2010 GMC Terrain

GMC’s smallest sport-utility vehicle is big on active lifestyles

By Nina Russin

2010 GMC Terrain

The Terrain is GMC’s newest, and most compact sport-utility vehicle: built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Equinox. Both cars come with a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder or V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission.

Whereas the Equinox focuses primarily on value, the Terrain carries forth GMC’s “professional grade” strategy with more aggressive styling, and convenience features that appeal to truck enthusiasts. The truck’s front-end design is similar to treatments on the Acadia and Yukon: GMC’s mid- and full-sized sport utility vehicles.

The test car is the SLT-2: the more upscale of two available grades. Base price for the all-wheel drive model is $31,000, not including a $745 destination charge. The 3-liter V6 engine is a $1500 option, as are 19-inch chrome wheels: an upgrade from the standard 18-inch brushed aluminum rims ($900). A towing package ($350) gives the Terrain 3500-pound capacity, meeting our minimum ALV standards.

While the V6 can’t compete with the four-cylinder engine’s 32 mile-per-gallon fuel economy, I think it’s a better choice for buyers who live in climates with bad winters. The bigger engine has fifty more foot-pounds of torque, which makes a big difference in low-end acceleration. In other words, the V6 is better equipped to crawl out of a snow drift, and has enough power to accommodate a full-load of passengers plus athletic gear. Read the rest of this entry »