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2005 GMC Envoy XL SLT Road Test

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Rob Rothwell

But that gives occupants plenty of space to move around in and simultaneously gave GM opportunity to engineer in useful

A number of seating combinations allow numerous cargo versus passenger configurations. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)
functionality. The tailgate door includes an opening glass hatch to enable the easy placement or retrieval of smaller items, and after lifting the entire 5th door open the payload floor isn't quite as flat as I had hoped for.

What increases versatility, however, are its 50/50 split third row bench and a 60/40 split second row bench, the combination of which allows numerous cargo versus passenger configurations. From the rear passenger doors the third row is easily accessible after folding and tumbling the corresponding segment of the second row bench forward. With roof-mounted air conditioning ducts and huge side glass, no longer is riding in the elevated third row just for kids or unlucky adults.

Although it doesn't equal some of the higher-end sport-utes, such as the Acura MDX and BMW X5, for interior build quality, GMC has done a noteworthy job of assembling a cabin

GMC has done a noteworthy job of assembling a cabin that successfully mixes premium luxury with real-world functionality. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)
that successfully mixes premium luxury with real-world functionality. The Envoy's living quarters are indeed comfortable, especially when fully decked-out, but nonetheless, some design aspects of my up-market tester could use improvement.

For starters, I'd rather see a smoother-moving gearshift lever housed in a gated shifter, in place of the straight-line layout currently used. At present, the only way to be sure of the selected gear is to examine a small LCD display incorporated into the bottom of the speedometer. When driving off-road or pulling a trailer, a gated shift plate would provide a far more intuitive and precise shifting pattern.

Rob Rothwell
Rob Rothwell
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