Well, our first new Torrent came in last weekend...a $27,590 AWD model in black, black heated leather, 17" alloys, and has the preferred package that adds power seat/roof rack/tinted windows etc. To steal C&D's format for those of you scanning...

Highs:
Car-like ride, sufficient power, sufficient handling, nice interior, better looking than an Equinox

Lows:
$27,595 and no sunroof? Say what? 185hp for almost $30k? This in the "value pricing" era?

The Verdict:
A $3,000 rebate and 50hp away from being perfect.


Now the rest of the story...

The detailing is really very nice, both inside and out. The vehicle has more presence in person than an Equinox. The seats are comfy. The dash is VERY nice. The rear seats are comfy and have plenty of room. Cupholders in the perfect spots.

So what's the drive like? I realize this is not a race car. With that said, power is "sufficient." It makes an I6 TB feel like a 4th gen, though. Torque is limited, but the engine is smooth and quiet. MPG is ok at 18/23, but I did expect better. Think about it...an '07 Tahoe 4.8 AWD will get 18/22!!!

My biggest dissapointment? Price. If it had the 3.9, I'd be fine with it. So would my father, who would really prefer a Torrent over his '05 TB. But we both agree that for the $$$, the performance is just not there. Mind you, this car is worlds ahead of an Aztek, for not a ton more money when you look at the options list. But, a loaded Torrent with side airbags and On-Star ($1,095) and the Moon and Tune group (Moonroof, 6 CD and Monsoon for $1,285) brings you out at $29,800.

$29,800 for 185hp? Good god, no.

Now, one thing...I had 3 people drive it in one day last Saturday. All REALLY liked it. No one thought it was too slow, and no one expressed sticker shock. My prediction? In the enthusiast market, people will say "so what?" For soccer moms, it will do well.

But this is Pontiac. Pontiac deserves better. I wanted the Murano of GM's lineup. What I'm getting is the Equinox of Pontiac's lineup. Better than an Aztek, but short of a sales topper...which is what Pontiac NEEDS. I know performance guys that love and own the Murano...GM dropped the ball a little here.

Overall, its the least impressive new Pontiac I will have. I'd give it a 7 out of 10. When the rebate hits $3k next spring, I'll give it an 8 then...

 

I could not agree more. Its just a little short.

 

I almost bought a new Murano. The Murano has tons of little features everywhere. Really slick SUV. The Murano topped 34k wth all their features, but there were a hell of a lot of them.

What engine does the new Torrent sport? Please do not say the chinese made 3.4 (or is it 3.5 now) as the only option. That was one of the biggest gripes about the Equinox. That engine just does not belong in new vehicles these days.

 

Bingo...thank you...end of story. Chinese 3400 it is!

 

The 18/23 is due to gearing ('nox is rated 19/25)

3.9L with Equinox gears would be nice. Rumor is the 2007 will offer a 3.9L.

I like the 17" rims on those things, they look real sharp.

 

As someone who owns a cute ute (I call it a trucklet), I agree that the price is high, and the engine is a disappointment. People complained about the 201hp V6 in the Escape/Tribute.

As a point of comparison, my 2003 Tribute ES AWD has heated leather seats, heated mirrors, power moonroof, 6-disc in dash CD player audiophile system (6 speakers plus subwoofer), electrocromatic rearview mirror, side airbags, tow package, and some appearance items (from the accessorie catalog). MSRP was $26,800.

Now, I realize that my Tribby is a 2003, however, you can spec out the same thing today, for only about $300 more.

The Tribute handles great, which was very important to me. It is actually fun to drive, as it is extremely tossable. It has the same slalom speed as the 2001 Lightning (61.3mph).

The handling of the GM utes is my biggest complaint. They are all too soft, have too much roll, and just do not inspire confidence in corners. In other words............. they are not fun to drive. I'm not saying that the Equinox/Torrent are bad vehicles at all............ just that I wish they would have given the Torrent more sporty handling, much as Ford/Mazda did.

 

I wish GM could have made the Equniox that much better instead of making the Torrent.

 

With all due respect, it is significantly faster 0-60 than the Escape. The Escape routinely tests 0-60 between 9 and 10 seconds...the Equinox tests I've seen are 7.9 - 8.3. Less power, but they're GM horses

Seriously though, we have a used Escape on the lot. I actually drove it back to back. This thing is faster. But that isn't saying much

Z28x,
Were they both AWD models?

 

Why do SUVs need to handle like sporty cars? I agree that 185 hp is a little low, but it doesn't seem to be much of a problem when you actually drive one. The 5 speed auto helps quite a bit, as does the torquey nature of the 3400. I've seen 0-60 times in the 8.5 second range for the Equinox/Torrent, which is faster than anything in its segment besides the 250 hp (!) Saturn Vue. The 4 cylinder only CRV and RAV4 can't beat that, and neither can the Santa Fes and the like from Korea. I have been hearing that the newer, bigger (I assume more Equinox/Torrent sized) RAV4 for '06 ('07?) will offer the 3.5L as an option, at which point the 3900 must be offered. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that it will be.

I've spent a week driving an Escape V6 4x4 as a rental vehicle, and I've also driven an Equinox for a somewhat extended period. There was no comparison in terms of powertrain/performance; the Escape just seems slower (and it is). And despite the now very long in the tooth, pushrod 3.4L in the Equinox, I think it actually sounded better than the old 3.0L DOHC duratec in the Escape. I will commend the Escape for its ride and handling, though, for an SUV. It is also a fairly handsome little suv, though not as stylish as the Equinox or Torrent (which are more stylish than many SUVs costing far far more than they do, imo). I would guess that part of the difference in the handling feel comes from the shorter wheelbase of the Escape. Anyway, there is no question in my mind which one I would take, but of course the Escape has been on the market longer, so the Equinox/Torrent ought to be fresher.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Equinox and Torrent should not have even come out with the 3400. The 3500 and 3900 should be the minimal engines, though I can see offering the 2.4L VVT Ecotec on the low end if it could be made to eek out a few more mpg with appropriate gearing. The shorter wheelbase, lighter Saturn offers the 2.2L ecotec and gets up to 28 or 29 mpg hwy, and it can get out of its own way. With the 3500 and 3900 and the 5 speed auto, the fuel economy could still be decent (and hopefully even better if the 6 speed auto replaces the five speed auto.

Among the Equinox and Torrent, I think I like the slightly more aggressive front end of the Equinox, but the overall look of the Torrent better. In terms of the Interior, I definitely prefer the Pontiac, though they are obviously fairly similar.

 

The problem is, that 3.4 is a liability engine-wise. It's the sole reason I didn't even sniff an Equinox last year and headed straight for the Trailblazers. We just came from a 1997 Pontiac TransSport with the 3.4 and it was an abomination. I would have loved to pay thousands less for a vehicle that had basically all the room we needed, but the 3.4 is a deal killer. Now, you put a 3.9 in a Torrent and that will be my wife's next car. She's already seen tons of pics and loves it. Again though, we won't even look at it if it has the 3.4. It's not about power, simply reliability. That engine has problems and is harder to work on than an LT1 (ask me how I know).

 

should have a 3.9/5sd combo.

 

My wifes Equinox had every option (including the extra cost "vagina" blue paint), and MSRPed for $32K and change. By the time I got done we paid like $23K. There was GM card special going, plus something else.

Total value pricing sucks.

#1- Just because the MSRP is lower does not mean it will depriciate at a slower rate (least for a few years). So now your used GM car will be worth even less.

#2- Many GM buyers like to turn over cars while they are still upside down. The new pricing makes this harder.


I would rather have a huge rebate...then I can get either dump a car I am upside down on...or pay well under MSRP.

 

Vagina blue? Say what? I like that color $32k for an EQUINOX??? How the hell did the sticker get that high?? Wow...

Anyway, Romad...I don't know about your experience with a '97 3400, but those engines have been pretty reliable for a long time now. Yes, intake gaskets were an issue, but a revised gasket came out in '02. Other than that and the occassional alternator, I am not aware of any 3400s having any other real problems.

Joe,
You bring up a key point...a 2.4/5 speed Torrent would actually be really cool, and cheap too! At that price point, I'd be willing to sacrifice a little acceleration to gain MPG and price advantage. Consider, a $23,900 base Torrent would be $22,500 or so with a 4 cyl stick. Add the $1,500 preferred package, $1,200 moon and tune group and for $25,000 flat roughly, I have a 4 cyl 5 speed thats loaded with what I want, with a fun combo in it. Still a little high, but somehow seems easier to swallow. I'd bet the 172hp Ecotec would be a good little engine compared to the 185hp 3400. Torque would be lower obviously, but thats what the stick makes up for.

Interesting point!

 

At the Solstice/Torrewnt ride and drive, you could tell that the Torrent was worlds ahead in speed compared to the Escape, mostly thanks to the 5 speed tranny.


I don't agree with your #1. How do you figure it will be worth less? Rebates are taxed (at least in WI and MI) making the car costly more than a car without rebate but a lower MSRP, you're getting more equipment for the same or less money, and you don't have to wait for "the deal". Plus, GM's average percentage for resale is as good as anything out there for the most part, but rebates make this seem like such a loss.

Point in hand: if you buy a car that MSRP's for $20k, and you buy it for $15k, and trade it in a couple years for $10k, you lost $5k, not $10k as the resale scale is based on.

As is goes for being upside down, rebates do eat up the equity situation, but as for GM, the rebate game needs to end for Detroit's survival.

 

Pontiac musta struck some kinda nerve with people . I'm starting to see quite a few of them for just coming out . The headlights destroy the front end , otherwise ....driving on the road its a good looking SUV . The headlights look like HUGE cobalt headlights . A Black/chrome/projector type headlight would fit the front much better . Lol , yes I do hammer the littlest of details