2005 GMC Envoy Review (continued)
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Walkaround

The GMC Envoy models are mid-size SUVs, about the same size as a Ford Explorer. Envoy is smaller than a GMC Yukon, but much bigger than compact SUVs based on cars.

As mentioned, Envoy is available in two wheelbase lengths: 113 inches for the standard Envoy, and 129 inches for the Envoy XL and Envoy XUV. In terms of overall length, the Envoy XL is 16 inches longer than the standard Envoy. It's even longer than the GMC Yukon, by 9 inches, though it's more than 4 inches narrower. One way to distinguish an Envoy XL from the standard Envoy is to look at the rear doors. The Envoy's rear doors are interrupted by the rear fenders; the Envoy XL, with its length stretched amidships, has enough space for the rear edge of the rear doors to drop straight down all the way to the rocker panels.

The Envoy models share their chassis and engines with the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and Buick Rainier. Each of these three nameplates boasts unique styling, and there are feature differences as well. Envoy generally offers more features than the Chevy. And the XUV and Denali versions are GMC exclusives. And only the GMC Envoy Denali and Buick Rainier offer the V8 engine with the shorter, better-handling standard wheelbase.

Envoy has conservative, upmarket styling, yet has a masculine look that says it's ready to tackle the tough jobs. It looks more sophisticated than the TrailBlazer. Envoy's giant black grille with its big ruby-red logo says GMC in no uncertain terms. Sleek and clean are the distinct headlamps, round fog lights and pouty front bumper with a wide, slim slit at the very bottom. Strong beveled shapes extend along the clean sides and around the wheel wells, and help make the Envoy look imposing. Envoy dispenses with the TrailBlazer's showy fender flares, by housing its standard 17-inch wheels inside hefty wheel openings that are part of its trapezoidal design theme. The rear bumper is stepped for its full length, and includes big round backup lights. From behind the wheel the Envoy seems to be raked, as you look down over the strong hood.

Like their cousins in the Yukon clan, Envoy Denalis are distinguished by their chromed honeycomb grille, body-color bumpers that reach lower to the ground, body-color mirrors, and 17-inch polished aluminum wheels. Running boards that also act as stone guards are integrated into the rocker panels.

The Envoy XUV is about an inch longer than Envoy XL, and nearly three inches taller. At first glance it resembles the XL, but take a closer look, and you'll see that the XUV's rear side windows, the windows that look into the cargo bay, wrap subtly into the roof, where they meet the tracks for the sliding roof section. The tracks themselves are integrated into the luggage rack, a clever design. The XUV also has unique, larger taillights that wrap up over the tops of the rear fenders. From the rear, the XUV looks even more raked-forward than the Envoy and Envoy XL. Still, the XL and XUV both look too long in the back end with respect to their front proportions to be truly attractive. The XUV features a unique, dual-function tailgate. The tailgate power window can be raised or lowered at the touch of a button. With the window fully lowered, the tailgate can be dropped for ease of loading and unloading. Or it can swing open to the right, allowing bumper-level access to the cargo area, though this is the wrong direction for convenient curbside loading.

Interior Features

The GMC Envoy and Envoy XUV seat five passengers. Envoy XL seats seven. Up front, they're pretty much the same, so let's first take a look in back where all the differences are located. No matter the model, the GMC Envoy offers more room for second-row passengers than the Ford Explorer, particularly hip room.

Envoy and Envoy XUV do not offer a third-row seat, and third-row seating in the Envoy XL is only average in terms of roominess. The Envoy XL is 18 inches longer than the Ford Explorer; and where the Explorer squeezes an optional third-row seat into its 114-inch wheelbase, the Envoy XL relaxes on a wheelbase of 129 inches. Yet somehow, third-row Envoy XL passengers get less legroom than third-row Explorer passengers. Head, hip, and leg room in the Explorer's third row measure 38.9, 45.4, and 34.9 inches, respectively, versus the Envoy XL's 38.5, 45.9, and 31.2. And the XL's long cabin led some of the adults we put back there to say they felt like they were looking down a tunnel.

Cargo space in the Envoy XL is generous, however. Fold the second- and third-row seats and Envoy XL offers 107 cubic feet of packing room, more than the standard Envoy (80) or Explorer (81), and slightly more than the big Yukon. SLT models come with a scrolling cargo cover.

Envoy XUV shares its second-row seating dimensions with Envoy XL, but instead of a carpeted cargo area with a folding third-row seat, the XUV has a weather-resistant box, like a pickup bed parked indoors. Four tie-down rings can be moved to any of 12 locations, and there are four more fixed rings in the ceiling. GMC offers accessories to further enhance the XUV's cargo-carrying capabilities. If things get messy back there, it's easy to flush it out with a hose. GM says its one-way drains can channel out 30 gallons per minute.

Ah, but you still haven't seen the XUV's neatest trick: Touch a button, and a 32-by-32-inch panel in the roof slides forward, opening the cargo bay up to the sky. A power rear window quickly slides up from the Midgate behind the rear seat, sealing off the passenger compartment from the now-open-air cargo area. The XUV has converted itself into a four-door pickup with a 44-inch bed. (And you can still order a traditional sunroof over the main cabin.)

If that's too short for the job, the XUV has one more trick it can do: Retract the glass behind the rear seat, open the Midgate between the seat and the cargo bay, and then tumble and fold the seat itself. Now you have 6 feet, 4 inches of open bed, albeit without a partition between it and the front seats. Close the roof and the tailgate window, and you can carry two people and a lot of personal belongings, out of the weather and dry. Tie-down points are conveniently located all around.

All this versatility, however, comes at a price. The Midgate and weatherproof bed-lining take up space, so the XUV offers a little less total cargo volume (95 cubic feet) than the XL, and has a significantly shorter cargo floor (76 vs. 85.5 inches long). So for carrying a small army's camp gear, the XL may be the way to go. But clearly the XUV is the better choice for hauling messy stuff, like dirt, plants, or a couple of cords of wood. The XUV could be the perfect solution for a landscape designer, deer hunter, or do-it-yourselfer, anyone who needs the utility of a pickup but also wants to move the family around in comfort.

Up front, it's comfortable in any of the Envoy models. GMC's seats seemed more comfortable to us than the Chevrolet TrailBlazer's seats. The Envoy's seat cushions are longer, wider and thicker than those in the TrailBlazer, and offer noticeably more side bolstering, though the seat bottoms could use more support. Envoy SLT's leather is plush, while Envoy SLE's cloth is grippier. As with Ford's Explorer, the sides of the seat bottoms are not fully trimmed around to the inside. On the SLT, the driver's bucket is eight-way power adjustable, with two-way lumbar support and optional heat. But the shoulder belts are fixed to the seatbacks, and one tester said he'd have preferred adjustable-height anchors.

Instrumentation is complete and clean. A big tachometer is on the left, speedometer in the center, and on the right are smaller gauges for water, battery, gas and oil.

The brushed nickel trim looks classy, and on SLT, burl woodgrain surrounds interior components in the center stack and console. It also is used in trim surrounding the light switches and the switches on the door armrests. We didn't care for the carbon-fiber colored trim on the center stack of our XUV SLT, however. Four big round registers for heating and air conditioning look stylish and purposeful in nickel. A four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel comes with both models, and on the SLT includes controls for climate, sound, cruise control and the driver information center. Overall, the dash looks a bit choppy, not smooth and organic.

SLE's dual-zone manual climate controls use sliders and seem like a big step backward from the SLT's digital controls. Turning a knob is easier than sliding a lever, especially when bouncing on rough roads. Heating and air conditioning temperatures can be controlled separately by the driver and front-seat passenger. Rear-seat passengers have their own independent temperature control in XL models.

The center console houses an open storage bin, an enclosed compartment, and two cup holders forward of the shifter. The emergency brake lever is also located there. There are pockets in the front doors and behind the front seats, but we'd like more places to put small items in the center console area. Three power outlets are provided in the center stack, though none have power when the ignition is switched off. Behind the rear seat is a small hidden compartment under the floor, a cargo net (on SLT) and a power outlet. Rear-seat headrests conveniently flip down to give the driver a better view to the rear.

SLT's overhead console includes a sunglasses holder, Homelink universal transmitter and an optional Travelnote digital recorder ($85), which allows the driver to orally take phone numbers while on a cell phone. Interior lights abound, including reading lights.

The optional Bose audio system with six-disc in-dash CD player offers outstanding sound quality and adjustment versatility. All Envoy audio systems include RDS (Radio Data Systems) technology, allowing the listener to search for stations by type, display song and artist information, and provide traffic and weather updates. And the rear-seat DVD system plays through the audio system.

OnStar, GM's telematics system, is optional on all models. It includes hands-free cell phone communication, one year of basic service, automatic crash and theft reporting, as well as remote unlocking and other services. Onstar's latest (Gen 6) technology for 2005 improves voice recognition and hands-free operation.

Denali models dress up with Nuance leather seats, tailored with French seam stitching, which means more stitches-per-inch for long-term durability. Driver and front passenger seats have not only eight-way power adjustments but electric heat. The four-spoke steering wheel sports French-stitched leather in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, and real wood inserts at 12 and 6. Brushed aluminum sill plates are emblazoned with the Denali logo.