2003 GMC Envoy SLE 275HP I-6

Summary:

The best available SUV for the money

Faults:

Since purchasing the car we have had absolutely no problems of any kind.

General Comments:

Incredibly smooth and powerful. The 6 provides so much power I can't imagine why anyone would want the 8. This car has more power than the majority of V-8's on the market.

The ride is quiet and smooth, with a solid and secure feel.

The braking is absolutely amazing. The 4-wheel anti-lock brakes and 17" Michelin tires bring this rather large vehicle to a safe and straight stop in a surprisingly short distance.

Like all GM vehicles, the interior is well-designed, with all controls placed for excellent access. The fit and finish is superior to everything else we looked at (see below) and the quality of the interior materials is top notch.

Although the fuel mileage of all SUV's is terrible, we average between 17 and 19mpg, with an occasional 20+ on road trips. Not bad considering that our smaller Ford Explorer with the far less powerful V-6 never managed over 17mpg, and my wife's father's Expedition averages between 7 and 11mpg.

After three full years of use we have yet to have even a hint of a problem with anything on this vehicle. Before purchasing it, we test drove the Toyota Highlander, Nissan Murano, Saturn Vue, Ford Escape and (new) Explorer, Kia Sorento and Dodge Durango. The Envoy absolutely blew them ALL away in terms of power, handling, smoothness and a quality feel. I'd recommend the Envoy to anyone interested in a solid, well-built and dependable vehicle. We'd buy another one without a second's hesitation.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th June, 2006

7th Feb 2007, 15:26

The V8 is a must if you get the XL model. More power, same gas mileage!

28th Aug 2007, 11:54

Original reviewer again. Just wanted to add an update. The Envoy is still flawless after more than 4 years of daily driving. We have yet to encounter a single problem with the car.

The 275 hp inline 6 provides awesome acceleration and excellent fuel mileage, the ride is the best in its class, and the level of comfort on trips is great.

Our best friends just opted to buy an Envoy based on our experience with ours. Their previous car was a Mercedes.

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2003 GMC Envoy SLE 275 HP in-line 6

Summary:

A huge victory for GM and the USA

Faults:

Since purchasing it new in May of 2003, we have encountered no problems of any kind with this vehicle.

General Comments:

The best riding, most powerful and responsive mid-size SUV we could find. We test drove a large number of both foreign and domestic SUV's, and could find none that came close to the power, smoothness and solid feel of the Envoy.

The interior is attractive and very well designed for driver convenience and safety. The fit and finish is excellent, and the materials are of good quality and rich feel.

The brakes are incredible. They have saved us from one accident on a rain-slicked road that was almost miraculous. I could not believe how quickly the anti-lock brakes and 17" Michelin tires brought the vehicle to a safe and straight stop, when another motorist pulled out directly in our path. In an identical situation a year later, my "brand-X" vehicle skidded into another vehicle, totalling both of them.

My only complaint with this vehicle is poor fuel mileage. We average 19 mpg. Of course all SUV's get horrendous mileage, so this is to be expected.

I highly recommend the Envoy to anyone looking for a really great mid-sized SUV that outperforms virtually all its competitors, both foreign and domestic.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th May, 2006

6th Nov 2012, 16:15

We still own this Envoy, and I continue to be amazed at its solid reliability and total new car feel after 10 years and 110,000 miles. As with all my domestics, I never bother to even check anything before 50,000 miles, and never check the oil between the 10,000 mile change intervals. I recently pulled the brake calipers up to replace the original brake pads, but was shocked to find that the original pads had only worn down 1/16 of an inch in 110,000 miles. I just left the old pads on the car, and put the new pads back in the box. At this rate I won't need them until over 300,000 miles. I may just return them to the parts store.

I have never added brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid (transmission has never been serviced) or added or changed anti-freeze. I have never had an alignment, shocks or any front end work of any kind. The car has the original spark plugs. In fact my ONLY expense has been new tires at 83,000 miles, two light bulbs and two batteries (which I always replace routinely at the expiration of the warranties).

I have offered to buy my wife a new SUV, but she refuses. We both prefer the full-frame truck-based SUV's because of their far greater safety, and neither of us wants to move up to the monster-sized full size gas guzzlers. We love the size of the Envoy and its 24 miles per gallon on the highway. It is perfect for our needs. We both despise the hard-to-service and poor handling front-drive Acadia or Terrain. Our rear drive Envoy handles far better in snow than our front-drive car.

Although one small Japanese import totalled itself against the rear bumper, the Envoy showed no damage other than paint smears, which were easily buffed off. Likewise, my wife sideswiped a large metal post at a fast-food drive-through, and there again no damage, other than red paint from the post, which easily buffed off. These things are built like tanks.

Some of our friends have bought Envoys based on our experience. None of them have been disappointed, and none of them have had a single problem either. I deeply regret that GM dropped these incredible and well-built vehicles in favor of flimsy front-drive SUV wannabes.