The V6 engine has good throttle response in traffic, and it's efficient-we got 25 mpg on a fast trip across the state. The EPA estimates highway fuel economy at 26 mpg, an improvement of 1 mpg over last year's Montana. Traction control is optional; and it's a good idea for easier control in winter driving. Without traction control engaged, you can easily spin one of the front wheels during a spirited take-off on dry pavement. With a torque-laden V6 and front-wheel drive, torque steer is sometimes noticeable as a slight tug on the steering wheel under hard acceleration.
The brake pedal is typically spongy, as it is on GM platforms that were designed in the early 1990s. Newer designs, such as the latest Bonneville and GM's newest big pickups and SUVs, lack this mushy feeling, so the Montana will likely get a better-feeling brake pedal in the future. Having said that, the antilock brake system works well, without undue clattering of the brake pedal. Next Page