- suv 130,972
- 5,898 high price
- Pawtucket, RI
-
- autoshopper.com
2002 gmc envoy review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. A rugged suv that can pass for a luxury vehicle. introductionin the past, it was an either/or deal when considering the gmc or chevrolet sport-utilities: blazer and envoy (jimmy) were pretty much the same. But when gm reinvented its midsize suvs for 2002, it made a market-based decision to make the gmc distinct. the new gmc envoy does use the same chassis and powerful new inline six-cylinder engine as the chevy trailblazer, but after that there are many significant differences, most notably the body styling, interior, and available air suspension. Body-color moldings come with sle and brushed nickel with slt. Inside, the sle gets cloth seats and splashes of that brushed nickel on the console and instrument panel, while the slt gets leather and wood with nickel trim rings. The driver gets an eight-way power adjustable seat with sle; both driver and passenger with slt. Seat position memory (including the heated outside mirrors) is standard on the slt and heated seats are optional; neither are available with sle. Slt also adds headlamp washers, driver information center, travelnote digital recorder, rain-sensing wipers, light-sensitive outside mirrors with turn signals, and more controls on the steering wheel. sle and slt come with the same radio/cd sound system, with the slt including rear seat jacks and controls. Despite the size increase, its turning circle is 36. 4 feet, nearly six feet tighter than before. This is thanks to a new front suspension and the narrower inline engine. among the three new gm midsize suvs (olds bravada and chevy trailblazer), the envoy's styling may be the most sophisticated. It's 'logical and precise,' says gmc's brand manager. It has a wide-mouth black grille that says (in ruby red) gmc all the way. Sleek and clean are the distinct headlamps, round foglights and front bumper with a wide slim slit at the very bottom. Envoy dispenses with the trailblazer's showy fender flares, by housing the standard 17-inch wheels (shod with specially developed michelins) inside hefty fenders which are part of a trapezoidal design theme. Strong beveled shapes extend along the envoy's clean sides and around the wheelwells, and help make the envoy look imposing. Under that hood, the inline engine is the big new thing. Jeep cherokee has been using a less sophisticated i6 for years, while bmw and lexus have very sophisticated versions in high-performance sedans. Advancements in electronics, metallurgy and manufacturing methods now enable an inline engine to soar, and for 2002 gm has fully exploited this technical opportunity. the new vortec 4200 is an all-aluminum, double-overhead cam, 24-valve inline-6 with variable valve timing. It features electronic throttle control, an electrical system using silicon circuit boards (replacing some 1100 feet of copper wire), coil-on-plug ignition (thus no plug wires), and a seven-quart oil pan with a clever tunnel for the front drive axle, which allows the longish block to be mounted six inches lower, contributing to better balance and a lower center of gravity. the chassis rails are shaped by hydroforming, a process pioneered in the '97 c5 corvette that makes the rails stronger and lighter. No less than eight crossmembers contribute to a claimed 260 percent increase in torsional rigidity, and there are 12 tuned body mounts made of urethane. attention to detail is evident, from a battery box that draws in cooling air, to remarkably sanitary wiring under the hood, to a seven-pin receptacle for towing trailers with brakes, to rear-seat headrests that conveniently flip down for better rearward driver visibility. Switching in and out of 4wd can be done on the fly with a flip of the switch, although the vehicle must be in neutral to engage or disengage 4lo. there is an optional load-leveling air suspension intended to provide a more luxurious ride. It uses a silent air compressor, which yields one small fruit: a 22-foot air hose for filling everything from tires to toys. It attaches to a small valve in a compartment in the cargo area. interiorall envoys seat five passengers, compared to the ford explorer's optional seven seats on a nearly identical wheelbase, with its third row of seats squeezed in. A seven-seat envoy with longer wheelbase is in the works. Working with a vehicle width that exceeds the explorer by 2. 5 inches, the envoy's rear seats offer slightly less shoulder room but 3. 8 inches more total hip room. we tested the envoy at the same time we tested the trailblazer, and one clear difference was in the comfort of the seats. The envoy's seat cushions are longer, wider and thicker than those on the trailblazer, and offer noticeably more side bolstering-in fact, we would choose an envoy over a trailblazer just for the seats. The slt's leather was way plush, while the sle's cloth was grippier. A big tachometer is on the left, speedometer in center, and on the right are smaller gauges for water, battery, gas and oil. The brushed nickel trim looks classy, with or without the wood. The emergency brake lever is also located there. There are pockets in the front doors and behind the front seats, though none in the rear doors. Standard behind the rear seat is a small hidden compartment under the floor, a cargo net, scrolling tonneau cover and power outlet. the overhead console includes a sunglasses holder, plus the slt's travelnote digital recorder, which might be considered an important safety feature, as it allows the driver to orally take phone numbers while on a cellphone. The heating and air conditioning can be controlled separately by the driver, front and rear passengers. interior lights abound, including reading lights. Gm calls the interior lighting 'world class,' developed by the rensselaer polytechnic institute lighting research center in indiana. the standard sound system is a radio/cd, but optional are a radio/cd/cassette, radio with six-disc in-dash cd, or six-speaker 275-watt bose system. All the systems include rds (radio data systems) technology, allowing the listener to search for stations by type, display information including song and artist information, and provide traffic and weather updates. the onstar communications system is standard. It incorporates state-of-the-art engine construction and management, and its 16/21 mpg city/highway mileage improves on gm's v6. From 4. 2 liters, the inline-6 produces a dazzling 270 horsepower, 30 more than ford explorer's new 4. 6-liter sohc v8. And it has a very broad torque curve peaking at 275 pounds-feet, only 5 less than the ford and coming 400 rpm sooner. Ninety percent of the peak torque is there at 1600 rpm-and still there at 5600 rpm. According to the engine's designer, ron kociba, there's another 30 horsepower to be had just by adding dual exhausts. general motors introduced the envoy, trailblazer and bravada in baja in december. We got about 100 miles of driving on rough and fast mexican two-lanes-flat and climbing, straight and twisting-and maybe eight la. Heated Seats✔ Tachometer✔ Cruise Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ DVD Entertainment System
5,898 Pawtucket, RIPawtucket, RI at autoshopper.com