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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  Save a life! Stay away! - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By Disgusted Terrain owner - September 7 - 7:22 pm

  Bought the 2011 Terrain used last month with 39k miles. It has stalled numerous times in traffic and check engine light is always on. I had to the GM service department and they cant figure it out. It uses 4 quarts of oil in 2k miles. GM tells me that is normal under their standards. I just pray this doesnt cause an accident with my kids in the back. GM prefers to not acknowledge this death trap.

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  Absolute garbage - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By Bill - September 3 - 1:53 pm

  I couldnt imagine owning this car out of warranty. It has spent so much time at the dealer that although I owned a Terrain, I spent much of my time behind the wheel of various Buick rental cars from the dealer. The transmission was replaced 3 times, not to mention a host of other issues. How does GM have repeat customers???? Our first and last GM product ever.

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  GMC Lover - 2015 GMC Terrain
  By marona - August 28 - 5:08 am

  Ive had my 2015 GMC Terrain for 3 weeks now and completely love it. The exterior is shiny with chrome features that really set it off. Im in love with the front end style, the grill and headlights are so classy. Its comfortable, stylish, affordable (lease), great gas mileage, easy on the eyes. Im coming out of a 4 dr sedan so riding higher than normal is awesome. The interior features are good, with the exception of the vent placement. I like air movement, weather it be cool or warmer air - I like to feel it on me. The placement of the vents dont allow that to happen unless I lean towards the center, over the arm rest. The steering wheel is in the way and while I can adjust the wheel to tilt and extend, it doesnt help much. I will update again once Ive owned for awhile and have a trail run in the snow. So far, impressed. I feel like Im driving a luxury vehicle and a mid class price level. I recommend test driving if youre at all interested.

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  Very Noisy Engine - Rattling Sound on Start Up - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By Frank Gibbs - August 17 - 6:59 pm

  Stay away from the 4 cylinder. I have a 2011 Terrain with the 4 cylinder engine and i know that it is just a matter of time before the engine goes. It rattles on crank up, sounds like metal scraping against metal. Transmission jumps on occasion and the gas mileage is very much exaggerated by GM. It does not get neat the mileage that they state in their bulletin on the Terrain. I would not recommend this vehicle to a friend.

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  Do not buy... - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By KPG - August 17 - 12:01 pm

  Horrible!!! I have a 2011 GMC Terrain, its been in the shop NUMEROUS times. I was just told the motor needs to be re-built. 3 years old and the motor needs to be re-built. It runs terrible, constantly knocks and is never fixed. Its been in the shop a total of 5 weeks since Ive owned it. If you want a good, reliable vehicle, do NOT purchase a terrain. The service department tells me they keep most parts in stock because of so many problems. Not a good vehicle AT ALL.

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  30k miles blown transmission - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By Jack - August 10 - 8:27 pm

  Piece of crap. Needed wheel bearing replaced @10k miles. Engine noise from oil starvation to top end at startup. 33k miles and one week out of warranty and GM will only cover part of the repair. Cost me $1400 for a trans rebuild. GMC is so confident in their transmissions that they dont bother to give you a dipstick to check your tranny fluid. 5yr 100k miles warranty?

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  Dont Bother - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By JWConaty - August 10 - 9:28 am

  Had nothing but problems with the navigation system & radio starting in year 2. GMC refused to fix it saying I was out of warranty. After a year of "working around the problem," GMC finally recalled the item. Fast-forward 1 year later and my car just passed 100k miles. The timing chain in the engine broke and damaged the engine. GMC acknowledged this is a problem with my model and even adjusted the warranty from 100k miles to 120k miles for this EXACT problem. However the adjustment only covers certain VINs. GMC has now told me that it will cost $5k+ to replace the damaged engine in a car that is not even 4 years old yet. Not to mention I was just notified of 2 other recalls on my Terrain. That makes 3 recalls & 1 major non-recall repair in less than 4 years. I bought GMC because I wanted to buy American and GMCs/Chevys are supposed to be quality automobiles. I might have considered owning another GMC/Chevy/Buick vehicle in the future if GMC would have just owned up to the problem and covered the repair. Needless to say I will never buy another GMC/Chevy/Buick automobile.

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  V6 AWD - 2014 GMC Terrain
  By Jonathan Linder - August 9 - 7:09 pm

  Good looking, excellent safety on IIHS small overlap, quiet ride, comfortable. Fantastic power from V6. Transmission shifts should be smoother, although it is liveable and I have gotten used to it. Navigation works well. The radio doesnt have an automated seek button, so you have to click over and over to cycle through channels. The rear seat has huge legroom, great for preventing babies from kicking the driver. On the highway, I get between 27-30 MPG with air conditioning. In the city with aggressive stop and go, its about 16 MPG. Combined I have 23.5 MPG. Got a special price on the car with college student pricing and July 4 discounts.

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  Transmission Jerks when putting it in reverse - 2012 GMC Terrain
  By AF - July 20 - 9:55 am

  I have the 2012 GMC Terrain and for the last few years it sporadically jerks/kicks/slips when I first put it in reverse to drive out of the garage. Its not consistent so the dealer cant diagnose it and it never does it when I try to show it to someone. Ive been told that this isnt a problem, but it still makes me nervous. Other than that, I love the Terrain!

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  Not a Country Car - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By Doug T. - July 18 - 10:22 am

  We had driven Ford Explorers for many years and thought we would give the Terrain a try partly due to its touted fuel mileage. As we live on a ranch and drive under different road conditions depending on the time of the year, we purchased the AWD. It was a bad decision. The mileage advertised at the time was 32 mpg and we were lucky to get 25 mpg under the best of conditions. The transmission was so high geared that we had to manually put it in low and ride the brakes on steep grades. The overall workmanship interior/exterior was poor, with plastics being major components throughout. The worst was the ground clearance, which was ridiculous for a so-called SUV. We encountered several damages by driving road good paved roads, when something would be thrown up from the tires and doing damage. The final straw was my wife hitting a jack rabbit at 50 mph, causing enough damage that the vehicle had to be towed and repair costs were $1,800.00. Owning it less than two years and with less than 45,000 miles on it, we traded it in for another make. I would recommend that you not buy this vehicle unless you live in town, dont care about gas mileage and just want to say you drive a SUV.