GMC Envoy Overview

The GMC Envoy name applies to a whole family of versatile, sophisticated, and comfortable SUVs and that family expands again for 2005. Two Denali models have joined the line, bringing the same machined-billet styling and ultra-luxury status associated with the Denali editions of the full-size Yukon and Yukon XL.

The Envoy comes in two sizes: regular and extra-long. The standard-length Envoy is a compelling alternative to the Ford Explorer and other mid-size SUVs. Smooth, stable, and responsive, the Envoy comes with a smooth, powerful inline six-cylinder engine that gives up nothing to the Explorer, even when the Ford is equipped with its optional V8. The Envoy is a five-passenger SUV with just two rows of comfortable seats.

The Envoy XL is the extra-long model, a stretched, long-wheelbase version of the Envoy that features third-row seating. Some buyers see the XL as a less-expensive alternative to the full-size GMC Yukon. Indeed, the Envoy XL is actually longer than the Yukon. Envoy XL can carry seven passengers, and an optional V8 engine is available. Its third row adds versatility. But because it's longer and heavier, the Envoy XL doesn't seem to handle as well as the standard Envoy, nor does it feel as reassuring as the wider Yukon.

The Envoy XUV might be the perfect vehicle for a landscape architect. It's brimming with innovation and clever engineering for those who need to haul messy stuff, like dirt, or tall things, like trees. The XUV seats five but features an all-weather cargo area designed to be cleaned out with a hose. This cargo area is sealed off from the passenger compartment when the Midgate and power rear window are closed. Need more space? Lowering the window, Midgate and rear seats reveals a pickup-like bed suitable for hauling 4x8-foot sheets of plywood. Got something tall? The rear section of the roof retracts at the press of a button, leaving a wide-open cargo area that can haul tall items like potted trees. And depending on what you're trying to load or unload, the dual-function tailgate can be dropped like that of a pickup or swung open like a door. The Envoy XUV is built on the longer wheelbase of the XL.