[Longwait4Train]

Anyone driven V6 Terrain on 3 to 4 hour freeway runs?

Able to step out fresh as a daisy??

In other words, how comfortable are they for long hauls??

LW4T

 

[gar187er]

3-4 hours?

thats not very long.....lol

did 6 hrs up to upstate NY which is normal for me.....

back was 8.5 sittin in traffic....

then again, i drive all day in my work truck (02 3500 ford van 164,xxx), so im use to driving long hours.....its not the vehicle that does it, its whether you can physically take it....some people cant do it...

 

[NoobNox]

The Nox/Terrain were made for extended highway runs. Smooth ride, barely any wind or other noise....and it tracks straight and true. Of course I'm only basing this on a couple of 5 hour round trips..but I see no reason why my Nox wouldn't be great for a long haul.

 

[Longwait4Train]

3-4 hours?

thats not very long.....lol

did 6 hrs up to upstate NY which is normal for me.....

back was 8.5 sittin in traffic....

then again, i drive all day in my work truck (02 3500 ford van 164,xxx), so im use to driving long hours.....its not the vehicle that does it, its whether you can physically take it....some people cant do it...

One of the reasons for my query is that passenger has back issues & 4 hrs is probably a max trip day.


Having a back built of Oak would help, but not everyone is that fortunate & some need to rely on finding a comfortable ride.

I would define 'comfortable ride' as including an absence of fatigue factors such as tire noise & wind whistle, , vehicle sits solid & tracks straight so your not correcting the steering all the time & suspension smooths out the bumps rather than rattles your teeth.
& seats don't feel like you are sitting on a park bench. The ideal seat would give a feeling like you're sitting in a comfortable leather chair.


In researching crossovers have driven a Volvo XC60 on basis of Volvo seat comfort reputation & was surprised that seats were very firm & ride was firm, not as comfortable as expected.
Wasn't $6k better than Terrain I drove on a short run from the Dealer.

Hence my query as to how do you find Terrains on a long run?

LW4T

 

[IceMan]

Well..I'm assumimg the Terrain's (haven't driven one)seats are quite similar to the Equinox. The new Equinox is super quiet..void of wind noise...supportive comfortable seats(especially the leather)..which all make for a great long hauler. These refinements were the first things I noticed about this new style vehicle. Very impressive. Along the lines of the new Buick LaCross...Regal..and some others. Nice to see these improvements incorporated in a Chevy and GMC as well.

 

[NoobNox]

One of the reasons for my query is that passenger has back issues & 4 hrs is probably a max trip day.


Having a back built of Oak would help, but not everyone is that fortunate & some need to rely on finding a comfortable ride.

I would define 'comfortable ride' as including an absence of fatigue factors such as tire noise & wind whistle, , vehicle sits solid & tracks straight so your not correcting the steering all the time & suspension smooths out the bumps rather than rattles your teeth.
& seats don't feel like you are sitting on a park bench. The ideal seat would give a feeling like you're sitting in a comfortable leather chair.


In researching crossovers have driven a Volvo XC60 on basis of Volvo seat comfort reputation & was surprised that seats were very firm & ride was firm, not as comfortable as expected.
Wasn't $6k better than Terrain I drove on a short run from the Dealer.

Hence my query as to how do you find Terrains on a long run?

LW4T

The seats are on the firm side even with leather...but that can actually be a good thing for people with back problems....and firm is not the same as being hard and benchlike. The Nox/Terrain don't have a soft pillowy ride by any means, but it will never feel harsh or jarring unless you're driving over some really bad pavement. I feel my Nox is a great highway cruiser...and even backseat passengers aren't punished. The backseat has more legroom than many full size SUV's...and the seats actually independently recline to a small degree, and there is a flip down armrest with cupholders as well. The only way to make backseat riders more comfortable would be having rear a/c vents, which unfortunately is only on the higher priced Cadillac SRX.

edit- you can get backseat headrest entertainment if you really feel like spoiling your passengers..or have young kids to pacify.

 

[Roesterman]

The only way to make backseat riders more comfortable would be having rear a/c vents, which unfortunately is only on the higher priced Cadillac SRX.

edit- you can get backseat headrest entertainment if you really feel like spoiling your passengers..or have young kids to pacify.

There are floorducts to rear area for heat and ac. Has been discussed in prior topics. There are pictures of the vents on this forum somewhere too.

 

[JohnEqui]

A couple of times I gave up the steering wheel and I got in the back seat for a short nap (on long hauls of 10-12 hours). I find the back seat a bit uncomfortable because of the rough suspension. You hear and feel a lot the road hazards. I presume that a SUV is not as comfortable as a sedan, and the fact that the cargo space is not separated is not helping.

Although, no problem for leg space for me (6'2''), nor the firm seat. I did have problems hearing the front seat people, but mostly because of my small hearing problem, the radio and the distance from them , not the outside noice.

PS. It's an Equinox experience.

 

[bballr4567]

We went to IN to FL in a straight shot. 15 hours later, we were there and the Terrain handled it pretty smoothly.

Ive got a form of spina bifida and the Terrain is one of the most comfortable vehicles Ive ever been in. I did a 6 hour stint without stopping and I got out, stretched and felt great. In our Malibu, I could only go about 4 hours without stretching.

Overall, this is one of the BEST roadtripping vehicles Ive been in. Sure, the seats are firm but they are a GOOD firm and provide great support for long drives without getting soft like other vehicles.

 

[NoobNox]

There are floorducts to rear area for heat and ac. Has been discussed in prior topics. There are pictures of the vents on this forum somewhere too.

Yeah, I'm aware of those, (I even pointed it out to someone on another forum) but I think we can all agree that that isn't quite the same as having higher directional vents with independent fan speed/temp control. Seems to me those underseat vents would work better for heating than cooling..

 

[NoobNox]

A couple of times I gave up the steering wheel and I got in the back seat for a short nap (on long hauls of 10-12 hours). I find the back seat a bit uncomfortable because of the rough suspension. You hear and feel a lot the road hazards. I presume that a SUV is not as comfortable as a sedan, and the fact that the cargo space is not separated is not helping.

Although, no problem for leg space for me (6'2''), nor the firm seat. I did have problems hearing the front seat people, but mostly because of my small hearing problem, the radio and the distance from them , not the outside noice.

PS. It's an Equinox experience.

Yeah, noise in the rear and not being able to hear everything the people in front are saying are things that I've experienced in nearly every vehicle I've backseated in, which includes a fairly new Mercedes E500. I only rode in the back of my Nox once, but I found that if the stereo is turned way down or off I can have a completely normal conversation with everyone inside. The only downside of the Nox (noisewise) is the tire hum over certain types of pavement...I don't know if GM skimped on the wheel well insulation, or just the fact there is so little other noise makes it seem louder.

 

[Longwait4Train]

We went to IN to FL in a straight shot. 15 hours later, we were there and the Terrain handled it pretty smoothly.

Ive got a form of spina bifida and the Terrain is one of the most comfortable vehicles Ive ever been in. I did a 6 hour stint without stopping and I got out, stretched and felt great. In our Malibu, I could only go about 4 hours without stretching.

Overall, this is one of the BEST roadtripping vehicles Ive been in. Sure, the seats are firm but they are a GOOD firm and provide great support for long drives without getting soft like other vehicles.

Thanks
Very useful information

 

[inphoenix]

Wife has MAJOR back issues plus a few other things. Road trips have always been an issue. Came from a Loaded Trailblazer, rode quite nice and long drives were "do able" while being a little limited due to stops to stretch her out. Nox is better than the TB by far for her, fewer stops needed and at the end of the day, her pain levels are far lower.

 

[RSchleder]

We've put almost 4,000 miles on ours since we picked it up in Henderson, Colorado a month ago. Furthest I've driven it in one day was 600 miles and it was very comfortable and pleasant to drive, even at the end of the day. Maybe not quite as comfortable as my 40' diesel motorhome with the flexsteel captain's chairs, but pretty close!!!

 

[GuntherCam]

The comfort for long-duration rides is encouraging. I'm looking to replace my Expedition with a Terrain and spend at least 6hrs in the Expedition every day. Since I don't need to tow, it has led me to look at the compact SUV class and the Terrain is holding at the top of my list. It feels great on short test drives but hearing it's been good for several hours is very helpful. I'd buy one tomorrow but have to look at the new Ford Explorer too before I pull the trigger.

 

[Terrain]

I find the seats in the Terrain to be a bit too firm for long distance comfort. The cloth seats in my Sierra compared with the ride (non Z71 4x4) made it my favourite road tripper. Fuel mileage was a different story however.

Had my new Terrain on the highway today for the first time (~2,300km on it) and interestingly my old AWD Terrain rode better on the highway than this FWD. Must be the added weight of the AWD system.

 

[RSchleder]

I understand the need to check out the Ford. just don't forget the address of your GMC dealer because you'll be heading back that way after your Ford experience. Good luck, Ron