| paul123 |
2004 GMC Envoy XUV
General
Envoy XUV will be produced Oklahoma City.
Built off of the Envoy XL.
Production will begin mid-2003.
Exterior
XUV also features a midgate. It has a power-retractable glass window. The entire midgate can be lowered to extend the cargo area up to the rear of the front seats.
The cargo area features a drain so that it may be hosed out.
The rear tailgate can either drop down or swing open. It also has a power-retractable window.
XUV features a power retractable roof covering the traditional cargo area of an SUV. The cargo area is finished with rugged washable surfaces.
Engine
A 285 hp 5.3L V8 is optional.
Standard engine is the 275hp, 4200 I6.
Transmission
4-speed automatic
P.S. I believe a 60's studabacker had a feature like this |
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| 2002 Acura MDX! |
| In my oppinion, I like the Envoy XL more then the Envoy XUV because I don't really like the hatch, it looks funky but I think it'll be very useful.:18: |
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| Fireblade6 |
Can we say...lets go camping and sleep in my XUV with my hatch open so I can see the stars at night?
Then again..If you are going camping...You wanna pitch a tent and not sleep in your DAMN XUV unless you plan to buy this vehicle to sleep in and plan to be homeless or somethin'
I can see a usefulness if you want an SUV and want that truck character when it comes to trucking things around...
But..I think I will stick with the MDX. |
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| remery |
Well guys, I kinda went over to the dark side and bought one of these Saturday to replace my wife's Subaru VDC Wagon. It is absolutely the quintessential pet mobile with the midgate and roll away roof. The cargo compartment has a plasticized surface versus carpeting along with drains so you can actually hose it out to clear dirt and other debris. It is not as wide as the MDX but is 20" longer which provides more cargo room. It also has more creature comforts than the MDX I have, including more comfortable and richer leather seats, XM Radio, movable gas and brake pedals, headlight washers, quieter interior and rain sensing wipers to name a few.
However, the navigation system is definitely user hostile compared to the touch panel one in our MDXs. It operates using a joystick which takes 10 times longer to program an address and will not allow input while the vehicle is moving. The DVD is segmented so you have to identify the region you will be operating in and doesn't appear to be much if anymore up to date than the one in my 2001. The screen is a bit smaller but the resolution is sharper with 3D graphics. However, I'll take ease of use over graphics any day so Honda/Acura still rules in this area.
The ride is softer than the MDX but handling is on the mushie side due to the live rear axle and softer suspension. It has a more powerful engine than the MDX but with the extra 600 lbs. and a 4-speed automatic acceleration is not quite as quick but more than adequate. The V8 option provides only 15 more horspower but costs $1,500 extra which was not worth it to us since we do not pull any kind of trailer.
Bottom line is I still like driving my MDX better but for long trips I would prefer the XUV due to the more comfortable seats and cargo capacity. This XUV is not for everyone but fits our pet, plant, bush and tree filled lifestyle to the tee or should I say to the tree!:D |
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| Dale MDX |
| Check statistics on reliability and depreciation on the Envoy, Trailblazer, Bravada, etc. compared to the MDX. Starting price is in the same range at MDX but trade-in values for a 2 year old model are about $10,000 less than MDX. (Big discounts and rebates to buy the GM model make up for some of that, I presume). And then, CR reliability data has the GM models as some of the worst vehicles in made, where the MDX is in the top grouping. Either one of those "hits" is enough to keep me away. But there's no doubt GM created a nice package as far as utility and driving characteristics. If it was a Honda product, I'd probably own one. |
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| Jim03MDX |
| My wife and I seriously considered an Envoy XL SLT prior to our MDX. I'm very glad we got an MDX but you're right that a loaded Envoy has many nice features (although I don't recall the leather being nicer then an MDX). It seemed like it would be a good highway cruiser and I agree the I6 has nice power. Good luck with it and let us know how it performs over the long haul. |
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| renov8r |
I recently bought a used Bravada at a Cadilllac/GMC store so I got to play with all the new trucks while waiting for the various apprasials, approvals, and vehicle prep.
The Envoy has always had some nice "features" and I do think that the 04 leather is very nice -- it is thick and well grained, almost "football leather/pigskin". I think the Bose speakers in the Envoy are noticeably better than those in the MDX. The utillty aspect of the XUV are intresting too.
The pricing on GMC products is NUTS though, even a "stripper" Canyon extended cab (with no tape/CD & cloth seats) is $24K+. There were Envoys approaching $49K. Even with a hefty GM rebate/GM Card cash back/dealer wiggle room these things are HUGELY expensive. To rub salt in the wound, the depreciation on GMC trucks has been horrible. Maybe that will change, but I would be very skeptical.
BTW I do think that GMC trucks are pretty durabile/reliable. My previous S10 Jimmy was a 94 with 85K+ miles. Motor ran like a top. Only fairly minor problems (rpelaced three of the four power window motors and the relays for the 4wd) BUT the damn things was parked on street for years and Chicago salt crews had reduced the body to swiss cheese...
If you plan on keepin it past 36K miles I would seriously consider the extended GM warranty, the $1000 will be money well spent ,as even the minor problems add up quickly around 50-70K. I do not recommend the extended Acura Care. The best way to descibe it is based on my experience with older Acuras vs older GM sedans -- the Legend is still "driving tight" and has all the electronic gizmos operating like new, where the GM sedan will be "getting sloppy" and require a preflight checklist of what is not operating.... |
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| remery |
renov8r,
I hear ya! Our 1999 GMC Yukon was one of the most reliable vehicles we ever owned with far fewer problems than the MDX. If it didn't have such a high residual value at the end of the lease, I would have purchased it and still be driving it. However, the extended warranty is something I plan to look into but what was offered when I was signing the papers included far more than I was interested in paying $1,200 a year for 4 years! OUCH. I did not buy an extended warranty for the MDX nor do I have any plans to do so for the reasons you cited.
DaleB,
I paid less than dealer invoice for this rig so depreciation is not a concern plus we plan to keep this for at least 6 or 7 years. As far as reliability goes, our 1999 GMC Yukon had far fewer problems than my MDX but the Envoy is part of the next generation of GMC trucks so it could have a few more problems. My concerns, as far as reliabilty, are not with the drive train, but with the electronics plus the midgate and retractable roof. These are new designs for the GMC line so are more likely to have problems than the rest of the vehicle. Since you can purchase an extended warranty at any time during the factory warranty period, I have time to do some more home work. But as I said in my original post, I still prefer my MDX but I do like some of the features of the XUV that would be nice to have on mine.
The real issue is not whether the Envoy XUV is better than the MDX or vice versa, it's a matter of preference. My wife likes a truck-like ride and handling while I prefer a car-like ride and crisper handling. Another important criterion is seat comfort. The seats in the MDX are not comfortable for her but the ones in the Envoy fit her like a glove. This is a unique vehicle that blends the best of both worlds between truck utility and passenger creature comforts which not many need like we do. If you don't haul a lot of stuff or manage a stable of pets, this ain't for you. But if you are tired of cleaning dog hair off the middle seat and cargo area of your MDX or have claw indents on the center counsel, then this just might be a vehicle worthy of consideration. |
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| Jim03MDX |
remery, if you look into getting an extended warranty try Ken Fichtner at Fichtner Chevrolet. He claims to have the "Lowest GM Protection Plan Prices on the Internet for All Makes & Models" and he has a great reputation on the corvette board I frequent.
kenfichtner@fichtnerchevrolet.com
http://fichtnerchevrolet.com/ |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by remery
DaleB,
I paid less than dealer invoice for this rig so depreciation is not a concern plus we plan to keep this for at least 6 or 7 years.
I think you meant Dale MDX, but that's ok. I think I would have had similar questions and comments which you addressed quite well. |
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| remery |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
I think you meant Dale MDX, but that's ok. I think I would have had similar questions and comments which you addressed quite well.
DaleB,
Sorry about that but you all really do look alike on the internet!!;) ;)
Jim03MDX,
Thanks for the info. I will definitely check it out. I am a little reluctant to jump right into the extended warranty game since I just signed papers at the Subaru dealer last night to get a refund on the extended warranty I bought with it 3 years ago. The extended warranty I had on my 1994 Subaru SVX saved me a lot of money on repairs since I had it for 7 years. |
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