Overview & Reviews

Building tough trucks for tough work has been the focus of GMC for years, but even GMC couldn't avoid the onslaught of the crossover SUV revolution. That's where the GMC Acadia comes in.

The Acadia is a large crossover SUV. Mechanically, it's very similar to its platform-mates -- the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and now-discontinued Saturn Outlook. Thanks to its spacious interior, strong V6 engine and competitive price, the Acadia is one of the better crossover SUV choices. Although there were styling updates and a few other minor changes made for 2013, shoppers should know that Acadias from any year share most of the same pros and cons.

Current GMC Acadia
The GMC Acadia is a large crossover SUV that's offered in five trims: SLE-1, SLE-2, SLT-1, SLT-2 and Denali. Each comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive are standard, but all-wheel drive is an option. Although even the base SLE-1 is fairly well-equipped, moving up through the trims brings luxuries such as Bluetooth phone connectivity, leather upholstery, heated seats, a navigation system, smartphone app integration and a panoramic sunroof.

The GMC Acadia is one of the roomiest crossover utility vehicles in its class, with seating for up to eight passengers. The second-row seats are captain's chairs, but a 60/40-split-folding bench is available as an option. Those second-row seats also slide 4 inches fore and aft and easily flip up and out of the way for access to the third-row seats. There's room for adults in the back two rows, though leg support is a bit lacking. With both the second and third rows folded down, the Acadia's substantial cargo space is topped only by minivans and extra-large SUVs like the Chevy Suburban.

In our road tests we've found the Acadia's handling respectable, especially considering the vehicle's large size, and its buttoned-down and quiet ride is particularly impressive. The V6 won't blow you away with its power, but it moves the Acadia out with decent authority. Overall, our editors feel that the GMC Acadia represents a compelling combination of functionality, luxury and value.

Used GMC Acadia Models
The GMC Acadia debuted for the 2007 model year. Its 3.6-liter V6 lacked direct injection until 2009, and hence was rated at a slightly lower 275 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque for its first two years of production. The transmission was reprogrammed for 2010 to address previous complaints of sluggish downshift response. That year also saw new features like Bluetooth connectivity, real-time traffic updates for the navigation system, and available heated and ventilated seats. The plush Denali trim debuted the following year.

For 2013, GMC heavily updated the Acadia. Changes included refreshed front and rear styling, improved interior materials and a new front-center airbag as well as larger, easier-to-use controls for the audio, climate and navigation systems. This year also brought GM's IntelliLink system, with its smartphone integration capability, as well as a slight shuffling of equipment and trim levels.

User Reviews:

• 

  Great vehicle with a few minor shortcomings - 2014 GMC Acadia
  By kentbob - May 5 - 8:56 am

  Overall a very nice vehicle which meets my needs. Great interior space, and comfortable ride. I prefer a truck-based 4-wheel drive SUV, but couldnt find one that provided as much versatility and space in the mid-sized category, so I opted for the Acadia.

• 

  Never again - 2008 GMC Acadia
  By marco32 - April 23 - 6:31 pm

  Im sorry to say the 2008 Acadia will be my last GMC. I now have 90,000 miles on the car and have taken extremely good care of it. AC problems, transmission problems, daylight headlamp problems, NAV problems are just a few of the continuing problems with this car. I dont trust the car anymore to get me out of town as it has broke down twice and had to be towed. When you get a warning light on this car you had better be close to a GMC dealer because it will just quit in the middle of the street. Last week I received a recall notice from my GMC dealer. I just check GMs website and they say NO recall on my car. Thats how messed up they are. Very sad.

• 

  Ready to trade in... - 2011 GMC Acadia
  By artistamy1 - April 8 - 7:48 pm

  We purchased the 2011 Denali brand-new, kept it well and were rewarded with poor quality. The first year was fine--the lack of technology was a nuisance, but the car fit my very tall family, so I was willing to overlook that. But simple things like the non-qwerty keypad in the CD-based nav system really wore on me. GM stayed solvent by skimping on technology, and its painfully apparent in this model year. Our 06 BMW 3-series has better technology. Now at 36k, its falling apart all over!

• 

  Good for what it is.... - 2014 GMC Acadia
  By coty75 - March 10 - 4:12 pm

  First, good luck at actually finding anything but a base SLE1 model if you actually need an 8 passenger AWD vehicle. The dealer searched and there were no SLE2, SLTs, or Denali AWD 8 passengers (or Buick Enclaves) within 500 miles on dealer lots and nothing in the production queue without having to wait for a special order (at much less of a discount). But after driving a 7 passenger Denali, we are glad we just took a base SLE as there really isnt that much to justify the 14k difference in price and huge difference in residual value. The problem is with the premium trims like Denali, theres really not that much Luxury to justify the price difference.

• 

  Biggest car mistake of my life! - 2010 GMC Acadia
  By skippy99 - March 7 - 10:34 pm

  I bought a 2010 Acadia for my wife. It had 56,000 miles on it when purchased. Could have bought a Mercedes SUV for the price. The problems Ive had with it have been unbelievable! Windshield leak damaged radio and A/C fan (window apparently always leaked), Power steering failed TWICE in 10k mi. $1600 to replace a power steering pump! A/C failed due to hose rubbing against chassis. Transmission shift issues. Brake issues. It gets 14 MPG (same as my old 6.0 liter Yukon XL), you need a mirror to see the fuses, and in order to replace a headlight bulb, you need to remove the inner fender (wheel well) skirt! Awful, Awful engineering design. Dont do it! Seriously, dont!

• 

  Would not buy this car again - 2008 GMC Acadia
  By kshannon - February 21 - 3:30 pm

  There are obvious defects with the 2008 Acadia. The steering, transmission and airbag issues need to be corrected by GMC. They need to honor promises of delivering good cars, which they have not done here.

• 

  Acadia, Durango, or just go with the Sienna? - 2014 GMC Acadia
  By meandmy3boyd - January 29 - 11:16 pm

  With our 3rd boy on the way we had to move on from our 2 row Endeavor. Having studied Consumer Reports extensively and done some somewhat recreational test drives of numerous other vehicles I narrowed our search to the Durango, Acadia, and Sienna. Our priorities that ruled out others such as the Highlander, CX-9, and Explorer were: we had to have captain chairs in the back, good reliability, regular fuel, enough space in the back for kid stuff, MPG better than 18, power lift gate, black/dark intirrior, and good safety features.

• 

  2014 GMC Denali - 2014 GMC Acadia
  By mf89117 - January 29 - 12:48 am

  Purchased in November 2014 and added a few extras. So far I am very happy with the vehicle with a few minor exceptions listed below.

• 

  Disappointing Purchase! - 2014 GMC Acadia
  By daisymae142 - January 18 - 7:23 pm

  I traded my 2007 GMC Envoy for a 2014 Acadia. I am disappointed that the vehicle does not drive nearly as well as the Envoy.It is jerky in response. Also, there is no memory seat function for the power seats, which, in my case, is a major aggravation since more than one person drives my car. And, there is no light in the glove box. You would think that a car that cost this much would have these features. I think I want my Envoy back!

• 

  Sorry I Bought this piece of garbage - 2007 GMC Acadia
  By charvey3 - December 30 - 12:37 pm

  To all out there. I am so fed up of this 2007 GMC Acadia I bought about a year and a half ago. First the transmission was so severely damaged that the SUV was in the shop for a whole month. I was stranded at home and had to beg for rides. Then the steering went bad. Now there is something going on with the electrical components. Came out on a cold day to find my car dead. Changed the battery only to see the car after being locked outside for 4 hours, the radio, lights and the inside console all came on automatically and kept on. The service engine light was on and after driving the engine delayed to turn off even after the ignition was off. Now my mechanic is saying I have a leak .