WOW, how can this be?

Hey, I know. Since the US owns part of GM they are putting in a 10% increase factor.

Now GM should have this engine transmission combo in practically everything they build. Why they won’t though – they are still GM and they can’t figure out how to manage success that well.

Keep puttin’ in those ancient 4 speeds in everything from HHR’s to Cobalts to Impalas, who would want anything more than that anyway? don’t tell me it would cost too much – because GM has raised their prices on carry over models recently, some more than 10%. Take the Impala – the LTZ once stickered for $27k in 2006/2007 now stickers for over $30k with little to no change. Yeah, blame steel prices, that makes sense :/

That’s kind of funny. I wonder how it accelerates compared to the Escape Hybrid. I’m betting the Equinox is a bit peppier. Are hybrids really what they are cracked up to be? I don’t think so.

the hybrids perform on the city smart one … plus the escape is about 10 years old .. the next generation will top the charts like the 2010 fusion and all new and up coming fords will or have…

^^….what?

Sorry to correct you but you must be speaking about the gas version of the Escape, because the Ford Escape Hybrid gets 34 MPG city.

Color me impressed.

I still think it’s a little awkward looking, but I’m sure it will get a decent refresh in a couple years, and the mileage is remarkable.

i think thats awsome, would like to see a hybrid version of this, just to see how well it can get mpg.

I have thought of the Acadia but internet blogs discuss EPA numbers impossible acheive.

i will believe it when real life people buy it and do the driving!

@ Jake66 I have the 5 spd automatic in my 05 Equinox and the gas mileage stinks. If i am lucky its 22 to 23 on hwy trips and if i am lucky 14-16 around town.

“Direct-injection engines put fuel directly into the engine’s cylinder, rather than mixing it with air first, making the engine more powerful and efficient. GM said last week that such engines will be available in 38 of its 2010 models, up from 18 models in the 2009 model year.”

Mopar, your engine was rated at 17/24 which is about what you get.

So in the new vehicle you would probably hit 30 mpg highway.

They’re talking about highway mileage on the Equinox topping the highway mileage on the Escape Hybrid.

Well, there GM goes again, making high quality, efficient vehicles.

Ford and Chrysler should take some notes.

GM entering CH-11 this week will delay production of this Equinox (stupid name!) for months (similar to Chrysler shutdown during CH-11) and the DI I4 6-speed is a “limited availability” drivetrain. Nice try though, but a little late…

Well, it doesn’t top highway mileage either, which is 34/31.

I wouldn’t call this “fairly respectable” LLN, it’s better than that. I don’t know what you guys are using for a calculator over there, but 22/32 averages to an even 27 mpg. The very most frugal of small CUV’s, the RAV4, gets 25 mpg with a less powerful four cyl. The 4WD version averages 24, and this averages just slightly better at 24 1/2 .

wouldn’t be too hard to get this thing over the 2016 CAFE standards…i’m sure in five years that gap could be bridged…

Yep. Direct injection should be commonplace by then. I’d turn my attention towards weight savings.

Important thing to know here is that GM is using Chinese built engines to achieve these not too bad MPG figures. And it should also be noted that the Chinese built engines are built by an independent Chinese firm that GM commissioned to have built for them. So all you domestic losers who say made in China is crap (despite the fact you are typing on a chinese made keyboard) China is better at building engines than the detroit pathetic small 3.

See I like this, and better than a hybrid! Wow! That means that if GM would launch a hybrid version, the mpg would be through the roof, but they do not need a hybrid version with mpg this high.

American_Cars, where did you hear that?

This is really an unfair comparison to the antique Escape Hybrid. The tiny hybrid plant has to work super hard at highway speeds, thats why it doesn’t really perform all too great as far as hwy miles. After all, the whole point of a Hybrid is CITY miles, and that is where the Escape still reigns supreme. And, all that said, this isn’t really all too different from what I am getting on my 08 Rogue with a 2.5L 4-cyl + CVT …. and unless I am feeling overly led-foot-happy, I get a good return of 21.5 mpg city on average…

Ha! The joke’s on you, ACC! MY keyboard was made in Malaysia!

@american_cars
Just to set the record straight, the Ecotec line of engines mentioned in the article were engineered by GM
in Germany, Sweden and Pontiac, Michigan. The engines are produced in the States for domestic conaumption in plants in New York and Spring Hill, Tennessee. NOT engineered nor produced in China.

PLEASE, can we just ignore ACC? He obviously knows little about what he talks about and only wants to spread misinformation. He/she never really adds anything to the discussion.

Or perhaps just a one liner response: MISINFORMATION BY AN IDIOT

I’ll beleive the 32 MPG when it happens. I suspect it will be highly unattainable; just like every other MPG rating.

The only way 32 MPG would be remotely attainable in real world driving would be if it were a hybrid.

any stated mpg is possible if people stopped driving like assholes.

I bet I could get 32 MPG when I coast down the Rockies back to the house

Sucks to be Vue.

I take exception to the opening line “General Motors has a rather lengthy history of making thirsty SUVs,”

It’s not correct, and is inflammatory.

Carstuff,

A_C_C won’t be here long. He’ll get bored when he realizes no one really cares what yet another import humping eunuch wants to gripe about. (I said “gripe” not “grape” – zing!)

Scottmacewen,

I feel you may be close. but then again, the ESCAPE hybrid is a brick. GM has sunk a lot of money into aerodynamics and engine tech in the last ten or so years. The figure does not surprise me, though until they can build a machine that AVERAGES 32mpg, then I’m not nearly as impressed as GM would like.

that thirsty suv comment isn’t correct? gm bought hummer in 1998 and then put out the h2 and h3 which are precisely “thirsty SUVs”…the chevy suburban has for several decades been a gas sucking hog of an SUV…the history is there!

In February, 2009, I drove an Equinox test vehicle (2.4L, FWD) on a 3-day trip. First tank of gas, drove 547.3 miles on 18.026 gallons (30.36 mpg). This was mostly interstate at the speed limit (65 or 75 mph), 5 people, 1 dog, and luggage on board. Overall trip was 1234 miles on 43.9 gallons (28.1 mpg), including some city driving and a faster return trip – compared to a “combined” label value of 26 mpg. This is great fuel economy from a non-hybrid SUV.
As the label says –your mileage may vary. Drive it hard, and you won’t be in the 30’s. Drive gently and stick to the speed limit, and you’ll do a lot better. This is true of all cars, not just Equinox.

The “combined” value is not an arithmetic average of City and Highway labels, it is a weighted average with more weighting for the City Label (govt logic is that more miles driven are ‘city’ miles). For the FWD 4-cyl Equinox, the labels are 22/32 City/Highway and the “combined gasoline fuel economy” is 26.

greg- the direct injection I4 is NOT “limited availability”. All 2010 Equinox (I4 and V6) will have direct injection engines – the vast majority of which will be the I4. All will have 6-speed Automatics.

ACC- as others have pointed out, the only Equinox engine from China was the 3.4L pushrod engine in the 2005-2009 models, now out of production.

“that thirsty suv comment isn’t correct? gm bought hummer in 1998 and then put out the h2 and h3 which are precisely “thirsty SUVs”…the chevy suburban has for several decades been a gas sucking hog of an SUV…the history is there!”

Yes, they built large powerful vehicles, but when you compare these vehicles in class you find they are actually among the more efficient. THAT’s where this statement is misleading and incorrect.

My…my…and who said America can’t build decent vehicles? Where are you hiding now, huh? Take that, b*tches!

That’ll do

raiv: you’re right, once you explain your context.

1c3dog: No one with his eyes open is saying that stuff. 1t ain’t 1986, though I did see a first-generation Cavalier yesterday

Thanks JJT! And it does stand to reason that if their biggest vehicles are the most efficient, so are the smaller ones, and that statement is based on facts found on http://www.fueleconomy.gov I’m just tired of all the GM bashing from supposed experts. The mouth breathing posters on this site are one thing, the supposed expert automotive journalists are another…