2019 GMC Terrain Denali Owner Review

DRKS1D3 · 02-27-2019, 01:13 PM

Hey guys, perhaps this will help some folks that are in the market for a new SUV.

So, my wife's lease was going to be up on her '16 BMW X1 M-Sport and she needed a new vehicle. She had always had a Jeep prior to the X1 and wanted to go back to a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Jeep didn't want to deal and I was trying to get her into a GM anyway, so it worked out.

We've had the vehicle for a week and I've driven it a few times. The longest drive was when I drove it to work on Monday, which is a ~15 mile (one-way) drive. Yes, I am a GM guy and no I'm not just a GM nut swinger. If this vehicle was an uninspiring pile of crap, I would be upfront about it.

A brief review:
(Essentially every box was checked on the order sheet of this Denali)
The AWD Denali is very nice. The performance, quality and amenities are all on par or even above the competitors in the "semi-luxury/luxury, compact SUV" market. The 2.0L Turbo with 252 hp/260 torque is smooth and is not lacking in power. In FWD mode, it will twist the tires from a stop. The 9-speed trans shifts flawlessly and is quick with the gear changes as well. The Denali gets its own suspension system and it handles itself well. My wife and I both think that it rides nicer than the X1 when it was in "BMW Comfort Mode" (sport mode on the X1 was obviously more harsh). Not only does the Denali have a comfortable ride, but you feel very connected to the road. It is almost "Sport-ish", without the harsh ride.

The quality of the materials is on par as well. Wood grain, aluminum and leather surround the driver and front passenger. The cabin is quiet. There are no rattles or noises that would suggest poor fitment or quality issues. The front and rear heated seats, along with the heated steering wheel, warm up very quickly, even in the bitter cold. Although I've experienced A/C seats in other GM vehicles, we'll have to wait for summer to test the effectiveness of the seats in the GMC.

Moving on to the amenities. The BOSE stereo, touchscreen and overall system are superb. The stereo is crisp and clear, which we expect from BOSE. The touchscreen is easy to use and can detect even the slightest tap of the finger. There's no need to pound on a setting or app multiple times in order for it to work. The system, as a whole, is easy to navigate and the system is quick, without any lag. The new 360 degree HD camera is amazing. It is a very nice touch. The panoramic sunroof is quite a sight. It practically spans the entire roof. The cover opens and closes rather quickly and I'm sure my wife will enjoy it. Having a sunroof is always a must when my wife is choosing a new SUV. A first for us in the foot-activated lift gate. It is a nice touch and my wife believes it will come in handy at the grocery and other shopping excursions. There is plenty that I'm missing here, but we've only had it a week and there are a lot of buttons that I haven't pressed yet.

Lastly, I'll touch on the size of the vehicle. You can easily fit 5 average size adults in the Terrain for a night out if you wish. I'm 5'11" and I can sit behind myself with more than enough room to spare. The passenger compartment is very generous. The cargo compartment is of a good size as well. I don't know all of the specs, but I'm certain it fits somewhere in between the X1 and the Jeep GC. One last bit of info. is the ride height. The GMC sits up higher than the low-slung X1. Being quite short, my wife welcomed the taller vehicle.

Overall, we are quite happy with the Terrain. GMC has put a solid and respectable product out there to compete with some of the more pricey European SUV's in this segment.

I'm not certain what else I can touch on here, but if anyone has any questions or comments, I'm all ears. There are plenty of pictures on the internet and in my opinion, the Denali is a sharp and classy vehicle. Thank you.

DRKS1D3 · 03-07-2019, 01:40 PM

Here's a pic. My wife's is the same as this one:

KMPrenger · 03-07-2019, 04:21 PM

Congrats. Glad you enjoy it! We have a 2018 Terrain SLT with every option checked except: Denali and Driver Awareness package 2 (or whatever it was). Has the full sun-roof, nav, premium audio, and two toned interior.

I won't go on and on, but I'll just say its been a fantastic ride so far, and the 9 speed has impressed me also...nice smooth shifts, and the handling is good in my opinion. Only gripes (minor) is the turning radius seems large, and the telescoping steering doesn't come out far enough.

Here's an exact shot of ours:

DRKS1D3 · 03-08-2019, 09:06 AM

Very nice. I've driven it a few more times and I am even more impressed with it. No complaints!

Martinjlm · 03-08-2019, 04:08 PM

My mom bought a white Denali back in August. She was gonna get a 2018 end-of-model, but the 360 view camera and the mirror camera pushed her over the fence to the 2019. She absolutely loves the car. Instead of letting her trade in her Cadillac SRX for it, I bought the SRX from her. Where else would I find a 6-yr old SRX with 17,000 miles on it?

DRKS1D3 · 03-11-2019, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

My mom bought a white Denali back in August. She was gonna get a 2018 end-of-model, but the 360 view camera and the mirror camera pushed her over the fence to the 2019. She absolutely loves the car. Instead of letting her trade in her Cadillac SRX for it, I bought the SRX from her. Where else would I find a 6-yr old SRX with 17,000 miles on it?

I hope your Mom is liking the Denali.

A great buy on your behalf as well. 17k miles? Excellent!

DRKS1D3 · 03-15-2019, 06:42 AM

Sales are solid...

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/03/...sults-q4-2018/

02-27-2019, 01:13 PM	#1
DRKS1D3 Drives: '17 Corvette Grand Sport M7 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,748	2019 GMC Terrain Denali Owner Review Hey guys, perhaps this will help some folks that are in the market for a new SUV. So, my wife's lease was going to be up on her '16 BMW X1 M-Sport and she needed a new vehicle. She had always had a Jeep prior to the X1 and wanted to go back to a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Jeep didn't want to deal and I was trying to get her into a GM anyway, so it worked out. We've had the vehicle for a week and I've driven it a few times. The longest drive was when I drove it to work on Monday, which is a ~15 mile (one-way) drive. Yes, I am a GM guy and no I'm not just a GM nut swinger. If this vehicle was an uninspiring pile of crap, I would be upfront about it. A brief review: (Essentially every box was checked on the order sheet of this Denali) The AWD Denali is very nice. The performance, quality and amenities are all on par or even above the competitors in the "semi-luxury/luxury, compact SUV" market. The 2.0L Turbo with 252 hp/260 torque is smooth and is not lacking in power. In FWD mode, it will twist the tires from a stop. The 9-speed trans shifts flawlessly and is quick with the gear changes as well. The Denali gets its own suspension system and it handles itself well. My wife and I both think that it rides nicer than the X1 when it was in "BMW Comfort Mode" (sport mode on the X1 was obviously more harsh). Not only does the Denali have a comfortable ride, but you feel very connected to the road. It is almost "Sport-ish", without the harsh ride. The quality of the materials is on par as well. Wood grain, aluminum and leather surround the driver and front passenger. The cabin is quiet. There are no rattles or noises that would suggest poor fitment or quality issues. The front and rear heated seats, along with the heated steering wheel, warm up very quickly, even in the bitter cold. Although I've experienced A/C seats in other GM vehicles, we'll have to wait for summer to test the effectiveness of the seats in the GMC. Moving on to the amenities. The BOSE stereo, touchscreen and overall system are superb. The stereo is crisp and clear, which we expect from BOSE. The touchscreen is easy to use and can detect even the slightest tap of the finger. There's no need to pound on a setting or app multiple times in order for it to work. The system, as a whole, is easy to navigate and the system is quick, without any lag. The new 360 degree HD camera is amazing. It is a very nice touch. The panoramic sunroof is quite a sight. It practically spans the entire roof. The cover opens and closes rather quickly and I'm sure my wife will enjoy it. Having a sunroof is always a must when my wife is choosing a new SUV. A first for us in the foot-activated lift gate. It is a nice touch and my wife believes it will come in handy at the grocery and other shopping excursions. There is plenty that I'm missing here, but we've only had it a week and there are a lot of buttons that I haven't pressed yet. Lastly, I'll touch on the size of the vehicle. You can easily fit 5 average size adults in the Terrain for a night out if you wish. I'm 5'11" and I can sit behind myself with more than enough room to spare. The passenger compartment is very generous. The cargo compartment is of a good size as well. I don't know all of the specs, but I'm certain it fits somewhere in between the X1 and the Jeep GC. One last bit of info. is the ride height. The GMC sits up higher than the low-slung X1. Being quite short, my wife welcomed the taller vehicle. Overall, we are quite happy with the Terrain. GMC has put a solid and respectable product out there to compete with some of the more pricey European SUV's in this segment. I'm not certain what else I can touch on here, but if anyone has any questions or comments, I'm all ears. There are plenty of pictures on the internet and in my opinion, the Denali is a sharp and classy vehicle. Thank you. __________________ MY RIDE: 2017 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT--TRIPLE BLACK, 7 SPEED MANUAL, VARARAM TCR-7 INTAKE, BORLA CATLESS X-PIPE, CARBON FIBER STAGE 2 AERO, MGW SHORT-THROW SHIFTER SOLD2011 TRIPLE BLACK SS CONVERTIBLE--6 SPEED MANUAL, MANY MODS, 455 RWHP/435 RWTQ DAD'S RIDE: 2012 ZL1 #1866--BLACK, 6 SPEED MANUAL, EXPOSED CF HOOD, POLISHED WHEELS, SUNROOF, ROTO-FAB INTAKE "Silly Americans, taking from the rich and giving to the poor only works in fairy tales. Success is earned here!".

03-07-2019, 01:40 PM	#2
DRKS1D3 Drives: '17 Corvette Grand Sport M7 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,748	Here's a pic. My wife's is the same as this one: Attached Images __________________ MY RIDE: 2017 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT--TRIPLE BLACK, 7 SPEED MANUAL, VARARAM TCR-7 INTAKE, BORLA CATLESS X-PIPE, CARBON FIBER STAGE 2 AERO, MGW SHORT-THROW SHIFTER SOLD2011 TRIPLE BLACK SS CONVERTIBLE--6 SPEED MANUAL, MANY MODS, 455 RWHP/435 RWTQ DAD'S RIDE: 2012 ZL1 #1866--BLACK, 6 SPEED MANUAL, EXPOSED CF HOOD, POLISHED WHEELS, SUNROOF, ROTO-FAB INTAKE "Silly Americans, taking from the rich and giving to the poor only works in fairy tales. Success is earned here!".

03-07-2019, 04:21 PM	#3
KMPrenger Drives: 16 Camaro SS, 15 Colorado Join Date: May 2009 Location: Jefferson City, Missouri Posts: 13,943	Congrats. Glad you enjoy it! We have a 2018 Terrain SLT with every option checked except: Denali and Driver Awareness package 2 (or whatever it was). Has the full sun-roof, nav, premium audio, and two toned interior. I won't go on and on, but I'll just say its been a fantastic ride so far, and the 9 speed has impressed me also...nice smooth shifts, and the handling is good in my opinion. Only gripes (minor) is the turning radius seems large, and the telescoping steering doesn't come out far enough. Here's an exact shot of ours: __________________ 2016 Camaro 1SS - 8-speed - NPP - Black bowties 2010 Camaro 1LT V6 (Sold. I will miss her!)

03-08-2019, 09:06 AM	#4
DRKS1D3 Drives: '17 Corvette Grand Sport M7 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,748	Very nice. I've driven it a few more times and I am even more impressed with it. No complaints! __________________ MY RIDE: 2017 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT--TRIPLE BLACK, 7 SPEED MANUAL, VARARAM TCR-7 INTAKE, BORLA CATLESS X-PIPE, CARBON FIBER STAGE 2 AERO, MGW SHORT-THROW SHIFTER SOLD2011 TRIPLE BLACK SS CONVERTIBLE--6 SPEED MANUAL, MANY MODS, 455 RWHP/435 RWTQ DAD'S RIDE: 2012 ZL1 #1866--BLACK, 6 SPEED MANUAL, EXPOSED CF HOOD, POLISHED WHEELS, SUNROOF, ROTO-FAB INTAKE "Silly Americans, taking from the rich and giving to the poor only works in fairy tales. Success is earned here!".

03-08-2019, 04:08 PM	#5
Martinjlm Retired from GM Drives: 2017 Camaro Fifty SS Convertible Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Detroit Posts: 5,223	My mom bought a white Denali back in August. She was gonna get a 2018 end-of-model, but the 360 view camera and the mirror camera pushed her over the fence to the 2019. She absolutely loves the car. Instead of letting her trade in her Cadillac SRX for it, I bought the SRX from her. Where else would I find a 6-yr old SRX with 17,000 miles on it? Attached Images __________________ 2017 CAMARO FIFTY SS CONVERTIBLE A8 \| MRC \| NPP \| Nav \| HUD \| GM Performance CAI \| Tony Mamo LT1 V2 Ported TB \| Kooks 1-7/8” LT Headers \| FlexFuel Tune \| Thinkware Q800 Pro front and rear dash cam \| Charcoal Tint for Taillights and 3rd Brakelight \| Orange and Carbon Fiber Bowties \| 1LE Wheels in Gunmetal Gray \| Carbon Fiber Interior Overlays \| Novistretch bra and mirror covers \| Tow hitch for bicycle rack \|

03-15-2019, 06:42 AM	#7
DRKS1D3 Drives: '17 Corvette Grand Sport M7 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,748	Sales are solid... http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/03/...sults-q4-2018/ __________________ MY RIDE: 2017 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT--TRIPLE BLACK, 7 SPEED MANUAL, VARARAM TCR-7 INTAKE, BORLA CATLESS X-PIPE, CARBON FIBER STAGE 2 AERO, MGW SHORT-THROW SHIFTER SOLD2011 TRIPLE BLACK SS CONVERTIBLE--6 SPEED MANUAL, MANY MODS, 455 RWHP/435 RWTQ DAD'S RIDE: 2012 ZL1 #1866--BLACK, 6 SPEED MANUAL, EXPOSED CF HOOD, POLISHED WHEELS, SUNROOF, ROTO-FAB INTAKE "Silly Americans, taking from the rich and giving to the poor only works in fairy tales. Success is earned here!".