2016 GMC Terrain: The Compact SUV that Isn’t

2016 GMC Terrain Specs

When you think of large vehicles that have a sheer presence of superiority to them GMC certainly should come to mind.  Many vehicles that wear the GMC nameplate are massive on power, performance and size.  The Terrain is actually a compact SUV as far as size, but could easily move up a class and still seem large.  The build of the Terrain is similar to some of its larger brethren to give it a presence that is undeniable and a feel that offers a drive that resembles a sedan rather than a large SUV, making the Terrain a choice from GMC that attracts more buyers than any other model.

One of the signature features of the Terrain is the fact it offers luxury style features to put it easily at the head of the class and be one of the best smaller SUVs to drive.  When you want a rugged looking SUV in the size that anyone can drive, this is the right GMC model to buy.  For 2016 the Terrain adds more style and LED Daytime Running Lights on the higher trims.  For the SLE and SLT models the addition of Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are optional along with some new wheel designs and color choices for the interior.

The driving features of the Terrain is a quiet and comfortable interior as the place to drive from that allows you to enjoy the feeling of a location that is perfect to be away from the noises of the road.  As for the driving feeling you will enjoy the dynamic suspension and the awesome acceleration that comes with the Terrain.  With a towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds you can take this SUV wherever you need to in order to have some fun items hauled behind the vehicle.

Many times the crossover sized SUV’s only offer one engine on their models, but the Terrain offers you two to choose from.  The base engine is a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that can power the SL, SLE-1, SLT and Denali trims.  This engine gives you 182 horsepower and 172 lb.-ft. of torque and is attached to a six-speed automatic transmission.  The fuel mileage comes in at 22 city/32 hwy mpg for the FWD, 15 city/22 hwy mpg for the E85 FWD, 20 city/29 hwy mpg for the AWD and 14 city/20 hwy mpg for the E85 AWD.

At the next power level the engine found is a 3.6-liter V6 which can be made to power the SLE-2, SLT and Denali trims.  This engine offers you 301 horsepower and 272 lb.-ft. of torque.  Using the same transmission this engine offers you a fuel mileage of 17 city/24 hwy mpg for the FWD mode, 13 city/22 hwy mpg for the FWD E85 model and 16 city/23 hwy mpg for the AWD version.  With these two powertrain options you have the ability to enjoy a great ride in an SUV that is the right size with some excellent power to be enjoyed.

The inside of the Terrain is a bevy of high quality material that makes the Terrain more luxurious and better designed than ever before.  This better design includes the use of satin metal, two-tone leather, a spacious area in the cabin and plenty of fantastic features to make the ride in the Terrain one that are as near perfect as it can be.  You certainly won’t think you are in a compact SUV when you ride in this SUV and as the largest in its class you will wonder why you haven’t bought one before.

The exterior styling of the Terrain shows up with some of the signature features that we expect to find on the GMC lineup of vehicles which includes square lines and an attractive shape.  In a world where most of the crossover SUVs are curves and rounded off the Terrain offers you a shape you can recognize and a style that you have fallen in love with before.  With large 19-inch wheels and a massive amount of chrome the Terrain offers you a look you will love and want to drive proudly every time you need to go somewhere.

I keep telling you this is a feature laden vehicle and now we are the part where we look at the toys inside the vehicle.  For the base SL model comes with only a few features you are better to step up to the SLE in order to get 17-inch wheels, a rearview camera, a color touch screen audio system, heated outside mirrors, a USB port, iPod support, Bluetooth connectivity, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar with 4G LTE Wi-Fi, a rear seat that slides for more leg room and the active noise cancelling system.  this gives you a Terrain that has a standard set of great items to make use of, but the optional equipment really makes this vehicle a special buy.

The features you can add to the Terrain include the upgraded engine, leather seating, a navigation system, active safety features such as forward collision alerts, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warnings, a second row entertainment system with two screens, a ten gigabyte music storage hard drive, a Pioneer audio system and a programmable rear liftgate.  All of these awesome features take your driving and riding experience in the Terrain to the next level of amazing for a truly luxurious and rugged driving vehicle.

Looking to the pricing the Terrain will start out at the SL trim for only $25,000, but you really do want to step up to the SLE to get all the awesome features.  The SLE-1 will bring a price of $28,000 while the SLE-2 shows up at $29,200.  When you choose the SLT you will get a starting price of $31,500 while the Denali will show at a low starting price of only $35,000.  The AWD for any model costs $1,750 to give you an SUV that really does get your driving needs and lets you enjoy the road ahead any way you want to from one of the best driving compact SUVs on the market today.

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