For a Crossover with an Edge, Look at the GMC Acadia
As the GMC cousin of the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave the GMC Acadia offer a more distinctly truck-like feel to it that is much more familiar to GMC fans. Offering a third row seat that can actually fit full sized adults and carrying just about any cargo that can be shoved into it the Acadia is highly capable as well as versatile for every function owners can throw its way. Offering the choice of either front-wheel drive (FWD) for the pavement pounders or all-wheel drive (AWD) for those who are a bit more adventurous the Acadia has something to offer anyone, especially those who just can’t stomach the idea of driving a minivan.
For anyone who has the need to tackle serious off road trails full of boulders or having to tow much more than 5,200 pounds, this entire class of vehicle is not the choice to be made. However, for light to medium off road action and a decent amount of towing, at least enough for most of the toys, the Acadia offers not only these capabilities but a nice amount of fuel mileage to help save a bit of money throughout the life of the vehicle.
For 2014 the Acadia did not receive many changes only adding the Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning system as a standard feature on the Denali trim and available as an option on the other trims. GMC also added two USB ports for charging-only to the rear of the center console for the back seat passengers to enjoy their electronic devices.
As one of the many selling points in this class of vehicle, the Acadia offers handling that rivals many cars achieved by the highly tuned suspension and quickly responsive steering. A real pleasure to drive this SUV handles corners, curves, and any road imperfections with ease and a smoothness that is often only found in mid-grade luxury sedans. Add to this the extremely quiet ride inside the cabin that is the result of the noise cancelling technology as well as a vast amount of well-designed insulation and the drive in an Acadia is nothing short of a pleasure cruise.
The one engine offering for this SUV is a highly tuned and well-engineered 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes the use of direct fuel injection to achieve 288 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. With a towing capacity of 5,200 pounds the Acadia can handle many light-to-medium trailers allowing for a load of materials for a great weekend project or a trip to the water for some fun in the sun. When paired up with the six-speed automatic transmission the power train offers fuel mileage of 17 city/24 hwy mpg for FWD and 16 city/23 hwy mpg in the AWD versions.
Inside the cabin of the Acadia seating is offered for up to eight adults to fit comfortably. The third row is fully accessible by use of a button that slides the second row out of the way, a genius addition to allow for ease and comfort of access. With an array of high-quality materials and technology to please even the geekiest of passengers this SUV offers an easy and comfortable ride for all inside. Even with the third seat up there is still a large amount of cargo area, and when both the second and third row of seats are folded flat the cargo area is a massive 116.9 cubic feet making this cabin highly versatile and flexible.
On the outside the Acadia is good looking, bold, and rugged, but not so showy or overly designed to take away from the classic good looks that is part of the entire GMC lineup. With a nice accentuation of chrome and a high beltline the vehicle offers an upscale feel without going overboard. Riding on mag-spoked 18-inch wheels and offering the LED headlights the attractiveness of the Acadia is finished off very nicely and certainly is a vehicle worth taking a second and third look at. There is even a small spoiler and chrome exhaust tips to add the last bit of elegance to a bruiser of a crossover SUV.
As a very well equipped SUV the Acadia offers standard features that include one year of GM’s OnStar service, a color touch screen audio system with six speakers, seven-passenger seating, fog lights, a rearview camera, rear parking assistance, 18-inch wheels, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, anti-lock brakes, tire pressure monitoring, and seven airbags. The Denali trim adds mahogany wood inserts, heated and cooled front seats, a dual SkyScape sunroof, perforated leathers seating, and 20-inch wheels as added standard features.
As if all this wasn’t enough to please any owner, GM offers a host of optional features for this SUV as well including the dual sunroofs, a rear entertainment system, a color touch screen navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, tri-zone automatic air conditioning, heated and cooled front seats, a premium audio system with Surround Sound, a heads up display, cargo area audio controls, eight-passenger seating, a power lift gate, HID headlights, 20-inch wheels, and Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning. After all of this the Acadia rivals many of the luxury SUV’s and has a more rugged appearance to it that won’t have owners shying away from taking this beast off road.
With a base starting price of just over $35,000 the Acadia is quite a catch containing the long list of standard features already mentioned. At the other end of the spectrum a fully loaded Denali trim will run the price to $55,000 but does offer so much equipment it’s almost scary to think this vehicle is not actually in the luxury class. No matter which way an owner goes with the Acadia they are sure to find a great fit and a fantastic vehicle that allows them to haul a party of people a trailer full of toys, or both.