[gwhaley262]

I'm strongly considering trading in my 2009 Dodge Caliber for a 2011 Equinox 1LT. Today I took a test drive of a 2.4L 4cyl 2LT they had. Coming from a CVT the geared automatic felt a little weird. Does the tranny learn how you drive and upshift quicker once it figures you out? Is the V6 beefy enough to make you want to give up the fuel economy of the 4cyl? The 158HP 2.0L in my Caliber feels kinda weak a times so you could say I'm power starved. Let me know your thoughts. Any and all are welcome.

 

[airgumby]

I don't believe the car has a learning curve for the style you drive... At least I haven't felt it change.

As far as the difference between the 4 cyl and V6. I opted for the V6 because I wanted the highway passing ability. From a start line they are roughly the same up to a certain speed IMO, but the 4 cyl seems to downshift a lot. With the V6 It doesn't downshift as often as the 4 cyl. when accelerating from a constant speed.

 

[dishdude]

I would opt for the V6 if the 2.0 in the Caliber is not doing it for you. And like most cars now, the Equinox has a 6 speed transmission so it is very busy but you get used to it.

 

[fourmoremarine]

4 cyl=33mpg on a recent trip of 600 miles That's all I have to say about that

 

[2011LTZ]

4 cyl=33mpg on a recent trip of 600 miles That's all I have to say about that

I agree... mileage was a huge factor for me!

 

[gwhaley262]

I agree... mileage was a huge factor for me!

Yes that is tempting. When done right I can get 35MPG Hwy currently.

 

[hirolln]

I think it shifts a little differently if you don't use the ECO setting. Might try that and see if it shifts more to your liking.

 

[2011LT2]

Trifecta can sell you a program to flash your PCM to make the tranny shift better if that is the only issue. The 2.4L will have quite a bit more power than your Caliber. So it is a small upgrade in and of itself.

The Equinox is a great vehicle for comfort, lots of space even in the back seat, the back seat moves back and forth, and the leather is nice, the power liftgate is nice. Without those things not sure we would have got it just for the potential efficiency. We have a 2006 Hybrid Ford Escape which is a nice vehicle, but not as comfortable, not as nice of a ride either. The Hybrid gets about 29mpg combined even on hills and going 75mph. But a new Hybrid costs more. My vehicle of preference was a BMW 335d, but its almost $50K with all the power and comfort you could ever need.

GM has not yet quite worked out all of the quirks on these direct injection engines, something to consider, but they are nice cars. Dont bother with MSRP, ask for the invoice price if looking for a new one.

 

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

I am glad to hear about your interest in the Equinox. I would recommend driving both models and seeing which will work best for you. Good luck with your purchase!

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

 

[Barry]

I'm strongly considering trading in my 2009 Dodge Caliber for a 2011 Equinox 1LT. Today I took a test drive of a 2.4L 4cyl 2LT they had. Coming from a CVT the geared automatic felt a little weird. Does the tranny learn how you drive and upshift quicker once it figures you out? Is the V6 beefy enough to make you want to give up the fuel economy of the 4cyl? The 158HP 2.0L in my Caliber feels kinda weak a times so you could say I'm power starved. Let me know your thoughts. Any and all are welcome.

This week I test drove both the 4 cyl and the 6 and am planning on purchasing in the Fall. The 6cyl had a stronger feel right from the start and highway passing was much better. Something I noticed right away was the better ride the 6cyl gave...due to the added weight I presume. There was enough difference there for me to choose the 6. The salesman said something about the suspension being tuned differently too but not sure I buy that....anyone know?

 

[Colt Hero]

As much as I wanted the fuel economy of the I-4, I went with the V6 because I had read too many horror stories (over several months' time on multiple forums) about owners having problems with the I-4 engines (pinging, stalling, horrific start-up noises, less-than-advertised fuel economy, etc.). And yes - these are probably isolated cases, but still - I didn't want to take the chance because I've NEVER had ANY problems with ANY new car I've ever purchased and I didn't think I'd react very well to experiencing BRAND NEW car problems for the first time.

 

[toddman]

The 4 cylinder is totally gutless on the highway. It's great in the city, but awful everywhere else. The fuel economy is pretty much the only reason I went with the I4. I'll be honest though, They just replaced my timing chain with only 47,000 KM's on it, (All highway KM's too) and I'm a bit weary of the long-term durability of the I4. It works pretty hard out there on the road and it never sounds smooth. It's a rough motor. If I had to re-buy, I would still probably go with the I4, but now that GM is offering leasing again, I would lease vs. buy.

 

[2011LT2]

We dont have ours even wore in yet, only about 1000 miles, but I have not been disappointed with the 2.4L engine. Its kind of a perspective thing. I have a 6.5L turbo diesel that negotiates hills and 80mph with ease, as well as my 5.7L Z28. Then we have a 2.3L Ford Escape Hybrid. Well this 2.4L Ecotec with 6 speed tranny does wonders better on the highway and hills than our Escape. It is also a more comfortable ride for everyone.

For what it is, it surprises me the amount of get up and go it has. That doesnt mean its a lot, but its enough. Now if it starts leaking fuel in the oil and ruining timing chains, its going to make me mad :angryfire:

 

[therink]

We have had our 2010 2LT V6 leather/rear dvd for about 15 months now (22k on the odo) and not one issue. Never been to dealer accept for one check up. It works out well for our family of 4. I am real fussy about vehicles and did my research before buying. GM really turned the corner on this one.
My only beef is the button placement on the center stack for audio/climate controls. Too far to reach the channel/menu dial on radio and all of the controls crowded together can be confusing.
If you need extra space for cargo/dog, etc when traveling with kids the rear storage is tight. Not an issue for us though.
I recommend the V6. We get around 19mpg doing mostly city driving. We get around 24 hwy.

 

[NoobNox]

The 4 cylinder is totally gutless on the highway. It's great in the city, but awful everywhere else. The fuel economy is pretty much the only reason I went with the I4. I'll be honest though, They just replaced my timing chain with only 47,000 KM's on it, (All highway KM's too) and I'm a bit weary of the long-term durability of the I4. It works pretty hard out there on the road and it never sounds smooth. It's a rough motor. If I had to re-buy, I would still probably go with the I4, but now that GM is offering leasing again, I would lease vs. buy.

Have you ever owned a vehicle with a 4cyl engine before? I've had Honda/Acura, Toyota and Mazda 4cyl engines and the 2.4 Ecotec ranks right up there with the best of them in my opinion. No 4cyl is going to be as smooth as a good V6 or have anywhere near the torque of a V8..

 

[k9kuz]

I opted for the V6 and AWD. I previously had a 4 cyl Toyota Camry. I wanted more passing ability and more winter driveability on my hilly driveway. Currently with 3K miles, getting 17mpg city and 24-26 hiway at 65mph.

 

[gwhaley262]

Yesterday 7/1 I took ownership of a Mocha Steel Metallic LT 1LT 2.4L AWD. Boy does she look great. Got her with the driver convenience package. I'll post pictures soon. Now that I have it on roads I normally drive I can actually open her up a bit. I made sure she started up with without out the unnerving popping sound others have heard from their I4s.

 

[2011LT2]

Congrats, is this a new one, make sure to read the break-in procedure, although I dont agree with GM's break-in, and I personally opened it up with spirited acceleration occasionally right from the get go. I started noticing better power and economy already at about 800 miles on it. I like the manual shifting without the ECO on, I also turn off the traction control, but not like it lites the tires and it grips the road pretty well anyway.

With AWD your 2.4L might not be quite as quick, but let us know how it works.

 

[gwhaley262]

Yea this one is brand new. GM tuned the 2.4l/6 spd setup much better than chrysler did the 2.0L/CVT in my caliber. So yes I am appreciating the performance.

 

[inphoenix]

4 cyl=33mpg on a recent trip of 600 miles That's all I have to say about that

27.8 with my 6cyl for 732 miles round trip. At less than 6 mpg difference I'm still very happy I got the 6cyl over the 4 cyl. I test drove a 4 cyl and there just was not nearly enough "go" for me when I need it. The 6 was good in the beginning but as I learned it and it learned me, it's got plenty of go. I traded out of an 8 cyl Trailblazer.