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.
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.
The standard 4.2-liter six-cylinder engine is smooth and powerful, and it's the perfect companion for the standard Envoy. The heavier XL and XUV models really need the optional 5.3-liter V8, though.
The 4.2-liter inline-6 is a modern engine with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and variable phasing for the exhaust cam to produce 275 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. That's more horsepower than the Ford Explorer's optional 4.6-liter sohc V8 and nearly as much torque. About 90 percent of the GMC's peak torque is available at just 1600 rpm, and it's still there at 5600 rpm.
That means quick response at any engine speed, allowing the Envoy to bound past trucks on steep uphill two-lanes with confidence. In the standard-wheelbase Envoy, the 4.2-liter six is rated 16/21 mpg city/highway with 2WD. It's an excellent engine, and with its broad and bountiful torque, the transmission does much less downshifting. Stand on the gas and the full-throttle upshift comes at about 6000 rpm, and the engine feels like it's only striding, not screaming. The smooth-shifting four-speed automatic transmission is the proven Hydramatic 4L60-E, used in GM applications from Corvettes to Cadillac Escalades. A 3.42:1 rear-end ratio is standard for maximum economy, but ratios of 3.73 and 4.10 are offered for easier towing. With so much torque available, we couldn't discern a significant improvement in acceleration performance with the 4.10. Towing was a high engineering priority, and the six-cylinder, standard-wheelbase Envoy is rated to pull 6100 pounds with 4WD, and 6300 pounds with 2WD.
The V8 is standard in Denali, and optional in XL and XUV. Refined for 2005, it now develops 300 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, easily topping the Explorer V8. Equipped with the V8, an Envoy XL can tow 7100 pounds with 2WD, or 6700 pounds with 4WD. All Envoys come with a trailer hitch platform and seven-wire trailer harness.
For 2005, long-wheelbase Envoys with the V8 are now equipped with Displacement on Demand (DOD) technology, which shuts down four of the eight cylinders when they are not needed, for up to 8 percent better fuel mileage under light-load conditions. The engine-management computer instantly revives the sleeping cylinders the second the driver demands more go. With this system, even the 5000-pound 4WD XUV can squeeze 15/18 city/highway miles out of a two-dollar gallon.
The standard Envoy feels smooth and stable at high speeds. It rides smooth and car-like at lower speeds without being overly soft in corners. On a high-speed washboard surface, the rear end stayed impressively planted. The Envoy is designed to lean exactly 5 degrees in corners, and then stop leaning. Envoy's track is among the widest in the class. Also, the engine is mounted relatively low, lowering the Envoy's center of gravity. A low center of gravity means better handling and stability. On the downside, the Envoy has a relatively low ground clearance of 8 inches under the engine, reducing its capability for serious off-highway driving.
The optional load-leveling air suspension is intended to provide a more luxurious ride. It uses a silent air compressor, which yields one additional benefit: a 22-foot air hose that attaches to a small valve in a compartment in the cargo area, and can be used for filling everything from tires to toys. Off-road, we found that the load-leveling suspension bottomed easily, signaling a need for the optional skid plates. Our test model had the skid plates, of course, which we dragged in soft sand, chugging easily along at 5 mph in Auto4WD. On low-speed whoop-de-doos, the front end bobbed up and down more than we would have liked.
The Envoy's four-wheel-drive system, called Autotrac, works well and features four settings: 2WD, Auto4WD, 4HI and 4LO. Auto4WD shifts power to all four wheels as conditions require. Switching in and out of 4WD can be done on the fly with a flip of the switch (although the transmission must be in neutral to engage or disengage 4LO).We tested the Auto4WD mode by deliberately driving into soft sand in 2WD. The moment the Envoy bogged, we switched to Auto4WD on the fly; it clicked in and began pulling us right along again. (Of course, it makes more sense to stay in 4WD if you think you might encounter soft sand.) Auto4WD is especially good in mixed, inconsistent conditions, such as ice or patchy snow. For serious off-road use, it's usually best to switch to 4HI or, for low-speed mud-slogging or climbing steep, rugged terrain, 4LO.
The four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are impressive. The Envoy's nose doesn't dive under hard braking, keeping the vehicle remarkably level and stable.
The longer Envoy XL and XUV lack the responsiveness and handling of the standard-length Envoy. The Envoy XL is long and narrow and feels it. Envoy XL's wheelbase is stretched dramatically, by 16 inches. And its suspension is soft. It wallows in corners. On exit ramps, when braking and turning at the same time, the Envoy XL does not inspire confidence an Envoy or a Yukon does. On the highway, the XL wanders around in its lane. Stability is also affected by strong crosswinds at high speeds. The XL needs all the power it can get from the V8, given that it weighs nearly 350 pounds more than the standard Envoy. The XUV drives very similarly to the XL.
GMC Envoy, Envoy XL, and Envoy XUV are offered in SLE or SLT trim, each with a choice of two-wheel drive (2WD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). All come standard with the highly regarded, overhead-cam six-cylinder Vortec 4200 engine. A 5.3-liter overhead-valve V8 is available ($1,500) for Envoy XL and Envoy XUV. All models come with automatic transmissions.
SLE trim means manually controlled dual-zone air conditioning, CD stereo, anti-lock brakes (ABS), power windows and locks, keyless entry, an electric rear window defogger, 17-inch aluminum wheels and fog lights. An Enhanced Package ($970) for the SLE adds an overhead console with Homelink transmitter, eight-way power driver's seat, illuminated vanity mirrors and a compass in the rearview mirror.
SLT adds automatic climate control, leather upholstery, eight-way power seats for driver and passenger with memory on the driver's side, a driver information center, audio controls on the steering wheel, separate rear-seat audio controls, heated outside mirrors with turn signals, a machined finish for the aluminum wheels, and other features.
Retail prices range from $29,750 for the Envoy 2WD SLE to about $40,000 for an Envoy XUV SLT V8 4WD. Four-wheel-drive models are priced about $2,250 above their two-wheel-drive counterparts. Major options (and there are a lot of them) include head-curtain and side-impact airbags ($495), power-adjustable pedals ($150), tilt-and-slide sunroof ($800), automatic load-leveling rear suspension ($375), DVD entertainment ($1,295), XM Satellite Radio ($325), and OnStar telecommunications ($695). Electronic navigation ($1,995) and a Bose premium sound system ($495) are available for SLT models, along with an MP3 player. Discount packages bundle the sunroof with various audio and entertainment options. The 2WD models can be ordered with a locking rear differential ($270) and traction control ($175).
The Denali package for 2005 Envoy and Envoy XL models includes the 5.3-liter V8, a premium leather interior, unique styling cues, plus all of the features of the SLT. Envoy Denali models will be available with 2WD or 4WD.