2004 GMC Envoy XUV

[rtresco]

Just read about the upcoming Envoy, which the GM folks are categorizing as an XUV. Pretty interesting bed/hatch combo concept.

http://www.gmcanada.com/english/vehi..._overview.html

Lots more pics in the gallery section.

What do ya'll think?

[74PILOTMOM]

LOL!!! It looks like a HEARSE!!!

I saw the cool new GM trucks commercial, and they looked nice, but seeing the photos just changed my mind. The new hatch looks thrown on as an afterthought, and hearse-like. Something is just off balance about it. Neat idea in theory though.

I also just received my Consumer reports where the Envoy/Trailblazer got a POOR reliability rating (along with Cherokee and Explorer)

Of course our Pilot was on the very top of the chart. Proudly displayed on my coffee table, open to the chart as we speak

[tonyrwc]

GM has tweaked this vehicle every year since its inception, and nothing has really worked so far. The Trailblazer or Envoy isn't that bad looking but as 74PILOTMOM has stated, the vehicle has not faired well in consumer reports.

On top of that, this vehicle is way over priced ( over 40k for the "daddy" ) IMO.

[rtresco]

Yeh... definitely agree about lack of quality, especially when you take in account the legacy of the Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada line. And also agree, looking at the base price, that they are proud of them (until you go the dealership and easily have them drop 5-6K off the that inflated price).

However, I applaud GM for what I consider a useful concept. Shave the hearse-like appearance out of this design, slap it on a good vehicle, like say, a Pilot , and I believe you have a winner (IMHO).

[timchen]

Pilot should have a model provide removeable roof panel (behind 2nd row seat) and retriveable tailgate glass. Of course, they have to build the tailgate open pickup style .

[rtresco]

Originally posted by timchen
Pilot should have a model provide removeable roof panel (behind 2nd row seat) and retriveable tailgate glass. Of course, they have to build the tailgate open pickup style .

In the gallery, they show the rear gate both folded down in one pic and swinging out to the side in another. Howdidtheydothat?

[kemosabe]

I dunno... that XUV just doesn't do it for me -- especially the rear back-up lights: they look too much like fog lights!!!

[jay]

Originally posted by rtresco


In the gallery, they show the rear gate both folded down in one pic and swinging out to the side in another. Howdidtheydothat?

Wasn't there a 60's or 70's model station wagon that had a tailgate that did that. Hinge pins along the bottom, hinge pins along the side, and the ability to select which are in use at the time would do it. No great mystery there.

[Ziploc]

Originally posted by rtresco


In the gallery, they show the rear gate both folded down in one pic and swinging out to the side in another. Howdidtheydothat?

This seems to be considered as a helpful innovation by GM. But as jay indicated, it's been done before.

[rtresco]

Originally posted by Ziploc


This seems to be considered as a helpful innovation by GM. But as jay indicated, it's been done before.

Thanks for the info, fellas. Who originally made it? GM?

Never really been into old stationwagons... that was just a little before my time.

[mcardle]

My first car (sniff). Had been my dad's, got it from him while in college... 94 or so. Maroon with wood sides, roof rack, third row seating that popped up tailgunner style out of the floor... gosh, what else was noteworthy?

Oh, that great GM speedometer that was 3 inches high and 18 inches long, so that going from 0 to 20, the needle moved 5 in inches, from 50 to 70 it moved 1/2 an inch.

Don't forget the air shocks, inflated with a tire air valve, mounted at the bottom of the licence plate (after you cut a hole in your plate to mount it).

But, I digress. That car had the dual action tailgate. Opened with a handle on the left hand side and swung towards the curb, or if you powered down the rear window, there was another handle on the inside of the door that would allow it to come down like a pickup.

[rtresco]

Originally posted by mcardle
But, I digress. That car had the dual action tailgate. Opened with a handle on the left hand side and swung towards the curb, or if you powered down the rear window, there was another handle on the inside of the door that would allow it to come down like a pickup.

Sweet! I never knew that the Caprice has a dual action gate like this. A buddy of mine had a grey one that we called the Silver Bullet... it looked just like a Coors can.

My first car? '81 Escort Station Wagon... yes with the wood grain also. Gotta love that fresh, "still in the box" look. I put that car through pure hell, and it took every bit of it. I honestly think the '81 Escort has the best parking brake ever made.

[74PILOTMOM]

SMOOOTH ride!LOL! We called her the ENTERPRISE, it was so huge. The nose was longer than my current civic hatchback I swear. She had the wood panelling and vinyl seats. Same rear door/tailgate/winding down window. It broke down in front of a school bus on school property in my 8th grade year with everyone pointing at us. My GM scars have still not healed!

[Jet-Pilot-64]

Originally posted by 74PILOTMOM
SMOOOTH ride!LOL! We called her the ENTERPRISE, it was so huge. The nose was longer than my current civic hatchback I swear. She had the wood panelling and vinyl seats. Same rear door/tailgate/winding down window. It broke down in front of a school bus on school property in my 8th grade year with everyone pointing at us. My GM scars have still not healed!

Dang, you were driving in 8th grade???

[tracy]

I saw it at a home show and thought it was a great idea. Nothing that I'd ever buy in a million years, but still a great idea. My husband, on the other hand, said