The GMC Acadia offers the utility of a big SUV with the refinement and fuel-efficiency of a car. The Acadia is a crossover SUV, meaning it looks like a truck but it has unibody construction like a car.
Crossovers have been gaining in popularity because they make so much sense for so many families, but what sets the Acadia apart is its size: It's big, similar in size to the GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe, inside and out.
Acadia can seat eight. And it can carry a lot of cargo. Yet it offers a fuel economy advantage of three-to-five miles per gallon over a Yukon, benefits of its lighter weight and more efficient engine.
We've found the Acadia delivers what most people like about full-size SUVs. For starters, it's big and roomy. The driver sits high off the ground and benefits from that commanding view down the road that many like. Features like rear-seat DVD entertainment make it a good choice for families.
The only places where the Acadia falls short of truck-based SUVs is in heavy-duty towing or for slogging through military-grade muck. Properly equipped, the GMC Acadia can tow 5,200 pound, while a Yukon is rated to pull 7,500 pounds or more. Based on the Silverado pickup, the Yukon can handle rugged terrain. The Acadia offers all-wheel drive for capability in stormy or snowy weather and it's fine for unpaved roads. That's plenty of capability for most people.
The Acadia offers superb road manners, whether on country roads, rough city streets or pock-marked freeways. It absorbs rough pavement in a soothing manner and takes corners reassuringly for such a large vehicle. It handles better and is smoother than a Yukon and other truck-based SUVs. GMC's 288-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 is smooth and sophisticated and supplies good acceleration performance. Its six-speed automatic transmission is responsive, smooth and efficient, further aiding fuel economy.
Three rows of seats provide room for seven or eight, though it's more comfortable with six. Two adults and two or three children plus their belongings can be carried with ease. Acadia comes loaded with safety equipment, including curtain air bags that provide head protection and side-impact airbags that provide torso protection; electronic stability control and other active safety features can help the driver avoid accidents.
The 2009 Acadia gets a more powerful engine and some new equipment. The 3.6-liter V6 engine adds direct-injection, upping horsepower from 275 to 288 and torque from 251 to 270 pound-feet. New features include a standard Bluetooth wireless cell phone link, real-time traffic information for the available navigation system, available heated and cooled front seats, and a 115-volt power outlet that comes with the rear DVD entertainment system. A rear-view camera that projects its image on the rearview mirror is also new. Finally, towing capacity is upped from 4500 to 5200 pounds.
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