GMC Acadia Review

2009 GMC Acadia SLT SUV Shown

For years, building tough trucks for tough work has been the focus of GMC, General Motors' truck division. But even GMC couldn't avoid the onslaught of the crossover SUV revolution. Meet the GMC Acadia.

The all-new Acadia is a large crossover (or crossover utility vehicle, or CUV). Mechanically, it's very similar to the Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave. Thanks to its spacious interior, strong V6 engine and competitive price, the Acadia is one of the better crossover SUV choices.

Current GMC Acadia

The GMC Acadia is new for 2007 and comes in one body style only. The designers have done everything possible to tie it in with the rest of the GMC lineup of trucks. It looks tough and has a wide track and long wheelbase. The Acadia comes with front-wheel drive in its base form and all-wheel drive is available as an option.

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. The 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. And there's room for adults in the back two rows, though leg support is a bit lacking. Behind the third row, there is a respectable amount of luggage room.

The GMC Acadia comes in three trims: SLE-1, SLT-1 and SLT-2. Each comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine capable of churning out 275 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission comes standard.

Standard features include cruise control, full power accessories, front and rear air-conditioning and a full array of airbags. Stability control with roll mitigation and antilock disc brakes are also included. The base stereo is a six-speaker system with an in-dash CD player with MP3 playback. The SLT-1 and SLT-2 trims get a premium 10-speaker Bose system with a six-CD in-dash changer. Features like leather upholstery, heated front seats, power seats and tri-zone automatic climate control are also available in the higher trims.

In our road tests we found the Acadia to be quite an eye-opening drive. Handling is respectable, especially considering the vehicle's large size and hefty weight. The Acadia's V6 won't blow you away with its power, but peak torque comes on early and the vehicle moves with decent authority. We noted that the Acadia's transmission can occasionally be hesitant to downshift, blunting passing performance somewhat. But overall, our editors feel that the GMC Acadia represents a compelling combination of functionality, luxury and value.

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* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.