Noise, Ride & Handling

A defining attribute of GM's latest crossovers is improved noise insulation. Road and wind noise are hushed, leaving the cabin exceptionally quiet — at least until you hit a bump. The suspension isn't a particularly quiet one — it responds to potholes and expansion joints with loud, echoing noises — and, as we noted in the Equinox review, some may find the ride too firm overall.

The steering wheel turns with light effort at low speeds; it firms up progressively as you reach highway speeds, but I still found it a bit loose at 70 mph. Take an off-ramp quickly, and the Terrain has carlike resistance to body roll. Unfortunately, patches of rough pavement belie any cornering confidence: Steering response becomes sloppy, giving the Terrain a floaty sensation of being disconnected from the road. It reminds me more of traditional truck-based SUVs than car-based crossovers, to which the Terrain and its Chevy cohort belong.

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    Tire Designations
    Tire Size The following is an example of a typical passenger vehicle tire size. (A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire: The United States version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter P as the first ...

    Flash-to-Pass
    This feature lets you use the high-beam headlamps to signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass. It works even if the headlamps are in the automatic position. To use it, pull the turn sign ...

    End a Call
    Push . System responds: “Call ended.” ...