GMC Acadia

First Drive: 2007 GMC Acadia - Previews

A refined crossover that outperforms the truck-like Yukon in everything except towing.BY MARK GILLIES, December 2006

Until now, General Motors has put most of its SUV eggs in the traditional body-on-frame basket. But beginning late December, the General will sell full-size crossover SUVs in GMC dealerships. (The Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave versions will follow shortly, with a Chevrolet likely to follow at a later date.) These are all based on the so-called Lambda architecture, which is available in front- or all-wheel drive and uses car-like unit-body construction. The first of them we got our hands on is the GMC Acadia, which goes on sale in front-drive SLE form for $29,990. The fully loaded all-wheel-drive Acadia SLT-2 that we drove had a sticker of $44,985. Depending on configuration, the Acadia seats seven or eight passengers, in three rows of seats.

Powertrain: There are no choices
The Acadia—as well as the Buick and Saturn versions—are available at launch with one powertrain: a 3.6-liter, dual-overhead cam, 24-valve V-6 engine that employs variable valve timing, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine makes 275 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 251 pound feet of torque at 3200 rpm.

These are not petite utes

The Acadia is a large beast, with a 118.9-inch wheelbase and a 67.3-inch track. The vehicle has an independent suspension at all four corners, with struts, lower control arms and an anti-roll bar at the front, and an H-arm and coil spring rear layout. Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is standard on the SLE, with a variable-effort system on SLT models. Acadias are equipped with 18-inch wheels and tires, with 19-inch versions available at extra cost. Base Acadias have front-wheel drive: pony up around $2000 more, and there’s an all-wheel-drive system that uses a clutch pack to apportion torque between the front and rear wheels, depending on vehicle speed, throttle position, and road conditions. Acadias can tow up to 4500 pounds if buyers specify the optional $425 trailering package.

Stability control comes standard

The Acadia has the full complement of airbags that now seem to be de rigueur: dual front airbags for the driver and passenger, seat side-mounted front-row airbags, and full-length curtain airbags for all three rows of passengers. Before you get yourself into a situation where the airbags come to the rescue, GMC places a lot of emphasis on the Acadia’s dynamic safety features, such as handling that’s more car-like than a traditional SUV’s, its four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, and the standard StabiliTrak stability-control system that incorporates rollover mitigation.

Interior:
More accommodating than a Yukon’sThe first thing you’ll notice about the interior of the Acadia is that it’s huge, with more usable space than GMC’s traditional full-size truck, the Yukon. There are three rows of seats in two configurations: standard second-row captain’s chairs for two passengers, or an available split/folding second-row bench that accommodates three people. The rear bench takes three passengers, giving seating for seven or eight. The third-row cushion is a bit low for grown-ups, but kids are unlikely to complain—especially if you shut them up by ordering the DVD entertainment system. It’s also way better than the Yukon’s hopeless third row. With the captain’s chairs, access to the third row is excellent.Whether you order the bench or the captain’s chairs, the center row seats slide fore and aft. The second- and third-row seats fold to give a flat load area, one that varies between 20 cubic feet with the third row in place to 117 cubic feet with the second- and third rows stowed. There’s 69 cu ft of space behind the second-row seats.
The interior design is attractive, but the materials aren’t quite as upscale as GM would have people believe. The chrome plastic trim on the air vents looks, well, like plastic chrome, and there is an awful lot of hard plastic on display. Against that, head- and legroom are exemplary in the first two rows.

A sea of options

In typical GM fashion, the base Acadia is pretty basic. A six-speaker audio system that plays CDs and MP3s is standard, along with remote keyless entry and the sliding middle-row seats. Power locks, windows, and mirrors are also included, but if you want tri-zone climate control, rear audio controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and heated, leather-covered power front seats, then you have to go for the SLT-1 trim package. This starts at $33,990 in front-drive guise. The SLT-2, which runs at $36,105, adds XM Satellite radio, rear park assist, a power rear liftgate, and remote start.
Stand-alone options include a Panasonic DVD entertainment system ($1295); a touch-screen navigation system ($2145); the so-called dual skyscape sunroof that features a conventional sliding glass sunroof over the front-seat occupants and a glass panel over the middle row ($1300—ouch!); nineteen-inch bright-finish wheels ($1295); High Intensity Discharge headlamps ($500); and a head-up system that projects information onto the windshield ($350). The pricing of some of these features is BMW-esque, which is a good thing only for GM’s bottom line.

No slop behind the wheel

For anyone used to the sloppy road manners of full-size truck-based SUVs, the Acadia is a revelation. The steering is precise and accurate, the handling is poised, body control in the twisties is excellent, and the ride is well controlled and supple. Head toss is minimal compared with, say, a GMC Yukon. The brakes have a firm pedal feel, and are able to woe the 5000-pound Acadia with aplomb.

That weight explains why the Acadia feels a bit of a slug at certain speeds on the highway. We expect a 0-to-60-mph time around eight seconds, which is decent, but the transmission starts hunting at 80 mph on the highway when even slight grades are encountered. The V-6 engine is reasonably muted at low speed, but get into the throttle hard for passing at speed and the engine becomes intrusive. And the driver has to really get into the throttle—tip-in is way too stiff, unusual on an American vehicle. The new six-speed transmission is quite refined, but manual shifting is effected by a button on the shift lever, which isn’t the most intuitive way to achieve this.

How does it stack up?

The Acadia is a fine large crossover SUV: good looking, spacious, and nice to drive, too. At $45,000 fully loaded, it’s straying into competition with some smaller luxury trucks, such as the Mercedes ML350 and Volvo XC90, but if a buyer can keep the tag in the mid- to high $30,000 bracket, it offers a lot of vehicle for the money. It gives more space and handles better than a Honda Pilot, for instance, and is a much more pleasing vehicle to drive than GM’s full-size body-on-frame SUVs, the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe. While critics argue that GM needs a smaller crossover SUV more urgently than a full-size version, the Acadia is certainly worth a look if you’re in the market for a family hauler.