Equinox Sport and Vue Red Line

[BerettaZ]

Recently test drove a Nox Sport and Vue RL and thought I'd share my impressions. Both vehicles were FWD; the Vue had no options and was 27395, while the Nox had only a power moonroof and was 28690. The Vue was orange over black, while the Nox was Ruby over Black. Although these cars share a similar platform, they are quite different from one another.

Exterior wise, I feel both are good looking vehicles; I'm one that likes the new Vue, and I feel the RL has enough subtle changes to differentiate it from the XR. The Vue looks a little more expensive to my eyes, but I wish Saturn would have been a little more aggressive on the wheel design. The Nox definitely looks like the Trailblazer SS's little brother, tough and masculine in a good way. The fog lamp and exhaust surround trims looked a little cheap, though. The wheels on the Nox trumped the RL wheels - chrome, more distinctive and aggressive.

On the inside, the Nox seemed to have a distinct advantage in overall room - wider cabin, more cargo space - and more flexibility with the sliding rear bench. But the RL had much better materials, better front seats, and a much more pleasing interior design. The plastics in the Nox had a cheap feel to them, particularly the door panels, and many angular surfaces. Nice touches included the heated cloth seats, apparently standard, and the pictorial DIC in the gauge cluster. The biggest disappointment in the Sport model was the generally unremarkable seats - how about some well- bolstered sport seats, at least as an option??? The standard cloth seemed to be very durable, at least. On the other hand, the Vues interior is very well done, form the red stitching on the nicely bolstered leather and suede seats, to the modest use of chrome and carbon fiber accents. The steering wheel felt great in the hands, and the entire interior had a very European flavor to it (duh ). One sour note - the sound quality of both radios left a lot to be desired. The Nox I tested did not have the Pioneer upgrade, and of course the advanced audio package on the Vue is only available with Nav .

The overall driving experience was positive for both vehicles. The 3.6L/6 speed powertrain works very well in these Utes. I loved the smooth power delivery, seamless and unobtrusive shifts, and wide powerband that the powertrain affords. The Nox, in spite of having only 2 miles on it, felt subjectively friskier and more willing than the RL, although the RL was no slouch. Both had a nice, aggressive exhaust note as well; more than just subtle, but not too over the top. Over the road, the Nox had the slight edge in overall handling, but also had a slightly harsher ride than the RL, which I felt struck a better ride/handling compromise. Both were fun charging down the freeway offramp in, but the RL seemed to exhibit a touch more body roll around the curves. Both had nicely weighted, firm steering, with good road feel, especially for Utes. On a side note, the slightly harsher ride, combined with the lesser perceived quality of the interior, had me wondering if the Nox would be likely to develop multiple interior rattles as the miles added up. The structure of the Vue just felt more solid over bumpy roads, not a surprise considering the updated platform.

Overall, I came away impressed with both vehicles. The nomenclature is worth mentioning, however. I feel that Chevy made a wise decision to call the Equinox "sport" instead of "SS", as the package lives up to the sport designation without question. The Saturn as a Redline, however, is a bit more cloudy. I did not have the chance to drive a Vue XR, but have read a few things on line that have stated little difference in the driving experience of the XR and RL. I feel Saturn should work to develop the Redline name as vehicles that are significantly upgraded, performancewise, from their lesser brethren. If I was to purchase a Vue, it would be a Redline, as I prefer the interior and, to a lesser extent, exterior trim differences. But as Saturn continues to evolve, Redline should be more than just a trim package, in my opinion....

In summary, the Nox seemed more brash all around and a little more fun, while the RL felt more mature, and probably easier to live with day in and day out. I was glad to see the difference in personalities between the two - it just depends on your preference. Pricewise, the no haggle Vue was less than the Nox at MSRP; quite frankly, almost 29K for the Nox with cloth seats seems to be screaming for a 3 or 4k rebate...While the Vue has been panned by some for being overpriced, the quality of the appointments and the included content makes 27395 seem reasonable when factoring in the positive driving experience.

So overall, my choices....

Exterior: Draw

Interior: Vue

Fun to Drive: Nox

Overall Liveability: Vue

Value: Vue

My Choice: Vue (although a 3 or 4K rebate on the Nox could sway me in the other direction)

Thanks for reading!!

Sorry, didn't get any pics....