2010 GMC Terrain SLT

Talk about impressed! I was really happy to see this vehicle available on Monday morning. I jumped in and immediately felt that this compact SUV was going to be a nice drive for the week. I was correct.

The SLT1 version I drove had more bells and whistles than I would ever need, and I was very surprised with how loaded this vehicle was for a rental. The interior was beautiful too, the seating was a 2-tone leather with a red stitching that looked very stylish and sporty. The instrument panel was clear and easy to use, despite the many controls for the stereo, climate control and vehicle information. I did find myself turning the wrong dial for the fan and stereo volume on occasion. There was a volume control on the steering wheel, but the controls were very small to be used easily. I am sure if I owned this car I'd grow accustom to it.

The Terrain has a 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder engine. It was adequately powered for my in-town driving, and did not seem to have problems getting onto the freeway or passing when I needed the extra power. The 6-speed automatic was OK as well, however I tried the "manual" shift mode and was disappointed with its responsiveness. It was not at all like the Borrego that shifted immediately when you pressed the button. Instead the Terrain seemed to just be suggested by your commands and shifted when it wanted to anyway. Also, when you are at speed and shift into Manual the transmission automatically shifts down to 4.

The one feature I could do without was the backup camera. Maybe I would get used to it over time, but I found it to be easier to turn and look especially since I couldn't judge the distance of something behind me just by looking in the camera. I suppose it would be good for safety purposes, but I prefer the parking assist "beeping" that other cars have to the camera.

The Terrain has Remote Start, like most other GM vehicles. This was wonderful on the cold and frosty Memphis mornings. I simply started the car from my hotel room and the windows were clear and the heat was warm by the time I got downstairs. I think every car should have this feature!

The car's computer stated that it was getting 22.4 MPG average, but I feel like it used more gas than other cars. My refill on Thursday was slightly higher this week than in the past. The Ford with the larger V6 used less fuel. The Terrain is also available in a V6 for $1500 more than the standard engine. I wonder if my more 'aggressive' driving put more demand on the 4 and therefore effected the fuel economy.

The Terrain SLT-1 stickers for $28,500- certainly a great price and there are very few options available to drive the price any higher.