- #55 of 350
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Re: Considering One [fergupa]
by dmathews3
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Jul 14, 2009 (8:32 am)
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Replying to: fergupa (Jul 14, 2009 8:27 am)
I don't think you will have problems with it either. Remember for the most part the ones who hang around these sites are the ones with a problem or like you investigating a new model. The Toyota sites have just as many people having problems with their cars as any other site. Toyota quality isn't what it used to be. They are finding out what got GM into trouble, building lots of cars and keeping the quality up can bring problems. With everything being out sourced it can be a problem. For example, my wife has a Caddy STS with Nav. Only problem with the car has been back a couple times for the Nav. Who do I blame. Cadillac or the German Co. who is 1/2 owned by Toyota?
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- #56 of 350
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Re: Getting One [ragtop262]
by gene_v
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Jul 15, 2009 (6:47 pm)
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Replying to: ragtop262 (Jul 12, 2009 12:57 pm)
My son just purchsed a 4 cyl FWD LT1 with power seat for $23,873.
The conquest cash wasn't offered in North Carolina and they didn't want to give much under invoice.
Its his wifes car. They have a boy 10 and a girl 5. It works as a kid hauler to various sport practices and to school as she is a school teacher. They really looked and drove a lot of CUV's before setling on the 2010 equinox. My son has a 3500 Chevy truck for his landscape business.
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- #57 of 350
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Re: Getting One [ragtop262]
by ragtop262
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Jul 16, 2009 (7:12 pm)
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Replying to: ragtop262 (Jul 12, 2009 12:57 pm)
Just wanted to follow up, now that I picked up my 4 cyl LT1 AWD and had a chance to put about 1000 miles on it. I was concerned about the power of the 4 cyl at first, but I must say I'm truly impressed with how well the whole drive train works. The 6 speed trans seems perfectly matched to the engines power band. Once I got used to winding that 4 cyl up a little, it worked great.
This vehicle is extremely smooth & quiet on the highway - you have to be careful to watch your speed. 70 feels like 60 in this car. On an 823 mile segment of mostly highway driving, I averaged 61 mph and got 26.3 mpg according to the trip computer but an actual 25.2 mpg based on miles driven and gallons used. Not bad, considering the engine is brand new, and I was using 10% ethanol blend. Hopefully I'll pick up a little once the engine is broke in.
There is a lot to like about this car, but there's also a few things that make you wonder what they were thinking - like: Why put a big chrome button in the middle of the dash that blinds you every time the sun is out? Why do they put the power seat controls in a spot you can't reach unless the door is open (or you have very tiny hands)? and, Why do they put in four 12V power plugs, but none stay on when the vehicle isn't running? (I have a few others, but you get the point.)
Also, GM still has a ways to go with regard to quality control: Mine came with a loose interior handle on one rear door, a badly mis-aligned rear hatch, and a couple dents above the side windows. Hopefully, these things can be taken care of by the dealer.
Don't get me wrong, I still love the car - but I just wish there weren't so many little quirks to get used to. (If you buy one, don't forget to bring a pad of of post-it notes along, to stick over that chrome button when the sun is shining.)
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- #58 of 350
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Re: Getting One [ragtop262]
by dmathews3
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Jul 17, 2009 (8:11 am)
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Replying to: ragtop262 (Jul 16, 2009 7:12 pm)
I guess you prove my point where there is a good reason for a vehicle to have more than one engine option. I too just drove a AWD 4cyl. with 6 sp. auto. I thought this is a great car for around town but I noticed when running at any constant speed giving it a little gas to pickup the speed a little mandated a downshift. To me this could become annoying after while as on my 30min test drive it bugged me. I'm waiting for them to get serviced a 6cyl. AWD and my salesman will call me in for the drive as soon as they get it prepped. Outside of the 4cyl I thought the Equinox was a vast improvement over old. I'm 6'3" and had enough leg room but the wife noticed right away that they was only about 4 or 5 inches between my front seat and the back seat. I told her we'd check that out when we stopped at the Sam's Club parking lot to go over the car. I showed her how the rear seal moved back 7" and there was plenty of legroom for me behind the drivers seat I just exited even with it back all the way and the seatback tilted to my style. It even had a spare tire (though one of those little ones) but a number of cars now days are just giving you a air pump and a can of flat tire repair junk.) I have sat in 3 of them now including a bottom of the line one and all have had power driver seat and the LTZ even had 2 people memory seats. I can't wait to see one with the Nav. package as I want to see just how much they have improved it over the wifes STS if at all.
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- #59 of 350
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Re: Getting One [dmathews3]
by ragtop262
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Jul 17, 2009 (1:22 pm)
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Replying to: dmathews3 (Jul 17, 2009 8:11 am)
I think you'll find that just about anything with a 6 speed automatic will want to drop down a gear when you feed it a little gas. Ideally, this shift should be fairly unobtrusive. However, some vehicles are programmed to delay the downshift as a fuel saving measure. Then, when it does shift, you get a big jerk & engine rev.
Once I got used to the 4 cyl, I found the shifts to be very smooth and well timed for the most part. Thats what I meant when I said the engine/transmission are well matched. This engine has a power curve thats 1000 - 2000 rpm higher than your typical 6 cyl, and it takes a while to get used to that.
Just remember that little 4 cyl puts out more HP per liter than the Hemi in a Dodge Charger SRT8. But you have to rev the snot out if it if you want to use it all 
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- #60 of 350
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Re: Getting One [ragtop262]
by dmathews3
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Jul 17, 2009 (1:46 pm)
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Replying to: ragtop262 (Jul 17, 2009 1:22 pm)
You're are right on the down shifting as we just got back from a drive with a AWD LT2 with the V6 and I thought it was much better than the 4 but it still downshifts when applying the gas but I guess this is due to the 6 speeds instead of 4 that I'm used to. What I did like over the 4 AWD was when I took my foot off the gas it coasted along where as the 4 felt just like I downshifted one gear each time and it slowed down a lot faster than the V6. The big band was the V6 AWD only gets 24mpg on the highway instead of 29 in the 4 AWD. Being we live in Mich. and this is to be the wifes car (she is paying) I would prefer her having the AWD for the winter time roads. Here where we live they don't plow side streets unless we get 5 or more inches and are becoming slower on the main streets, no overtime unless its a blizzard so I guess we are stuck. I also think the V6 drove better as it had bigger tires and we both thought it rode over the bumps etc. better.
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- #61 of 350
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Re: Getting One [gene_v]
by gene_v
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Jul 17, 2009 (4:23 pm)
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Replying to: gene_v (Jul 15, 2009 6:47 pm)
Just heard from my son. He got to the dealer to pick up the car (1 LT 4 Cyl) and and they wanted him to take the car without taking off for the $4500 dollars Cash for Clunkers. They had indicated it would be no problem as they would participate when he made the deal Wednesday.
Come to find out they didn't even try to find out anything about it. They wanted him to buy the car outright without the cash for Clunkers being taken off the sale price.
He got his keys back for the 99 minivan he was trading, asked for the paperwork and left.He contacted two other dealers and told them what he wanted on the Equinox with the Cash for clunkers trade- in. He asked them about the $1000 Conquest Bonus Cash incentive and they said yes. The other dealer had said it only applied for the Northeast. I told him to contact the Regional Managere for Chevrolet and let him know what was going on. On top of it all another sales person borrowed the keys of the car he was to pick up to show another customer as he was trying to finish the transaction. Jeesh!
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- #62 of 350
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Tranny
by dmathews3
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Jul 17, 2009 (4:48 pm)
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Where is the 6 sp. Automatic that the Equinox uses made? I understand both engines are made in the U.S.
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- #63 of 350
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Re: Tranny [dmathews3]
by gene_v
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Jul 18, 2009 (7:33 am)
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Replying to: dmathews3 (Jul 17, 2009 4:48 pm)
Possible here:: GM -Daewwo S Korea
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f12/gm-daewoo-double-6-speed-transmission-out- put-2010-a-60773/
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- #64 of 350
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Re: Tranny [dmathews3]
by rvoth
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Jul 19, 2009 (8:28 pm)
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Replying to: dmathews3 (Jul 17, 2009 4:48 pm)
Some research on gm.com, going to the drivetrain division i found that six speed 6T70 tranny are produced in Warren Mich and Ramos Arizipe Mexico.
The 3.0 liter engine is assembled in St Catharines Ontario and Ramos Mexico .
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