Looking at buying a 2018 Holden Equinox.
Any one have one or heard good or bad things about them? Bonus points if you've had 3 car seats in the back of one! 😊
I'm Looking at Purchasing a Holden Equinox
corollachick on 19/02/2020 - 07:46
Last edited 19/02/2020 - 09:43 by 1 other user
Last edited 19/02/2020 - 09:43 by 1 other user
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@corollachick: Sounds like it was a winner too. G'luck then (there is funnily enough another Holden that might be worth a look, comes in a wagon variant)
@wiipantz: lol well not the latest one but the one before it…
holdens come in wagons???
jk… I did know this 😂@corollachick: I hear news travels slow in the Aussie isles, good to see the message was received ;) Seriously though, just food for thought. There has been some good suggestions and finds with like 4 second searches online it looks.
@wiipantz: we are always behind 😉
have been doing regular searches myself too.
thanks for your comments/suggestions.
my dad usually helped with all this stuff so good to get advice from other ppl with car knowledge 😊
@corollachick: Holden have announced it will be giving a “flat rate discount” of $10,750 off the base price.(Equinox).Various discounts will apply off the entire range,to clear remaining stocks quickly.This expected to take effect from March.
Ford Territory - Good option for 3 people across the middle row (that one's a 7-seater, so more flexibility). Problem is, it's 6yo, so lacks some of the modern tech. But certainly a people mover.
Holden Commodore - Fits 3 across the seat easily, more modern tech in the VF. Though it's not an SUV
Car salesman here, just working off what I know will fit 3 car seats within your budget. Skinnier cars like Camry have to be ruled out
thanks… local car salesmen had nfi when it came to carseats
If it helps most cars seem to have about 140cm space across the back row. I can fit 3 car seats in a Ford Focus which measures at 140cm. You just need to put the middle seat in first, then the two side seats.
Take the seat with you! Most dealers should be fine with you putting the seat in the car to try it out for size (and room for the person in front).
Take your biggest (worst case) seat, put the headrest at full extension (assuming rear facing - forward facing you shouldn't have too many issues with room), and put it in behind the driver (again, usually worst case for legroom). Don't bother installing it properly - waste of time for not much benefit.
As ozbd said - most cars will be able to install 3 seats across. You need to do the middle seat first, and they'll (usually) all be seatbelt installs as ISOFIX installs won't usually leave enough room for the middle seat. There's many a car restraint group on Facebook that have many a discussion on cars and seat installs - have a look.
Corolla FTW!
Tesla Model S 100D
2019 Toyota Landcruiser 200 Series
Lexus LX 450D
2019 BMW X5
2018 Jaguar F-Pace
Mercedes Benz X-Class UteVery helpful for $20k ;)
Side note, huge difference between 2x rear facing, and 3x forward facing, as the side bolsters in forward facing position can make it extremely difficult.
I've squeezed 3 across a Prado back seat and it was a definite squeeze!
There's also a Toyota in the mix!
I've squeezed 3 across a Prado back seat
:(
2 ff
1 rfDid you forget the RAV4? Sportage? Forester? Mazda6? Mazda3? Corolla? Outback? Tiguan? Koleos? CR-V? Vitara? S-Cross? The Suzukis are surely good value options.
As someone who used to sell Suzuki, the Vitara/S-Cross won't be a comfortable fit for 3 across the back…
We got an Equinox it is a good car but with holden going you would want to get it cheap
Don't.
The actual problem with purchasing Holden is if something goes wrong with the car you will have a tough time getting a refund or even finding a relative inexpensive repair option because general motors is packing everything up and leaving. You should think about how long you want the car for, if 5 years is ok. Than buy it
"The mid-size Holden Equinox is also a flat rate $10,750 off, or about a third off the price of the base model, bringing it closer to $25,000 drive-away."
Having recently driven equinox i cannot recommend it enough. The 2L engine is amazing and super smooth and powerful ( something like 180+ kw and 370+nm). The model i drove for a day was well equiped probably one level below top of the line. Every single safety feature under the sun. I personally don’t like SUV due to handling and size but this thing handled almost like my golf. Looks are probably 3/5 at best but not too bad.
Long term ownership since holden is gone ????? Don’t knowFloor it and you'll lose traction.
Every safety feature under the sun?? From Chevrolet?
Yeah i was warned about it having too much power so i drove it in awd mode
yeah i wouldnt. one holden news, two they are just below average. your better off with an older toyota.
No one should be subjected to that idiots drivel.
I hadn't heard of him until this thread. Watched as much as I could of a few different clips - he's opinionated, subjective and just simply unhelpful…
Curious as to how you think these fire sale Holdens will fare at resale time?
Absolutely terribly. They were terrible before Holden closed, it will now be worse.
We bought a 2019 LTZ and are really happy with it.
Haven't had any issues in nearly 12 months.
Really comfy, ticked all of our boxes when it came to safety and tech.It's quite amusing when people think not having an issue in 12 months is an achievement
I don't think it's an achievement.
I just can't comment on any longer because I haven't owned it for longer than a year.
Its quite amusing watching people act smug over something they no nothing about.I know plenty about these imported shitbox "Holden's". I also know how to spell know.
@giftcardinspector: Haha, I really don't, if you are happy with the car, that's great, I hope you get to enjoy it for many years to come 👍
Kia Sportage? Similar new price to the Equinox, so I'm assuming similar second-hand? Kia > Holden in terms of reliability.
and warranty
you can get an Equinox base model ~20k Kia Sportage base model 32.5k….that is a fair difference
Car Advice have already started back-peddling on the prices advertised.
Discounts supplied are off RRP, not sale prices
Drove one for two days and chewed through the fuel.
I love how 99% of the replies here are simply personal prejudices against Holden. Great contribution guys!
And your suggestion/recommendation is…?
Listen to the 3 people who've replied that actually driven them who have actually made valued contributions.
Or those who have worked for car brands that have closed?
Seems a good recommendation, to tell someone what the best course of action is when looking at a car manufacturer that's closing.
Should see how desirable Saabs were afterwards, or the many iterations of Opel/Euro Holdens we had to deal with.
Resale and cost of ownership, and potential warranty hassles should play a key part in vehicle ownership. If you don't think it does, then maybe a Jeep or Dodge would be a good suggestion?
@spackbace: exactly.. my prime concern would be this. not with how good peoples experience with said product was.
this is the same reason why you think twice about buying an international version of a product because it is cheaper, rather than the local one which costs a bit more.
in 5 years when you've had it with this car… who else is going to buy it when there's no warranty and no spares available in the country? cost of servicing is likely to increase as well.
I really don't know why people are so concerned that Holden disappearing will effect the ongoing cost of a Holden. Servicing and warranty will remain the same - just no dealerships to do the servicing, which isn't a bad thing. Since all the current Holdens are other brands that have been rebadged, there will still be plenty manufactured overseas, and parts will still be made for them. The GM Equinox will still be made and parts for it too. The only thing that won't be available is the RHD specific parts - and those aren't generally service parts.
The main change from Holden exiting the market will be that the sale price and the resale price will drop. Not much else.
the resale price will drop.
Sure, coz that's a minor thing
Also, many warranty claims require someone at the other end to approve it from the manufacturer. Sometimes this isn't clear cut, sometimes they choose to just do it in principle etc. Less chance of that happening with a smaller dealer network.
Buying a Holden now, you may as well look at is at not having warranty or capped price servicing, and you service through your local mechanic. Anything else is just a bonus
Sure, coz that's a minor thing
If the sale price is also low, then yes, it is a minor thing. You'll win some when you buy, and lose some when you sell.And regarding warranty claims, Holden are still keeping a presence for the next 10 years to manage warranties, recalls, and support. The warranty and capped price servicing is exactly the same as before.
CPS is only relevant if there's a local dealer (you may end up with 1 Holden dealer in every capital city) - Can't claim CPS on your Holden from Mitsubishi, can you?
And again, warranty work can only be done through the dealer.
Not sure why people think that's going to be a simple process. Why would the owner of a Holden dealership keep the brand? Easier and more profitable to re-brand.
@spackbace: That's not true about warranty work?
As long as the log books are done correctly, the warranty isn't voided.
@mickyd: Who completes warranty work? Your local mechanic, or the manufacturer?
If you want to claim on a warranty, you take to the dealer. Only exception to the rule is rural dealers and mechanics that may have the ability to claim warranty through the manufacturer due to distance from the customer.
You have an issue with a Samsung TV, you go to either a) the store you bought it from, or b) Samsung. You don't claim it through Panasonic. Same same, except in this case the store you bought from is no longer a JB Hi-Fi, it's turned into a Good Guys.
If you want to claim on a warranty, you take to the dealer. Only exception to the rule is rural dealers and mechanics that may have the ability to claim warranty through the manufacturer due to distance from the customer.
@Spam Service: I didn't say "using" a mechanic, I said claiming
2 different things
Read my comments properly.
@spackbace: Then you 'claim' your warranty with Holden - as I said before, they're keeping a presence for the next 10 years to manage warranties, recalls, and support.
@Spam Service: Omg let me repeat myself here. Again.
You may be lucky to have 1 dealership in town where you can claim from your warranty!
Got that? Car breaks, you have to go to the dealer 1 hour across town. Not exactly handy is it?
Ditto to CPS, who wants to drive across town to service? I wouldn't.
As I mentioned before:
Buying a Holden now, you may as well look at is at not having warranty or capped price servicing, and you service through your local mechanic. Anything else is just a bonus
But hey, you get 5 negs a day to use, feel free to use them rather than your words, like it discredits me 1 iota
You may be lucky to have 1 dealership in town where you can claim from your warranty!
You don't need to take your car to a dealership to claim warranty! You don't at the moment either. You said it yourself - they already do this in regional areas. In this case, you will call Holden, and they will organise the service with a local mechanic.
and they will organise the service with a local mechanic.
Oh they will? You have that on good authority? Oh well there ya go, you heard it here folks from an insider that knows more than anyone else!
Awesome
@spackbace: So after you incorrectly stated that "CPS is only relevant if there's a local dealer", and "warranty work can only be done through the dealer", you're just falling back to say that you don't believe them?
Why didn't you just say that you didn't believe they would honour your warranty and CPS from the start?
For the record, I've only negged you once - and that's not because I disagree with you, it's because stating that you can only claim warranty from the dealership is common misinformation, and I think everyone should know that that's not the case.
@Spam Service: Again, there's a difference between servicing to keep warranty, and claiming warranty. 99% of the time you can only claim warranty through the dealership, not through your local mechanic. For majority of people, that's the case, unless rural.
CPS can and will only be done through a Holden franchise. If you don't have 1 locally, you won't get CPS, simple as that.
There's a reason that every dealership has a warranty clerk who liaises directly with the manufacturer HO.
@mickyd: He didn't say that. The people that actually carry out the warranty work, is the dealer of the brand of car you own. If there are no dealers, who does the warranty repair?
That's what they say. They have said a lot of things, I sure wouldn't count on them being around.
the only 5 seater i ever found that fit 3 car seats (and it was a tight fit!!!) was my old commodore. you'll be hard pressed to find a 5 seater these days to fit 3 seats if at all. you need 3 rows really!
Brand new base model $20K driveaway in the Holden clearance:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/519692Sucks if you're one of these current owners…
20k for a small SUV?! Now thats good.
I am holding my golden eggs to see how low it will be come mid year. I dont mind demo models anyway. I dont need a new car now but I will be selling my old car within the year.
Amazing that the people with actual experience owning or driving one of these love it and recommend them and all the haters have probably never seen one or know anything about them mechanically.
Haters/keyboard warriors are a powerful force on the interwebz…. but in the real world if you can get a Holden Equinox for a good price then have a look at one at the very least and compare.
you should buy a corolla
reckon I should get an '85 like my first one or slightly newer? 😉
get an AE86
I drove one for 2 weeks as a rental car during my recent holiday in Queensland. I was very impressed with the car. Plenty of boot space, comfy ride and good handling. It was quick off the line too. There's very little cabin noise as well.
I am not sure what would happen with the resale value but I think the car is not as bad as people make it out to be.There's always a lot of detractors in these "Which Car" threads, everyone has their own particular axe to grind. The ones that annoy me most are the arrogant "You don't want an SUV, I don't know you but I know what's best for you" in response to a simple request for advice about a particular model. People are adults and can make up their own mind
OP, my take on the Equinox is that it's not a bad car, and if you can get it for a song it's worth considering. I think you should definitely heed the warnings of the more knowledgeable members of OzBargain, eg those in the car trade like Spackbace, where there will be some very real problems in dealing with after sales service etc
But whether the offset in cost is worth taking the risk is purely up to you
THEY HAVE TRIED TO TELL YPU VIA MEDIA THAT DONT F@@@@@G BUY IT NO MATTER WHAT
AND IF YOU HAVE ALLOT OF TIME YOU CAN ACTUALLY NEGOTIATE CLOSE TO THAT DISCOUNT VALUE ON ANY CAR OF YOUR CHOICE. THE MAIN REASON HOLDEN COLLAPSED WAS THEIR QUALITY SO THIS IS UR CHANCE TO BE SAVED FROM MISERY AS SUGGESTED BY THE NEWS CHANNEL.AND IF YOU HAVE ALLOT OF TIME YOU CAN ACTUALLY NEGOTIATE CLOSE TO THAT DISCOUNT VALUE ON ANY CAR OF YOUR CHOICE.
Lol stay off the interwebz
I'm on the drug, I'm on the drug, I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix!
Now the drugs don't work, they just you worse, but I know I'll see your name again…
Aurion?
The hobbitses like to transport the doggo also, wagon or Carriage is only being considered. Maybe at a stretch a hatch.
yeh doggo is taller than us 😜
sad to see Holden go. As an immigrant, I was proud of the Australian lion logoed car :(
Always found that weird, as Australia has no lions.
Shouldn't it be a Thylacoleo instead?
How much are they paying you to take it away?
ITS A LEMON MATE ALL HOLDENS ARE LEMONS!
Last time I looked it wasn’t a Holden!
Is this thread necro a new record for OzB?
Mum, stay off the pc would you
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ok are you still driving it? Curious if you’re still happy as I’m considering one.
still driving it - love it!
Still driving mine, still love it.
We have since bought a Kia Carnival due to larger family and it's our second car now, but it's still a great car.
Just ticked over 50,000km and have had zero issues.
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@wiipantz: sounds far too sensible to me 😜
liked my last SUV… suited our needs so guess that's why I'm looking for another