Used 2018 GMC Terrain SUV Consumer Reviews

A Phoenix Rise from the Ashes for the 2018 Terrain

The 1st generation was a poor mix on all fronts. A weird, blocky vehicle. Harsh ride, loud, and a poor choice of engines...a weak 4 cylinder or an expensive, "more-than-is-needed" V-6. It seems that GM learned from its past mistakes and also from the mistakes of its competitors and created a vehicle with proper balance. I own an SLT AWD with the 2.0 L turbo. Amazingly smooth shifts from the 9-speed transmission and it rolls calmly and composed down the road, however, published times of 0-60 of 6.8 seconds are not weak by any means. Truly balanced. People complain about the buttons for shifting. Ridiculous. It takes about an hour to get used to it. I swear people posting on the internet just like to have something to whine about. The big negative for this vehicle is the MSRP. It is much higher than the competition. That has always been Detroit's game; high starting price followed by incentives. I saved $11000 off MSRP after generous March incentives (starting price $39620). Don't pay anything near the sticker price. Front seats are so supportive allowing for long drives. Back seat room is spacious and comfortable. Load height in cargo area is perfect with spacious lower cargo compartment beneath floor. Awesome vehicle. I don't miss my Acadia one bit.

Great SUV for the $$$

First let me run down down my list of vehicles, in order, leading up to the Terrain : Lexus IS, VW Touareg, VW Passat, Infiniti G35, BMW 335D, Terrain. I traded in the BMW (40MPG and a lot of power). I wanted to get back into an SUV, as I missed my Touareg the most. I did some poking around, some test driving, and ended up at GMC. I've never bought American and I'm so far thrilled with my purchase. The one thing I miss, obviously speed and pickup, is easily justifiable by the comfort and convenience of my car. I bought the SLE. There's no nav, and it's missing some power options that I really don't need (seats that I'll never change and a sunroof I'll never use). The entertainment system is great. I just plug my phone in and everything I want to do I can do verbally through the car or my phone. Play Spotify, Navigate here (I use Google maps off my phone and it projects very nicely on my display), Text my friend this, etc. The design is sleek, the interior extremely comfortable and the ride incredible smooth. Go give it a test drive, you wont be disappointed.

My first SUV and I’m loving it.

I’ve had my fully loaded Terrain Denali for several weeks now and it just keeps growing on me. He 2.0T really shoves you back in your seat and the 9-Speed auto is extremely smooth and responsive for having that many gears. Auto stop/start does take some getting used to though. Soft touch materials abound and most things feel like real quality to me. Mileage is decent and would no doubt be better if I could keep my right foot out of the Turbo. Cargo space is good. It’s fairly quiet as well though there is of course a bit more noise from the back compared to the sedans I’ve had prior. The new updated GMC Intellilink looks great and is easy to set up and use. Give one a test drive and try the Terrain out for yourself.

Very Happy with new GMC Terrain Denali

I was leasing a Mazda CX-5. I loved the Mazda steering but I did not like the back seat size and the engine could not keep up with very fast traffic and many large hills (without really straining ) on my Suburban NJ commute to NYC. I liked that car because it felt more like a small sports car in handling (but not power), but I love this one. This is my first GMC vehicle and the first GM vehicle I have owned. First it feels more substantial. It’s much faster. Handling is very good. It’s only 3 “ longer than the Mazda but way more comfortable for passengers. Best of all the 2.0L engine is really smooth and really good effortless pick up I need for short on ramps to major highways. It’s relatively more quiet compared to the Mazda. The tech is way better (also because its newer). Apple car play is great. The nav screens are MUCH better and it has LIVE traffic and I can get the weather channel APP too plus much more. I am picky about the quality of the audio system in whatever car I drive and this is a GREAT audio system. Lots of nice gadgets in the car and I like that. I like that when I go into reverse I can have the mirrors automatically point down to see the parking lines or when parallel parking which I do often. It has many options to adjust. The User Interface is easy and intuitive. I like the GMC app that gives you a report card for driving. It has become somewhat of a joke in my family as the app gives me a grade for driving. I am a fan of this car so far. In the articles I have read, it supposedly ‘cost more’ than other ‘mass market’ small SUV’s, but I was more interested in its features and looks. Having said that GMC had significant incentives taking the price down quite a bit and what I got for the money was a truly loaded automobile. If you are looking for a smallish SUV- try it- I was surprised how much I liked it and now I love it. Oh... I was worried if I would like the buttons instead of a stick shifter. It does take a bit of getting use to- like 2 days- but after that its a no-brainer. I never use the manual shifters just R, D, P. If you are a manual shifter person, you would have to test it out I don't think its ideal for that. It also automatically puts it in park when you turn it off- nice feature. Also- I am a tall person and not slim. I find this car very comfortable. I have a son 6' tall and he fits in the back with ample leg room. Front seat ability to fold flat is super nice for the home depot trip with something long. Its a really nice car and I am happy with it so far.

At 5 year point - still a great vehicle

I downsized from a medium-sized SUV - so this has less cargo space and passenger capacity. But I rarely used the third row seating in my previous vehicle (rated at 7 passengers - but that counts 3 in the third row which would be difficult to get into and far too cramped) so this 5 passenger compact SUV more tha meets my needs, and with the ability to fold down flat all of the second row, and even the passenger front seat, it will meet all my cargo needs. Also downsized from a 6 cylinder to this 4 cylinder turbo - and with the reduced weight, and extra transmission speeds, don't miss the bigger engine at all - this has even more pickup, and the braking is very good, and the mileage improvement more than offsets the extra cost for premium gas. Start-Stop technology easy to get used to, as is the push-pull transmission selectors. Much improved navigation system; great intuitive controls. Excellent safety features - crash avoidance, parking assist; birdseye view cameras. Excellent sound system and lighting package. Start of the art dash board displays and steering wheel controls. Very comfortable seats. After 5 years, still find the ease of driving, the power when needed of the 2liter turbocharged engine, the comfort and technology make this a great vehicle. Can't see getting any future vehicle without the composite birdseye camera display that makes parking so much easier. Great Bose factory sound system. No significant repairs - a few downloaded tech updates. One battery replacement at 4 year point. Fit & finish still looking great. Now just past the 6 year "birthday" for this vehicle. Still very pleased with its features and performance. Hasn't required anything but usual maintenance. Trouble free. Only been on a few longish drives (roundtrips of less than 300 miles) - mileage just short of 47,000. No complaints and continuing to thoroughly enjoy. In December 2024, seven years and 55,000 miles traded in Terrain for a 2025 Buick Envision Avenir. Terrain still going strong, no critical issues. Only one battery change at 4 years; original tires replaced early on to Michelins. But concern over age of vehicle, out of even extended warranty, and time to move on to new technology and a step up in luxury. New Terrain Denali's not available, and will have 13" portrait oriented "laptop" dashboard which I find questionable. Also only 1.5l engine. Buick Envision has essentially same 2.0 L and 9 speed transmission as Terrain - I prefer to stay with 2.0L engine. Also Buick has 9 speaker Bose sound, 30 inch horizontal dash / infortainment display and a cool grey interior - tired of only black interior availability. Very pleased with features of Buick Envision Avenir, and sorry to let Terrain Denali go - but seven years for me is a long time to keep a vehicle. Feel lucky I was able to trade before any major issues with Terrain.

2018 GMC Terrain SLE 1.5L Turbo/Satin Steel=HAPPY

In looking at purchasing a mid-size SUV, I found a lot of options in this category. Ultimately, I purchased the 2018 Terrain, and there is plenty to love about this vehicle. The price is very competitive. It seems GMC gets it, equipping this model with the 1.5L Turbo 4cyl. It gives you fuel economy of 26 city for commuters and errand runners like me, with the power available to make quick lane changes in traffic. I test drove a 2011 Terrain, 2016 Rogue (too peppy) and a 2015 Terrain to purchasing. The SLE base model comes well-equipped, only missing power seats and roof rack. Enjoy push start ignition/finger shifters/a fully revamped Infotainment system which allows you to place calls while driving with ease to your stored Favorites. There is privacy glass in the back windows. The back seat is spacious and equipped with reading lights. The rear cargo space is about 32" deep, so luggage and duffels fit with ease for travel. No CD player but a USB for music stored on a flash drive. The Terrain looks elegant and classy; the interior is quiet and the ride is cushy. The auto stop doesn't bother me at all. I love this vehicle and look forward to many years with my 2018 GMC Terrain. I'm almost at 2500 miles, and pick up my license plates tomorrow!

Excellent suv

best compact crossover suv on the market right now. in my 35 years as an automotive technician I have fixed ,driven,tested and owned many vehicles and nothing compares to a GM in overall quality, performance,safety and features, despite what you read out there. this 2018 terrain is another example of that. the sle also comes with the 2.0 l turbo, not just the slt or denali. i also love the fact that GM does not use the CVT transmission on their vehicles like Honda, toyota, nissan and many others do, just to get a litle better mpg sacrificing performance. will like to point out that although many of the features on the new terrain are new to the terrain, they are not new to general motors. I recommend the 2.0L turbo over the 1.5 unless your all about mpg, another option the 1.6L turbo diesel. go test one for your self. After 3k miles i have the same opinion this is an Excellent suv but i feel gm should add magnetic ride specially to the upper trim like slt and Denali to ged rid of some road noise. Interior quality is good but should be better for the upper trim level as well. Power is Excellent transmission shift very smooth after a couple of hundred miles of driving and adapting learning is completed. Driver seat is kind of hard but after a while it gets better. Shift knob was very easy to get used to and i will say its the safest in the industry. Blind spot is an issue with this vehicle make sure to get safety package 2 with cross traffic alert and parking assist. Over all a 8out 10 for lower level and 7 out 10 for higher level.

SLE WITH UPGRADES

Bought this Terrain new July of 18. My wife loves this vehicle. Trouble free so far with great gas mileage and a pep in its step. Upgrade included the 2.0 liter engine and driver convenience package 1 not found on LS models. Update: 6 years under the carport now with a little over 34000 miles, still trouble free other than a battery . Great little machine. Update:6 months shy of 8 years now. 42000 miles now and still trouble free. Replaced tires at 40000.

Terrific Terrain

I had owned a 2010 Chevy Traverse for 8 years before buying the Terrain. I no longer needed a large 3 row vehicle so I was looking to downsize to a smaller SUV. The ride of this vehicle is definitely stiffer and not as quiet as the Traverse. But on the flip side the Terrain's steering is very responsive along with great braking. At first I wasn't sure about the firmest of the cloth seats but after driving it for 2 months I have found that they are very comfortable and supportive for longer trips. I have the electric seat and am able to fine tune them for comfort. The new style button shifter took no time at all to get used to and love the extra space it affords. The motor is the 1.4 which gives us great gas mileage but if you want a little more power you might want to test drive the 2.0 motor. Wish that GMC had installed the on/off switch for the stop and start feature as it still seems odd to me to have no motor running when stopping. I'm sure time will allow me to get used to this feature. Overall this a great SUV with a stylish interior and exterior look plus it is fun to drive! Love it!

Biggest hassle of my life

I purchased a brand new 2018 Terrain in May of 2018. Had it for 5 days (approximately 200 miles) before it was towed from my house back to dealership. The car was bucking and braking on its own, would not accelerate and seemed to be slipping gears and not shifting. Got car back after dealership found nothing wrong. This occurs 3 more times, each time worse than the other. Almost caused me an accident on the highway when I went to accelerate to change lanes and the car wouldn’t accelerate at all. After the 4th time it happened I refused to take the car back from the dealership and had to either sue GM for a refund or accept a buy back and get something else. Owned car for 2 months. Only drove it approximately half the time of owning because the rest of the time it was in for service. Ended up needing a new transmission. Never been more disappointed in my life. Save yourself the safety hazard and hassle and DO NOY BUY THIS VEHICLE.

dashboard

leased the car about 9 months ago been back and fourth to the dealer because the dashboard goes off and all the check system lights come on ..dealer hasn't been able to fix my problem and its beginning to get very frustrating wondering if anyone else is expierencing this and or what i should do about it

Engine off at stop

This is my 4th gm product since 2010 and would like to know who's brainstorm it was to have it shut off at stops. Even when I pull into my garage and stop the motor shuts off and when I put it into park it restarts. How much gas is this going to save versus the cost of replacement starters. When I go to the market 4 blocks away and my car restarts 3 times it is a bad idea.

2018 GMC Terrain Transmission blows 1034 miles

I purchased the above vehicle with 134 miles on, brand spanking new. 2 weeks later the transmission blew with 1034 miles on it. I made 3 proposals to GM through the dealer. 1 Replace with new transmission 2. Replace with new car 3. Extend warranty on transmission for the time I own the car. The culprit in this issue was there were METAL FILINGS in the transmission. They did not tear down the entire transmission to see if ithis issue went beyond the area they checked and found the metal FILINGS. I did not buy a brand new UNC TERRAIN to have ISSUES with it. The best GM will do is replace part of the housing and 2 solenoids. Oh, they will also make 1 car payment for me. I did neglect to mention that the reason I bought a new car was because the transmission blew at 150,000 miles on my Nissan Altima. Anyone have suggestions?

AUTO Stop function stop working with no fix.

I bought a 2018 GMC Terrain Denali. Loved it right away. Lots of options for a price that worked with my budget. Then... I was at a stop light and the auto stop function stopped the engine. When I put my foot on the gas - the car would not start again. I was soooooo lucky that the person behind me was paying attention and I did not get rear-ended. The problem is that you cannot get the Terrain shifted into Neutral to move it off the street. Actually, my car wouldn't turn off. The engine wouldn't start but the rest of the car wouldn't turn off. Weird. Had it towed to GMC and they said they had no idea what was wrong - they're words. They kept it for a week and replaced a battery cable. Got it back and drove it for about 3 weeks and the same thing happened. Had it towed to GMC. They kept my car again for a week and this time replaced the starter. GMC actually paid for 1/2 of the starter so obviously there is a problem. Sold the car to the dealership as I was scared to death this was going to keep happening - wish that GMC would've allowed the driver to turn the Auto-Stop function off. Now I feel safe and secure driving my Honda.

Overloaded with Electronic Junk

Have had to have the vehicle jump-started twice. OnStar monthly diagnostic report keeps stating "LOW BATTERY" "HAVE VEHICLE SERVICED SOON" Been back to the Dealer 5 times. The fourth visit, GM's Business Resource Center had a GM Field Engineer attempt to repair the vehicle but he found that the electrical system was "within specs" He apparently disconnected the battery shutting down all electronic modules to get his "within specs " readings. That was evident when I picked up the vehicle and found that all the pre-set radio stations had disappeared. The dealership has told me several times that GM is aware of the problem and has been working on a solution. They have had other complaints. They have also blamed the cause on "too much electronics." General Motors also sent me a letter after their " Engineer" attempted the repair which stated " Our attempts to contact you to schedule a final repair opportunity have been unsuccessful. Your Final Repair Attempt case is being closed." The letter was apparently an attempt at defending the coming Lemon Law case that I'll be filing. UPDATE: Traded the vehicle with 3.300 miles and only 11 months old. Will never purchase a GM vehicle again. Anyone who purchases a GM vehicle has to be insane. Read Service Bulletin PIC5650C (Available on line at "PIC5650C.com) which alerts dealers to electrical problems in 29 models of all 4 makes of GM from 2018s dating back to 2007. They tell the dealers not to replace any parts and blame the problems on "RFID (RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION DEVICES)" that owners bring into the vehicles such as cell phones, chargers or any other device that omits a radio frequency. The last straw for me was GM's recall on their front crash sensing device module " that may not deploy the air bags." All they did was reprogram the module. What ever altered the program so that the air bags would not deploy could just as well alter the reprogramed module when I drove out of the dealership. A proper fix would have been to encase the module in a plastic that would not let the RFID pass through the plastic and alter the module. Such plastics are available but more costly. GM has elected to stay with the cheaper plastic and risk death and serious injury to GM owners and their passengers involved in front end crashes. GENERAL MOTORS HAS BECOME CHINA MOTORS.

Terrain surprisingly fuel efficient

I bought the SLE and had leather installed by my dealer, so glad I did, gives it a more luxurious feel. Most of my driving is on roads that avg between 40 and 55 mph and my Terrain is getting about 33 mpg, really surprised. It handles well and as a everyday driver is efficient and in my opinion much nicer than my previous Escape. Overall very pleased and hope to enjoy this vehicle for many more miles. However, I will say the My GMC app sucks and doesn't work very well, but that's not the vehicles fault, the app is just not reliable.

New ride for mom!

Ive spent the last 6 months helping my mom replace her 07 grand prix with 210k miles. She still has it but needed something newer thats awd and wont be in the shop alot. We've been a gm family. She has my old rendezvous and i have an avalanche and a 2012 lacrosse. After looking at the new Crv and rav 4 she was going to lease a 2017 equinox but i told her how it was the last model year and the "new car" was actually dated almost 8 years. Thankfully she listened and waited. The new equinoxes had arrived but on the same lot were the new gmcs which we both thought looked better. I'd never let her buy a new car especially one just redesigned so leasing it was a good choice. My only complain is the lag when switching into awd and teaching her when to turn it on and off. If it holds up well the next 3 years i might buy it out and let her get the refreshed denali that'll come out by then

My third GMC

Don't be fooled by the experts giving you the "high price" bit. I found the Terrain Denali quite affordable especially with the options that are offered. Many are not available on the foreign SUV's. The 2L turbo engine has more than enough power for quick takeoffs or merging onto interstates. Be careful, this car will actually "lay rubber." Transmission is smooth, you can seldom feel when it shifts. The vented leather seats are great for the hot summer days of Florida. Safety is fantastic with the blind spot mirrors, collision indicator, and the back-up camera. My wife (5 feet tall) would much rather drive the Terrain because of the ease of the automatic parking and the memory seats and power lift-gate. I plan on replacing this vehicle with another GMC Terrain. It's a lot of SUV for the money. I've had this SUV for six months now, and have about 5000 trouble free miles on it.

Excellent Choice

The redesign is unique and took a bit to grow on me, but I rather like it now. The interior design is a little truck-like, but certainly not offensive, and the materials are very nice. The electric driver's seat with lumbar support is exceptionally comfortable, and among the best I have ever experienced. No more back aches with this car! The front seat warmers are an added bonus. I've got the base 1.5L turbo engine which contrary to some reviews is plenty quick, even fast, very responsive, and quiet. The 9-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly, almost imperceptibly, and never hunts for gears. I've read some negative comments about the button gear selector for the automatic transmission , but I quickly got used to it and now I like it. The car offers a smooth, quiet, well controlled ride over all surfaces. Braking is excellent. I have no complaints about cargo capacity, however I seldom carry much. The front fold-down passenger seat is a handy and unique feature that permits transporting 8 foot lumber for example. The car performs like a champ around town and on the highway. I've been driving my GMC Terrain SLE with optional convenience and driver's alert packages for 15 months and I have nothing but praise for it. I absolutely love this car!

My 2018 Denali

I purchased my Terrain in May 2020. Vehicle only had 10,800 miles on the odometer. I had never heard of a Terrain. When my better half and I took it for a test drive, we were shocked! I thought I was in a rocket, thanks to the 2.0 Turbo. The Terrain gets up to speed very quickly. Easy access (especially for us oldies of 69 and 66). Laying down the back seats takes one finger and is the easiest I've ever seen. Ride is very agile and quick to respond to drivers input. I have mostly used the Sirius Radio selection and love it. The only complaint we bought have the way the seat bolster is bothersome when getting in and out of the vehicle. The Owners Manual is very onerous to get through (took me 4 days and 8 cigars sitting on my Patio).

What a joke!!!

I leased one around Thanksgiving, the motor blew up before new year's, transmission overheated after having it for 3hrs. GM replaced the motor and now it has a missfires in cylinder 1&4 and classified it as a lemon! GM want to only give me 80% of money and will not give 1¢ to us for our troubles to buy a different vehicle. Basically said you get what you get and like it or to bad since we pay the BBB and we're a billion dollar company and could careless if you buy from us and been a loyal customer for 15yrs.

Disappointed

I am disappointed in my terrain. No wow factor, Seats are uncomfortable and material is terrible. Interiors is Ok. Shifters on Dashboard not needed, more of a hassle then anything Acceleration and Handling are great.

Electrical issues / Awful customer support

I have a 2018 GMC Terrain with only 6,000 miles on it. It's been in the shop so far 33 days. My infotainment screen freezes, sensors go off, doors lock and unlock by themselves, trunk opens randomly and it shifts clunky yet GMC still stands by their car with no respect to the consumer. They cant fix it and told me to stop bringing it in for service even though I have multiple videos showing the problems.

30,000km - Rust, Electrical Failure, etc -AVOID!

Got a lemon. It had rust within 1 year of driving it, which needed to be repaired over wheel wells (probably elsewhere too but I just can't see it). Has a serious electrical issue that power cuts to vehicle completely for a second or two when trying to come out of autostop and then several error messages regarding steering, brakes, traction - which tells me those components probably temporarily lost power as well. Tried to fix it no less than 5 times - replaced fuse block, replaced steering gear, fixed a bunch of plugs etc etc... problem still won't go away. Went for a drive on a typical winter day, a wheel well panel shifted back towards the front passenger door, which then buckled when the door opened (warranty won't fix that one). Been talking to GM head office for FIVE MONTHS. I call them constantly. They are doing absolutely nothing. Offered to trade in at GMC they are giving me rock bottom offer "because the vehicle has issues" - and yet its only halfway through warranty. Worst experience ever. Do NOT spend this kind of money on this piece of garbage and such awful customer service. Apparently this is built to their factory standard.

LEMON!

I purchased a 2018 GMC Terrain SLE-2 in February of 2018. Since the day I bought it pretty much @ 300 miles I started having issues with it. Right off the bat the AC was broke, the first time I tried to use it, it wouldn’t work. Then I started having problems with the transmission, but every time I took it to the dealership they told me they ran a diagnostic on it checked the fluids and there’s nothing wrong with it and would send me home. At times they would keep it up to a month while I was in a shitty Buick rental go kart. Finally I got fed up enough after taking it into the dealer over nine times and them telling me there was nothing wrong when it was very apparent there was something wrong when I would try to drive my car and it simply would not drive so I contacted the Better Business Bureau and they helped me file a lemon law claim. It was a long process, but I finally was able to get out of that vehicle not be under on my loan and have a new vehicle! I did have to go with another GM vehicle in order to not have to eat $4000 but at least I have a vehicle that runs like it should! So to anyone who is having issues with their vehicle and has taken it into the dealer three times or more for any issue I suggest contacting the Better Business Bureau to see what action you can take because GM will not help you at all if you’re in this position!

First American Car in a Long Time

We replaced our 2016 Volvo XC70 since they stopped making it with the GMC Terrain Denali. We picked it because it had some of the same styling cues that make it a little more European/rugged rather than the American cushy Buick or Lincoln. We enjoy the technology it has and the ability to remote start on the app even if you don't pay for an expensive Onstar plan. We are a little disappointed in the turning radius, some engine noise and winter handling. Even the dealer doesn't quite understand why the SLT comes with nice Michelin's and the Denali, for as expensive as it comes with Hancook tires. It's a very nice car, but a little pricey for what you're getting in the Denali as compared to a Lincoln or Buick. The combined mpg on the Denali is 23 when the SL and SLT is 26, why? In April, we purchased new tires. Goodyear makes a very nice all-terrain tire for the Terrain. It handled the end of winter well, still some slippage in 2WD on wet pavement but very stable in AWD. We had a couple of issues in Jan 2020 with the brake assist warning coming on. It took the techs a while to diagnose because it would be off by the time the car was in the shop. They had to keep it a couple of days and was finally able to duplicate it to get a reading and fix it. It ended up to be a circuit board issue. March 2021: Our Terrain fell victim the the GM Infotainment issues. The profiles would not work correctly and the Sirius channels would display the correct channel but go to a different channel. The dealer reprogrammed and then finally swapped out the entire system. It seems to work a little better but the Nav freezes on occasion and needs to be restarted and the same problem as with other GM models, the backup camera stays on a little too long after putting the car back in drive and moving forward nearly a half a block. There have been class-action rumblings about the infotainment system. GM really needs to get a handle on this since cars today are all about the technology.

Great suv

Owned this suv for two weeks now and we love it! Great ride, very quiet and comfortable. We thought the push pull buttons for transmission were going to be hard to get use to, but they are not! A lot nicer then the turn dial of other makes and not hard to get acquainted with at all. The only thing my wife is disappointed with is the turn dial AWD. takes some getting use to. After all the years of automatic AWD now you have to remember to select AWD when the weather calls for it

2018 Terrain. Beware.

Noticeably smaller interior than 2017 model. A lot less rear cargo space than 2017 model. Front seats narrow. 1.5 engine anemic. Poor rear visibility. All black instrument panel looks cheap. Our 2017 Terrain is much nicer vehicle. Worst of all the button style shifter is UNSAFE!! It's cumbersome to operate and counter intuitive. Ive already had three close calls including one instance where I thought the engine was off and transmission in park and the engine restarted and the car was moving and I was halfway out of the car. VERY UNSAFE. I hate this car!!

Kinda Disappointed

This is a 2018 Terrain SLE with the 2.0 turbo engine. The engine is excellent --- smooth, quiet, powerful. Gas mileage is 23 to 27 according to the driver information center. The stop-start engine control is smooth, but it's still an un-natural way to operate an engine. The transmission is excellent, very smooth. The interior is cheap looking. The steering gets the job done, but several other cars I've owned were better. The driver's seat is hard as a rock. I've had to add a couple of cushions in an attempt to get some comfort. The suspension to too firm. Every road bump or irregularity is felt, often harshly. GMC almost built a perfect vehicle, but the uncomfortable seat and ride ruined it. I'm disappointed. I have doubts I'll be keeping this vehicle for the full duration of the lease.

Nice car!

Very nice car. Love all the options. Only complaint is that it is very underpowered.

P.O.S

I have a 2018 GMC Terrain that I have been paying for for almost two years. It has 63,064 miles on it. Five weeks ago, I was in a parking lot and the brake assist started acting up, then the vehicle wouldn't start. So, we had it towed to the nearest GM certified dealership. Here is a list of things that have been wrong with it in five, going on six weeks. First they discovered that the vacuum pump apparently blew apart and sent shrapnel through the motor, so they ordered a new one, which is when we discovered that we are 64 miles outside of the power terrain warranty….64 miles, and GM would not cover it. Ok, fine...thank God, I bought a bumper to bumper 100,000 mile warranty, so I'm covered. They replaced the vacuum pump, the car wouldn't start. So, soon there after they discovered there was sand in the vacuum line, then discovered that the timing was off by 13°, then I suppose fixed that, car still won't start. So, they replace the actuator, car still won't start, now they are trying to replace the cam. I won't know until next week if warranty has okayed the cam replacement. My husband and I believe that the engine needs to be replaced because of the shrapnel being shot through everything. I trust the guys at the dealership and believe they are trained properly, but let's face it things happen and stuff gets missed, and we are terrified that something is going to be left behind. Or, they could call it a loss and GAP can cover it, and we can get a different vehicle that hopefully we can trust. But GM isn't budging on anything, and are frankly very rude. I even had one woman tell me that she didn't even know what a cam was, laughed at me, and when I started to get a little frustrated, she hung up on me. Needless to say at this point, I am beyond frustrated, and will NEVER buy another vehicle that has ANY relations to GM, and I highly recommend that noone else does. When things go bad, they will do less than nothing to help you.

Will never purchase a GMC again

Car will lock me in or out of my car I have 7 videos. I have Shown to dealership and because it’s not happening when taken in. Nothing they can do. It’s a safety issue is what it is. I have a 9 month old. I’ve called on star and asked them to do a diagnostic. They see nothing on there end. My vehicle had 6200 miles and it’s been in the shop 4 times. I am so unhappy.

2018 Terrain transmission Problem at 8000 miles!

I am extremely disappointed with my purchase. I bought my car zero miles hoping I wouldn't have any issues for a while but boy was I wrong. I started noticing the car shifting hard. I called and made an appointment to take my car in to the dealership. I took the car in and of course the transmission tech didn't find anything other than a system update to the TCM. Two days later I called the dealership to bring back the car because issue was not resolved. On Friday as I was driving my car to the dealership, the car stopped shifting on the freeway and I barely made it to the dealership (I had my two small children in the car). I am so disappointed. I would of never expected this to happen to a brand new car. My car has 8000 miles. I wouldn't recommend this car. Look elsewhere.

2018 Terrain Changes

The lack of gear shift takes a lot of getting used to - the auto stop feature is annoying - the size of the overall vehicle change has reduced interior cargo space - can hardly fit our mother's transfer chair into the back on this model - noticed that the ride has become more bouncy with the change in the size of this model - the window views are smaller and more difficult - the overall changes in what was the best designed GMC Terrain up until the end of 2017, has ruined what was an outstanding vehicle not only in its appearance, but also in comfort and convenience. Don't like the changes made to this SUV at all, we are leasing, and unless major changes are made, we will not probably lease another one. We loved our 2015 Terrain.

2018 terrain...Great!

Plenty of legroom as I am 6’6”

YOU FOOLED ME,GMC

for the past four years we had a 2010 dodge journey, it was a nice little suv but it didnt feel strong, so we started looking for something different that we could afford, our number one choice was a 2017 terrain, it was nice ready to buy then i saw the 2018 terrain i did not know that GM had re did it like that it was love at first site, the dealer i went to had 4 of the 2018 in stock i checked them all, and we choose the SLT model , i am 62 and my wife is 60 married 40 years and this is the best ride we have ever had. i dont agree with the bad talk about the 1.5 turbo engine its fine to me no problems on the free way ride good in the city looks good nice ride for our income.level around 38 ,000 a year together , but having a dependable ride like the gmc terrain make you feel good

Keeps Going with Regular Maintenance

Being a small displacement, direct-injection, turbo engine with a 9-speed GM auto; I was hesitant about this car for my Sister. However, after 45K miles of her ownership (vehicle at 85K miles), I am pleasantly surprised! I encouraged her to run oil changes every 3k miles, and idle for 1 to 2 minutes after driving to cool off the turbo. I also encouraged her to run premium fuel - she followed these suggestions and has had no performance, turbo, or economy related issues. Oil changes are done by myself, and she is never low. Driving with the 9-speed transmission was very weird at first - we both kept wanting to run the engine up to 3/4k RPM upon acceleration. Eventually we realized how much low-end torque this tiny motor makes, and while it is a bit slow driving modestly, the 9-speed really provides the proper ratio's to leverage the car up to speed without over-revving (will cause oil burning from internal pressures), straining the engine, and wasting gas. The direct-injection system really helps low engine speed torque, and often we don't have to rev beyond 2,600 RPM to get up to 45/55 MPH. The shifts are very crisp and accurate once it learns your driving behavior, and almost feels like a manual - I really enjoy this transmission, it has grown on me. I also appreciate the turbo can spool to 90% at 1,600RPM, so even if it's in overdrive is has plenty of pep to get up and go from 35MPH to 55MPH without shifting gears (more shifts mean more heat, resulting in wear and degradation of fluid). I can understand why people don't like this car's driving characteristics; you can rev the engine up but it really doesn't produce more power with the 9-speed, each gear is very balance regarding leverage potential so it can feel very numb in the cushions. Further, it doesn't drive as if it was designed to rev up past 3k RPM every time you accelerate; for optimal fuel economy, it really does prefer to use low engine speed for torque, and the full set of gears to get you up to speed. That being said, it will absolutely punch it to 70MPH if you need it to, but at the cost of fuel and engine heat! My sister drives very modestly and this vehicle still performs like new with regular maintenance. The interior has held up well, and she detailed everything herself without any issues or weird stains. My sister is a woman of larger stature, and the seats have held up brilliantly for her! Further, she maintains an average of 35mpg with mixed highway and city driving, and I'll often maintain 40mpg easily with mixed driving (out best was 48mpg on the highway). A great small SUV, with enough pep to get around but likely a better fit for more efficient-conscious drivers who don't mind bobbing around town easily. The AWD system is no Jeep 4x4, but it will get you thru snow without issues (given you know and have experience driving in snow). **Noticing at 85K miles that her valve cover gasket is beginning to seep by the high-pressure fuel pump. A bit of a daunting DIY repair, as the fuel rail has to be removed to get the cover off. Price estimates at a mechanic are fair, but not ideal. Regardless, not a terrible mileage point for that to fail (and has been my experience with previous older GM vehicles).

Happy with purchase of my 2018 Terrain

I've owned my Terrain for about 16 months and have had absolutely no problems! I bought it brand new and have been pleased with its performance right from the start. My only small complaint would be that I think it has some road noise that I dont like.( But nothing in comparison to my 2013 Honda. ) it gets great gas mileage and overall is vehicle I enjoy driving.

Losing my enthusiasm as a lifelong GM customer!!

I loved the looks of this vehicle overall. I'm getting less than enthused as time goes on. I had less than a couple of weeks when I noticed the rear trim bumper panel had a gap showing, along with a RR door trim/ weatherstrip was falling off. My dealer fixed replaced both. After several weird instances when coming up to a stop the vehicle started lurching as though the stop start didn't know whether to stop or keep running! Of course the thing isn't going to do it at the dealer. The brake rotors on the right side had started getting deep grooves that made braking a little rough sounding. The leather steering wheel started to peel after 1 year. The dealer promptly replaced. The radio entertainment center has shut down or locked up and you can't do anything with the controls, so if the radio was on really loud you're stuck listening to it until it decides to work again!! I'm not happy with the black cloth seats that show every bit of lint and the driver seat is showing wear on the edge! Keep in mind I have less than 13,000 miles on this vehicle 1-1/2 yrs into a 2 yr lease. I agree with some of the other owners that the view is terrible especially without the lane detection system and the push button shifter is not natural....Too many buttons!!! Oh' the replaced weatherstrip on the RR door is coming off again and allowing dirt to begin early stages of rust along the welded fender seam. Was thinking of buying as a retirement vehicle but may be changing my mind as the lease comes to an end in March!!! Maybe looking for another brand if this is GM's best coming out of MEXICO!!!

Awesome Experience

The GMC Terrain that we purchased with the help of Ryan Shippey is an awesome vehicle. We had a smaller car and have a pickup which we use to pull a 31 ft RV. With the Terrain (it has a factory installed tow package) we can eliminate both the other vehicles. Thanks, Ryan, for your assistance.

Center console goes black

While driving center console shifts off, also while I have Apple phone plugged in it will shut on and off the connection to the radio, have taken video of it doing that but dealship says they have to see it do it. So I’m just documenting what I can, already had it there at dealer three times they won’t do anything. Contacted lawyer, I’ve bought lots of GM vehicles in my life and never had this problem.

Poor

I've only had the suv for a month and it's already been 2 weeks at the dealership due to a weard noise it make whe you turn it off and they do t know what it is. Plus the techs are not well prepared

No Tranny for Granny!!!

So I leased a brand new 2018 GMC Terrain on Aug/03/2018 , it had only 16 miles on it, now has 1311 miles and got the warning light saying Transmission Hot Idle came on, never have taken it on long trips, I live in Las Vegas, was on my way to the DMV to registere it but now it is at the shop, I am very concerned and disappointed, at the dealership where I took it back they are telling me they have never seen anything like it, not sure if I can take it back or get another car, perhaps I leased a Lemon!

Comfortable but controls poorly placed

I am finishing up a one month rental, and while overall comfort and handling are fine, there are some very annoying things about this SUV. First is the door lock system, although maybe this can be reprogramed. Instead of unlocking the doors when you approach, you have to push the button twice to open all doors. And when exiting, to lock them you need to wait until the last passenger has closed his/her door, standing in the rain or cold. Not like others where you can push the button while the doors are open and they will remain locked when closed. MOST IMPORTANTLY though, is a very poor location for the transmission controls and parking brake. With D and R needing a "pull" on the buttons on the lower console, and P needing a "push", you are off to a weird start, but you must take your eyes off the road to look down and pull the right button. And in the mountains, for engine braking, you reach to the far right, push "L", and then, push the + or - buttons above and below it, while moving your eyes from the dashboard indicator to the buttons in the lower right corner of the console. AND, I'll bet no one has ever used the parking/emergency brake, which is a little button on the lower left of the dash, in the shadows, that I had to bend forward and feel around to find. So, in theory you use your right hand to push P, then bend forward and find/push the parking brake with the left, and then lose the right hand to push the stop button (which is hidden behind the steering wheel. I also often reached to push or pull a button and found a purse or map covering it, placed by the passenger. I've had push button automatics before, but the buttons were on the upper portion of the dash, just next to the steering wheel, in your line of site.

let down terrain

Very overpriced. Last year satellite radio standard on all SLE models and above, as were power up and down driver seat. Only back-up camera is standard all other safety equipment is optional, infotainment package (995.00), Driver convenience package (1375.00), Driver alert package-safety (980.00). Gm is also charging an extra 395.00 for any other color other than white. This makes this suv approximately $4000.00 more expensive than compared with the same relative equipment, i.e, Volkswagen Tiguan. Honda CRV. Very disappointing, especially since they moved production to Mexico that must have saved production costs. Gm considers GMC the premium brand, but may inspection and test drive disproved that, was ready to buy but too many let downs, very disappointed.

Incredible value and luxury at this price point

Really, an ideal SUV for anyone looking for compact fuel economy (40mpg) and high tech features.

They Need To Recall 2018 GMC Terrain

This Car Shuts Down And Restarts And Jerks On Acceleration Feels Like Transmission Is Bad Took To 2 Dealerships And Both Said Same Thing That Nothing Is Wrong I Want To Get A Class Action Against GM To Make Them Recall

GMC Terrain Poor Choice

Acadia purchased in 2017, sold back under Lemon Law, several service appointments in 1st year. Weston dealership in attempt to keep me as a GMC buyer put me in the 2018 GMC Terrain, Denali, AWD. The Manual Push Button option is not safe at all, if you try to use manual in icey/snowing conditions, you risk taking your eyes off the road to control the manual push buttons. Side view for lane switching has very poor visibility. Keyless start sometimes works. I am waiting until I am rightside up and will rid myself of GMC, will never buy again. Should of stuck with Subaru.

highly reccomend, great in all aspects

runs good, handles good, good towing capacity, can see well out of it.

Stay clear!