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:

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  I would not recommend to a family or friend - 2017 GMC Acadia
  By Jason - July 19 - 8:21 am

  I agree with all the negative reviews. The issues I’m having and have had are in the sensors. I’m having a couple of sensors go out on me every year and the repair is very costly. For example, recent sensor issue was with the emergency brake. Cost to fix over a thousand. Two weeks prior to that radiator fan sensor went bad. Cost close to a thousand to fix. Prior to that shifter sensor. That went bad twice. First time replacement was on the shifter. The second time went bad and the they replaces the harness shifter. It’s been a nightmare. My wife and I share a car. We have seen a lot of loaner cars since we purchased this car. Other issues, passenger number rusted. Onsar sensor went bad and they had to replace the entire housing unit. Had issue with the roof flapper. They changed the clip on that. I’m sure there’s couple more issues, I just can’t remember what they are without going through my service maintenance history. This is a GMC Acadia 2017 Sport Denali. So it doesn’t matter what trim you get, the cheap trim or very expensive trim like mine, you’ll have problems either way. We decided to buy the expensive trim because my wife and I decided to share the vehicle and didn’t want to have problems with the car for this reason. The only thing I have to say is the dealership has been good to us in regards to giving us loaners and shuttling me back and forth from work when needed. I don’t know why these sensor fixes are costing thousands of dollars to fix? Can it be due to the loaner car costs being baked into the overall fix? I’m just not sure. I did buy a car warranty for $3k but I’m finding out the dealership is charging so much money that the warranty is only covering about 50 percent of the bill. This is adding up to be a lot. Looking back I made a big mistake buying this car. I’m now looking at trading it in. I’m looking at companies that are giving 100,000 mile warranties. I’m just tired and wish these sensor were better designed and more reliable.

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  Like a Toddler - This car needs constant attention - 2009 GMC Acadia
  By Tiffany - January 14 - 4:59 pm

  In 2014 we bought a 2009 with 60,000 miles. It was a one owner vehicle with low miles. Nearing a year later and not even putting 10,000 miles on it we have had to have continuous repairs done. Luckily we purchased the extended warranty offered thru the bank. The navigation went out. The front day running light burned out. The lift gate stopped working. Replaced the entire exhaust system. Replaced the Rack and Pinion, tie rods, steering hose, front and rear brakes. I am now hearing a vibrating rattle noise and just noticed that the rear heat does not work and blows cold air. Overall the car blows!

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  Completely unreliable and poorly designed. - 2010 GMC Acadia
  By Peter - January 3 - 7:34 am

  After years of import ownership, we proudly decided to try American one more time. Detroit was back, everyone said. Fulfilling our patriotic duty, we purchased our 2010 Acadia used about 2-1/2 years ago for my wife. First, what sold us: REAR SEATS: No other SUV in its class made good use of space in the back. The availability of a 3rd row, 2nd-row bucket seats, and the easy, one-handed maneuverability of those seats was one of the biggest selling points to us (we had a kid on the way). Its a mid-size SUV that allocates space as if its a large SUV or minivan. GENERAL STYLING/COMFORT: At a glance, and during a test drive, the look and feel of the vehicle struck us. It doesnt drive like a truck. Its a smooth, comfortable ride. And its sharp. Why well never buy American again: UNRELIABILITY: I cannot overstate how a) unreliable the Acadia is, and b) how difficult and expensive it is to repair. It was engineered in such a way that routine maintenance is not at all routine, and minor to moderate repairs are major. For example, if you need to replace a headlamp (a 20-minute job on most vehicles), you must loosen the wheel well cover, the bumper cover, and the grill and surrounding trim before you can even access the headlamp. Thats dozens of bolts that must be removed or loosened just to change a bulb. A peristent A/C leak plagued our vehicle for two summers until it was determined the coil needed to be replaced. A moderate repair on most vehicles, this one cost us about $1600 and two days in the shop (the coil inexplicably must be accessed by removing the dashboard). Weve also had endless problems with the front suspension and linkages. The Acadia is in the shop every 2-3 months, on average, for problems big and small not counting routine maintenance like oil changes. For comparison, my German-made vehicle is in the shop 1-2 times A YEAR. We spend many hundreds (if not thousands) more maintaining the Acadia than our other car. The conventional wisdom that American cars are cheaper to maintain no longer applies. And then there are the recall notices stuffing our mailbox. But you already knew about those. In short, Detroit is not back.

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  Do not buy this car 2 - 2010 GMC Acadia
  By Erica - January 2 - 12:23 pm

  Cannot comment or add to my original review, so Im adding another one. I posted my review in October, 3 days after we got it back with a rebuilt engine, the motor was losing oil, bear in mind there was never an oil light, but we checked the oil every other day, we took a 2 hour trip, then had to drive another hour to help a friend, apparently that was just too much for the engine, in that time it had used up the oil and simply died on a random country road. Spun a bearing. Second motor in 6 months. No one will rebuild or sell this motor because they cant warranty it, its such poor quality. Id like to add that the traverse, escalade, Acadia, and enclave all have this motor. I wont be buying any of them either. When we get another motor in this car we will be taking it directly from the mechanic to be traded in. Ill have at least 6 grand added to the cost of a new vehicle, if I get the average trade in value for this hunk of junk.

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  AMAZINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE POOR console layout - 2015 GMC Acadia
  By Drew - January 1 - 8:51 pm

  After extensive reviews of this vehicle (edmunds.com, consumer reports/consumer search, cars.com), its surprising that not a single review comments on the uncomfortable headrests and unfriendly layout of the most-used console features. Front seat headrests are so uncomfortable that I contemplate selling this brand new vehicle on a weekly basis, and swapping it for similar SUV from Nissan or Toyota. Unfortunately, its not exactly like returning a piece of clothing to a store for a refund. The headrests (both driver and passenger) cause the head to protrude so much that it creates MAJOR discomfort. I ended up removing and reversing the position of the headrest, so that it essentially faces backwards. The layout of the center console buttons are considerably cumbersome and unfriendly. For example, the front cupholder is really not usable if planning to use the 12 volt outlet (i.e., for a phone charger or radar detector). The button to open the rear lift gate is immediately next to the 12 volt outlet/front cupholder, so it can be triggered inadvertently, and is really annoying. For example, the lift gate can be opened at most inopportune time, with vehicle already parked in garage or backed up to a wall. That happened twice (first time, passenger was plugging USB cord into the receptacle, triggering the lift gate second time removing outlet plug adapter). The front seat heaters are really nice for Chicago weather (or any cold weather), but the buttons are lower on the center console than they could be and can easily distract when trying to adjust while driving. The wifi that GMC so proudly boasts of is only 3G, which is basically useless. However, it becomes really annoying because anytime I try to use my phone (for bluetooth streaming of calls/music/Pandora) the phones wifi connection asks to select the signal. Since the GMC is only 3G, it is never fast enough to be useful. Thus, I must turn phones wifi connection OFF in order for the phone to work properly. That is a MAJOR pain in the ass when driving or as a passenger. Also, I find the bluetooth a bit slower than Ive found in other vehicles/radios (Infiniti I35 w/aftermarket Clarion stereo, Toyota Sienna w/OEM radio, Toyota Tundra w/aftermarket Sony stereo). The handling/road holding is excellent (have driven in rain, 1-2 inches of sleet, and 3 inches of snow). It is an assuring and comforting feeling. Gas mileage is NOWHERE close to the estimated specs listed on any of the websites. I drove from Chicago to Benton Harbor, MI (all highway, avg 65-70 mph), and mpg was only 19 mpg (not the 23-24 mpg listed on websites). It is nice that the vehicle uses 87 octane gas, so that will save $ in the long run. In hindsight, I regret not test driving Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota Highlander.

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  Pain in the butt - 2007 GMC Acadia
  By Andy - December 27 - 9:15 pm

  I replaced transmission and motor. Car is always leaking water in to it. I have more sensors going off than I can count. Just a lot of problems for such a expensive car.

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  PAINFUL!!! Thank to bad seats - 2015 GMC Acadia
  By Katarina - December 12 - 6:46 pm

  No matter how I adjust the headrest it kills me. Im 59" my other passenger 6 & we are both Extremely uncomfortable. My neck and upper back used to hurt every time I sat in the car, since it throws me off SO BAD now my muscles near and around cervical area hurt and my muscles and upper thoracic area kill! These seats were designed for obese people with back fat. Something that my passengers and I are not!

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  Turn on the theft-deterrent alarm system - 2008 GMC Acadia
  By Ismael - November 30 - 12:04 pm

  The acadia turn on the theft-deterrent alarm system and I follow up the instruction of manual many times, but the alarm no turn off, I had to change the fuse (2amp) and the alarm turn off and I can turn on my car, now the alarm turn on one time by day, change the fuse and and go, any body to know what happen with this and how I can fix. thanks!!

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  The Acadia Denali is a winner. - 2015 GMC Acadia
  By Perry - November 29 - 6:22 pm

  The Acadia is a good vehicle. The Denali Trim makes it a great vehicle. Everywhere you look, there is some added feature make the car better. My favorite is the heads up display.

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  Transmission Problems - 2011 GMC Acadia
  By its me - November 13 - 12:23 pm

  My husband brought this 2011 vehicle in March of 2015 and Im now having transmission problems. WHY is it that this 2011 with only 83,867 miles on it having transmission problems????????? I also hate the silver lining around the vents, the sun blinds you from it. The front headrest are not comfortable. The navi is very generic and plain. I cannot Bluetooth my droid which is a BIG problem for me. I was he hadnt purchased this for me. I really HATE it. Now we have to worry about either getting a new trans or trading it in. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE.......