TEST DRIVE: 2010 GMC Terrain

Living in Durham Region as I do, and only about 20 minutes from their Canadian Headquarters, it’s hard for me to not take notice of the trials and tribulations of General Motors.  After seeing the company dangling off a cliff for most of last year, only to be thrown a life line by 3 separate governments I’ve taken more than a passive interest as to how they would respond to the second chance that they’ve been given.  It was with great interest then, when I received the invite to test out one of their newest vehicles, the 2010 GMC Terrain so that I can see whether the new look GM would be any different or better than the old one.

A big part of what put General Motors into the trouble that they were in, was that the vehicles they were producing were not keeping in step with the changing demands and preferences of the marketplace.  For too long GM made its living on big cars, SUV’s and trucks that were very thirsty, expensive to drive and not very friendly to our environment.  The 2010 GMC Terrain however, was part of a new wave of crossover vehicles that were designed to introduce new styling along with better and more fuel efficient engines into the GM line up.  The Terrain is the cousin of the Chevrolet Equinox and the distant cousin of the Chevrolet Terrain.  Both the GMC Terrain and the Chevrolet Equinox are built in Ingersoll, Ontario.

FIRST IMPRESSION

While I have never admittedly been a fan of the SUV or of GMC’s product lines in the past, there was something aesthetically pleasing to me about the look of the Terrain.  When I first looked at the exterior lines I could still see the masculine and aggressive lines that GM has been famous for, but there also seemed to be a touch of sophistication in its shape as well.  However, when I stepped inside the vehicle was when I received my first real indication that GMC had grown up.  I had always hated the consoles of GM cars in the past, but the new sleeker design gave me a much more positive impression than I expected.  The two tone leather also showed a modern edge to it as did the ambient lighting features found on the overhead console, in the cup holders and on the doors.  It was clear from the outset that this was not the GMC Jimmy that I remembered from years ago.

DRIVE

Of all the things that I was looking forward to with the testing of the GMC Terrain, the drive was perhaps what I was looking forward to most.  The Terrain and the Chevy Equinox have been marketed heavily by GM as having the best highway fuel efficiency in their respective classes.  While the Terrain does offer a V6 engine, which would be preferred for those who plan to do a lot of heavy towing, my tester came with a 4 cylinder engine.  While it produced 182 horsepower, I couldn’t get past the feeling that the Terrain seemed slightly underpowered.  I noticed this the most when accelerating from a stopped position.  If this really is a balancing act between performance and efficiency, I’d think that I could get used to the sluggish feeling I had and to that extent one would really need to question what they want this vehicle to do for them before selecting an engine.

The other issue I had with the 4 cylinder engine was the fact that it was still powering a vehicle that was heavier than your average car.  The current car I drive also has a 4 cylinder engine with similar horsepower but weighs less and gets better mileage as a result.  The GMC Terrain does have exceptional highway fuel efficiency but if you are going to buy this as a vehicle for puttering around city streets with a lot of stop and go traffic, you may find the fuel efficiency to be disappointing.

Aside from that, I found the drive to be quite comfortable.  Crossover vehicles are designed to be much more like a car than a truck and the ride was indicative of that fact.  Sightlines were good all around and the overall feeling of being behind the wheel was pleasant.

GADGETS AND GIZMOS

I tested the SLT version of the Terrain which included a centre console “Infotainment” system as a main feature.  The system includes a touch screen pad that handles your audio and visual needs as well as provides a visual for the GPS, Bluetooth and On-Star systems.  For versions equipped with dual rear seat video screens, you would also control the DVD player from this console as well.  The advanced Pioneer sound system was decent enough for an OEM system.  It’s not the best I’ve ever heard nor is it the worst, although it’s a vast improvement from the brutal Delco systems they were synonymous with in the past.  It has an MP3 input which will also take a flash drive and with over 40 GB of hard drive storage, there is plenty of room to store just about any song you need for the drive.

The GPS maps were quite easy to read and the voice guided navigation system was quite accurate as well.  There are a lot of capabilities found within this system, however the downside to that is the fact that I found it difficult to master.  Given the new hands free laws that have come into effect my suggestion to anyone is that you take a long time to master the electronics and entertainment features while in your driveway before you actively start using them on the road.

There is another readout display on the dash itself which provides information such as tire pressure, as well as an instant fuel efficiency reading.  The instant fuel efficiency readout is something I’d suggest one uses regularly as it gives you immediate feedback and will help you to become a more fuel efficient driver.

Also standard with all Terrain models is the rear view camera for backing up.  The image appeared on the LCD console and also provided guide markers that are helpful when backing into a spot.  I am seeing more of these cameras nowadays and for those who are tepid drivers something like this can only be a good thing.

INTERIOR COMFORT

The 2010 GMC Terrain has a lot of room for passenger comfort.  While I’m not exceptionally tall (5’11”) I always tend to find that most driver seats can’t extend back far enough for me so that I don’t feel somewhat confined.  However the Terrain is perhaps the first vehicle I’ve driven where I found it could extend back further than I needed it to.  The heated seats are a must with a leather interior and winter driving which the Terrain offers.  The back row also is quite spacious with plenty of both leg and headroom to keep passengers comfortable.  The accent lighting also provided a nice touch when driving at night.  The red hue that is used takes a bit of getting used to, but in the end it adds a bit of a modern edge to the styling that I found myself enjoying.

STORAGE

Like other Crossover vehicles, as well as just about any GMC vehicle ever built, storage is not a problem here.  There is plenty of room in the back for a full weeks worth of groceries, for 4 sets of golf clubs, or for a couple of hockey bags.  The SLT model also has an automatic lift and close feature on the back hatch which is always handy when having to keep an eye on kids who like to dart off while you are closing up the back.

IN THE END

Without swaying from the objectivity that I need to have when reviewing any vehicle, I’ll quietly admit that before I picked up the 2010 GMC Terrain, there was a part of me that really wanted to like it.  The success or lack of success of General Motors in my neck of the woods is something that resonates more significantly than perhaps in others parts of the country.  If the Terrain became an example of a car company that really understood where they got it wrong and how they were making it right, then I knew that the benefits would be significant.

So did I like it?  While not emphatically so, I’d have to say that the answer is “Yes”.  I can clearly see that there is an evolution going on within the design and engineering teams at GM and that they are trying to embrace a new way to design and build cars.  With a price range that extends from the high $20K range right up to around $40K the vehicles matches very well with its competitors such as the Ford Focus, the Honda Pilot, the Honda CRV and the Nissan Murano.

If this is the future of General Motors then I’m inclined to believe that its worst days are behind them and that those who began to walk away from GM over the years may yet have a reason to come back.

Enviro Dad’s Test Drive  Ratings:

Style: 4 out of 5

Comfort: 4 out of 5

Features: 3.5 out of 5

Storage: 5 out of 5

Drive: 3 out of 5

OVERALL RATING: 3.75 out of 5