[jerry455]

Having a service history is the best way to know how vehicle was cared for. I agree about Ecotec timing chain issues. Synthetic oil and more frequent oil changes are the best recommendation. We have had a number of Equinox's over the years and they have worked out very well.

[64speed]

Well the 1800 started dropping fast when they saw that the clear coat was peeling around the sunroof which I did not know because honestly I had never looked at the roof. Second I knew it needed tires but...... I didnt think it was imminent that they be replaced but they insisted that they were. So I ended up trading and getting 700 back plus 5 oil changes and lifetime regular car washes. It has almost a 100,000 miles on it which is about 15000 more than the Dodge but like I told my wife there are no guarantees with any of this crap. My new 2008 Sierra cut off on the interstate on the way home from the dealer, recall they hadnt fixed. I told her that the Dodge could blow up, the Chevy could blow up or both could run 362,000 like my Yukon. I like that the Equinoxs touch screen is not as complicated as the Dodges and has redundant controls even if the screen goes out. Plus I looked and the Chevy replacements are much cheaper by like 1500 bucks. That Dodge touch screen basically controlled everything with only vague manual controls. If the Dodge broke down and I had to fix it I would have to push my chips forward and work on something I dont understand because I have no experience with Dodge. I have had two ecotecs before. I will change the oil earlier than needed and keep my fingers crossed.