GMC Envoy vs. GMC Terrain

Back in 2002, during the time dubbed the “SUV craze,” GM began production of the Chevrolet Trailblazer and GMC Envoy SUVs, based on the new at that time GMT360 platform. These SUVs were a huge improvement over their predecessors which were the Chevrolet Blazer and the GMC Jimmy. However, as the year 2009 came around with all of the GMT360 SUVs receiving virtually no changes since 2002, the company decided to go in a new direction.

For Chevrolet, they came up with a new crossover named the Traverse (based off of the defunct Saturn Sky, and also the current Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia). On the other hand, for GMC, GM came up with the Terrain, a car-based SUV, based off of the new Chevrolet Equinox. Confusing, right? Well, let me explain further.

When the Trailblazer was introduced, it was widely praised by many car review outlets. One of these, Motor Week, was very impressed by the new characteristics of this new SUV. Here is a road test they put out when they were still a syndicated television show, back in 2002: (Skip to 1:00 to see the review)



The majority of the praised aspects about this car included the fact that the ride was very soft, yet it drove well.

One recent consumer review on Edmunds.com, a car review website, says that they had a positive experience with their GMC Envoy (please excuse their grammar):

“I purchased this vehicle when there were no others on the road. I was 1st impressed with its individual styling. Very soon after I was delighted with its interior appointments and comfort. I now have 125,000 miles and still no mechanical issues what-so-ever!”

(To see more consumer reviews, click here)

While there was mainly praise for the newcomer to the SUV market, there were a few criticisms. The main one seemed to be that the gas mileage was dismal.

The Environmental Protection Agency rated the gas mileage for the Trailblazer/Envoy as 14mpg in the city and 20mpg on the highway, which are dismal numbers for an SUV that is considered to be mid-sized. To add insult to injury, the SUV has an inline-six cylinder engine. The available V8 engine for this car only received one less mile per gallon when compared to the smaller engine.

Many, including myself, speculate that the main reason for why GM ditched the GMT360 platform is because of the more expensive gas prices, as well as the shift away from inefficient SUVs to smaller, more efficient cars. However, we may never know the exact reason for why GM got rid of, at least in my opinion, one of the best cars they have ever produced.

Looking ahead, the most appealing newcomer to replace the platform looks to be the GMC Terrain. While Chevrolet has the new Traverse, the Terrain has better looks and isn’t as large.



Click here to see a review conducted by Edmunds.com on the new GMC.

The Terrain is much smaller than its predecessor and is not built on the traditional truck platform that the Envoy and Trailblazer were built upon. It is almost classified as a “cross over” SUV, but it still appears to share qualities with the traditional boxy SUVs.

Thankfully, GM was able to fix the most common gripe with the Envoy. They addressed the gas mileage problem. The standard engine on the Terrain is a new inline-four cylinder engine. While less powerful, this engine achieves a mixed gas mileage rating of 26 miles per gallon, leaps and bounds better than the Envoy. The new optional V6 also delivers modest numbers in comparison to the Envoy’s engine.

On the road, according to Edmunds.com, both engines are good choices. While the inline-four might take a bit of encouragement to accelerate in a timely manner, it is an economical choice that will keep you moving- but slightly slower than everyone else. The V6 will move the Terrain much more quickly than the standard engine, especially because the Terrain only weighs 3,788 lbs. This is much lighter than the heavier 4,404 lbs. Envoy.

I’m very impressed with what the new GM is putting out for their new 2010 product lines. Starting with the Malibu, they have really stepped up to the plate by producing more competitive and reliable vehicles. Another piece of evidence, the Terrain, will bring GM much success.

While I always have and will be a huge fan of the defunct GMC Envoy and Chevrolet Trailblazer twins, it is time for a change. With fragile gas prices that are ready to sore at any second, this was a good move for GM. GM will appreciate this move in the future when the next surge in oil prices occurs and leads to another gas crunch.

The base starting price (MSRP) for the Terrain is $24,250.

Here are some additional pictures of the Terrain (Courtesy - Edmunds.com):