yuk yuk yuk

Chevy Equinox

http://images.automotive.com/color/300x187/2007/Chevrolet/CAB70CHS151A0805.jpg

I guess it's a "sport utility" or a "cross over utility" but it's more like a hatchback car with a higher center of gravity.  Not really sure I understand what the appeal of this vehicle was supposed to be.  The auto transmission shifts all over the place, it has almost twice the horsepower and none of the acceleration of my Scion xB, no headroom, and honestly doesn't feel like it has as much interior space as my xB which is at least four feet shorter.  Even steering is odd, feels like an old fashioned car with several turns of the wheel needed during parking.

My last car was a former rental sedan (Chrysler Cirrus), and even it felt better put together than this thing.  Actually, if it wasn't for some maintenance issues, that vehicle feels like a Rolls compared to this one.

Wish I had gotten my Mustang back in working order so I could have avoided driving this thing for a few days.

So um Detriot, keep making crap like this and you won't have to worry about any more gov't loans in the future.  Edmunds even said it was an improvement over it's predecessor.  I can't image how bad that must have been.  Oh yeah, it also costs about $10K more than my Scion. 

yuk yuk yuk




Don't you mean Junk Junk Junk?

i'm trying to figure out whether detroit has SUV dependence, SUV addiction, or SUV psychosis.

If you were looking for an SUV, you should've gone with a Mazda CX-7 or a Honda Pilot (if they had either).

I have a Honda Civic.  I will buy Honda until the day I die.  I'm sorry if it's un-American or whatever, but man, they are just the best cars ever.

I have a Honda Civic.  I will buy Honda until the day I die.  I'm sorry if it's un-American or whatever, but man, they are just the best cars ever.

I had a Honda Civic for 16 years. Never gave me any trouble at all. I drove cross-country twice as well (Toronto to Vancouver). Nice little car.

Well its a rental. Whens the last time you had a GOOD rental car?

Rental fleets are stocked up on cars the manufacture wouldn't most likely get the public to buy at a decent price. The Equinox is a SUV on a car chassis (great idea huh  ::) ), so its like putting a size 12 foot in a size 9 flip-flop, gotta expect some problems.

I had a '07 Camry as a rental once, nice car, not great, but OK, but that was the best rental I can ever remember, and thats saying a lot.

I have a Honda Civic.  I will buy Honda until the day I die.  I'm sorry if it's un-American or whatever, but man, they are just the best cars ever.


   I dunno about un-American.  No telling where all the components of a vehicle originate.  While not Detroit (and not automobiles), if the company I work for needs something, and needs it pronto, they'll simply purchase from the competition.  I can imagine all sorts of inter-company manufacturing and supply going-on in the auto industry.  And aren't most Toyotas, Hondas, Mazdas &etc made in the US by US workers..?

Not really sure I understand what the appeal of this vehicle was supposed to be. 

That makes two of us.

Large segments of the American car-buying public will buy any trend the Big 3 puts out there.

I swear, if some auto stylist designed a brown vehicle named The Turd that did not go anywhere and just sat in one place and stank, some people would still flock to the showrooms and buy it.  ;D

Well its a rental. Whens the last time you had a GOOD rental car?



Exactly.  I'd prefer to rent an total sh*tbox so I don't get spoiled!
8)

I have a Honda Civic.  I will buy Honda until the day I die.  I'm sorry if it's un-American or whatever, but man, they are just the best cars ever.


I had a Honda Civic for 16 years. Never gave me any trouble at all. I drove cross-country twice as well (Toronto to Vancouver). Nice little car.

yeah, Honda makes good cars. We test-drove some Hondas back in '91 when we were looking to buy a new car (but not me, I was too young at that time)....but we ended up with a Toyota Camry, which we still have today (and I've been driving it). Toyotas are great too.

We rented a car last month -- a 2009 Toyota Camry -- and it had a GPS navigational system installed. My parents only rented for the one weekend because they had some places to go that were far from home and they wanted to save wear and tear on their own automobiles. The car was great; it handled well and we loved the GPS!

The auto transmission shifts all over the place...

Ditto the 2008 Maliboo we rented last year. That pos would NOT stay in overdrive, instead kicking down to second whenever there was a slight load on it (which is really nice when you're driving on icey roads. Not). I thought the transmission was broke. When I found out that's how it's designed to work, I shuddered.

I can't knock the Equinox though: I've never driven one. It's not a minivan, it's prettier than the Pontiac Aztec, and boasts respectable fuel mileage and safety ratings.

Ant

We, too have a Honda Civic-our second one. Ours was made in Canada. How do we know this? By the VIN.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_identification_number




Cat

Had two rental cars recently: a little Japanese thing and a Merc (something about courtesy car hire - it's either the smallest thing you can get, or just because I had 600 miles to drive in the following week it's an upgrade to an "executive"-class beastie).  Both cars were fine, but instantly forgettable.  Smooth to drive, but nothing that made me want to buy either.

Both better than the crappy Peugeot 306 I'm driving around at the moment, though (as well they should be - it cost peanuts, and still returns >50mpg.. couldn't afford to replace it at the moment).

i'm trying to figure out whether detroit has SUV dependence, SUV addiction, or SUV psychosis.


No, but the American people do.

Year after year, that tends to be the largest and fastest growing segment of the market.

Because no matter what people say about wanting "green" cars, fuel efficient cars, they are all lying.

They want big status-symbol monster SUVs, and that is all there is to it.  If they did not, nobody would buy them.

And we would all happily drive Yugo's and Geo Metro's.

No, but the American people do.

Year after year, that tends to be the largest and fastest growing segment of the market.

Because no matter what people say about wanting "green" cars, fuel efficient cars, they are all lying.

They want big status-symbol monster SUVs, and that is all there is to it.  If they did not, nobody would buy them.

And we would all happily drive Yugo's and Geo Metro's.



If that were true, the "Big Three" (oops, I mean the "Big Two") wouldn't have to go to the Government for a bailout.



Cat

   I dunno about un-American.  No telling where all the components of a vehicle originate.  While not Detroit (and not automobiles), if the company I work for needs something, and needs it pronto, they'll simply purchase from the competition.  I can imagine all sorts of inter-company manufacturing and supply going-on in the auto industry.  And aren't most Toyotas, Hondas, Mazdas &etc made in the US by US workers..?
No only the Mazda 6 and Tribute are built in America. The 6 is built in a ford plant in Flat Rock Michigan with UAW wokers. I drive an 07 Mazda 6 that is made in that Michigan Plant and its a pretty well built car. The Mazda 3, CX-7 and, CX-9 are built in Japan.

Honda-The Accord, TL, RL, and Oddessy, and Pilot are built in America. I think the new generation Honda Fit is built in America. The Civic is built in Canada and America as well I think. The TSX is built in Japan I think still. Not sure about the Acura MDX or Acura RDX.

Toyota-The Avalon, Camry, Highlander, and Tundra are built in America. the new generation Toyota Prius will be built in America. The Corolla/Matrix is built both in Canada and America. The Corolla/Matrix which are built in America is built interestingly enough in a GM/Toyota joint plant with UAW workers. I think the Lexus RX SUV is built in Canada.

yuk yuk yuk

Chevy Equinox

http://images.automotive.com/color/300x187/2007/Chevrolet/CAB70CHS151A0805.jpg

I guess it's a "sport utility" or a "cross over utility" but it's more like a hatchback car with a higher center of gravity.  Not really sure I understand what the appeal of this vehicle was supposed to be.  The auto transmission shifts all over the place, it has almost twice the horsepower and none of the acceleration of my Scion xB, no headroom, and honestly doesn't feel like it has as much interior space as my xB which is at least four feet shorter.  Even steering is odd, feels like an old fashioned car with several turns of the wheel needed during parking.

My last car was a former rental sedan (Chrysler Cirrus), and even it felt better put together than this thing.  Actually, if it wasn't for some maintenance issues, that vehicle feels like a Rolls compared to this one.

Wish I had gotten my Mustang back in working order so I could have avoided driving this thing for a few days.

So um Detriot, keep making crap like this and you won't have to worry about any more gov't loans in the future.  Edmunds even said it was an improvement over it's predecessor.  I can't image how bad that must have been.  Oh yeah, it also costs about $10K more than my Scion. 
No the current model is the first generation of Chevy Equiniox there was no previous generation of Equinox before this. A new 2010 Equinox comes out sometime this summer though.

Anyway, my experience with American cars of late: a 2004 Jeep Liberty was crap I mean the thing rides roughly. A Chevy Cobalt-it was average but missing something still. A mid 2000's Ford Escape-pretty good but partly engineered by Mazda.

Ditto the 2008 Maliboo we rented last year. That pos would NOT stay in overdrive, instead kicking down to second whenever there was a slight load on it (which is really nice when you're driving on icey roads. Not). I thought the transmission was broke. When I found out that's how it's designed to work, I shuddered.

I can't knock the Equinox though: I've never driven one. It's not a minivan, it's prettier than the Pontiac Aztec, and boasts respectable fuel mileage and safety ratings.

Ant
I;m surprised you had a bad experience with a 2008 Malibu I mean the 2008+ Malibu is probably one of the best Domestic Big 3 cars to come out in a long time.

I;m surprised you had a bad experience with a 2008 Malibu I mean the 2008+ Malibu is probably one of the best Domestic Big 3 cars to come out in a long time.


Yeah, I rented a Malibou a few months ago and I definitely noticed that it was a sweet ride.  8)  Which struck me, because I usually have not been big on Chevies.

I;m surprised you had a bad experience with a 2008 Malibu I mean the 2008+ Malibu is probably one of the best Domestic Big 3 cars to come out in a long time.


That could be why the public at large is fed up with American cars: if the Malibu is one of the best, I'd hate to drive one of the worst.

Over the long term, it might be safe, reliable, low maintenance, fuel efficient, and all those other good things. I will say the car looked nice, but I hated driving it. It was the 4cyl/4spd model... maybe the 6 has enough power and gears to run like it's not missing third gear. Then again, the 6 cyl is more $$$, and my '94 S10 pickup (4.3l V-6, 5spd manual, 2.73 rear end) got better MPG than the 2008 6cyl Malibu does.  ???

The interior ergonomics left a bit to be desired as well, with the center console protruding too far into the driver's space, resulting in my right leg being uncomfortable the whole time I drove it.

Perhaps it's my perspective: when I drive a cheap car (like a Metro), I expect certain things to be lacking. When I drive a $20k brand-new car, I don't expect it (even a LOW mileage, absolutely clean rental) to make me want to hop back into a 15 year old Metro. That's what the Malibu made me want: not to drive it, but to go buy a used Metro.

That all said, my wife has an '08 Focus. She loves it. Heck, I love it. The only thing I don't like about it is the lack of cruise control in the base model, but that's a minor gripe and one that has more to do with Ford's accessories packages than the car itself.

Our family has mostly American vehicles. With the exception of my aunt's Buicks (which seem to totally crap themselves in less than 6 years, the three of four that she has had), all of them have few problems.

Ant