4.4 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
22 city, 32 highway, 26 combined
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For the 2013 GMC Terrain, the company extended its more luxurious Denali trim to this compact SUV and added a more powerful V6 engine. Put together, they make for a satisfying combination for modern shoppers seeking comfort and power on a budget.
The V6 engine doesn’t make the Terrain a sports car, but it’s handily quicker than many modern compact SUVs, and can tow up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped. Various factors may impact towing capacity, including weight of passengers, cargo, and options/accessories. Inside are comfortable seats, plenty of sound deadening for on-road quiet, and a rear seat that slides forward and backward nearly eight inches to optimize rear legroom or cargo space. The Denali trim adds upscale exterior and interior styling, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and an even smoother ride thanks to special suspension upgrades.
While it’s true the 2013 Terrain is an older vehicle, a standard USB port and available Bluetooth® audio streaming at least help bridge the gap to newer vehicles with more modern smartphone integration. Driver assist tech is limited, but includes available forward-collision warning and lane-departure alert.
Drive type | 2WD |
Engine size | 2.4L |
Horsepower | 182 |
Torque (ft-lbs) | 172 |
Engine type | Gas |
Fuel capacity | 18 |
Wheelbase | 112.5" |
Overall length | 185.3" |
Width | 72.8" |
Height | 66.3" |
Leg room | F 41.2"/R 39.9" |
Head room | F 39.8"/R 39.2" |
Front tires | P235/55R18 |
Rear tires | P235/55R18 |
Seating capacity | 5 |
Max towing capacity | 225/1500 lbs. |
Transmission | Automatic |
V6 Power: The powerful V6 engine first available in 2013 ups the game for this aging compact SUV. It has enough power to outpace newer compact SUVs, and it can also tow up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped, not bad specs for this class even today.
Rear Seat Flexibility: The sliding rear seat of the 2013 Terrain, allows you to optimize cargo space with the seat all the way forward, or slide it back to enhance legroom. Surprisingly, it gives this older vehicle a bit of an advantage in legroom and cargo space than its successor (2018-present).
Interior Comfort: While all GMC Terrain models benefit from a comfortable, quiet interior and smooth ride, at this age it’s worth seeking out the Terrain Denali. Its suspension is tuned for comfort, and its interior is even nicer.
Interior space: If you park a GMC Terrain between a Honda CR-V and a Ford Edge, you’ll see that it’s a “tweener” in exterior size. However, the interior is actually smaller than both. It’s plenty comfortable inside, but if you’re seeking maximum interior and cargo space, the Terrain comes up a little short.
RepairPal gave the GMC Terrain an overall reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Excellent. This rating ranks GMC Terrain 9th out of 27 among Compact SUVs.
View RepairPal's full rating of the GMC Terrain