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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  2010 GMC Terrain Do not Buy!!!! - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By Ever - January 14 - 7:47 pm

  Very expensive for junk suv!! Rather put more $$$ to Toyota Rav4 or Honda CR-V.

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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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  Terrain talk - 2015 GMC Terrain
  By Jodi Walters - January 14 - 7:37 am

  I love my Terrain. The safety features about drove me nuts but once I got used to them (or turned them off) they were fine. I love the interior, very comfortable to drive and the seats feel great. I especially love the heated seat feature. I previously had an Envoy that I dearly loved. The ride in the Envoy was much smoother and less stiff. I have found though, that all the smaller SUVs have that log wagon feel, where you can feel almost every bump. I am 100% satisfied with the overall performance of this vehicle, however I may consider a larger SUV next time to improve the ride. The gas mileage is good, I like the infrequent trips to the gas station.

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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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  This car is not worth buying. - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By Bryan Thompson - January 4 - 4:31 pm

  We purchased this car used and have had 5 recalls now, and the latest issue is the throttle body breaks. We had the dealer check this out before we left on a trip and they assured us everything was fine. On an 8 hour trip to Houston, we receive and error message that the car is powering down. It basically makes you slow down and pull over. Nothing you can do. We had the car towed to the nearest dealer and another repair. Very disappointed in GM as many of the websites I read say this should be a recall but to this point, nothing from GM. The MPG is way off. The car is now burning oil. Ill be taking it in again. Please dont buy GM cars.

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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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  Do not buy this car 2 - 2010 GMC Acadia
  By Erica - January 2 - 12:23 pm

  Cannot comment or add to my original review, so Im adding another one. I posted my review in October, 3 days after we got it back with a rebuilt engine, the motor was losing oil, bear in mind there was never an oil light, but we checked the oil every other day, we took a 2 hour trip, then had to drive another hour to help a friend, apparently that was just too much for the engine, in that time it had used up the oil and simply died on a random country road. Spun a bearing. Second motor in 6 months. No one will rebuild or sell this motor because they cant warranty it, its such poor quality. Id like to add that the traverse, escalade, Acadia, and enclave all have this motor. I wont be buying any of them either. When we get another motor in this car we will be taking it directly from the mechanic to be traded in. Ill have at least 6 grand added to the cost of a new vehicle, if I get the average trade in value for this hunk of junk.

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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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  Awesome - 2005 GMC Yukon
  By Kp - December 30 - 6:27 pm

  This is my first SUV and I love it. Having this truck, Im able to move through Chicago winters with ease. Only issue is the speedometer, which reads wrong at times but heard this is common with the GMC trucks

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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.