Used 2011 GMC Acadia Consumer Reviews
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Buy an Acadia they said!
NICOLE, 11/14/2018
updated 11/18/2019
2011 GMC Acadia SL 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
I absolutely loved this SUV. In fact I had originally planned on upgrading to a new in the next year or two....not anymore. It is my first GMC and the worst vehicle I have ever owned. Today it almost killed me so of course I turn to Google and there are thousands or the exact same issues as mine. It started with a shudder and rpm revving up. Today it just wouldnt move while in fast traffic. Not to mention the rear air has gone out, front air works when it wants, I've had to replace the sensor for stabilitrack, the headlight needed to be replaced and that was 800 dollars by itself. They just couldn't make anything easy. That was a short list of issues I've had since purchase and every issue has had numerous complaints. I'm nowhere near a mechanic but I've been able to figure it all out just by looking in the forums. Buyer beware if you choose GMC.
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Run away
Jamie, 07/24/2019
2011 GMC Acadia SLE 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
There are a lot of things that look great about this car at first glance. The styling is good, great size, very spacious interior, etc. However, in the three years since we bought it this thing has been in the shop for extensive maintenance at least 12 times. Between the bad strut mounts, broken rear lift gate, battery corrosion, bad starter, bad alternator, contaminated chassis module, defective spark plugs, front axle replacement, leaking power steering fluid, oil leaks, and numerous headlight replacements, we've had enough. Again, all in 3 years. We're at 135k miles, but the list of issues is endless. As soon as you fix one thing, you'll have 4 more pop up. We can't wait to get rid of this car and get something reliable that won't require a tow every 3 months. RUN AWAY!!!
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Luxury SUV without the quality - at a luxury price
Not a fan, 10/28/2016
2011 GMC Acadia SLT-2 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
First I'll just say straight-up...My husband is a GMC truck guy -- swears by them! -- and talked me into buying the Acadia instead of a foreign-made SUV. That said, this SUV doesn't meet my expectations. I call it The Beast... say no more! I purchased it used with 96,000 miles. CARFAX showed that it had been a one owner lease for four years. I was upgrading from a 2002 Volvo XC70 I'd driven for 10 years and loved. I was looking at the Volvo XC90, but decided on the Acadia since it offers the extra room for an active family of five (and a dog!), and the convenience of 2nd row captains chairs to allow easy access to the third row. The 3rd row seating is small, but offers more leg room than other vehicles with 3rd row that I'd tested. It's very good for anyone with children under 12 who can get back there and buckle themselves in. We got the DVD system, but occasionally it doesn't play DVDs that it has played before, then on another day it will play them. This isn't covered under extended warranty, and there have been so many other mechanical issues on a regular basis that I really don't want to put money into fixing it. The heat and fan selector knobs are covered with stickers that are peeling off. Cheesy, GMC! The quality of leather for seating seems to be good at least, but the style of the seats is flat and not luxurious. Not enough lumbar support for longer drives. The heated seats work great, so I use them to ease my back when I'm traveling more than a few miles. The seat belts seem to function without sticking. Bluetooth allows you to switch between phones with voice command. I have to use AUX cable for my music and/or audiobooks, which is ridiculous. The AUX in jack is easy to access, but I've spent a lot on new cables over 16 months of owning the Acadia. The headlight bulbs need to be changed by going through the wheel wells, requiring tools, patience, and skinny arms. You can't see what you're doing. Same for charging the air conditioning. Thank goodness for YouTube! Now for performance: Braking, shifting, and hugging the road are good. I'm a 45 year old mom, so I don't drive it like a maniac. The brake pedal is squeaky every time I'd use it, and the garage couldn't fix the squeak when it was brought in for routine maintenance. Annoying, but not a huge deal. Steering seems to have more play than I'd like. It is, after all, essentially a truck with lots of seating room. Like a truck, it can be hard to get in/out of for children, older folks, or others with mobility issues. For a luxury vehicle, it's noisy enough that you have to speak loudly or turn up the radio to cover the tire noise. Plus, you really feel the bumps on anything other than the highway. The traction control/Stabilitrak warning has been an issue. Even after taking it to the GMC shop four times in 16 months, it comes back on saying to service it. Also in 16 months, The Beast has ALL new brakes, rotors, struts, and an alternator. When it was in for an inspection ($1600 later) the mechanic showed me another $2000 in work that will need to be done within the next year or it won't pass inspection. He's a friend of the family, so I trust that these are serious issues and he's not running a game on me! In fact, he told me to find something within the next year before we've overspent in fixing the darn thing! It seems to chew up tires (it came with new, but we had to replace the tires in just a year), and I believe this is something to do with the Stabilitrak issues the dealership can't seem to fix. The Acadia offers little storage because of the 3rd row seat, but I do like the ease of flipping down the split seating and pulling it back up. That is better than most cars I've driven. The things I like best about the Acadia: power tailgate, ease of access to 3rd row seating, and drives really well in snow/sleet. The things I like least about the Acadia: AVERAGE of 16mpg. Which means in city driving I'm getting around 13mpg. OUCH! That is NOT what I'd read online and NOT what's stated in the specs. It's got a cheaply made interior for a luxury-ish vehicle. And finally, I dislike the incredibly poor resale or trade-in value. Essentially, in a year and a half of not really loving this vehicle, I wanted to trade in The Beast, or sell it to get something better on gas. Not so easy! It turns out that dealerships *and* Edmunds.com are telling me that it's only worth about half what we paid for it 16 months ago. Nobody wants these things! So I'm stuck with driving and paying off this crappy SUV, or rolling over the amount owed after trade-in into a different vehicle. It just got out of the shop in July and is already making another expensive-sounding noise, so I am afraid that is going to be my bad luck. Summary: NOT A FAN! Buyer beware!
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Acadia; almost as good as the National Park!
D. Nali, 01/30/2017
2011 GMC Acadia Denali 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
I have owned my 2011 Acadia Denali for 5+months now and it rides smoothly, holding the road with no noticeable roll and is comfortable for 1-7 people. My older parents have no issues getting in, enjoy the captain chairs in the middle row. It has ample room with the seats down when going to Home Depot or Lowes. Features in my Denali speak for themselves... great Bose sound, nice leather and trim and am happy to have the sunroofs back since owning a 2009. GMC/OnStar app is great, enjoying the remote start for the vehicle on these colder days, along with heated seats. As a "spirited driver", I will say MPG is better, as mentioned by someone else, at slightly better than standard speeds and without a lot of penalty even at higher speeds (unless you're stopped). Acceleration with the direct inject engine is swift and gets you where you need to be in a hurry. I haven't had any maintenance issues/requirements yet, knock on wood and it has been running solidly since purchase. I'm averaging 15.87mpg with a high of 23mpg (and I don't drive 55, legal is 70mph actually.) in 2000miles. So far, in snowfall, it's doing well... and I'll step on it a little to check out the traction/road but regular speed for conditions, it's been very safe and reliable. (Common sense factor applied (heavier vehicle, road conditions, constant other driver assessments while rolling along). I also put the effort in and invest in decent brakes and tires to ensure safety for all. I hope to be as happy in the next year or two, but had to chime in now with my current information while I had time. Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Edmunds or GMC. I am a hard working stiff with a family of 4.5 (dog) and want to ensure their safety and those around me.
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Nice crossover that smokes on cold starts
skpa, 01/21/2011
2011 GMC Acadia SLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
31 of 37 people found this review helpful
Purchased 2011 in 11/10 Acadia after much research of crossovers. Were leaning to the Pilot, but the ride and styling of the Acadia are a step above. After purchase, noticed blue and black smoke emission on cold starts for 30-45seconds. First thought was car was passing oil. Brought car to dealer. Dealer did not see any abnormal emissions. Met with GM DSM to review smoke issue. He observed cold start smoke on my Acadia. Started three new Acadias, all emitted blue and black smoke. DSM was puzzled. GM quality manager in Detroit explained fuel is pulsed to cat convrtr to accelerate heat up to prevent emissions. Condition on 10 and 11's. GM needs to eliminate smoke on cold start.
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