Day 1
I was actually looking forward to getting into this completely new small to mid-size SUV. The brief glimpses I had
gotten at earlier press events gave the impression of a well put together package with cool features and nice styling.
But after actually sitting in the driver’s seat, I immediately realized I’d been here before. Of course I knew the
Equinox was built on the same platform as the Saturn
Vue, but I didn’t realize how much alike they really were.
Some of my biggest gripes with the Vue are still present in the Equinox. The power window buttons remain in the
center stack, making it impossible to roll up all the windows at once with one hand. And the plastic…there’s plastic
everywhere. Granted for such a large SUV, $22,000 is a more than reasonable price, but couldn’t Chevy have found some
better materials to outfit the interior? The outside lines are stylish and fit fluidly into Chevy’s recent design
aesthetic, but inside there is little to please as bulky plastic sections abruptly run into another. Not everything is
horrible. Cool circular door handles inside are a nice touch, as are the rubberized environmental and radio
controls.
How did it ride you ask? I don’t know, I hadn’t even shifted out of park yet.
Loose ends: I never did get around to a full wrap-up of the
Volkswagen Passat TDI Wagon. But at the finish of the
few days with the car I couldn’t help thinking what a solid piece of machinery it was. Diesel engine aside, VW makes a
great handling automobile. Personally, I’d still wait on a new design to come in the next few seasons. But for
those who are happy with an aging style, there should be nothing to hold them back. The diesel engine had its
trade-offs but it got extreme mileage. I didn’t even fill it up over the five days and the tank was more than half
full.