Overview & Reviews

GMC is a division of General Motors that focuses on producing SUVs, trucks and vans. Though GMC's vehicles are mechanically similar to related Chevrolet products, they are typically differentiated by unique features, trim levels and minor styling tweaks. The automaker's full-size pickups and SUVs are the most compelling offerings in its lineup; in many cases, its products in these categories are class-leading.

The marque's roots lie in the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, a truck manufacturer that was founded by Max Grabowski in 1902. The outfit was purchased by General Motors in 1909 with the intention of having it serve as a division dedicated to building tough and capable trucks. The brand came to be known as GMC Truck; early models include the T16 and T20. Most of the manufacturer's trucks were very utilitarian in nature and functioned as dump trucks, fire trucks and military vehicles. GMC Truck's 3/4-ton Model 16 saw duty in World War I, serving mostly as a battlefield ambulance.

Sales continued to climb in the 1920s. After switching to a six-cylinder Buick-built motor, GMC Truck's 1- and 2-ton trucks earned the distinction of being the fastest in their classes. By the '30s, the line had grown to include everything from half-ton pickups to 10-ton trucks and buses. New models included the popular 1936 Suburban, which was essentially a truck-based station wagon that paired a truck's utility with a car's creature comforts.

World War II was a time of expansion for GMC Truck, thanks to its acquisition of Yellow Truck & Coach. Once again, the automaker's vehicles were tapped for wartime duty. New models like the Jimmy and the DUKW (nicknamed the Duck) were widely used by American troops.

Postwar, GMC Truck models became more consumer-oriented, and many were revamped to offer styling that more closely resembled passenger cars. The 1950s and '60s witnessed an upswing in sales, thanks to the popularity of recreational vehicles like GMC-based motor homes and pickup campers. The Jimmy name was revived and assigned to the brand's first ever sport-utility vehicle in 1970. That decade and the next saw a continued rise in the brand's popularity. The early '90s saw the brief appearance of the Syclone and Typhoon. The former was a small street pickup that burned up the asphalt with its turbocharged V6 and all-wheel drive. The latter was essentially a two-door SUV based on the same platform. Either one of these oddball speedsters could rip through a quarter-mile in around 14 seconds flat, making them among the quickest vehicles ever offered by General Motors. Also, by this time, GMC Truck had trimmed its moniker; the brand is now known simply as GMC.

In the past few decades, GM has consolidated its products and GMC's trucks have become less individualistic as a result. Today, most of GMC's vehicles are virtually identical to those sold by Chevrolet. The main differences lie in minor features and design tweaks that give GMC's offerings a more upscale image.

User Reviews:

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  New Transmission and Clunking/Vibration - 2015 GMC Yukon Denali
  By Veronica Capiak - February 29 - 8:23 pm

  Had to have my transmission replaced at 7,000 miles (problems started at 5k miles). Have had clunking in the drivetrain and vibration non-stop since 5k miles but no fix. Dealer keeps saying he cant replicate it yet every passenger in my car asks what is wrong with it. Also have an on again off again burning electrical smell. 6 total visits to the shop, not fixed. GM has been no help.

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  Like a Toddler - This car needs constant attention - 2009 GMC Acadia
  By Tiffany - January 14 - 4:59 pm

  In 2014 we bought a 2009 with 60,000 miles. It was a one owner vehicle with low miles. Nearing a year later and not even putting 10,000 miles on it we have had to have continuous repairs done. Luckily we purchased the extended warranty offered thru the bank. The navigation went out. The front day running light burned out. The lift gate stopped working. Replaced the entire exhaust system. Replaced the Rack and Pinion, tie rods, steering hose, front and rear brakes. I am now hearing a vibrating rattle noise and just noticed that the rear heat does not work and blows cold air. Overall the car blows!

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  I Hate This Car - 2004 GMC Envoy
  By Laurie - January 8 - 9:58 am

  At 30,000 miles the movie player died. At 85,000 miles all gauges, power/heat for seats died. Gas mileage is horrible. I get 12 miles city and 16 highway (V6). I cant understand why their isnt a recall on the dashboard gauges, its infuriating. Has completely turned me off to all GMC products.

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  Completely unreliable and poorly designed. - 2010 GMC Acadia
  By Peter - January 3 - 7:34 am

  After years of import ownership, we proudly decided to try American one more time. Detroit was back, everyone said. Fulfilling our patriotic duty, we purchased our 2010 Acadia used about 2-1/2 years ago for my wife. First, what sold us: REAR SEATS: No other SUV in its class made good use of space in the back. The availability of a 3rd row, 2nd-row bucket seats, and the easy, one-handed maneuverability of those seats was one of the biggest selling points to us (we had a kid on the way). Its a mid-size SUV that allocates space as if its a large SUV or minivan. GENERAL STYLING/COMFORT: At a glance, and during a test drive, the look and feel of the vehicle struck us. It doesnt drive like a truck. Its a smooth, comfortable ride. And its sharp. Why well never buy American again: UNRELIABILITY: I cannot overstate how a) unreliable the Acadia is, and b) how difficult and expensive it is to repair. It was engineered in such a way that routine maintenance is not at all routine, and minor to moderate repairs are major. For example, if you need to replace a headlamp (a 20-minute job on most vehicles), you must loosen the wheel well cover, the bumper cover, and the grill and surrounding trim before you can even access the headlamp. Thats dozens of bolts that must be removed or loosened just to change a bulb. A peristent A/C leak plagued our vehicle for two summers until it was determined the coil needed to be replaced. A moderate repair on most vehicles, this one cost us about $1600 and two days in the shop (the coil inexplicably must be accessed by removing the dashboard). Weve also had endless problems with the front suspension and linkages. The Acadia is in the shop every 2-3 months, on average, for problems big and small not counting routine maintenance like oil changes. For comparison, my German-made vehicle is in the shop 1-2 times A YEAR. We spend many hundreds (if not thousands) more maintaining the Acadia than our other car. The conventional wisdom that American cars are cheaper to maintain no longer applies. And then there are the recall notices stuffing our mailbox. But you already knew about those. In short, Detroit is not back.

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  AMAZINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE POOR console layout - 2015 GMC Acadia
  By Drew - January 1 - 8:51 pm

  After extensive reviews of this vehicle (edmunds.com, consumer reports/consumer search, cars.com), its surprising that not a single review comments on the uncomfortable headrests and unfriendly layout of the most-used console features. Front seat headrests are so uncomfortable that I contemplate selling this brand new vehicle on a weekly basis, and swapping it for similar SUV from Nissan or Toyota. Unfortunately, its not exactly like returning a piece of clothing to a store for a refund. The headrests (both driver and passenger) cause the head to protrude so much that it creates MAJOR discomfort. I ended up removing and reversing the position of the headrest, so that it essentially faces backwards. The layout of the center console buttons are considerably cumbersome and unfriendly. For example, the front cupholder is really not usable if planning to use the 12 volt outlet (i.e., for a phone charger or radar detector). The button to open the rear lift gate is immediately next to the 12 volt outlet/front cupholder, so it can be triggered inadvertently, and is really annoying. For example, the lift gate can be opened at most inopportune time, with vehicle already parked in garage or backed up to a wall. That happened twice (first time, passenger was plugging USB cord into the receptacle, triggering the lift gate second time removing outlet plug adapter). The front seat heaters are really nice for Chicago weather (or any cold weather), but the buttons are lower on the center console than they could be and can easily distract when trying to adjust while driving. The wifi that GMC so proudly boasts of is only 3G, which is basically useless. However, it becomes really annoying because anytime I try to use my phone (for bluetooth streaming of calls/music/Pandora) the phones wifi connection asks to select the signal. Since the GMC is only 3G, it is never fast enough to be useful. Thus, I must turn phones wifi connection OFF in order for the phone to work properly. That is a MAJOR pain in the ass when driving or as a passenger. Also, I find the bluetooth a bit slower than Ive found in other vehicles/radios (Infiniti I35 w/aftermarket Clarion stereo, Toyota Sienna w/OEM radio, Toyota Tundra w/aftermarket Sony stereo). The handling/road holding is excellent (have driven in rain, 1-2 inches of sleet, and 3 inches of snow). It is an assuring and comforting feeling. Gas mileage is NOWHERE close to the estimated specs listed on any of the websites. I drove from Chicago to Benton Harbor, MI (all highway, avg 65-70 mph), and mpg was only 19 mpg (not the 23-24 mpg listed on websites). It is nice that the vehicle uses 87 octane gas, so that will save $ in the long run. In hindsight, I regret not test driving Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota Highlander.

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  Pain in the butt - 2007 GMC Acadia
  By Andy - December 27 - 9:15 pm

  I replaced transmission and motor. Car is always leaking water in to it. I have more sensors going off than I can count. Just a lot of problems for such a expensive car.

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  Last GM product I will ever own. - 2008 GMC Acadia
  By Jesse Daniels - November 2 - 8:52 pm

  GM discovered that many Acadias recieved a defective wave plate during assembly. The wave plate is a component in the transmission. Instead of recalling the Acadia and having the part replaced, GMC offered a special warranty up to 120,000 miles to reimburse the cost of transmission repairs. Of course, since I actually take care of my car and drive it gently, my wave plate lasted until 121,500 miles. The transmission repair cost $2700. The problem was a defective waveplate. GMC did not provide any assistance with the repair costs despite the fact it was barely beyond the warranty. Im actually somewhat thankful though. Now I have a good excuse to buy a foreign car. For the past 20 years, I have always owned domestic vehicles...mostly GM vehicles because I have felt proud of supporting the domestic auto makers. But, with this latest issue, it is apparent that GM has no interest in supporting their customers. Now, if people give me a hard time about buying foreign, I can refer to this experience and people will understand. This will be the last GM product I own. I was going to buy a new Yukon in the Spring. That wont be happening now.

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  Use oil and fuel, over and over and over and over - 2012 GMC Terrain
  By Anthony LaGrasta - October 16 - 4:52 pm

  We bought this car for MPG, only to find out it doest get anywhere near the rating, 30% less than rated. Whats more it also uses oil at an insane rate 1 quart per 1,000 miles, no exaggeration. If that wasnt enough, complaints to GM went unanswered. How could they ignore such claims? Come to find out, they knew of this problem, but never mentioned or acknowledged it, so disappointed. Wish we could just get out from under this, get our money back, start fresh. $30,000 down the drain.

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  This car has had more recalls and issues than norm - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By Bryan Thompson - October 15 - 9:36 am

  We have had 4 recalls. Every time we take the car in to the dealership it takes days to get it fixed, after being promised it should be a 4 hour fix. They also try and charge us every time and they try and tell us its not under warranty so we have to prove it. The computer is a joke and the engine continues to have issues idling. Dont buy this vehicle as it has many issues.

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  Cant cover any terrain since in shop. - 2011 GMC Terrain
  By Diane - October 9 - 8:41 pm

  On the three years I have had my car. Ive had to fire air bag wiring. Told was not covered. Ive replaced the manifold, catalytic converter, there was a oil consumption issue, this past week I replaced the thermostat and water pump. The backup camera hasnt worked great since the fixed the consumption issue. Didnt know the navigation was suppose to work with onstar until I read comments. Cant trade in because resale value is poor. Ive pumped in over 6,000 dollars this car and the dealer had the nerve to say today. Think its time to trade in. The only reason the consumption issue was fixed is my husband complained to GMC because the dealer wasnt listening.