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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  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 this car! - 2009 GMC Acadia
  By Scott M. Combs - August 17 - 12:50 pm

  Lots of electronic and mechanical issues. Many trips to the dealer. Rack and pinion went out $2200, 3 fuel injectors $1800, struts $400, lots of electrical sensors and mystery check engine issues. Would not buy another GMC!

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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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  Great engine - 1999 GMC Jimmy
  By chris - August 9 - 10:53 pm

  I have to admit i have had issues with this vehicle. If you are looking to buy this car find out if the radiator has been replaced. These vehicles used Dexcool 3 when they first came out, it was issues so it will have or will rust out your radiator. I did a few different flushes on mine. I did have to replace the water pump, alternator, starter, and fuel pump. The fuel pump came at about 150,000 mile for me though. Keep and mind the drivers side door has issues, if you find a good body shop they will fix it for about $100. The Engine is awesome has always run like a champ for me considering i used this vehicle to deliver pizza. Overall it is a good buy and a safe SUV. I sold mine for $800 to a friend and it is still running with over 176,000 miles on it. As much as i enjoyed having this vehicle i cant give it 5 stars knowing all that was done to it, luckily for me i have a good mechanic and he doesnt charge an arm and a leg for repairs.

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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.

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  Impressive New Addition... - 2015 GMC Canyon
  By B L - July 14 - 12:32 am

  ... to the mid size truck market. Have had my 2015 Canyon 4 x 4 SLT about 2 months now. Have used it mostly for city driving other than a 1500 mile trip to Northern CA and Northern NV. Averaged 23.9 during the trip and averaging 20.2 overall. Very comfortable for long trips, smooth ride for a 4 x 4. Controls user friendly, and thank you GM for making a nav system that can be used by a passenger while driving. My RAM 3500 and Jeep GC had nav systems that were unable to use during vehicle movement. Great looking truck and no issues thus far.