Our I6 Envoy did a fine job towing our 4th gen so I'm sure our soon to arrive TB/SS will tow even better.

 

Great looking truck. I can see what threxx meant about the interior/dash/steering though. Boy, has GM come a long ways with the newer crop of interiors. I hope they seriously adress that with the redesign cause that's just horrible. I'd like to see something inline with the new GMT900 trucks.

Not a fan of the engine cover either. What happened to good looking/dressed up engines? Now we pop the hood and all we see is plastic. This goes for all new vehicles.

But man, that color is stunnning. I like the wheels too....18's or 20's? i can't really tell.

You could tell they didn't give the SS a slammed look like DCX did with the SRT8 GC. Guessing the suspension tuning is more for towing/payload and comfort rather than all-out performance. That would explain why the SRT8 tow rating is only 3,500. I beleive the SS's tow rating is nearly double that. 6,500lbs for the AWD and 6,700lbs for the Rwd. Definitly the more useful/livable of the two sport trucks.

 

I actually don't think it looks so horrible in SS duds, but my overall feeling of the Trailblazer interior is that it sucks. I actually like the Envoy interior, though. Same basic layout (which is not the problem in the TB), but much nicer looking materials and a cleaner, more upscale dash design.Yeah, we can thank the Euro and luxo marques for that stuff. M-B, BMW, Lexus, VW, etc.They are 20s, and I agree that is looks awesome in that color.Yes, definitely will be more daily driver friendly, but it is no sloppy handling SUV. I believe it had some development time at the Nurburging, just like the new Caddys and the Ion RL/Cobalt SS. It is no slouch, probably damn near if not = to the SRT8 but I'm betting with a much better ride. And I doubt that very many owners will be taking their trucks to the Streets of Willow or Laguna Seca.

 

Pic from that link. I think it looks horrible. Especially that steering wheel. I'm not huge on interiors either, but it just comes off as bad and cheap. Again, my largest gripe is with the steering wheel.


Envoy's dash does look alot better...even with the fake wood (which doesn't look bad itself)


Yup.

Thanks. They do look nice.

I bet. I remember reading about it being tuned at the ring and even saw the spy shots of it undergoing testing there. It should handle well.

I hope handling is close. In looking at the pics, i just noticed how higher off the ground it looks vs the SRT8 GC. Probably just the pic, but i'm assuming the SRT8 sits lower. Definitly won't be no slouch, that i'm sure of.

For everyday uses, the TB SS looks like the better/practical performance SUV. Close to SRT8 in performane, but more practical/livable from the looks with a cheaper pricetag. Sounds like a winning package.

 

IMO, TB dash looks positively horrible and cheap. The Envoy dash looks a bit better, but still cheap (for the price, especially)... Saab's version looks marginally better than the Envoy at an even higher price.

None of Caddy's SUV interiors look worth the price either. The SRX is the closest it gets and I'd say their interior, for the price is "OK"... at least it's not "amazingly bad".

Looks like the GMT-900 Escalade may be the first GM SUV to change my opinion.

 

I agree and i'm not the interior-**** threxx is.

It just looks dated, cheap, and old.

No doubt the new interior on the upcoming TB will change my opinion seeing as how GM's newer interiors are all good and headed in the right direction.

 

geez people, it's a freakin TRUCK! Who says a truck needs a fancy interior? Compare it to the interiors of trucks 10 years ago. Actually the SS' interior is a big step up from the 01 Trailblazer interior!

 

I guess that's why GM has put so much effort into coming out with a halfway decent interior on the GMT-900s? Because nobody cares?

Think what you want but the numbers speak for themselves and GM is starting to listen.

 

Edmunds has now reported on the Grand Cherokee SRT-8.
They got a 13.5@102 in their 1/4 mile. Not to reduce the review down to two numbers or anything, but, well, I guess I reduced it down to two numbers . This probably wasn't at their usual track, since the elevation isn't listed. Still, 420hp and 4700 pounds? Awfully strong horses!

 

Yup, TB's interior...... especially the dash, it a huge weak point.

Been saying it's "Dash by Rubbermaid" for a while........ the outgoing fullsize SUV/Trucks are in the same catagory (ironically, TBSS and Av are the two vehicles I'm most likely to get next, and this after the GTO, which is by far the best interior I've had, I've really moved interiors up my list of important items.... which makes me want to hold out for an 07 Avalanche, but I'm one of those who actually likes the cladding on this vehicle, and I dont think we are going to see it on the 07 Av........... but I digress........)

I think the Envoy interior is 100x better than TB... to the point where, while it might not be the best interior in the world, I don't think it is a negative on the vehicle.

 

Well, at 4700 lbs and 415 hp (what they are listing as the power rating), it has a weight to power ratio of 11.33 lb/hp. An LT1 Z28, say at 3500 lbs and a generous 300 hp, has a power to weight ratio of 11.67 lb/hp, so the GC actually has an advantage there. Plus with awd and automatic to get an easy, strong launch, I'd say those numbers are about right. Just for comparison, a TB SS, if it is about 4450 lbs (2wd) or 4600 lbs (awd) with the rated 390 hp, would have a ratio of 11.41 or 11.79. A little higher than the Jeep, but still in LT1 Z28 territory. For kicks, a new Z06 is at 3130 lbs/505 hp, for a ratio of 6.2 lb/hp!

Anyway, how nuts is it that these are SUVs?

 

Even today's trucks have pretty decent interiors. Contrary to some believes, a truck can be made with a functional and attractive interior. Even for 10 years ago, the interior (my gripe is with the dash and steering wheels) still look very dated. The Envoy's actually manages to look much more modern.

I can't believe some would actually use the "it's a truck" line to justify an overly cheap interior. It's still a vehicle, something you have to be in and drive everyday right? what makes its interior any less important than any other vehicle?

Again, Ford and GM ARE realizing that interiors are important....even on a TRUCK. One look at the GMT-900 and F-series trucks is all you need.

Again, i'm not a huge interior guy, but that's just something that jumped out at me in looking at the pics. The interior alone would not deter me from looking at a TB SS if i were in the market (still an excellent truck overall), but it is one of the areas i seriously hope (and know) they'll address with the next gen.

 

VERY nuts. In a good way.

 

Yup.

There are some that still oppose to the idea of performance trucks and think the only things with performance should be small 2 door vehicles. I see them on other boards. Guess they don't like both performance and utility in one package.

Vehicles like these are the best things to come out in the last decade.

 

What matters is horsepower at the wheels versus weight. Crank hp doesn't matter. An LT1 Z in manual form is likely right near an automatic Jeep SRT-8 in power to weight when measured at the ground, not the crank. I have never heard of a stock LT1 running a 13.5. Maybe the Jeep has really good gearing?