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2010 Chevrolet Equinox First Drive

42 messages,  Last post on Oct 16, 2009 at 2:06 PM

You are in the Chevrolet Equinox Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Equinox, SUV

Messages Page 4 of 5

#23 of 42 First Impressions by npgmbr

Jul 20, 2009 (1:24 pm)

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.

#24 of 42 Equinox by vanman1

Jul 20, 2009 (7:28 pm)

"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.

#25 of 42 Re: Whatta pile! [cmhj2000] by clebo1

Jul 21, 2009 (10:04 am)

Replying to: cmhj2000 (Jun 16, 2009 10:33 am)
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.

#26 of 42 Re: Whatta pile! [clebo1] by clebo1

Jul 21, 2009 (10:09 am)

Replying to: clebo1 (Jul 21, 2009 10:04 am)
The equinox Is a piece of Junk.You Buy it and be stuck with with It. loyalty is one thing,stupidity is another!!!!

#27 of 42 Re: Edit to Edited Post [npgmbr] by clebo1

Jul 21, 2009 (10:19 am)

Replying to: npgmbr (Jun 19, 2009 5:30 am)
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."

#28 of 42 Re: Edit to Edited Post [clebo1] by vanman1

Jul 21, 2009 (5:56 pm)

Replying to: clebo1 (Jul 21, 2009 10:19 am)
Thanks for those useful posts.
 
Perhaps it's time to head back to spelling class now.

#29 of 42 Re: Edit to Edited Post [clebo1] by npgmbr

Jul 22, 2009 (3:42 am)

Replying to: clebo1 (Jul 21, 2009 10:19 am)
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.

#30 of 42 Re: Whatta pile! [clebo1] by npgmbr

Jul 22, 2009 (3:48 am)

Replying to: clebo1 (Jul 21, 2009 10:09 am)
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.

#31 of 42 Just placed our order! by jturnage40

Jul 25, 2009 (10:26 pm)

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.

#32 of 42 Re: 2010 Equinox 1LT AWD Test Drive [d_sanders] by wallyuwl

Aug 05, 2009 (7:01 pm)

Replying to: d_sanders (Jul 03, 2009 6:12 pm)
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.

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