Overview & Reviews

For decades, GMC was all about trucks and burly SUVs. But the more recent popularity of car-based crossovers has brought about evolution for the brand, as the GMC Terrain certainly indicates. A small crossover, the Terrain stands out thanks to its stylish cabin, versatile backseat, ample standard features and sophisticated driving manners. Along with its mechanically identical sibling, the Chevrolet Equinox, the Terrain is a smart choice for a new or used crossover.

Current GMC Terrain
The GMC Terrain compact crossover offers a choice of four- or six-cylinder power. The standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder is rated at 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque and comes with a six-speed automatic, while the optional 3.6-liter V6 makes a stout 301 hp and 272 lb-ft, also routed through a six-speed auto. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional across the lineup.

The GMC Terrain boasts a nice ride and handling combination, feeling like a more substantial vehicle than its many rivals. Inside, the Terrain's cabin is impressively quiet, well built and earns top style marks. Fuel economy would seem to be a Terrain strong suit with the four-cylinder engine, given its EPA ratings. But in real-world testing we've found it to be merely average.

Features content is generous, as even the base SLE trim level includes a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, sliding and reclining rear seats, a rearview camera, OnStar emergency communications, satellite radio, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a touchscreen interface. With the latter two items, you can connect to Internet-based features like Pandora and Stitcher radio through a system GMC dubs Intellilink. High-end features such as leather upholstery, automatic climate control, a lane-departure warning system, a navigation system and premium audio are available as you move up through the SLT and Denali trim levels.

As a family hauler, the Terrain shines. Backseat accommodations are extraordinarily generous by default, and downright limousine-like when you slide that rear seat back. One minor disappointment is the Terrain's 64-cubic-foot maximum cargo capacity, which trails the class leaders despite this crossover's considerable dimensions.

Used GMC Terrain Models
The current-generation GMC Terrain debuted for the 2010 model year and has seen just a few notable changes since. For 2010-'13, the Terrain's power came from a 3.0-liter V6 that was less powerful than the current 3.6-liter engine; it produced 264 hp and 222 lb-ft of torque. A newly standard and updated touchscreen interface arrived for 2012 (previously a touchscreen only came with the optional navigation system), while later that year the Intellilink smartphone integration system debuted. The Denali trim debuted for 2013.

User Reviews:

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  Great vehicle! - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By dsinc72 - June 24 - 4:06 pm

  I have had my Terrain for approx 3 weeks now and I love it so far. The interior is very spacious and comfortable, and the ride is very smooth and quiet. The engine does not accelerate super quick, but it is a 4 cyl, so that was expected. I recently drove to Tucson (slight drop in elevation) and got 34 mph, and 29 mph on the way back (sticking to 75-80mph). After a week of driving back and forth to work and in town, my overall avg. was just under 25 mpg. For the people stating they cannot get good gas milage from their Terrain, how fast are you driving? If you are going 85-90 mph, you are not going to get good gas milage on the hwy.

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  Luxury car snob "loves" her new Terrain!!! - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By minnow4 - June 20 - 10:50 am

  So Im one of those people who has only owned high-end luxury cars for the greater part of my adult life. We needed to replace my Q7 after 5 years of owning what we felt was a severely over engineered, annoying vehicle. We purchased a Saab convertible but I was kind of uncomfortable in it after 10yrs of driving an SUV, so we decided to trade in my husbands car & got this & Ive taken it over! I absolutely love everything about it, the Audi got about 15 mpg at the end and this is just so nice when we have to visit the gas station. Its very well appointed and Im really enjoying the OnStar system. Ive been singing its praises to anyone wholl listen! Buy with complete confidence!

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  Love this SUV - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By hailtopitt - May 28 - 8:06 am

  My family decided on Terrain because we wanted something smaller than our gas guzzling crew cab truck. We went with the Terrain SLE-1 because it has a great safety rating, had all of the features that we wanted, and our local dealership is very well regarded. So far, we are not disappointed. The four cylinder is nothing spectacular, but it does the job in a very hilly area. Driving in eco mode, we get less than the listed mpg, but we typically see 20/25/30 for city, combined and highway. The interior is extremely comfortable, and the cabin is well designed. We love the sliding back bench as well.

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  Cant wait to pick up my new car! - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By lmbt969 - April 17 - 12:41 pm

  My family is picking up our 2010 GMC Terrain on Monday (tomorrow) and we are SO excited! It is actually used with 30,000 miles but its new to us! We took the car for almost an entire day last week (my very close friend is the manager of the dealership) and absolutely loved it. I drive a 2008 Tahoe for work and just cant imagine spending that kind of money on gas considering how much city driving I do. I love love love the interior and exterior styling of the Terrain. I agree with the "numb steering" feel, but Im used to it from the Tahoe. We were impressed with the gas mileage, but long term remains to be seen. We were in the market for a 4cyl SUV and this one fit the bill!

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  Happy Owner - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By new_terrain - March 12 - 11:58 am

  Ive owned the vehicle for a few weeks and am very satisfied so far. There was a problem with accessing music on my iPhone4 via the USB port. I kept getting error messages stating "Unsupported iPod device" and "Unsupported USB device". This was very frustrating. After Googling the problem, it turns out the issue is NOT unique to GM vehicles --- indicating the problem was with the iPhone, not the car. Fortunately, I was able to update the software on the iPhone4 to the latest version (Version 4.3), which was very straightforward using iTunes. This appears to have fixed the problem. I hope this helps others with the same problem.

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  My most favorite vehicle yet - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By debsop - March 4 - 2:28 pm

  Ive owned quite a few cars in my 40 years of driving and I am loving my 2011 Terrain the most. My husband and I are probably a salesmans worse nightmare when it comes to going over every detail, however the Terrain excels at all and for the price you can drive the vehicle loaded up with a more comfortable ride than the Cadillac version. We test drove both and I found the Cadillac to wallow on the road, struggle and scream on the highway for lack of power and the Terrain is as smooth as silk. Ive owned Grand Ams, Mustangs, Firebirds, Monte Carlos and bang for buck this is as close to Im probably going to get to an Escalade. Cant think of a thing Id like to add to it.

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  Great car, would like more options - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By tommyycar - February 14 - 10:18 am

  We have had this car for a year and we like it very much. We bought this for my wife to drive, but I also use it a lot. As a matter of fact, when it is time for me to trade my Lexus this summer, I would buy a Terrain for myself in a heartbeat if it just had some more goodies. I know that GM markets this as a family car, but it is also the perfect car for traveling empty nesters who need some cargo capacity but also want good fuel mileage. In my opinion, GM is missing the boat by not adding an empty nester package to include things like power passenger seat, power sliding back seat, power adjusting steering wheel, rain sensing wipers. Maybe a Cadillac version!?

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  Finally a vehicle tall people can enjoy :) - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By theburr4 - January 23 - 4:36 am

  Our gas mileage is 18.9 MPG. Many people dont like the red lighting but my family & I think its pretty cool. The fabric seats arent that attractive but they are comfortable & they seat my tall family very nicely with room to spare. This really is a beautiful, nice, and safe feeling SUV. It feels solid and drives well up mountain roads. The onstar is awesome along with the XM Radio and Ipod USB Port. Ive only driven in the snow once with my AWD Terrain. It was brand new and I was nervous. I thought I was stuck and my Dad said "Come on and give it some gas!" No problem I got through their non-maintained road. The engine idle sound is horrible & embarrassing but we still love the car.

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  Terrainiffic! - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By GMC Lover - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Looked at all the Smaller SUVs on the market and the Terrain offered by far the most bang for my bucks! The front design is beautiful, rear is a bit dull but good looking. Comfort surprised me, lots of leg room and the kids love the rear reclining seats. My opinion, its Terrainiffic!

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  Would not buy again. - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By Ron - November 19 - 2:00 am

  We liked the idea of 32 MPG highway but it has fallen far short of that. We are only getting about 25-26 MPG on the highway. We mostly drive about 68 mph with cruise control. GMC should be charged with false advertising. We took it into the dealer, Dick Norris of Clearwater, Florida and they supposedly checked it out on the "Computer" and found nothing wrong. We have already told everybody that asks about the Terrain and we mentioned the gas mileage problem to all of them. We are now stuck with this "Lemon" for three years and will never buy another GMC product. Sorry, but just telling the truth.