New Car Review: 2005 GMC Envoy Denali

Anyone who has taken a family car trip knows, probably painfully well, how important roominess is in such a vehicle. It's downright vital for the mental and physical well-being of all concerned. Well, all of the concerned members of this writers family were most impressed and pleased with the spaciousness of the 2005 GMC Envoy XL Denali. There's lots of room for five adult passengers and when you need to move your George Carlon-esque"stuff" the 60/40-split rear seats fold up for a maximum capacity of 80 cubic feet.

The big hit with the youngest family members is - surprise, surprise - the DVD entertainment system and I must admit I too would much rather watch Finding Nemo as opposed to an endless stream of highway commuters. The older kids and adults are impressed with satellite radio, who thankfully have stopped advertising themselves are commercial-free when we all know that promotional spots are equally annoying. The Denali version also includes heated front seats, Bose stereo, and a leather and wood steering wheel.

In terms of performance the Denali has a 5.3-liter V8 powerplant that creates 300 horsepower, and can tow up to 6,700 pounds. If you're going to do a lot of towing, consider the option of an electronically controlled rear air suspension to help keep everything nice a level when hauling heavy loads. Loaded or not, the ride is very comfortable with only the very worst of bumps getting past the cushioning suspension.

At the end of the trip, I turned around to a sea of happy faces. Ah, happy passengers. That makes for a happy driver, and a communal thumbs-up for the Denali version of GMC's Envoy.

- Mark Fulmer TACH
Editor In Chief