compact V6 SUVs battle

[sikuya]

from the motor trend august 2004 issue comparison test between 4 compact v6 suvs:

fourth place
FORD ESCAPE XLT Sport 4WD 3.0L V6 200hp 193 torque
hot eager off-road skills,refreshed appearance,flat cargo
not coarse engine noise,dull styling,midling acceleration
bottomline friendly styling,the conservative,straightforward alternative


third place
SATURN VUE AWD Red Line 3.5 V6 250hp 242 torque
hot hot honda V6,sport-sedanlike handling,nice looker
not harsh ride,limited off-roadability,low-end interior material
bottomline engine rev at 6000rpm,not for everyone;ideal for a few


second place
HYUNDAI SANTA FE 4WD GLS 3.5V6 195hp 219 torque
hot low price,competent all-around performance,big warranty
not spongy brakes,riotous interior,subpar mpg
bottomline low window sticker,"sport utility value"


first place
CHEVROLET EQUINOX AWD LT 3.4L V6 185hp 210 torque
hot flexible interior configuration,tasteful styling,competent acceleration
not poor steering,undercarriage's affinity to rocks,soft seat cushions
bottomline has sliding rear seat,a few tweaks will make it even more of a winner

[mbt]

funny, car & driver really laid on the hosannas about the Escape's chassis and drivetrain back then hehehe (then again, that was 3 years ago and Honda wasn't making engines for GM yet hehehehe)

hmm the press has been raving about the equinox, and it sure looks better than most of its competitors. i wonder if a more modern engine is slated for it soon though, that carryover V6 is rather ancient!

[sikuya]

buy-american people will be shocked to learn that the chevy equinox's automatic is made in japan and the V6 engine is made in china(a descendant of the old 1980 GM 60-degree pushrod engine).

[kiper]

sikuya, that's what you call cost-cutting and time management!

escape still beats the competition..wait for it's 3.5L V6.

[cyberdoc95]

I find it funny that people are still amazed why so many basic things are already made in China. If you don't know yet, China is the next big thing in the world's economy. China is booming because of investors coming from the United States and Europe because of work ethics and good quality control but a fraction on the cost of labor compared to other countries.

I have been driving my Equinox for 3 months now. I have read so many articles about the questionable engine before I even bought my car. I even wrote to GM about the reliability of the engine that Chevrolet use for the Equinox.

Sikuya, you'll be surprised to know how car buyers in the States have turned to online research to get each and every feature of the vehicle. I am not demeaning anybody here but when you say "american buyers", you presumed that we didn't know about this. If you search for forums/threads/groups about the 2005 EQUINOX, there is even one that is bigger than tsikot.com forum that is only dedicated to Equinox. You'll be surprised that before Equinox even came out February 2004, talks about this vehicle has already started since January of 2003. If one hasn't read anything about the equinox on the internet, he/she probably doesn't know it exists because it hasn't been shown on TV nationwide. It was only shown to some selected events like the NBA and NCAA finals for target audience. What I'm trying to say is, we wouldn't be surprised of the engine because we are already aware of it and that it has been widely discussed on forums and threads.

THe fact is, the engine used in the Equinox has similar architecture as the older one but it is not totally the same. It has been modified. I have read so many complaints about this engine when it was previously utilized in early 1990's models of Malibu, chevrolet venture, etc. but this has been corrected a long time ago.

I have been driving my Equinox problem-free and actually has gone to the service center for the 3,000-mile check. But would I know a difference between parts made in China? Nope, I wouldn't. Would I worry? Why would I worry if its made in China when 30% of car parts of a brand new Lexus, Mercedes Benz and BMW cars are made in China. Although not the engine but still it reflects how quality has been lifted by these chinese folks.

Ciao!

[sikuya]

cyberdoc95 wrote

i am not demeaning anybody here but when you say "american buyers",you presumed that we didn't know about this

you TOTALLY misunderstood my post: what didn't you know about what? america car buyers are a very savvy lot, and i know they use the internet and all channels of information highway in buying autos (i did not too when buying my last 2 vehicles. also, think scion--very few commercials, subliminal ads but mostly done in the internet). what i meant was this : "buy-american" buyers are those millions of americans who buy the big three's vehicles and not foreign-brands. they'd rather buy and drive a mexico-built chrysler PT cruiser but not a kentucky-built toyota camry thinking they're buying an american product. i know there are many equinox buyers out there (case in point, a woman i work with who drives a new black equinox) who thought they bought a 100% american car not knowing the engine was made in china.you live in america, right? so you probably heard about them saying "buy american!"(unless you live in the west coast/ california).

the V6 engine is made in china (a descendant of the old 1980 60-degree pushrod engine)

i didn't bash your SUV's engine by saying that, did i?

cyberdoc95 write

if one hasn't read anything about the equinox on the internet,he/she probably doesn't know it exists...

interesting to point out that i knew about the equinox's existence not thru the internet but by going to my local auto show. the equinox was shown in the 2003 and 2004 presentation of the 2 local auto shows where i live. that's 750,000 people yearly looking at,touching and knowing about tis cute ute since early 2003 in dallas-fort worth alone (and excluding the word of mouth, pictures taken and the souvenir programs which showed... the equinox before it was released).a lot of this people i know didn't read about this chevy in the internet,nor went to NBA and NCAA games but they knew about it nonetheless.

[yebo]

can you spell "dyslexic"?

if you can then don't worry, welcome to the club, we are 2 in millions. i too have difficulty reading because my mind races ahead of my eyes. that is why i need to read things twice, just to make sure i read what was written and not what my brain believed to see.

sikuya said "buy-american", NOt "american buyer". meaning people who think only products stamped "made in USA" are worth buying. so people will not buy toyota or hyundai because they don't like japanese or korean. but they will buy a ford or chevy thinking that it is made in the US of A.

the term "buy-american" does not only apply to americans of that mindset mentioned above. it applies to all people, pilipinos included, who only buy "made in USA" products.

btw, it's just a *#$%* car. there was absolutely no need for that knee-jerking.

peace bro.



now back to topic. pahingi naman ng isa, kahit ano dyan tatanggapin ko hehehehe! kahit pang 10th place pa yan kiss ko ng matagal ang magbibigay sa akin! :D

[mbt]

were the GM pushrod V6's problematic? i thought they had a reputation for good reliability and durability even if many bash them for being old-tech and cruder than the multivalves of competitors hehe

[cyberdoc95]

I don't mean to be insulting to posters but I couldn't exactly understand some of your sentence construction especially when a sentence starts with "BUY-AMERICAN PEOPLE".... what is that suppose to mean?? Is "Buy-american" supposed to be an adjective?? I am not an english teacher and definitely not able to figure out what it is suppose to mean.

I work with children and most of the problems with dyslexia are not even close to this one. This is purely just poor sentence construction. Since you already pointed that out, then I'll give you an explanation.

If you don't understand a sentence that has been inaccurately written and in incorrect grammatical use, you are not dyslexic. I understand you are trying to tell me that I am dyslexic. If I am, I would have probably misread and misunderstood reports from the hospital charts I read every single day and probably failed my medical board exam. Anyone who is used to good writing will definitely misunderstand posts like this.

I don't mean to discredit what you said about how many people go to auto shows, but apparently not a lot if you really want to reach 294 million americans. Most americans really don't have the time to go to these events. I know I can't with my schedule. Who has time to go to autoshows anyway? I know there weren't any autoshows in Boston that showcased the Equinox. Would I go to New York for an autoshow? Nope! Just a waste of my precious time.

Peace!

[sikuya]

cyberdoc95
it seems silly talking about grammar in this board,you could have asked first for clarification before letting off those barrage of words.we're in the same page here,dude, nothing against your chevy equinox (it was no.1 in the comparo in the 1st place) cuz i have never driven nor been in one nor will i buy one. i'm glad you like it and don't have problems with it.
on dyslexia, you're taking the previous post literally.i'm sure yebo knows what dyslexia means.
before parting,here's another silly fact. there was an auto show in boston, the new england in'tl auto show held on nov.1-9,2003.
and there are 80 auto shows in the US yearly with 30-40 million attendance (yeah,which is not a lot considering the US has how many again...290million people?).those millions have time to go to
these shows.
so dude,how's the weather up there in boston?it's warm down here as usual.

[yebo]

cyberdoc,

there was one thing i wanted to say yesterday but i did not. i erased it yesterday but now, since you keep at it then i beg your pardon in advance. the 4th pharagraph of my post yesterday was actually longer, it should have read...

"btw, it's just a *#$%* car. there was absolutely no need for that knee-jerking. I THOUGHT THIS BOARD HAVE GROWN UP ENOUGH FOR ITS MEMBERS NOT TO TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY ESPECIALLY WHEN TOPICS ARE CARS."

so stop taking the posts as intended to offend you, sir. the moderators in this forum have worked hard enough reminding people about that. so please, on your 9th post, GROW UP!

and i find nothing wrong with sikuya's sentence construction either. i understood everything, so why can't you?

and doctor, I know what dyslexia means. you, doctor, have no sense of humor.

[sikuya]

pardon yebo, i'm a victim of dyslexia too.

i know there weren't any autoshows in boston that showcased the equinox

and there was i blabbering about the auto show in boston lasy nov.i promise not to be dyslexic next time.