2005 Chevrolet Equinox [cute-ute] Preview @ C&D

[NFS4]

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=19&article_id=7878

 

[FrustratedUser]

What do you think?

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
What do you think?

$21,560 for the base LS front-driver with a 3.4-liter V-6 and a five-speed automatic.

I'd rather have a Ford Escape or a Honda CRV or a Nissan Xterra

A top-of-the-list, leather-lined, all-wheel-drive LT will run about $28,500.

I'd rather have a base 4-Runner or a mid-level Honda Pilot or Highlander

 

[ElFenix]

its almost the size of a trailblazer

 

[BullyCanadian]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
its almost the size of a trailblazer

kinda reminds me of the envoy,

I like the way this looks

 

[NTB]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
What do you think?

$21,560 for the base LS front-driver with a 3.4-liter V-6 and a five-speed automatic.

I'd rather have a Ford Escape or a Honda CRV or a Nissan Xterra

I agree.

Nate

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Another one? Jeez.

 

[Sluggo]

Chevrolet has begun a trend of offering butt-ugly front ends.

While I understand a "brand look" like the BMW kidney grill, or even the Buick ovalish grill, Chevrolet seems to have done an amazing job of making all of their new front ends look craptacular by trying to slip in the full width horizontal bar grill of their pick-ups.

Equinox

Colorado

Malibu

Silverado

Express van

Trailblazer

SSR

Seeing a trend here?

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Sluggo
Chevrolet has begun a trend of offering butt-ugly front ends.

While I understand a "brand look" like the BMW kidney grill, or even the Buick ovalish grill, Chevrolet seems to have done an amazing job of making all of their new front ends look craptacular by trying to slip in the full width horizontal bar grill of their pick-ups.

Equinox

Colorado

Malibu

Silverado

Express van

Trailblazer

SSR

Seeing a trend here?

At least you can tell that they all came from the same inbred family

 

[JC]

Whatsit? Esquilax?

 

[krunchykrome]

The front looks like a trailblazer, the bank looks like a Lexus.

Nothing exciting.

 

[KGB1]

Engine made in china...( tranny in japan....hmm can you say toyota? :Q )

I'll pass, im mad at GM for dicontinuing the Astro model :| I'll have to look into a V8 for next van

 

[EvilYoda]

hey, I actually like this car...but that might be because I'd lease it for a little over $200 a month. I still like it....it's one of my many many cars I'll be considering in about 2 months.

 

[Lithium381]

hah, i can't see myself in one of those anytime soon! i'll take a 4runner or xterra like said above

 

[Zenmervolt]

And that wretched, scratchy cruise-control kludge on the left stalk is gone, replaced in the loaded LT version we drove by buttons on the wheel.

So 18 years after Honda put the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, GM finally follows suit. But only on the high-end models. Way to go boys. You're only at least 13 years behind Ford too.

ZV

 

[KGB1]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

And that wretched, scratchy cruise-control kludge on the left stalk is gone, replaced in the loaded LT version we drove by buttons on the wheel.

So 18 years after Honda put the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, GM finally follows suit. But only on the high-end models. Way to go boys. You're only at least 13 years behind Ford too.

ZV

What's wrong with the cruise control stick? I went from a 79 Olds....83 Century....95 Bonneville...01 Astro and I've becoming pretty accustomed to it. Just because it's different does not make it inferior.

 

[BigSmooth]

It actually looks like a decent value when you consider the inevitable rebates, although I don't love the styling. Certainly a lot more competitive than the Blazer it's essentially replacing.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: KGB

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

And that wretched, scratchy cruise-control kludge on the left stalk is gone, replaced in the loaded LT version we drove by buttons on the wheel.

So 18 years after Honda put the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, GM finally follows suit. But only on the high-end models. Way to go boys. You're only at least 13 years behind Ford too.

ZV

What's wrong with the cruise control stick? I went from a 79 Olds....83 Century....95 Bonneville...01 Astro and I've becoming pretty accustomed to it. Just because it's different does not make it inferior.

For starters, the button is too small. It requires removing a hand from the wheel to operate. It takes up stalk space that can be better used by something like variable intermittant wipers. It can easily and cheaply be added to the steering wheel which is a better position.

By your reasoning, everything should still use drum brakes, carburetors and 3 speed automatics because they work.

It's an ancient design. Everyone else moved on years ago. It's about bloody time those dips at GM got with it.

ZV

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: KGB

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

And that wretched, scratchy cruise-control kludge on the left stalk is gone, replaced in the loaded LT version we drove by buttons on the wheel.

So 18 years after Honda put the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, GM finally follows suit. But only on the high-end models. Way to go boys. You're only at least 13 years behind Ford too. ZV

What's wrong with the cruise control stick? I went from a 79 Olds....83 Century....95 Bonneville...01 Astro and I've becoming pretty accustomed to it. Just because it's different does not make it inferior.

GM control stalks are overly complex and they put too many functions on one stalk.

Toyota does cruise control the best IMHO. One stalk at the lower right with a single button on the end:

Button: arm system/off
Tap up: set/accelerate
Tap down: decelerate

 

[KGB1]

By your reasoning, everything should still use drum brakes, carburetors and 3 speed automatics because they work.

It's an ancient design. Everyone else moved on years ago. It's about bloody time those dips at GM got with it.

I might have gripes with GM some of the time, but I respect their cars, and from the country Im from Chevy's have a very reputable history (mostly GM is mocked and ridicules here) But yes, I still have rear drum brakes (in fact all cars I drove had them, until the bonneville the other 2 cars had carborators which were easy to fix and diagnos/fix the problem cheaply and easily. Im sure electronic fule injectors are repaired on the side of the road. 3 speed aint bad... but people should not live off laziness..get a manual.

If you're not interested in buying a GM, dont ridicule them for making "old" cars, you don't have to point that out. Clearly the imports make, what's more for your liking. it's like bitching about menopause and your a middle aged male.

edit:
Most heavy duty trucks to this day still use Drum brakes because no disc brake will slow down a vehicle carrying/towing large cargo.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: KGB
By your reasoning, everything should still use drum brakes, carburetors and 3 speed automatics because they work.

It's an ancient design. Everyone else moved on years ago. It's about bloody time those dips at GM got with it.

I might have gripes with GM some of the time, but I respect their cars, and from the country Im from Chevy's have a very reputable history (mostly GM is mocked and ridicules here) But yes, I still have rear drum brakes (in fact all cars I drove had them, until the bonneville the other 2 cars had carborators which were easy to fix and diagnos/fix the problem cheaply and easily. Im sure electronic fule injectors are repaired on the side of the road. 3 speed aint bad... but people should not live off laziness..get a manual.

If you're not interested in buying a GM, dont ridicule them for making "old" cars, you don't have to point that out. Clearly the imports make, what's more for your liking. it's like bitching about menopause and your a middle aged male.

Actually, I'm a Blue Oval guy. Ford Motor Company.

I've had a few vehicles with carbs. Even the first generation analog fuel injection in my VW-Porsche 914 is better than carbs. Starting carburetored cars in the winter is a genuine pain in the arse. EFI improves starting, cuts emissions, increases efficiency, and improves throttle response. Also, ever try getting a multi-carb setup synched right on the side of the road? Not happening.

Ford embraced new technology much faster than GM. GM's interiors were still very clearly based on 1970's designs into the late 1990's. Inexcuseable.

Can't tow worth sh!t with a manual. Automatic is far better for that application. Preferring a manual over an automatic is not valid here though. I prefer manual too but it's simply a fact that a 4 or 5 speed automatic is better than a 3 speed. And that is what was relevant.

ZV

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Sluggo
Chevrolet has begun a trend of offering butt-ugly front ends.

While I understand a "brand look" like the BMW kidney grill, or even the Buick ovalish grill, Chevrolet seems to have done an amazing job of making all of their new front ends look craptacular by trying to slip in the full width horizontal bar grill of their pick-ups.

Equinox

Colorado

Malibu

Silverado

Express van

Trailblazer

SSR

Seeing a trend here?

YES! except for ssr where it actually might be a design element, the bar across the front is UGLY....
I really dont see how people can buy those cars though, compared to pilot, explorer or f150 their noses are hideous.

Oh yeah Malibu is so disconnected from its ad compaign (americas favourite car... just perfect) that i just keep thinking the person has to be talking about a different car. The front on that car defines sh!t better than any m-w dictionary ever could

 

[KGB1]

:chuckles; Ohh man... you don't want to know of what they think of fords in my country (granted they're not made in US) Yes the carb references you mentioned are true in extreme cases, such as the metion of the porche; which undoubtably had to have a good functioning fuel injector (or one would be very discontent with lack of quality and workmanship on porches part)

The towing and hauling reference I made reference to was the brakes, not concerning the type of transmission used in the vehicle. I agree auto's do have their place, and so do manuals (rather odd chrysler uses manual in their pickup truck series )

GM is still making cars for people whom have a past time with GM auto's (and old people have alot of buying power in america as you might very well know), this generation will undoubtably fade away and GM would probably make its segway into more modern innovations. The 80's-90's foray into FWD was a blow to GM's credibility to build reliable cars. (but I don't think I'll ever look into a ford... including land rovers..volvo..etc... its such social manipulation that I can't be bothered with the ridicule I will get from family and fellow countrymen.. hope you understand )

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: BigSmooth
It actually looks like a decent value when you consider the inevitable rebates, although I don't love the styling. Certainly a lot more competitive than the Blazer it's essentially replacing.

Meh, I'd rather have a blazer than that thing. The styling isn't very appealing for that type of vehicle imho. Besides, wasn't the Blazer a "truck" with a body on frame design and RWD/4WD? This seems more like one of those "mixbreed" crossovers. I'll take the Blazer anyday.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: KGB
:chuckles; Ohh man... you don't want to know of what they think of fords in my country (granted they're not made in US) Yes the carb references you mentioned are true in extreme cases, such as the metion of the porche; which undoubtably had to have a good functioning fuel injector (or one would be very discontent with lack of quality and workmanship on porches part)

Actually, it's a VW engine. The 914 was largely VW. It's not really an extreme case either. The ECU was a BOSCH D-Jetronic, used in a bunch of other cars from that time period from VW to Audis to BMW's to Volvos to Porsches. It was a pretty generic modular system. Heck, the L-Jetronic system that was used in the 1.8 litre 914's was in use through the early 1990's in a licensed form in Mazda 323's. Wasn't any special system. It's just that any EFI provides vastly superior fuel metering than carbs. Carbs can really only be tuned for a small range.

ZV