is doing the same, giving an option of taking it to a dealer and also showing how to do it if you want to do it yourself..so will need to do some checking..so maybe the engineers aren't idiots its the marketing people....
  • clausenbclausenb Member Posts: 2
    I recently purchased a 2010 Equinox and did not even consider the light bulbs. Why? because how often do they burn out on new vehicles? Not much, that's why. My vehicle that I recently replaced was a 2000 Chevy Blazer that had 201,000+ miles on it, and I never had to replace a single bulb for the 10 years that I drove it. I hope your decision on the Equinox is not solely based upon bulbs.
    I purchased my new Equinox on Sept 18, now have 1750 miles on it. Love it!.
  • jimofoakcreekjimofoakcreek Member Posts: 5
    >> 2 ASE certified mechanics whom I have knowned for over 60 years with over 70 years worth of experience. <<

    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.)
  • runoxrunox Member Posts: 156
    The 2010 line-up is stellar.
  • geohovgeohov Member Posts: 23
    Very true.
This discussion has been closed.