2005 GMC Envoy XL SLT Road Test

On the other hand, the Envoy is equipped with a console-mounted hand brake, which is considerably more practical in a recreational

All controls are at the driver's fingertips, pleasing to use and logically located. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

vehicle than a foot-operated system. All controls are at the driver's fingertips, pleasing to use and logically located. Highlighting the dash and center console in my XL tester was a simulated woodgrain product, which was pleasing to the eye but obviously manmade.

Overall, I like what GMC has done with the inner space of the Envoy, especially the optional leather surfaced eight-way power bucket seats up front. These units, while shy on side bolstering, are extremely comfortable thanks in part to their expansive width and breadth. They provide excellent thigh and lumbar support without resorting to granite-hard slabs of dense foam.

Contributing immensely to the warm ambience of the Envoy's interior is a wonderfully smooth, quiet ride. In my view, this

A wonderfully smooth, quiet ride greatly adds to the Envoy's interior ambience. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

is where the Envoy really shines. Truly, the big SUV rides like a limousine, making it clear that GMC favored passenger comfort over handling performance when specifying the Envoy's underpinnings. One ride over a rough road will prove that point.

It will also make apparent that the plush ride comes at a cost, that being flat cornering and anticlimactic stopping. GMC's Luxury Ride suspension includes the use of urethane jounce bumpers, front and rear stabilizer bars and Bilstein shock absorbers. Rear automatic load-leveling air suspension is also available for those expecting to pull heavy trailers or haul heavy loads.