2020 GMC Terrain Review

Name: 2020 GMC Terrain Review
Brand: GMC

Price Range: $10,500 - $29,649

+273

The redesigned 2020 GMC Terrain has a nicer interior, more room, enhanced utility, and better tech than its predecessor. But a weak base engine, unresponsive transmission and bouncy ride, paired with a high price, hinder the Terrain from standing out in the competitive compact-SUV class.

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Price & Payment

108 cars

$20,064 avg. price

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GMC Terrain model years

GMC Terrain for Sale

2020 GMC Terrain Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

Optional diesel engine is no longer available
Updated suspension for Denali models intended to improve ride quality
Changes to standard and optional safety equipment
Part of the second GMC Terrain generation introduced for 2018

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 GMC Terrain SL 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded in Michigan.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Michigan

$137/mo

$177/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4/5Above Average

#11 out of 29 among Compact SUVs

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the GMC Terrain from 2008-2022.}

$502/yr

vs. $465/yr
for Average Compact SUV

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

0.74x/yr

vs. 1x/yr
for Average Compact SUV

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

12.8%

vs. 11.5%
for Average Compact SUV

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

GMC Terrain Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.2

38 reviews

5(63%)

4(13%)

3(10%)

2(3%)

1(11%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Compared to the CRV...

K squared, 03/24/2020

2020 GMC Terrain SLT 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 9A)

I drive a CRV at work all day in all kinds of Phoenix metro traffic. It is OK but my 2020 Terrain has it beat overall in my opinion. The 2.0 turbo is zippy, and quiet. I drove a 2020 1.5L turbo up to Flagstaff and I would recommend the bigger engine, glad I bought it. The CRV and its CVT transmission is loud and annoying on the freeway. Hard to keep a consistent speed on the freeway …

Wha.... what?

DomDriver, 10/09/2020

2020 GMC Terrain SLT 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 9A)

As a current Terrain owner (AWD SLT 2.0), I am perplexed as to what vehicle Edmunds actually drove? My Terrain is a perfect balance of sport and luxury along with making terrific gas mileage as a daily driver. I guess the 1.5 turned them off to the point that they lowered all of the other categories to reduce the score. Seems ridiculous to get bent out of shape over an engine designed …

One of the nicer choices in this size range SUV

Dave, 01/07/2020

2020 GMC Terrain Denali 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)

Literally I don't know what Edmunds reviewed -- I recently checked out all the small-mid SUV's at the LA auto show and was surprised to find the Terrain to my liking. My brother has a CX-5 which is very nice, good materials and it drives quiet and handles well, but just feels cramped up front for me (6ft, 240lb guy). It feels roomier than most competitors including CX-5, has decent …

GMC Terrain for the win

Jake446, 06/21/2020

2020 GMC Terrain SLE 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 9A)

I purchased the GMC Terrain SLE FWD and my wife loves it. It drives well, handles well, and is overall a nicer vehicle than the similar Chevy Equinox. With all the incentives that GMC had, we got it at the same price as a less equipped, base Equinox, but the GMC has much more features and overall nicer interior. The 1.5L engine is plenty for us as we are not aggressive drivers. My only …

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2020 Terrain Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$25,000
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	27 MPG
Cost to Drive	$137/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	29.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Terrain models:

Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Alerts the driver to perpendicular oncoming traffic when reversing out of a driveway or parking space.
Side Blind Zone Alert: Monitors blind spots for traffic, warning the driver when an obstacle is present.
Safety Alert Seat: Vibrates the driver-seat cushion to provide physical alerts from safety systems.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover18.5%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Marginal
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2020 GMC Terrain Review

Price & Payment

2020 GMC Terrain Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 GMC Terrain SL 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded in Michigan.}

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

GMC Terrain Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Compared to the CRV...

Wha.... what?

One of the nicer choices in this size range SUV

GMC Terrain for the win

2020 Terrain Highlights

Safety

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2020 GMC Terrain Review

Price & Payment

2020 GMC Terrain Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 GMC Terrain SL 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded in Michigan.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

GMC Terrain Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Compared to the CRV...

Wha.... what?

One of the nicer choices in this size range SUV

GMC Terrain for the win

2020 Terrain Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2020 GMC Terrain info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of GMC

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 GMC Terrain SL 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded in Michigan.}