2011 GMC Terrain Specs, Prices, Pics and Reviews

It should come as little surprise that the new GMC Terrain, a corporate twin to the redesigned Chevrolet Equinox, retains most of its sibling's strengths and weaknesses.

Starting MSRP $24,500–$31,650

The wild card — or, more appropriately, the elephant in the design studio — is the Terrain's styling. If it works for you, the Terrain is every bit as competitive as the Equinox. One caveat, however: Unless you need the towing capacity, avoid the V-6. The Terrain shows its best colors in four-cylinder form.

In ascending order, trim levels are the SLE1, SLE2, SLT1 and SLT2. All four come standard with the four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional on any trim, and the V-6 is optional on all but the SLE1. On each trim, you get a little added content if you choose the GMC version versus the Chevy, which accounts for the Terrain's higher price.
I drove a front-wheel-drive V-6 SLT1, though I've driven both engines in the mechanically identical Equinox, which you can compare to the Terrain here.

Going & Stopping

Having driven both the four-cylinder and V-6 Equinox, I can attest that the difference in power isn't appreciable unless you're pushing the car hard or carrying a load of people. My V-6 Terrain drove the point home: With 264 horsepower on tap — and no all-wheel drive to weigh things down — I'd expect a bit more oomph, especially given that competitors like the V-6 Toyota RAV4 feel downright fleet-footed. The Terrain does, however, weigh a few hundred pounds more, and so it lumbers along at a more leisurely pace.That lumbering can be an issue. A six-speed automatic is standard, but it isn't exactly the paragon of responsiveness. Kickdown takes too long at any speed, and it's often accompanied by uncertain gear hunting. I also noticed a vexing case of accelerator lag. It has a way of creeping up on you: Acceleration from stoplights was acceptable, but when driving around 30-40 mph it occasionally took a full second for the Terrain to respond to my right foot. I'd invariably respond by stabbing the gas pedal harder, and when the cavalry finally arrived I'd get overkill.

If anything, the 182-hp four-cylinder should have enough power for most drivers. I didn't detect any of the V-6's accelerator lag in the four-cylinder Equinox I tested, and the pedal felt tuned for quicker response. Overly responsive accelerators are an old trick for a lot of four-cylinder cars — and a short-lived one, when you need sustained power up an on-ramp — but I never found the base Equinox gutless. The same should be true of its GMC sibling.

GMC and Chevrolet have Toyota — and everyone else, for that matter — beat in four-cylinder gas mileage. With an impressive 22/32 mpg city/highway with the four-cylinder and front-wheel drive, the Terrain beats all competitors with similar configurations. Adding all-wheel drive or the V-6 knocks mileage down quite a bit; at that point, the Terrain ranks midpack.

Gas Mileage (combined city/highway, mpg)
	All-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive
2010 Toyota RAV4	21 - 24	22 - 24
2010 Honda CR-V	23	24
2010 Nissan Rogue	23	24
2010 GMC Terrain	20 - 23	20 - 26
2009 Subaru Forester*	21 - 22	--
2010 Ford Escape	20 - 22	21 - 24
2009 Hyundai Santa Fe	19	20
*Forester with turbo engine requires premium fuel. All others use regular. Source: EPA data; variances are due to various transmissions and engines offered.

Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard, but the pedal has a mushy, trucklike feel, so smooth stops can take some practice. On the upside, suspension dive while braking is fairly minimal.

When properly equipped, the four-cylinder Terrain can tow 1,500 pounds. The V-6 tows a competitive 3,500 pounds. Learn More...

Source : http://www.cars.com

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