'18 Equinox: Whats New, Good, Bad, ...and Odd

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This is the most popular type of vehicle in the U.S., crossovers of this size, and there are plenty of choices. GM rebates of $3k and an additional GM credit card rebate of $3k more meant I gave the Equinox a hard look, and I got a great lease deal on an LT model with a few options (AWD, heated seats, side collision alert, power liftgate, etc.). Leasing (39 months) means its under warranty and I can decide just to give it back at the conclusion. Pretty much just oil changes and tire rotations for the first 3 years.

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2018-Chevrolet-Equinox-interior.jpg


The '18 Equinox shares a chassis with the Envision & Terrain (D2XX platform). Mine was made in MX, although most of the ones on the dealer lots were from Canada. They are also made in China alongside the Envision there. Yet the Envision is the most expensive one. Shipping costs must eat into the near-slave-labor rates in China. The Market is the market.

Car and Driver thrashed it around and found it had excellent handling. I think its due to it's Control Blade rear suspension and stiff chassis from the new Opel-engineered D2XX platform. It looks similar to the Control Blade setup on the Focus/Escape/CMax and some Mazdas. Big selling point for me was this new non-Theta platform it gets for 2018.

The 1.5L DI-Turbo Ecotec (from the Malibu) is a bit weak compared to modern standards, and the 6-speed automatic could use another cog. This anemic drivetrain is the main reason Car and Driver won't rank the 1.5L version higher. That said, the turbo torque of the 1.5L at low RPM is nice enough for most of us. ...Combine the great handling with a bigger engine, and you get: "The all-new Chevy Equinox—and we can’t even believe we’re saying this, considering where the old Equinox left off—feels more connected, nimble, and dialed-in than some far costlier German competition."--http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2018-chevrolet-equinox-20t-awd-test-review

What's odd is that the 1.5L DI/turbo engine has a larger sump for AWD vs. FWD. (5.3 qt vs. 4.2 qt) Never seen that before.
If anything you'd think the FWD version would have a bigger sump since it doesn't have to make room for the AWD transfer case, etc.
And it doesn't stop there: The AWD version has a larger gas tank too! AWD=15.6 gal, FWD=14.8 gal. No differential in the back on the FWD version should have given the FWD the larger gas tank, but its just the opposite.

The different sump sizes (AWD vs. FWD) will create confusion at Quickie-Lubes and among DIYers, and possibly at dealerships as well, since they will see "2018 Equinox" and "1.5L engine" and read the wrong one by mistake. Look for under or overfills to be very common on this vehicle! I just did an oil change to get the factory-fill out (with metals), drained it for 10 minutes, and refilled with exactly 5.0 quarts (jug), with Fram Ultra oil filter, and it overfilled it. Strange, since it should have taken 5.3 qts per spec. (???)
I used the only dexos1 Gen2 I could find at Walmart in 0w20 flavor, and that was Valvoline SynPower, the only one with the specific Gen2 logo. Could be important since this 1.5L DI/turbo engine might suffer from LSPI, and the new chainwear test helps too, things addressed by Gen2.

The Equinox has no under-engine skid plate or shield (belly pan). Its all just exposed down there. I thought almost all new designs these days had underbody shields to help lower aero drag. The lower the Cd, the lower the drag number they enter into the MPG FTP test cycle, allowing higher EPA MPGs and real-world efficiency.

A great feature of the Equinox is that it can get FWD fuel efficiency when you don't activate AWD via a button. This is special since it keeps the hypoid gear's friction in the back from eating gas when you don't need AWD. Few vehicles do that from what I've seen. Its a GKN brand unit, similar to what the Ford Focus RS has. Look for this uncoupling feature to become more common, doing away with most of the MPG penalty from AWD vehicles in the future.
http://www.gkn.com/en/our-divisions/gkn-driveline/case-studies/2016/all-wheel-drive-and-effciency/
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/244191-buick-joins-torque-vectoring-goes-snow-wheel-drive-show
 
How much did you put down and what is your monthly lease payment after tax and fees?

The AWD gets 2 MPG less on both city & highway EPA numbers.
That is the reason for the larger fuel tank.

I wouldn't be blowing money on a high end Fram or expensive oil if I was leasing it.

A lot of leases today only allow for 10K miles a year, down from 12K which was the standard for eons.

I'd probably have the dealer change the oil or take it to a shop that reports oil changes to Carfax.
 
We had a 2010 and I would never buy another one. Just not well built and had a lot of problems, including a major engine repair that would have been several thousand dollars if not under warranty. Maybe they are better now.
 
Interior picture is the last generation. I had a 2011 (well, Terrain), it was a great car, I liked it a lot. I'd give a 2018 with the 2.0T a close look if I was in the market.
 
We had a 13 put just over 50,000 miles on it. We really liked it. No issues. The new one is much nicer.

Yes it is going to get a diesel.

Enjoy your new car.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
How much did you put down and what is your monthly lease payment after tax and fees?
Zero $$$ down. $237 per month total, including taxes. There was $6k worth of GM rebates I used (taxes reduce it to $5570), and they discounted some off MSRP too. Dealer Doc fee and acquisition fee was $1100 together. 12k miles allowed per year, or 39k miles total for a 39 month lease.

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
The AWD gets 2 MPG less on both city & highway EPA numbers.
Thats because the EPA makes them activate the AWD during all the tests, so the savings is not reflected in the official FTP numbers. The point I made above was that the GKN AWD components decouple the wheels from the hypoid gears to avoid MPG losses in the real world when AWD is not activated (really normal mode). AWD is only needed when there is precipitation or gravel surfaces. If anybody knows of other vehicles that have this anti-friction switch (AWD to FWD), let me know.

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
That is the reason for the larger fuel tank.
Range difference would only be 5%, so you're saying GM installs different fuel tanks, 2 part numbers, for that reason? In the past, car makers have usually made 1 fuel tank instead of 2 when possible. Something else kept them from just designing 1 fuel tank for both. ... And 2 oil sumps is weird too. I looked under the car, and nothing from the tranny or transfer case impinges on the sump area for the AWD model. Of course the AWD has a larger sump than the FWD so the FWD setup would need to impinge more. Just strange.

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I wouldn't be blowing money on a high end Fram or expensive oil if I was leasing it.
Remember I could buy the car at lease end. Besides, Fram Ultras at Walmart are cheap in this size (cartridge ones can be outrageous). Also, changing oil on this thing is just too easy, as the oil filter is right there underneath, simple to reach, and drain plug too.

I'd probably have the dealer change the oil or take it to a shop that reports oil changes to Carfax. [/quote]I do get 2 oil changes free with multipoint inspections, and will use them before the lease is up. I did install a GoldPlug magnetic drain plug, just in case I buy the car at the end.

Something new (maybe?): Document oil changes at home with a quick video showing a jug going in, labels and all showing, maybe better than paper receipts. Like 10 seconds of MP4 video to store on a laptop with backup to the cloud or external drive. Nobody could reasonably deny enough oil changes of the right kind of oil were done. It demands dexos1 Gen2 0w20. I think OnStar will report to GM via satellite link when the OLM is reset too. There was another thread on here that concluded if the oil level was good and the oil looked basically OK, then few if any questions are asked by dealers and/or GM, and they can watch 30 seconds of total video (2 or 3 MP4 files) if they doubt it.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Interior picture is the last generation. I had a 2011 (well, Terrain), it was a great car, I liked it a lot. I'd give a 2018 with the 2.0T a close look if I was in the market.
My bad. Car is so new, and only wife has driven it. The "stock" web image I found said it was 2018 but you are right, its from a pre-2017 model. Here is a proper image:
2018_chevrolet_equinox_dashboard.jpg


The 2.0T had Car and Driver lovin' it, agreeing with you. I kind of like the idea of maybe getting better MPG with the 1.5T here, and its cheaper to lease too. The power would have been nice to have.
 
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
The new for '18 2.0 Turbo is the only way to go for gasoline.....New diesel? Who knows
Rat407 is right. A diesel is imminent. Might be the same one used in the latest Cruze??? Agreeing the 2.0T is more fun. The 1.5T has just enough low-RPM torque to keep me happy enough.
 
I hate that they keep shrinking the gas tank sizes in their vehicles. Previous model was was 18 gallons. It was my biggest annoyance when I had their new Malibu as a rental. It had a pathetic 13 gallon tank.
 
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I made steering racks for those cars last year. So in 2016 I was making racks for 2018 model Noxes. All I will say is that though the rack is US made, almost everything inside that rack is made in a hostile foreign country like China or Mexico.
 
Originally Posted By: A_A_G
I hate that they keep shrinking the gas tank sizes in their vehicles. Previous model was was 18 gallons. It was my biggest annoyance when I had their new Malibu as a rental. It had a pathetic 13 gallon tank.
yet they manage to keep growing the exterior and increasing msrp.
 
Originally Posted By: A_A_G
I hate that they keep shrinking the gas tank sizes in their vehicles. Previous model was was 18 gallons. It was my biggest annoyance when I had their new Malibu as a rental. It had a pathetic 13 gallon tank.


Well its nearly half a foot smaller than the previous version so it makes sense
 
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
I made steering racks for those cars last year. So in 2016 I was making racks for 2018 model Noxes. All I will say is that though the rack is US made, almost everything inside that rack is made in a hostile foreign country like China or Mexico.


Its a product of NAFTA for sure. On the window sticker (aka Monroney), it discloses: "U.S./Canadian Parts Content=45%; Mexico Parts=40%; Final Assembly: Mexico; Engine: U.S.; Transmission: U.S.
At least the Engine+Transmission is U.S.

Previous news reports said all the Equinoxes would be made in Canada where they've always been made.
Terrains were to be made in Mexico. (And, Envisions are China.)
Now I see the Mexican plant is pumping out Equinoxes along with the Canadian plant. Really mixed up. Pick a plant, GM! Why have 2 plants? Maybe capacity issues, don't know.
 
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies

Now I see the Mexican plant is pumping out Equinoxes along with the Canadian plant. Really mixed up. Pick a plant, GM! Why have 2 plants? Maybe capacity issues, don't know.
Oh, they do it to play different factions off against each other. It's easy to threaten to close one plant when you have another one far away making the same thing.
 
Originally Posted By: HM12460
Very nice! The Equinox has much more eye appeal than the 2017. Makes me wish I had waited another year.


Your '17 Terrain is the last of the evolutionary Theta platform improvements, ironing out the bugs. Should run without issues.
The '17 Terrain was almost 5" longer (length and wheelbase both) than the current Equinox, but the width remains about the same.

I saw a 2017 BMW X1 of the Equinox-Rav4 size class, based off the Mini chassis, and it might not handle as well as the Equinox. Possibly what Car and Driver was reffering to when they said:
(With the 2.0L turbo engine and 9-speed transmission) "The all-new Chevy Equinox—and we can’t even believe we’re saying this, considering where the old Equinox left off—feels more connected, nimble, and dialed-in than some far costlier German competition."--http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2018-chevrolet-equinox-20t-awd-test-review

I'm still looking for something else in this class of vehicle or close that uses a disengaging, gas-saving GKN-style AWD system. Declutching at the back wheels seems to be the only way. I heard several years ago FCA wanted to do it in their long-serving LX chassis cars, but they may have ditched the idea when gas prices dropped.
 
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