GMC Acadia History
The GMC Acadia is an eight-passenger full-size crossover designed to replace the minivan in your family's driveway.
With the Acadia, GMC joined a family of vehicles that at one point included the Saturn Outlook and Saab 9-4X. Now the remaining members along with the Acadia are the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave.
See our full review of the 2013 GMC Acadia for more on those latest models, including pricing with options and specifications.
The Acadia has been on the market for five model years, and received an update for the 2013 model year. When it was new in the 2007 model year, the big Acadia replaced three vehicles sold by both the GMC and Pontiac brands: the GMC Envoy, the Envoy XL and the Pontiac Montana SV6 minivan. It was the first unibody vehicle from GMC, as well as its first front-wheel-drive model.
The Acadia can be ordered with all-wheel drive, but since there’s no two-speed transfer case or four-wheel-drive low range, there really isn't much off-road capability.
The big GMC crossover is relatively pricey, though it does boast a 288-horsepower, direct-injected 3.6-liter V-6 and a six-speed automatic transmission. Most of its rivals, such as the Mazda CX-9, Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander, start several thousand dollars below this price point, but are less powerful and can't match the Acadia's 5,200-pound towing capacity. The EPA rates the most efficient model, the front-wheel-drive Acadia, at 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, although these figures may be a little hard to match in real-world driving.
The GMC Acadia is still very practical and offers seating for up to eight thanks to its standard third-row bench. The third row's a real third row, too, and behind it, there's even 20 cubic feet of additional storage space. By folding down the second and third rows of seats, drivers can convert the seating space into cargo space of more than 115 cubic feet. The Acadia can also be ordered with seven seats, with the second-row bench replaced by two captain’s chairs.
The Acadia comes in four trim levels: SL, SLE, SLT and Denali. Standard features for all models include cruise control, full power accessories, front and rear air conditioning, and a full array of airbags. Options include 20-inch chrome wheels, unique roof racks and an iPod/USB port located in the bin atop the center air vents. The Denali doesn't get a distinct drivetrain, but it does receive new grille and bumpers, HID headlamps, 20-inch wheels, tri-zone climate control, DVD navigation with real-time traffic, Bluetooth connectivity, leather trim and heated and ventilated front seats.
The 2012 Acadia got two new colors and an accessory power outlet on the console plus new blind-spot mirrors. The Denali version also added hill-hold technology and brake override of the accelerator pedal.
For the current 2013 model year, the Acadia at last got a more extensive refresh, including a completely new three-slot grille and front-end design, new LED running lamps, new taillamps, and a new rear spoiler, plus an upgraded interior with more soft-touch surfaces plus French stitching and ambient lighting. Denali models became even more luxurious, with a new power steering-column adjustment and power front passenger seat. Powertrains carried over, although GM did retune the transmission controls for smoothness.
Also in the 2013 Acadia, infotainment offerings were refreshed to include Color Touch Radio systems with HD Radio, satellite radio, and touchscreens. And there's a new suite of active-safety options plus a standard front-center airbag system.
