Edit: This is not in response to hokies CR-V thread, I didn't even see it till after I posted this :3
For the second time, because my back button decided to kill an hours worth of typing in one fell swoop (ALLOFMYRAGE).
Sooooooo... For the second time today.
We took delivery of our 2011 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ V6 on June 30th, 2011. It stickers at just over $38k and has every single option available. Most everything I say in this review applies equally/almost equally to the GMC Terrain. We currently have 7,260 miles on the clock.
Pros: Smooth, Comfortable and quiet ride, Gutsy V6, Cavernous Backseat, high quality interior
Cons: Numb Steering, Average fuel economy, medioce handling, turning circle.
Trips to dealer since purchased: None
Fuel Economy: Overall Average: 17.1mpg, best tank: 25.4mpg overall highway: 24.5mpg
Final Vehicle Assembly: Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada
Engine: St. Catharines, ON, CA
Transmission: Silao, Mexico
US/Canada Parts Content: 66%
Interior/Ride: This is where the equinox shines, so this is where I will start. The interior is well designed. We got simple black, but it is available in several two-toned interior colors which look fantastic. The materials feel high quality, most of it is plastic, which is par for the segment. But the plastics have a high quality feel to them, and a lot of them are partially soft-touch. It is attractively designed. The Gauge cluster is readable, and the DIC is useful.
Front seat comfort is good, the driver seat is adjustable in front/back, height, tilt, and recline, all power. There is a wide range of adjustment to fit most drivers, and will comfortably accommodate both tall, and shorter people. The steering wheel offers a good range of adjustment in tilt and telescope as well, finding a comfortable driving position is easy. The passenger seat offers slide/recline manual adjustability, and offers a generous range of adjustment as well. Headroom is ample, even with the moonroof.
The backseat though is where it gets really impressive. The amount of space back there makes it feel cavernous. At 5' 11” tall I can easily stretch out nicely, even with a normal height person in the seat in front of you. The middle passenger isn't punished either. Seats are comfortable, though the middle seat is a bit harder, as you'd expect. Headroom is excellent as well, really impressive. Hip room is a litlte tight with 3 adults in the back, but the leg and headroom make it bearable.
The equinox is a bit on the low side for cargo storage, but it isn't tiny. If you fold down the rear seats (which don't fold fully flat) you get a lot of storage room for larger items like desks, tires & rims, or whatever.
The rear seat entertainment system is excellent, with two fairly large flip down TVs, one built into the back of each front seat. It offers a DVD player, and A/V inputs in the back. It comes with two sets of wireless headphones, and a remote control. When the vehicle is stopped, whatever is playing can be displayed on the front nav display as well. The rear seat passengers can be doing different things as well. If one person wants to play the PS2 on their TV, but the other person wants to watch garfield on DVD, that is easily done. The dual channel headphones make this possible. This is an excellent feature for families that take lots of road trips, sadly though it was removed as an option for the 2012 Model Year for reasons I cannot understand.
The Navigation system itself is functional and mostly easy to use. Navigation works well, and includes full maps of Canada, and the USA. Finding desinations is easy, and the navigation itself works well, it beeps when you are at the intersection you need to turn at, eliminating the “Is this it!?” that accompanies some other systems, and standalone GPS units. The ipod/radio/CD interface is well layed out and easy to use. This screen also displays the backup camera when in reverse. It can be controlled either via touchscreen, scrolling kob, or with a directional pad on the console, or change tracks/volume/source via buttons on the steering wheel. Voice control for bluetooth phones works well, and consistently.
Onto the ride and handling. The Ride is quiet. I mean, really quiet. It makes the CR-V sound like a tin-can in terms of road-noise and wind noise. Over decent, and smooth roads, the ride is smooth, composed, and it feels well planted. Steering on the other hand, is rather numb, and in my opinion, needlessly heavy, compared to the EPS in the 4 cylinder version, and the excellent EPS in the cruze. Handling itself is what I would call competent, but not fun. You can tackle twisty mountain roads, and be relatively assured that the tires will stay planted on the road. But it's not nearly as nimble or fun as the CR-V is. It's planted, but doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. In other words, the Equinox is designed to be a comfortable highway cruiser, not a nimble mountain goat. This could be due to it's height and weight, or suspension tuning, likely a combination of both. Either way like I said, it's competent, but I wouldn't call it fun. On the highway however, it's completely stable, planted. This is a car designed to haul families cross country and back in comfort.
This leads me in to the other big drawback. The turning circle. With 17/18” rims the turning radius is already fairly large, at I believe 37-38 feet. But with the 19” rims that our particular model came with, it is increased to just over 40 feet. That is a very large turning circle, and it's taken some getting used to, a little more planning when parking in a crowded parking lot. When we wer ein ohio for thanksgiving, and my mom drove my grandfathers escape, she commented on it, that the turning radius is definitely smaller. Heck, our expedition had a turning circle about 3 feet smaller than the equinox does. So be aware of this, it's not a deal breaker to us, but it is something worth noting. Go for the 18” rims, the better turning circle and lower cost is worth it just for that.
Powertrain: If you test drive one, the 4 cylinder and V6 aren't directly comparable. The V6 doesn't feel too much faster than the 4 cylinder right off the lot. A few thousand miles later, after it's broken in however, and the difference is like night and day. The 3.0L is the new Direct-Injeted, DOHC, VVT equipped GM HFV6, a smaller version of the excellent 3.6L people are already familiar with. It makes 264HP, and 222lb/ft of torque. But there is something I left out here. This is not your old big block, or 3800 series V6. This engine feels more like a Honda. What I mean is that 264HP comes on at 6,950RPM, and the torque at just over 5,000RPM. The engine isn't a complete dog in the lower rev ranges, but if you want punch, you have to put your foot down to get it. But when you do, it's actually pretty darn impressive. Once it hits it's powerband betwewen 4,000 and 4,500RPM, it will push you back in your seat, and if you aren't careful, spin the front tires, despite the TC and AWD. I've spun the tires a few tims when I put my foot down going 40MPH, when the transmission downshifts perfectly. This is definitely more like a Honda Engine, than the old GM V6s. This thing loves to rev, and will reward you for doing so. Once it hits the powerband it will pull all the way to the redline at 7,100RPM. It will upshift quickly, smoothly, and firmly, and do it all over again. The engine and 6 speed automatic are perfectly matched, and in perfect sync with each other. The power comes on higher in the rev range, but when it does, watch out! But at the same time, it's also extremely smooth, and refined.
I've said it before, but it makes the 3.0L duratec sound and feel rough, and unrefined in both sound and feel. This engine transmits no vibration to the cabin, and it sounds quite nice when revving. It's probably the best V6 engine I've ever experienced.
And it's no exaggeration when saying that this transmission is probably one of the best I've ever experienced as well. It's extremely smooth, the gears are well spaced, and the programming is spot on. Seriously, it's always in the gear I want it to be in, it downshifts exactly when I want it to, and it upshifts when I want it to, no hunting about, and no frustration when it wont' drop a few cogs when I prod the go pedal. It shifts smoothly, timely and firmly. I'm a huge fan of this transmission.
The powertrain overall is very smooth and refined, and matches the rest of the vehicle in that regard. I have to say well done to GM on this powertrain, because it's world class.
The 4 cylinder has about the same feel at low rev ranges, but there is no comparison once you hit the V6 powerband, it ha 100 more horsepower, and you definitely can't miss it. It does have a learning program, so it takes a few thousand miles before it really feels different than the 4 cylinder though.
Fuel Economy: It's used mostly for short trips around town and for my mom's commute. It averages 16-17mpg in that usage. Highway driving, our last two trips it achieved 24 and 25mpg respectively, both going 75mph, which isn't that bad considering it's weight, height, and the AWD coupled to a V6 engine.
Other features: The power liftgate. This is not something we went in asking for, it's just something it happens to have. And my god, 7 months later we appreciate it. It really is useful. Especially because the opener knob on the roof in the driver seat has a knob to adjust Full opening, and ¾ opening, for people who have lower garages.
The projector headlights are phenomenal, especially on high beams, they put out a LOT of light.
Backup camera: It works, and it works well, what else is there to say?
What it's for: People who want a comfortable highway cruiser to haul people in comfort
What it isn't for: people who want a nimble, lightfooted crossover (See CR-V).
Addendum: The 18" rims also get you Michelin Latitute Tour tires, versus the Hankook Optimo H725 that the 19" rims get you. those are smoother, and much quieter than the Hankooks, not to mention have better overall traction.
The engine is turning about 2,250RPM at 75mph, and climbing hills, it will keep the TCC locked, and downshift to 5th, engine speed climbing to 2,900RPM or so.
For the second time, because my back button decided to kill an hours worth of typing in one fell swoop (ALLOFMYRAGE).
Sooooooo... For the second time today.
We took delivery of our 2011 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ V6 on June 30th, 2011. It stickers at just over $38k and has every single option available. Most everything I say in this review applies equally/almost equally to the GMC Terrain. We currently have 7,260 miles on the clock.
Pros: Smooth, Comfortable and quiet ride, Gutsy V6, Cavernous Backseat, high quality interior
Cons: Numb Steering, Average fuel economy, medioce handling, turning circle.
Trips to dealer since purchased: None
Fuel Economy: Overall Average: 17.1mpg, best tank: 25.4mpg overall highway: 24.5mpg
Final Vehicle Assembly: Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada
Engine: St. Catharines, ON, CA
Transmission: Silao, Mexico
US/Canada Parts Content: 66%
Interior/Ride: This is where the equinox shines, so this is where I will start. The interior is well designed. We got simple black, but it is available in several two-toned interior colors which look fantastic. The materials feel high quality, most of it is plastic, which is par for the segment. But the plastics have a high quality feel to them, and a lot of them are partially soft-touch. It is attractively designed. The Gauge cluster is readable, and the DIC is useful.
Front seat comfort is good, the driver seat is adjustable in front/back, height, tilt, and recline, all power. There is a wide range of adjustment to fit most drivers, and will comfortably accommodate both tall, and shorter people. The steering wheel offers a good range of adjustment in tilt and telescope as well, finding a comfortable driving position is easy. The passenger seat offers slide/recline manual adjustability, and offers a generous range of adjustment as well. Headroom is ample, even with the moonroof.
The backseat though is where it gets really impressive. The amount of space back there makes it feel cavernous. At 5' 11” tall I can easily stretch out nicely, even with a normal height person in the seat in front of you. The middle passenger isn't punished either. Seats are comfortable, though the middle seat is a bit harder, as you'd expect. Headroom is excellent as well, really impressive. Hip room is a litlte tight with 3 adults in the back, but the leg and headroom make it bearable.
The equinox is a bit on the low side for cargo storage, but it isn't tiny. If you fold down the rear seats (which don't fold fully flat) you get a lot of storage room for larger items like desks, tires & rims, or whatever.
The rear seat entertainment system is excellent, with two fairly large flip down TVs, one built into the back of each front seat. It offers a DVD player, and A/V inputs in the back. It comes with two sets of wireless headphones, and a remote control. When the vehicle is stopped, whatever is playing can be displayed on the front nav display as well. The rear seat passengers can be doing different things as well. If one person wants to play the PS2 on their TV, but the other person wants to watch garfield on DVD, that is easily done. The dual channel headphones make this possible. This is an excellent feature for families that take lots of road trips, sadly though it was removed as an option for the 2012 Model Year for reasons I cannot understand.
The Navigation system itself is functional and mostly easy to use. Navigation works well, and includes full maps of Canada, and the USA. Finding desinations is easy, and the navigation itself works well, it beeps when you are at the intersection you need to turn at, eliminating the “Is this it!?” that accompanies some other systems, and standalone GPS units. The ipod/radio/CD interface is well layed out and easy to use. This screen also displays the backup camera when in reverse. It can be controlled either via touchscreen, scrolling kob, or with a directional pad on the console, or change tracks/volume/source via buttons on the steering wheel. Voice control for bluetooth phones works well, and consistently.
Onto the ride and handling. The Ride is quiet. I mean, really quiet. It makes the CR-V sound like a tin-can in terms of road-noise and wind noise. Over decent, and smooth roads, the ride is smooth, composed, and it feels well planted. Steering on the other hand, is rather numb, and in my opinion, needlessly heavy, compared to the EPS in the 4 cylinder version, and the excellent EPS in the cruze. Handling itself is what I would call competent, but not fun. You can tackle twisty mountain roads, and be relatively assured that the tires will stay planted on the road. But it's not nearly as nimble or fun as the CR-V is. It's planted, but doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. In other words, the Equinox is designed to be a comfortable highway cruiser, not a nimble mountain goat. This could be due to it's height and weight, or suspension tuning, likely a combination of both. Either way like I said, it's competent, but I wouldn't call it fun. On the highway however, it's completely stable, planted. This is a car designed to haul families cross country and back in comfort.
This leads me in to the other big drawback. The turning circle. With 17/18” rims the turning radius is already fairly large, at I believe 37-38 feet. But with the 19” rims that our particular model came with, it is increased to just over 40 feet. That is a very large turning circle, and it's taken some getting used to, a little more planning when parking in a crowded parking lot. When we wer ein ohio for thanksgiving, and my mom drove my grandfathers escape, she commented on it, that the turning radius is definitely smaller. Heck, our expedition had a turning circle about 3 feet smaller than the equinox does. So be aware of this, it's not a deal breaker to us, but it is something worth noting. Go for the 18” rims, the better turning circle and lower cost is worth it just for that.
Powertrain: If you test drive one, the 4 cylinder and V6 aren't directly comparable. The V6 doesn't feel too much faster than the 4 cylinder right off the lot. A few thousand miles later, after it's broken in however, and the difference is like night and day. The 3.0L is the new Direct-Injeted, DOHC, VVT equipped GM HFV6, a smaller version of the excellent 3.6L people are already familiar with. It makes 264HP, and 222lb/ft of torque. But there is something I left out here. This is not your old big block, or 3800 series V6. This engine feels more like a Honda. What I mean is that 264HP comes on at 6,950RPM, and the torque at just over 5,000RPM. The engine isn't a complete dog in the lower rev ranges, but if you want punch, you have to put your foot down to get it. But when you do, it's actually pretty darn impressive. Once it hits it's powerband betwewen 4,000 and 4,500RPM, it will push you back in your seat, and if you aren't careful, spin the front tires, despite the TC and AWD. I've spun the tires a few tims when I put my foot down going 40MPH, when the transmission downshifts perfectly. This is definitely more like a Honda Engine, than the old GM V6s. This thing loves to rev, and will reward you for doing so. Once it hits the powerband it will pull all the way to the redline at 7,100RPM. It will upshift quickly, smoothly, and firmly, and do it all over again. The engine and 6 speed automatic are perfectly matched, and in perfect sync with each other. The power comes on higher in the rev range, but when it does, watch out! But at the same time, it's also extremely smooth, and refined.
I've said it before, but it makes the 3.0L duratec sound and feel rough, and unrefined in both sound and feel. This engine transmits no vibration to the cabin, and it sounds quite nice when revving. It's probably the best V6 engine I've ever experienced.
And it's no exaggeration when saying that this transmission is probably one of the best I've ever experienced as well. It's extremely smooth, the gears are well spaced, and the programming is spot on. Seriously, it's always in the gear I want it to be in, it downshifts exactly when I want it to, and it upshifts when I want it to, no hunting about, and no frustration when it wont' drop a few cogs when I prod the go pedal. It shifts smoothly, timely and firmly. I'm a huge fan of this transmission.
The powertrain overall is very smooth and refined, and matches the rest of the vehicle in that regard. I have to say well done to GM on this powertrain, because it's world class.
The 4 cylinder has about the same feel at low rev ranges, but there is no comparison once you hit the V6 powerband, it ha 100 more horsepower, and you definitely can't miss it. It does have a learning program, so it takes a few thousand miles before it really feels different than the 4 cylinder though.
Fuel Economy: It's used mostly for short trips around town and for my mom's commute. It averages 16-17mpg in that usage. Highway driving, our last two trips it achieved 24 and 25mpg respectively, both going 75mph, which isn't that bad considering it's weight, height, and the AWD coupled to a V6 engine.
Other features: The power liftgate. This is not something we went in asking for, it's just something it happens to have. And my god, 7 months later we appreciate it. It really is useful. Especially because the opener knob on the roof in the driver seat has a knob to adjust Full opening, and ¾ opening, for people who have lower garages.
The projector headlights are phenomenal, especially on high beams, they put out a LOT of light.
Backup camera: It works, and it works well, what else is there to say?
What it's for: People who want a comfortable highway cruiser to haul people in comfort
What it isn't for: people who want a nimble, lightfooted crossover (See CR-V).
Addendum: The 18" rims also get you Michelin Latitute Tour tires, versus the Hankook Optimo H725 that the 19" rims get you. those are smoother, and much quieter than the Hankooks, not to mention have better overall traction.
The engine is turning about 2,250RPM at 75mph, and climbing hills, it will keep the TCC locked, and downshift to 5th, engine speed climbing to 2,900RPM or so.
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