Equinox

[RyanbabZ71]

Havent heard much about this new vehicle. How do you like it? What did you end up paying for it?

[silverado man]

I don't own one but I have driven one at the auto show in motion. We were thinking about getting one and may still get one when we are looking to buy. Pretty much the only think that we didn't like was the uncomfortable back seat. It felt like you were sitting on a peice of plywood, although the front seats are really pretty comfy though. Other than that we really liked the vehicle as a whole.

[RyanbabZ71]

Thanks, My parents were thinking about buying one. They ended up with a new toyota highlander today

[Norseman]

  They ended up with a new toyota highlander today 

 

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[Crew Cab Sonoma]

i bought an 05 Equinox for my wife. it has about 5500 miles on it now, thus far no complaints or issues, quite pleased with it.

 

the rear seat leg room is terrific. the EPS (electric power steering) works quite well. its strange seeing no hydraulic steering pump on the engine, and a plain manual steering rack on it.

the 5 spd. auto tranny works well too.

the ride, handling and perfomance levels are pretty good.

 

its FWD, didnt get the AWD option. the main options it has are sunroof, aluminum wheels, and factory trailer hitch.

it listed for about $25,500, and got for $22,000.

 

dont care much for the semi-riceresque chrome tailights, but i love the headlight and front end styling. overall styling is quite good, IMO.

 

the Equinox is assembled in Canada, the tranny from Japan, no real problems with that, but the Chinese sourced 3400 engine nearly cost GM a sale to Ford`s U.S. bult Escape....

[holstbnet]

Chinese sourced 3400 engine? The 3400 V6 is built in Tonawanda, New York.

 

I agree with the other comments. I really like the Equinox from what I've seen, just the right size... nice looking except for ricer Altezza taillights.

[GM-Tech]

Chinese sourced 3400 engine? The 3400 V6 is built in Tonawanda, New York.

 

No, actually, the 3400 that's in the Equinox does come from China. Here's a little piece of a news report on the topic...

 

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"The Shanghai GM facility has annual production capacity for 180,000 60-degree V-6 engines, and not all of it is yet being used to supply the domestically made Buick Century and GL8 (powered by 2.5L and 3L V-6s, respectively). Thus the decision to export the Equinox 3.4L V-6 that's based on the same architecture.

 

Koenigsknecht says it's difficult to say how much engine-making capacity is available at Shanghai GM, because “the China market continues to explode. Every week, the production numbers seem to go up.”

 

He says for now, the number of 3.4L V-6s exported to CAMI is fluid, “dependent on the success of the vehicle itself.” But he is confident Shanghai GM can handle the export volume for the foreseeable future.

 

The engine-export project has been under way for about two years, says Koenigsknecht. Video conferencing takes place almost daily. Engineers and other related personnel shuttle from North America to Shanghai on a monthly basis, and GM Powertrain has several employees living in China, working for Shanghai GM. Most stay for about three years.

 

He says the 3.4L engine is the highest-value single component ever to be exported from Shanghai GM."

[holstbnet]

I'll be damned. So we ship our American components to China so they can assemble it and ship the engine back here to be installed in an Equinox?

 

The whole "global" thing is actually getting pretty annoying. I miss the good ol' days. <sniff>

 

Here's the other thing I don't understand. Why does GM do strange things to engines for certain vehicles? For the Equinox, they use a 3400 instead of the 3500 engine, AWD or not, and they put a funky intake manifold on it and have the airbox on the passenger side. Or a better example.. the old Lumina APV van. Initially you could only get a 3.1 V6 in it, but it was an old cast-iron head version (like a Camaro) with TBI and a distributor!! And they used it until '95 I think!! Why not just put the 3.1 MFI V6 from the Lumina car in it? Very strange stuff.

 

The vocational auto program at Triton College in River Grove, IL had some of those China export 2500 and 3000 SFI V6 engines, they look identical to 3100 and 3400 except for different writing on the intake plenum. I couldn't believe it when I saw them.

[burgundyz71]

My wife got an 05 and we both love it ! Great vehicle.

[Black94LT1]

i bought an 05 Equinox for my wife. it has about 5500 miles on it now, thus far no complaints or issues, quite pleased with it.

 

the rear seat leg room is terrific.  the EPS (electric power steering) works quite well. its strange seeing no hydraulic steering pump on the engine, and a plain manual steering rack on it.

the 5 spd. auto tranny works well too.

the ride, handling and perfomance levels are pretty good.

 

That about sums up our feeling son it too, great vehicle, although we only have 3500 miles so far. Interior space is great, including the sliding rear sear. I too was confused by the electric power steering until I read the manual.

 

We opted for the AWD, and it worked great in the first snow we had yesterday.

[Crew Cab Sonoma]

got nearly 7K miles on ours now. only one minor issue so far. on a few mornings, with temps in the low 20`s, there is a wind noise above 35 mph, it fades away as the heater warms up the vehicle.

 

not sure where it is coming from, possibly the rear hatch weatherstripping, but not certain. there is no visible problems that i can see with it. the noise quite noticeable though.