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My New 'E'

18K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  FRENCHY 
#1 ·
'E'quinox that is...

As many of you know, I traded the "Mean Green Machine" for a 2013 Chevy Equinox over the Labor Day weekend. Here are the first official photos of the new ride:

















 
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#2 ·
First impressions after driving it for 2 weeks now...

1) This thing rides like a limo compared to my 02 Escape. It's very quiet and smooth.

2) The 4-cyl engine makes quite a racket outside. I'm told it's the direct injection. The actually include active noise cancellation in the 4-cyl models to make it quitter inside. It seems to work because I barely hear anything inside the car.

3) I would classify the 4-cyl as adequate in terms of power. I miss the torque and sound of my old v6 but the Nox will get up and go better than I expected. I let my dad drive it and he said to me "It's quicker than I expected. It just gets up and goes".

4) Gas mileage so far has been good. I used 3/8ths of a tank around town with my usual commute and the computer told me I was getting around 19 mpgs. I used the next 1/2 tank on a highway trip from Northern NJ to Ocean City, MD and it told me I was getting 33-34 mpgs on the highway. At my 1st fill up, I calculated 25.4 mpgs for the tank. The range for that tank was 381 miles and I still had 1/8 of a tank left. Best range I ever got with my Escape was 325 miles and my best average (all highway) was 24.5 mpgs.

5) The seats are very comfortable on shorter trips. Much softer that the leather seats in my Escape. My passengers have commented on the comfort. On the long trip, I started felling a little stiff after 2 hours. About the same as the Escape.

6) The rear seats have a ton of leg room and seem like they would be very comfortable for two people but the seat is not very wide. Three could fit for a short trip but it would be very cozy.

7) Driving the car is very easy. Not quite as easy as the Escape though. In the Escape, I could see everything. The windows were large and low. The Equinox window sills are much higher and the view out back is restricted by the large C and D pillars.

8) The automatic's shifting hasn't been great. I expected it to be a lot smother. In the lower gears you can definitely feel it. It will in fact jerk the car at times. You can also feel it downshift as the car slows down. It's strange. I never had that in any of my other cars. I'm hoping it will get smother over time as it learns my driving style. I know this can happen with modern cars.

9) The 'My Link' system seems to work OK. The only issues I've had are because of the way my phone book is set up. I like the 3 months of free XM radio but I doubt I'll renew unless they give me a big discount. OnStar is nifty too but dang it is expensive.

10) The radio has 6 sets of 6 presets on it. I wish there was a way to jump to a row of presets instead of having to cycle through in order to get to the one I want.

11) I have the base stereo. It's not bad for someone like me that grew up with AM radio but I've certainly heard much better. The Escape's system sounded slightly better on average.

12) Handling is good. Actually better than I expected. I think I could easily keep up with my old Escape.

13) The moon roof is nice but it has separate buttons for tilt and slide. I liked the Escape's single button better.

14) Interior materials are nice to look at but hard plastic. I actually don't mind this on the dash but I wish the top of the doors at the windows were a soft touch material. In the Escape, I used to put my elbow there all the time. I don't think I'll be doing it as often in the Nox though because the window sill is so high. The arm rest is at a good height for me and it is a soft material.

15) The cargo area is smaller than I had hoped. It looks a little deeper than my old Escape when the rear seats are slid all the way forward but about the same with the seat back. The width is definitely narrower.

The reason I got this over the new Escape is it just felt right when I sat in it. When I got my Escape, it was a similar feeling. It's a simple, clean dash and everything looked and felt good. Additionally, I didn't really like the way the Escape SE interior looked. I liked the Titanium much better but I couldn't quite afford the one that I wanted.

That's about all I can think of now. If anyone has any questions, let me know and I'll answer if I can.
 
#6 ·
Thanks folks :)

Yes Charles, I got a 1LT. One step up from the base model. I got it with the moonroof and the drivers convenience package (power driver seat, remote start). So far, I've added the cargo net, a WeatherTech Custom Fit Cargo Liner and the Auto Ventshade In-Channel Ventvisors.

The photos above were taken before I added anything except for my old Escape cargo net (which didn't fit very well)
 
#9 ·
RobtRoma said:
7) Driving the car is very easy. Not quite as easy as the Escape though. In the Escape, I could see everything. The windows were large and low. The Equinox window sills are much higher and the view out back is restricted by the large C and D pillars.
I've been casually vehicle shopping just because I'd like something new. Unfortunately, every SUV I try suffers from this new visibility problem. I tried an RDX earlier this week and it just didn't work for me. With the driver's seat down low, I felt like I couldn't see over the hood. With the seat jacked up, I was eating sun visor. I didn't even bother driving it as a result.

I think I'm going to have a really difficult time finding something with similar sight lines to my Escape when it's time to replace it.

Lots of luck with you new 'Nox, Rob!
 
#10 ·
Mantruck101 said:
I've been casually vehicle shopping just because I'd like something new. Unfortunately, every SUV I try suffers from this new visibility problem. I tried an RDX earlier this week and it just didn't work for me. With the driver's seat down low, I felt like I couldn't see over the hood. With the seat jacked up, I was eating sun visor. I didn't even bother driving it as a result.

I think I'm going to have a really difficult time finding something with similar sight lines to my Escape when it's time to replace it.
The new Subaru Forester wasn't bad in terms of visibility. It's bigger than the previous model and the interior is pretty good. My only issue with it was the exterior. I liked the look of the previous generation better. The Escape I tried in my price range (13-SE) had great forward visibility but was comparable to the Nox looking back. The Nox had the backup camera though. I didn't like that I couldn't see the hood at all. It felt like I was driving a minivan.

Mantruck101 said:
Lots of luck with you new 'Nox, Rob!
Thanks! So far I like it a lot. I can't say I love it yet though. There's nothing wrong with it and it does everything well. There is just zero excitement factor and I absolutely hate the sound of the 4-cyl engine. I figure the v6 would have fixed that but I really wanted to go for something with better MPGs.

I took it on it's first long trip last week. I went from Central Bergen Co, NJ to Ocean City, MD. It's a 240+ mile and 4 1/2 - 5 hour trip each way. The Nox did great. It has a really quiet, comfortable and smooth ride. I went with my father (who is 74) and he said he was amazed that his legs didn't cramp on the trip. I also had my first back seat passenger (also 74). She said the back seat was very roomy and comfortable. She also mentioned her back usually bothers her in cars but she had no problems in the Nox. I averaged around 26 MPG with the first 2 fill ups. The old Escape would have probably been in the 17-19 range. Having satellite radio was nice too... :thumb:
 
#11 ·
My mom has a 2010 Forester and I've driven it a number of times. I can't say that I like the exterior looks of it or the new model.

And I agree: satellite radio is great!
 
#13 ·
Thanks JP!

I traded the Escape in due to some issues it was having. I didn't get what I expected for it because of a very minor accident that showed up on CarFax. I think I got a 'good' deal but I'm sure it could have been much better if I had done some homework and didn't feel a need to get the deal done quickly.
 
#15 ·
It's AWD Jim. If I had to do it again, I'd definitely look at the v6 instead of the 4-cyl. The 4-cyl has a pretty bad reputation. Lots of timing chain issues. I read about this before my purchase but also read that the problem was solved with some changes in the 2012 model year. I'm not so sure based on some things I'm hearing with my car. I've taken it to the dealer once and was told there was nothing wrong. I'm keeping an eye on it and if it gets much worse, I'm going to get more persistent with them.
 
#16 ·
I never told you congratulations!! Aw, I'm sorry!! :(

I like your Nox!! Now whenever I see one in on the road, I think of you! :D
 
#18 ·
Congrats on the new ride Rob. I was so upset at my escape that I let it go for $2,600 cash. I'm not even looking back. The dealer here has gotten so bad that after buying 6 units from them I told them that I would never darken their door. I loved our Scape, but got to where I couldn't trust the dealers work.
 
#19 ·
Thanks JJ!

Sorry to hear about the problems with your Escape and the Dealership. I typically give up on bringing my cars to the dealerships as soon as the warranty is up and use private mechanics. It seems the vast majority of the mechanics at dealerships are good at specific things. As soon as you have a problem that needs troubleshooting, they fall apart. I'm not a fan of any of the Ford Dealerships in my area. They have terrible reputations. All the good ones closed during the recession. This is one of the reasons I'm in a Chevy now. I foresee some problems with my Equinox because of some noises the engine makes when cold. We'll see how well they take care of me. If I can't get any satisfaction, I just might go back to the Honda dealership that has been in my area forever.
 
#20 ·
Hey man, how you liking your wheels so far? I picked up a 2015 Equinox and so far like it. The 4 cyclinder is a little noisy and I think under powered but I really like it. I just got the LT version, for nothing fancy the seats are extremely comfy and the touch screen display and stereo system is really good for a nothing special LT version. Still a little different than a fully loaded Malibu, LTD escape and an SES fiesta.
 
#21 ·
So far it's been great other than a knocking noise that happens while the car warms up in cold weather. Some days it's worse than others. Took it to the dealer and was told there is absolutely nothing wrong with the car. It's a lease so I'm not gong crazy trying to figure out exactly what it is. My best guess is it is something with the accessory belt tensioner based on where the noise is coming from and some info from a fellow in EquinoxForum.net that had the same issue. I believe it is hydraulically controlled and doesn't have full tension until the fluid warms up to a certain temp.

The 4-cyl is a little noisy under heavy acceleration but is fine while just cruising around town or on the freeway. I think the active noise cancelation does an excellent job. It seemed badly underpowered until I hit just over 5000 miles. For some reason the engine seemed much more lively and willing to rev after that. It's still no speed demon, but it is much better than it was at first.

The infotainment system could be better but considering this is the second lowest trim level (1LT), it works OK for my needs. I just wish I could hear directions from my phone without having to set the system to Bluetooth Audio. I do like the XM Radio and certain OnStar features. I just wish OnStar was less expensive.

It really shines on long trips. It is really comfortable/quiet and the ride quality and control is fantastic. So far no squeaks or rattles after 2 years of ownership. No rust that I can see even though there are quite a few people with pre 2014 models having issues with their lower door seams. These were redesigned in 2014 I believe so you shouldn't have any issues.

I do wish the around town MPGs were a little better. I'm averaging around 20.3 mpg (per Fuelly) and 20.4 mpg (per my hand Calcs) overall. I can get up to 29 mpg on all highway trips and that is great but I can also get 15-16 mpg around town in the winter. In the summer I'm closer to 19-20 mpg around town. Not quite the 22 mpg city on the sticker but sill better than my Escape by about 4 mpg. My sister does much better in her FWD Equinox out in PA so I figure it's more about the area I live in than the Equinox.

Truth be told, I do wish I had gotten the 6-cyl. If I had, I might consider keeping it but between the cold weather noise and the lack of any excitement, I'm definately going to look at something else once the lease is up.
 
#22 ·
Well... The old Equinox was end of lease so I got me a new 2017 LT. This time I got the v6. To get the v6, I had to get a few option packages and because they are rare in my area, I had to get a few more option packages. Needless to say it is pretty much loaded. Options: AWD, Convenience Package, Sun, Sound & Nav Package (with the Tech Package), Power Liftgate, Premium Sound, Moonroof, etc. Got it in Nightfall Metallic Gray. Here is a pic:



I've only had it for 2 weeks and taken it on 1 long trip out to PA. The extra power is very noticeable on the highway but I haven't really gotten into it. Still need to finish the break-in before I unleash all 300 hp :drool:
 
#26 ·
Thanks Max. :thumb: They are good vehicles. A bit boring but extremely quiet and comfortable. Especially on long highway trips.

My first one was basically problem free for the 3 years I had it. Only issue was the cold weather, cold engine knock I mentioned earlier in this thread. Dealership said it was normal and it was a lease so I lived with it. Didn't seem to effect the drivability or reliability. All I did was do oil changes and changed the cabin air filter one time. Total maintenance cost over 36 months was $233.40 including the occasional bottle of Techron and the $19 the rental place charged me for gas when it was in having the knock looked at. Never went to the dealership for anything other than basic maintenance after I had the knock looked at.
 
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