A DIFFERENT VIEW; Chevrolet does what Saturn can't: make a fine compact SUV.(News)

Byline: NATALIE NEFF

We find it difficult to decide exactly what part of the Saturn Vue driving experience we dislike the most. Is it the noise (and lots of it)? The steering (completely artificial)? Or the panel fits (we don't care that plastic needs expansion room-big gaps are hideous and make wind noise)? Or slamming the doors (rattle, rattle, rattle). Maybe that's why we like the Equinox so much: Chevrolet started with the same GM global Theta platform that underpins the Vue, then produced a solid, decent compact sport/utility vehicle. Not bad for Chevy's first effort in car-based SUV design.

Perhaps Saturn faced more cost constraints, you say. After all, the Vue starts at just $17,495, while you don't get near an Equinox for another four grand. And in today's ultra-competitive automotive landscape, a $4,000 swing in any direction can mean a huge difference in content, performance, quality, style, size... in other words, about the difference you'll find between a Vue and an Equinox.

But that's not the whole picture. That 17k Vue comes with an anemic 143-horse four-cylinder and a five-speed manual. The extra cash it takes to step up to the Equinox puts six-cylinder power and a five-speed automatic in your garage, standard. Granted, the optional V6, auto-trannied Vue (standard or Red Line) is the most powerful pick of the Theta litter, with 250 horses and 242 lb-ft of torque on tap from its engine (borrowed from Honda), but that combo will also cost you the most, starting at $22,980. And no matter how bitchin' the Red Line is, you'll still be stuck with panel gaps the size of your fist and rattly doors.

The Equinox not only shames its platform-mate, we think it is good enough to challenge Ford and the Asians as the best mini ute you can buy for the money.

For one thing, the Equinox is considerably larger than the Vue, its platform stretched six inches compared to its Saturn cousin. Its 112.5-inch wheelbase makes it the longest vehicle in the segment, shading the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Hyundai Santa Fe by 9.4 inches and dwarfing the Toyota RAV4's 98.0-inch wheelbase. All that size benefits the Equinox in a couple of ways: The doors open as widely as any we've used, and the back seat is absolutely voluminous. Even with the front seats slid to their rearmost position, back-seat passengers will find plenty of space to sit comfortably.

Rear-seat legroom in the Equinox exceeds that of the next roomiest rival, the CR-V. There are 3.4 more inches than in the Vue, almost four more than in the Escape, and a whopping 7.6 more inches than in the diminutive RAV4.