I just test drove a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox Sport with AWD... it was SWEET! The dealer just made me a fair offer for my trade... I'm thinking about it. I was waiting for an HHR SS, but this Equinox is pretty dang nice. It's larger (without being too big) and has a 0-60 time of under seven seconds. I'm worried that I'm jumping the gun because I'm excited about getting something new combined with the fact that I want to get rid of my car. Help! Talk me out of this!

Check out the 2008 Equinox Sport: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/14/2008-chevy-equinox-sport-one-s-shy-of-ss/

What do you own now?!? An HHR, or were you just a prospective owner? I say I would choose nothing other than the HHR, but we all have our own opinions. If the HHR did not exist, the Equinox would be a great 2nd choice. It is a very nicely styled vehicle in my opinion, and it is a CHEVY!:thumb: At least you aren't on here saying you are looking at some POS Toyota Highlander!;)

You gotta go with what it best for you, your family and your budget. You can also go to an Equinox site to be talked into one just as well.

Of course we want you to get an HHR SS....

I just test drove a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox Sport with AWD... it was SWEET! The dealer just made me a fair offer for my trade... I'm thinking about it. I was waiting for an HHR SS, but this Equinox is pretty dang nice. It's larger (without being too big) and has a 0-60 time of under seven seconds. I'm worried that I'm jumping the gun because I'm excited about getting something new combined with the fact that I want to get rid of my car. Help! Talk me out of this!

Check out the 2008 Equinox Sport: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/14/2008-chevy-equinox-sport-one-s-shy-of-ss/

Ask the great Obie 1 ----- trust the force....

If you need the AWD then you only have one choice. I do wish the HHR came in AWD like my dreaded Vibe did. I mighta kept the Vibe if it wuz....

Equinox is cool. I'm betting it is in its last year though since the Arcadia and Buick Enclave are out and it is a good bet Chevy will have their own version which will likely replace the Equinox.

Both HHR SS types seem to be compromises to each other as well. Automatic tranny get less HP but armrests, etc.
The four wheel discs in the SS make me want one.

What do you own now?!?

A loaded 2003 PT Cruiser GT Turbo... I've LOVED it, but for a number of reasons I don't feel like going into, it's time to get a new car.

It's for sale at:
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=99&pageNumber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=AFFILIATEADID-2734413%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending&aff=onwisconsin&paId=237399916&recnum=0&leadExists=true

08 Equinox it's a nice looking SUV, sure you get a V-6 and bigger vehicle it's hard to choose:red: take a sheet of paper and make positive/negative columns for an HHR vs Equinox and compare them side by side.

I think Ricky Bobby said it best........"I wanna go fast!"

Get the HHRSS so I can live vicariously through you.:D

hard decision to make. Looking at the specs of the Equinox Sport I say go for it. Bigger wheels, AWD, more leg room and cargo room, bigger engine, wider body, you can tow heavier loads.

Hope you dont mind me asking, what price did the dealer give you for the Equinox Sport?

Well i guess it's a nice-enough looking vehicle. It must be fast with what Car & Drivel says,
"Chevy’s new amped-up Equinox Sport—we’re not sure why it’s not an SS either—is due in showrooms next fall as a 2008 model.

It gets GM’s 263-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 coupled to a six-speed automatic, a stiffer suspension, forged 18-inch wheels, a new look inside and out, and will be offered with either front- or all-wheel drive."

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop-460x307/chevrolet_equinox_sport_1_bw.jpg

But I'd rather drive one of these. Lame 5 speed and all. It has the style that appeals to me. While nice, the Equinox starts to look like everything else on the road.
And the SS will get better mileage I'm sure, which is becoming increasingly important for me and should be for the whole globe if you get my drift. No offense but to me, it's just another "me-too" small SUV.

http://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/files/1/7/8/8/HHR_SSred.jpg

in the end it all comes down to what you want to drive.

We were going to get an Equinox until the HHR came out.

The Equinox is a nice vehicle, but the gas mileage would have been an issue.

The Equinox looks nice... AWD, 263HP V6... It all depends on what you like better. The Equinox will probably be more versatile in its uses, given more power and AWD, it's bigger, but probably not faster. More towing capability I'm guessing. But the styling on it is less unique than the HHR.

It's a matter of personal opinion.. But what is with Chevy and the retarded placement of the window buttons???? :censored: :lol:

So Mr. Jensen, what kinda mileage does the Equinox Sport get? I tried to look it up but all I get is "N/A."

Are you still interested in the Sport AWD?

16 city / 24 highway in both FWD and AWD versions... and don't forget that it runs on regular gas with no need for premium. I think the HHR SS will require premium. That has to account for something...

But you can get 22 city and 30 hwy on a LT and use regular gas. I've never gotten below 21 mpg ever. I thought the Equinox was a nice looking small SUV, also. But I had to have better mileage and had no need for an engine that large. You can't put enough in it to need that much power. Yes, the HHR SS will be powerful too. But, it will be fun to see the looks on others' faces when you blow them away at a stop light. You just don't get the same effect in an SUV!

we own an 06 HHR and 06 equinox. Wife dives the nox and loves it. Works out for me cause she has more room to take the kids around :lol:

My wife and I wanted a larger vehicle for our weekends and we have two dogs plus all the other stuff we take along.
We also looked at the chevy Equinox, but I found out I could get The same wheel base and more storage with a bigger engine 252hp,243lbs torque at 2300 rpm and a base 2 row AWD for less $$$$ and better warrantee. (7 years--100,000 Miles) Built at the same plant in Canada along side the Chevy Equinox and the Pontiac Torrent. So we traded in our 2000 GMC Envoy.
You have to buy the SS Equinox to get the bigger engine. All the others in the Chevy Equinox are 185hp.
Guess what we bought?
A Suzuki XL7.
I took the link out because I wasn't sure if it Violated forum Policy.

The engine is a Chevy design licensed to Suzuki and built by Suzuki in Japan. DOHC and I think VVT but they call it something else.
The Transmission is what they call a Manumatic so I have the best of both worlds.
It sits on chevys Theta platform.
Its about 9 inches longer than the Equinox and a little wider.
Great storage space and our dogs like it to.
So I guess I bought a Suzuinox.
Had it about a month. It has its blind spots, but so far its working out really well for us.
My HHR is now my weekday driver.

So Mr. Jensen, did we talk you down? :smile:
Which way are you leaning?

I personally prefer the Pontiac Torrent over the Equinox

Don't turn to the Dark Side,son.

If Ihad a Equinox, I would just use it for plowing snow and pulling trees out of the woods, but thats what my S-10 is for

So Mr. Jensen, did we talk you down? :smile:
Which way are you leaning?

Well, to be honest, I moved back into the HHR SS camp. However, my wife went with me this morning to take a test drive and stated that she absolutely LOVES the Equinox Sport. Better visibility, more legroom (front & rear), solid towing, AWD, more cargo room etc... We're crunching the numbers and should be making a decision soon. I wish that I had the final prices for the HHR SS, that might make my decision a little easier...

Well if the Colbalt comes out in AWD like the rumor goes, we could hope to see the HHR follow close behind....

well if you need solid towing, then the decision is pretty much made, right? Do you have a boat? Or what kind of trailer?
HHR SS = NO TOWING.

/discussion.

Awd :thumb:
No turbo :thumbsdow

I also much prefer the styling of the HHR SS. And you should get much better gas mileage.

I bought my wife a 2007 Equinox LS AWD in July. Nice ride, averaging around 20 mpg around town, AWD for snowy weather. A great all around vehicle, AND.....I still have my HHR. Best of both worlds. :cool:

Equinox LS AWD = 20mpg
Equinox Sport AWD = ??mpg

I've decided to stick with the HHR SS! Here are my reasons:

1. This will be my car, and I have a MUCH longer commute than my wife. The HHR SS will better on the gas than an Equinox Sport.

2. We're going to be starting a family, and my wife will be the one that will need the big SUV. We can always pick up and Equinox Sport for her in a few years when we replace her car.

3. It should be less money. Our financial situation will be dramatically improved from good to great by the time we replace out next car (after this one), and will be able to get a more expensive car without thinking twice.

4. I had a PT Cruiser GT, and I always appreciated physical size of these cars. Smaller exterior which is easy to get around in... good crash ratings... HUGE interior dimensions with seats that you don't have to climb in and out of... and cargo room much larger than even a full size car.

263hp and AWD usually equate to moderate to higher fuel consumption. If you want the power you have to put the fuel into the combustion chambers. No free lunches. But, the HHR SS is going to use more fuel also.

Having said that, Equinox Sport looks like a very desirable vehicle, and I'm glad to see GM bring it out to flog the import competition. The new EPA estimate regulations for 2008 will hamstring the import brands and bring them closer to the real world in MPG stickerland, and this will help the domestics.

You know, being that you live in Wisconsin, doesn't it snow there a lot? I think AWD would be handy as hell. So I'm actually going to give the nod to the Equinox Sport in this contest.

Get the Equinox. It makes more sense. Resale will be better, too.

The Equinox might make more sense, but you gotta get what makes your heart happy. Get the SS!
You can always get the wifey the 'Nox down the road...

Lone Ranger mentioned that the HHR SS would use more fuel above....

Not sure about that, though. Well, GM hasn't published mileage numbers yet for the HHR SS, but in the same engine in the Pontiac Solstice actually has higher highway mileage than the 2.4 LE5. Same figures for the city.

Likely due to smaller displacement and the direct injection, which is more efficient.

i would imagine the actual mileage comes down to will power.
Stay out of the boost = better mpg. After all the t/c SS engine is only 2.0L.
Pretend you've got an egg under the throttle... yeah right! :lol:

i would imagine the actual mileage comes down to will power.
Stay out of the boost = better mpg. After all the t/c SS engine is only 2.0L.
Pretend you've got an egg under the throttle... yeah right! :lol:

Hey, those figures I saw were applicable to the standard test procedures.

Didn't say anything about stepping in some old gum with your right foot, followed by stepping on a lead plate, which then becomes attached to your foot, then driving. :confused: :nuts: :lol:

So Mr. Jensen are ya still leaning toward getting the HHR SS? :confused:

Sorry but the HHR SS is better :twothumbs. The Equinox Sport, :thumbsdow.

all depends on the good ole $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

We've decided to skip the SS.

Kept going over our budget and just couldn't make the numbers work. So instead I picked up a 1992 Deville with only 86k on it, paid $2600. So now Bob doesn't have to go through 10 miles of constuctuion zones for the next three years. It's already been brutal on the paint and the main reason the painted grille is toast.

Maybe down the road we can still gwet an SS but for now the caddy will be taking me to work.

BUT.....if I had to make the choice given here, unless I needed the height of the Nox, I'd have to go with the SS.

I don't mean to start this all up again, but this wait is killing me!!! My mind is starting to wander... Equinox Sport, Torrent GXP... C'MON CHEVY!!! GET US SOME UPDATES FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!!!

So that Torrent GXP, does it share platforms with the Equinox Sport? Those two vehicles look very similar, with similar powertrains. Just badge engineering? I gotta think that even though they are upgraded packages from the HHR, they will also get a lot worse gas mileage, and for me, that is very important. Last time I filled up premium was about $3.30 a gal.