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Chevrolet Equinox -- Review: Chevrolet and SUVs go together like ice cream and apple pie, Vegas and gambling, SpongeBob and SquarePants. After all, Chevrolet pioneered the utility segment with the 1936 Suburban, added a dash of sport with the Blazer in the late 1960s, then downsized SUVs with the original S-10 Blazer in 1983. Today, each of these models lives on in some form.
Where Chevrolet has not been a leader is the small SUV slice of the market, and the whole crossover movement seems to have taken this General Motors division completely by surprise. For better than a decade, the diminutive Tracker was GM's sole combatant in this increasingly competitive arena, first under the Geo banner and then as a Chevrolet product. But with consumer preferences shifting to car-based utility vehicles designed to look tough and rugged like a traditional SUV but ride and drive like a family sedan, the underpowered, undersized, body-on-frame Tracker was at a distinct disadvantage.
Enter the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, the first crossover vehicle to wear a gold bowtie on the grille and one that deftly straddles the line between mini-SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4 and larger mid-size sport-utes like the Toyota 4Runner. It's based on the same platform that underpins the Saturn Vue, albeit stretched a bit in terms of length to provide additional cargo space and a more unique exterior appearance. The result is a vehicle sized exactly right for the general consumer looking for a roomy family conveyance that looks good, drives much more like a car than a truck, and can duke it out with snowstorms if not the Rubicon Trail. But while the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox has the basics covered, the details need improvement, especially in the hardware department.
YESTER-TECH MOTOR
Under the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox's hood is GM's venerable 3.4-liter overhead valve motor, constructed with a heavy cast-iron block and lightweight aluminum cylinder head. Rated at 185 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 210 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,800 rpm while quaffing regular unleaded, the engine drives the front or all four wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission and is charged with motivating the Equinox's 3,660-pound curb weight (3,776 for AWD models). The 2005 Chevrolet Equinox can tow up to 3,500 pounds.
STRESSED TRANSMISSION
Refined would not be the right word to characterize the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox's powertrain. Coarse, grainy, noisy, and torquey are more accurate. The Equinox offers solid punch off the line and feels sprightly in the city, but out on the highway the engine labors a bit. Under extreme power demands, like flattening the accelerator for passing power, the five-speed automatic transmission changes gears harshly and behaves in a confused manner. Drive like a tourist in a new city, and the transmission shifts unobtrusively. Just make sure to shove the selector all the way into park when you've finished your drive - on one occasion we didn't and the Equinox emitted an incessant chime until we randomly discovered the source of the problem.
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