The Chevrolet Equinox, though very late to the compact car-based SUV party, has done well for Chevrolet. Unlike most GM products, this one has met its sales goals without large rebates.

At the same time, the Equinox hasn't been well-received by the automotive press, and perhaps as a result hasn't generated a lot of positive buzz. The most obvious reason is that the Chevrolet lacks the semi-sporty handling possessed by some of its competitors, most notably the Ford Escape. I personally find its handling acceptable for this sort of vehicle, especially given the typical driver, but the magazines have been less kind.

For 2006 Pontiac received its own version of the Equinox to replace the much-maligned Aztek. Compared to the Chevrolet, the new Torrent has slightly different exterior and interior styling and tauter suspension tuning. I took one for a test drive to see if the Equinox's #1 weakness had been eliminated.

My more comprehensive review of the Equinox can be found here.

Styling

The Equinox is about the most attractive compact SUV, with a good balance of pretty and tough. The main bit I didn't care for were the passe clear lens tail lamps, and others have complained about the huge strip of chrome on the tailgate. Both are gone on the Torrent. Up front the split grille Chevrolet nose is traded for a twin grille Pontiac nose. Though not very distinctive given the minor nature of these changes, the Pontiac SUV is arguably even more attractive, especially when fitted with 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels.

Even fewer changes were made inside the SUV--just a different steering wheel, Pontiac's red instrument lighting, and richer colors: tan and black instead of taupe and light gray. I personally much prefer the Pontiac's interior colors.

As in the Equinox, the interior styling is okay, but not nearly as striking or distinctive as the exterior. The materials, though better than those in the related Saturn VUE, are not quite equal those in the Escape and are no match for Toyota’s, Honda’s, or Subaru’s. There are still too many hard, hollow feeling plastic pieces about. One small improvement: the HVAC controls have been upgraded for both the Chevrolet and the Pontiac.

The Torrent's relatively luxurious cloth upholstery might win over some people who would otherwise buy the Equinox. The no-knap stuff in the Chevrolet, though probably durable and easy to clean, feels too industrial.

Accommodations

The Torrent’s driving position feels more car-like than that in most compact car-based SUVs. An Escape, with a higher seat closer to a more upright windshield, feels significantly truckier from the inside. Even with the lower seat and deeper dash the view forward is still very good, very important for a segment where many buyers are well under six feet in height. I felt no need to raise the driver's seat above its lowest setting.

I've experienced varying levels of discomfort in my Equinox test drives. The Torrent uses the same basic seat, but I had no issues with it this time around. However, this might be a factor of a shorter test drive. Pay careful attention to the seats during your own test drive.

Like that in the Equinox, the rear seat in the Torrent slide fore and aft and reclines. It's a bit low to the floor to offer good thigh support--others do better here--but being able to slide the seat way back largely compensates. The shape of the cushion, like that in many SUVs, is too flat for optimal comfort.

Despite its class-leading length the Torrent offers only a class-average 69 cubic feet of cargo volume. One reason: unlike in the Toyota and Honda, the spare isn’t hanging off the tailgate. Another: the rear strut towers are very intrusive, yielding a narrow cargo area. GM has at least put these towers to good use, designing them to provide support for a cargo tray that can be set at multiple heights. Like the similar tray in the Chevrolet Malibu, this facilitates carrying two layers of groceries.

The rear seat folds 60/40 without tipping the cushion or removing the headrests. It does not form a completely flat floor, though. To carry very long objects, the front passenger seat also folds forward. (The Malibu and VUE share this feature.)

On the Road

Though a newer, more powerful engine is coming, this year the Torrent makes do with the same 185-horsepower 3.4-liter V6 that powers the Equinox. The V6s in the VUE and new Toyota RAV4 are much more powerful. Whether this is truly a disadvantage depends on how you drive. Casual drivers will notice fairly brisk acceleration from a stop and good responses around town. The five-speed automatic helps keep the engine in the plump part of its powerband. On the other hand, those with heavier foots will find that the 3.4 becomes winded at higher RPM, and that its full-throttle acceleration can't match that of more powerful competitors. In addition, the engine sounds quite coarse near the redline.

I drove an all-wheel-drive Torrent. Based on my test drives in the Equinox, I expect that the front-wheel-drive Torrent has a tendency to tug the steering wheel this way and that, and to generally feel squirrelly when pushed hard.

Then again, most compact SUV owners aren't very aggressive drivers.

My primary focus during this test drive was on the suspension. Compared to the Equinox, handling is a bit better, with slightly less roll in hard turns and firmer responses. While an improvement, I still wouldn't call the Torrent's handling sporty. For one thing, the electrically-assisted steering still doesn't provide much feedback and there's still too much slop during quick transitions.

As might be expected given the firmer suspension, ride quality is somewhat worse, with sharper and slightly louder reactions to patchy road surfaces. Ride quality is still good--it's just that the ride in the Equinox is very smooth and quiet for a small SUV.

For some people the Torrent's turning diameter could be a serious issue. At over 41 feet, U-turns won't come easily. Most competitors do much better. A Ford Escape requires six fewer feet, a Honda CR-V even fewer.

Pontiac Torrent Price Comparisons and Pricing

For some reason, the Torrent has the same base price as the Equinox despite having a few more standard features. All-wheel-drive is a few hundred less on the Chevrolet, but in general the two are either about even or the Pontiac is a bit less, depending on options.

Compared to the new RAV4, the Torrent lists for about $1,000 less, but adjusting for feature differences gives the Toyota a slight advantage.

Courtesy of large rebates, the Ford Escape costs over $2,000 less than the Torrent. So the Pontiac, while not over-priced, is far from the cheapest vehicle vehicle in the segment.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Torrent:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Torrent.php

Last Words

The Torrent's slightly different styling and firmer suspension are both improvements over the Equinox, but they are not large improvements. Those who didn't think the Equinox the best SUV for them are not likely to feel differently about the Torrent. It's certainly not as sporty as the Pontiac image suggests it should be. Maybe in the future, when the engine is upgraded?

For now, the typical SUV buyer should certainly take a look at the Torrent, but could still find issues with the handling, engine refinement, and cheap interior materials.

Two years ago I barely gave the Equinox a fourth star. Since then the new Sportage and RAV4 have been introduced, making the segment even more competitive. So I'm giving the Torrent a three-star rating.

A Note on Pontiac Torrent Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Torrent rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Pontiac Torrent reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Torrent--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. For non-participants, this access will cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

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Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Chevrolet Equinox review
Ford Escape review
Honda CR-V review
Hyundai Tucson review
Jeep Liberty review
Kia Sportage review
Pontiac Aztek review
Saturn VUE review
Toyota RAV4 review