The GMC's seats seemed more comfortable than those in the Chevy. The Envoy's seat cushions are longer, wider and thicker, and offer noticeably more side bolstering, though the seat bottoms could use more support.
The leather upholstery in the Envoy SLT is plush, but the cloth in the SLE grips the driver better. Head, hip and legroom are comparable to that of the Ford Explorer. As with Explorer, the sides of the seat bottoms are not fully trimmed around to the inside. On the SLT, the driver's bucket is eight-way power adjustable, with two-way lumbar support and optional heat. The shoulder belts are fixed to the seatbacks; we'd prefer adjustable-height anchors.
The brushed nickel interior trim looks classy. The SLT gets burl woodgrain trim on the center stack and console. Wood is also used around the light switches and the switches on the door armrests. Four big round registers for heating and air conditioning look stylish and purposeful in nickel. The four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel comes standard, and on the SLT it includes climate, audio, and cruise controls. Overall, the dash looks a bit choppy, not smooth and organic. Instrumentation is complete and clean, however. A big tachometer is on the left, speedometer in the center, and on the right are smaller gauges for water, battery, gas and oil.
SLE's manual climate controls use sliders, which seem like a throwback in technology, while the SLT's excellent digital controls use round knobs. Turning a knob is easier than sliding a lever, especially when bouncing around on rough roads. Both systems feature dual zones so temperature can be controlled separately by driver and front passenger. In XL models, rear-seat passengers get their own temperature control, which can be controlled by the driver, an important feature for dogs as well as people on hot summer days.
The center console features an enclosed compartment, an open storage bin, with a pair of superb cup holders forward of the shifter. The emergency brake lever is located there. Pockets in the front doors and behind the front seats are provided, but we'd like more places to put stuff in the center console area. Three power outlets are provided in the center stack, though unfortunately none have power when the ignition is switched off. Behind the rear seat is a small hidden compartment under the floor, a cargo net (on SLT), and another power outlet. Rear-seat headrests conveniently flip down to give the driver a better view to the rear.
SLT's overhead console includes a sunglasses holder, Homelink universal transmitter and an optional Travelnote digital recorder ($85), which allows the driver to verbally record phone numbers while on a cell phone. Interior lights abound, including reading lights.
The optional Bose audio system with six-disc in-dash CD player offers outstanding sound quality and adjustment versatility. All Envoy audio systems include RDS (Radio Data Systems) technology, allowing the listener to search for stations by type, display song and artist information, and provide traffic and weather updates.
OnStar, GM's telematics system, is optional on all models and we recommend it both for its safety and convenience features. OnStar includes hands-free cell phone communication, automatic crash reporting (set the airbags off and they'll send out the rescue teams), automatic theft reporting, remote unlocking, and other services. Onstar's latest (Gen 6) technology improves voice recognition and hands-free operation. For 2006 a system has been added to send accident information automatically to participating 911 systems in the event of a crash to facilitate emergency response. More often, you'll use OnStar for directions to an ATM or gas station or for recommendations on the best Mexican restaurant in the area.
Denali models get Nuance leather seats, tailored with French seam stitching, which means more stitches-per-inch for long-term durability. Driver and front passenger seats have eight-way power adjustments and seat heaters. The four-spoke steering wheel sports French-stitched leather in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, and real wood inserts at 12 and 6. Brushed aluminum sill plates are emblazoned with the Denali logo.
Cargo space in the standard-length models is 80.1 cubic feet with all the seats folded down, slightly less than available in the Ford Explorer.
A third-row seat is provided in the XL models, though it isn't spacious. The Envoy XL is 18 inches longer than the Ford Explorer; and where the Explorer squeezes an optional third-row seat into its 114-inch wheelbase, the Envoy XL has 129 inches of wheelbase to use. Yet due to the differences in suspension and chassis, third-row Envoy XL passengers get less legroom than third-row Explorer passengers. Head, hip, and leg room in the Explorer's third row measure 38.9/45.4/34.9 inches, respectively, versus the Envoy XL's 38.5/45.9/31.2. And the XL's long cabin led some of the adults we put back there to say they felt like they were looking down a tunnel.
Cargo space in the Envoy XL is generous, however. Fold the second- and third-row seats and Envoy XL offers 107 cubic feet of packing room, more than the standard Envoy (80) or Explorer (86), and slightly more than the big Yukon. Envoy XL also provides more luggage space behind the third-row seat than is available in the seven-passenger Explorer. SLT and Denali models come with a scrolling cargo cover.
