Used 2017 GMC Acadia Consumer Reviews
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Moved from Honda and Toyota to GMC
Hilde, 04/22/2017
2017 GMC Acadia Denali 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
97 of 100 people found this review helpful
We had owned a 201 Honda Pilot EX-L and we really thought it fit our needs well. We had several mechanical issues over the course of ownership, though, and some recent trouble with it - plus the 120k miles - and we were ready for a new vehicle. My wife and two young daughters test drove the new Pilot and Highlander and none of us liked them. Really, at all. Even though I wanted to like them, I just didn't. Then we test drove a 2017 Acadia Denali. We all liked this car much more than our 2010 Pilot - and WAAAYYYY more than the new Pilot and Highlander cars we test drove. We did a pile of research and decided to go forward with the purchase. It was easy to find one trimmed like we wanted. We were realistic - we were used to the space the 2010 Pilot had and this vehicle has less; that is just a fact. However, it rides better, gets better mileage, has a simpler dash and climate/infotainment interface/controls. A few drawbacks - the USB ports which are all over the place (in a good way) - are labeled as not to be used for charging devices. To me, that is really their sole purpose (beyond the option to plug in a USB drive with music in the front dash). I haven't tried using them for charging but I assume they will charge a device. Another mild drawback is the faux wood trim panels. It is pretty 'faux' - I'd rather have a satin metal look than this plastic wood - and this is in the "Denali" trim (which to me is the luxury level - "Professional Grade"). There is an occasional 'shudder' when driving it - like a transmission shift-point confusion or maybe the 2 cylinder shutdown process. It has only happened a few times and it isn't a big deal but you can 'feel' something odd for a few moments while driving. The climate controls are easy to use/understand - I struggle with some of the cars out today that have buttons/knobs with multiple icons on them and you need to take 10 minutes to figure out how to do what you want. The Acadia system is simple. Same with the touchscreen - it isn't full of visual noise. It's a few big icons/tiles. The seats are comfortable, road noise is minimal and the interior is just a wonderful place to be. I go sit in the car in the driveway :) The kids love the 'captains' chairs they get (and the heat option). The third row seats are comfortable, too and there is space for adults. If you use them, though, you are just about out of space - there isn't much if you flip those 3rd row seats up. We took an 8 hr trip recently with the car and it performed well - highway driving and long-term sitting/travelling was fine for all of us. The car accelerates strongly and handles well - much better than our 2010 Pilot. The various drive controls (2w/AW/sport/etc) are easy to use/switch and seem to give it a bit more oompf and 'sportier' handling. A drawback - there isn't a dash indication of what mode you're in. Another drawback - there aren't blinkers on the sideview mirrors - this is a good safety feature to me on the highway when changing lanes to indicate to drivers on your diagonal that you're moving over. The wheels are glorious and I favor Michelin tires and our model has them. The interior lighting is nice and the LED DRLs are great. Some reviews say it's hard to see at night w/ the headlights - I don't share that viewpoint at all - the HIDs light the road very well. The bright lights are maybe a bit dimmer than one might expect but I don't feel it's limiting in any way. As to 'active safety' there is a lot going on - there is low speed help w/ 360 degree camera 'bird's eye' coverage - helpful when parking/backing out of the garage, etc. The backup camera is nice; the guidelines curve as the steering wheel is turned. A helpful feature is the seat vibrates to let the driver know there is something to be aware of - if there is an 'object' on the left, the left side of the seat vibrates (same w/ the right). If it is in front/behind, the whole seat vibrates. You can change this to a beep if the seat vibrating freaks you out. I'd like to be able to have both - audible and vibration - but that isn't a choice; it's either/or. There is also low-speed and automatic braking if the car senses objects in front - I can't tell if this works or not. There is also the adaptive cruise control (related to the auto-braking) and this does work - it was nice on our recent trip - if I approached a vehicle in my lane, cruise would ease back and hold until I switched lanes (or the other car did) and then it would resume my set speed. It did this without gunning the throttle, either - I've been in those cars where 'resume' thinks it's a race back to the set speed. I can't say much about the reliability yet. Fuel economy is fine/as expected. The dash has several 'modes' that you can cycle through to see instant fuel economy/per trip/per last xx miles, etc. On our road trip, I think we were getting 26 mpg on the highway (there is a feature to turn off 2 of the 6 cyl).
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Leasing 2017 Acadia Denali AWD
Pete Romano, 09/07/2016
2017 GMC Acadia Denali 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
80 of 86 people found this review helpful
Leasing a 2017 GMC Acadia Denali. Have had it for a month, and for me, l love the new size (Similar footprint to a Pilot, Highlander). GM really has infoitainment down. It is dead simple to use, the combination of touch screen and hard buttons is intuitive, and terrific to use. Also has both Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The safety features all work as promised. I looked at most of the competition (Pilot, Highlander, Explorer, XC90, MDX, Pathfinder), and the combination of near luxury feel, great in car technology and the new styling just for me put it ahead of the competition. I really liked the XC90, but was hesistant to get into a first year Volvo model, and the large touch screen I thought was not as intuitive as advertised. This is my first American car in 30+ years (Coming out of an 08 MDX), and have to say the Acadia Denali is a great alternative to the mass Asian/Koreans, and the near lux competitors. If you still need the larger size, GMC is selling the previous body style as the Acadia Limited, and you can still opt for the Traverse/Enclave. Areas of improvement would be more exterior colors, and the use of real wood versus the fake veneers. I also would have preferred more interior leather colors, but I guess GM needs to maintain separation between GMC and Cadillac.
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Excellent value for the money
Mike C, 08/11/2016
2017 GMC Acadia SLT-1 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
46 of 49 people found this review helpful
I looked at several vehicles before settling on the 2017 GMC Arcadia. I'm a very flashy guy and have been driving the 2013 Cadillac XTS. However after having two small kids and needing the hall things from time to time it was time to grow up and get something more family from friendly. however after having two small kids and needing the haul things from time to time it was time to grow up and get something more family friendly. I looked at for something stylish and full of tech features. And I found that and the Arcadia is not too big not too small it seems to be just right. I got the Captain chairs in the back my only complaint would be that my two year old can fiddle with the rear heat and air conditioner controls in the back. It seems like everything is too easily in his reach. But that's the nature of having the two year old. But for the money and my budget this truck does his purpose is not a MDX or Cadillac XT5 but is well worth the money.
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Could like the car
R.W., 11/01/2016
updated 12/14/2016
2017 GMC Acadia Denali 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
Coming from a 2007 Envoy, the front seats come up short on the 2017 Acadia. The Envoy had very comfortable front row seats for all day driving. The front row seat bottom on the new Acadia is much shorter and only comes mid thigh. It would not be very uncomfortable for all day driving. Only other negative complaint I have about the new Acadia, is that in order to have the bodyside molding's painted to match the vehicle you have to upgrade to a Denali. That's a lot of extra money for a nice paint job. The car handles nicely and the 3.6 L has power to spare.
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Shifty Gmc.
Stormy, 08/05/2018
2017 GMC Acadia SLT-2 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
55 of 62 people found this review helpful
2107 Acadia. Shift to park problem that does not allow the car electronics to turn off. Must restart several times and wiggle the stick forward and backward to eventually correct. Gm knows the problem and does nothing to correct saying they working on what to do. No concern for the continuous problem the cust must be frustrated with on a daily basis. No effort to replace the shifting mechanisms. . So just wait and live with it. Unacceptable. Do not buy this car. Most all other cars stick shift mechanisms work properly.
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The design won me over, but.....
Matt Adams, 05/04/2018
2017 GMC Acadia SLT-2 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a good size SUV after wanting something AWD when trading in my 2015 Kia Optima EX.... The Acadia All Terrain SLE2 won me over and I love the way it looks and drives. I bought the one with the bench rear seat and dual sunroof. The V6 has plenty of power and the AWD system is amazing, in my opinion. I feel very safe driving this. Now for the bad, after 6,000 miles I got an error one day stating "Low Engine Power Mode"... immediately took it in and they replaced the electronic pedal system. Fixed the issue. A few miles later the driveshaft started making a ticking noise and got very loud after driving for a while, mainly over bumps and even the smallest ones it would make a noise... Not normal. The dealership replaced something due to a recall. Fixed the issue. Randomly the lights will all flash.. but since I can't duplicate it.. dealerships have no interest or idea what could have happened. The sunroof had to be realigned and still makes a cracking noise when closing and sometimes bounces back to open... I found water inside the rear glass when washing.. Today I get in after it had been raining all night and my passenger side has standing water... Brake plate on the driver side rattles like crazy.. I think this car had great "initial quality", but this will be my last GM product. I put 60,000 on my Kia from buying it new and not ONE problem.. $46,000 for this is way too much.... Too bad I can't trade it in since with 12,000 miles its worth about $20,000 less than what I paid for it.
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The Big Terrain is a great family vehicle
John L, 11/12/2016
2017 GMC Acadia Denali 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
47 of 54 people found this review helpful
We traded our 2013 Acadia Denali AWD for the 2017 comparably equipped. The first thing you notice is the cargo area is (somewhat meaningfully) smaller and the exterior looks a lot like the old Envoy (we viewed it as a downgrade vs the previous mode Acadias). From the exterior it looks like a super sized Terrain but is much roomier inside. While the cargo space was a hangup they did a great job preserving very comfortable passenger space in the first and second rows. The 3rd row is now 2 seats and tight but it was tight before and nobody would try to seat 3 people of any size back there anyway. There is a huge difference in the feel of driving this. It now handles like a crossover and not a truck. I think the transmission is smoother, it all feels much lighter and it's still very comfortable on highway. The infotainment system is a revolution from the previous (and awful) GMC system. Apple CarPlay is intuitive, reliable and simple. Great interface, especially for navigation. Safety features are also a plus. The backup sensors vibrate the driver's seat if you're getting too close going either forward or backward and the forward parking camera is a good addition to the rear camera and cross-traffic sensors. There is also a red indicator on the windshield and seat vibration if someone brakes in front of you (or 2 cars in front) while at speed which is effective but subtle. While we miss the cargo room, let's be honest: at least in suburbia this vehicle is a kid-hauler and not a large cargo transport and you won't miss the extra cargo space 95% of the time. We do miss the heads up display (HUD) that was eliminated in the 2017. All in all we've been very happy with the redesign and love this car.
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Fantastic car
a.v., 10/04/2016
2017 GMC Acadia SLT-1 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
23 of 26 people found this review helpful
I've never owned a GM before -- always Fords or Japanese cars. But this is a great car, just the right blend of size, versatility, fuel economy, and luxury. It is a pleasure to drive. The electronics are extremely well designed -- responsive, intuitive, functional. We chose this over the Honda Pilot, Kia Sorrento, and Ford Explorer, mostly because we liked the styling and the use of space. We're really happy with it.
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Acadia Lives in Repair Shop
rlitton, 07/04/2017
2017 GMC Acadia Denali 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
34 of 40 people found this review helpful
Loved the car when we bought it. Good features overall but not as good as the Caddy I traded. Then the nightmare begins. the car has been in the shop for a total of 14 days on 3 occasions and is currently still there. A few problems that are not minor. 1. transmission leak, dealer did not have parts to repair and had to order. Mechanic broke the spindle nut putting it back together, and dealer did not have the part took days to get. 2. leaking rear shock and bad spring bushing, you guessed it, dealer did not have parts. 3. rear wheels out of alignment from factory wore tires to cord before discovered. shop says came from factory out of alignment. really frustrated with the vehicle. might have a lemon on my hands. One positive is the dealer has been very good to work with so far. going to contact GMC for a meeting with their rep.
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Expensive cheap car
Naberdeen, 09/12/2019
2017 GMC Acadia SLE-1 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
I leased a SLE-1 2.5L 4cyl model new in 2017. Currently I have put 31000 miles on this vehicle so now it's time to review. First are complaints: Biggest complaint so far is the auto start/stop function; I absolutely hate this feature on this car. There is no apparent way to disable it (I've found the workaround) and the design of the system is just terrible. I've noticed on rainy days that when I come to a stop and the motor shuts off, it immediately starts back up again. So no gas savings or benefit to this system whatsoever; just extra wear and tear on the engine and starter. Next biggest complaint is the tires that GM put on this vehicle from the factory: Michelin Premiers. While they were quiet the entire life of the tire, they only lasted 24,000 miles. It is disappointing that I had to put tires on this car that soon; a car that is marketed as a family car. Another complaint is the automatic HVAC system is lousy. It does not regulate the temperature well at all. I have to constantly adjust it. Another complaint is the headlights; they are not adequate and it's hard to see at night. Bright lights do absolutely nothing but move the beams upward. Then there's the radio: whoever designed the radio in this car has never driven a car before in their life. It is not intuitive, display brightness is not adjustable, and it's just plain terrible. For the first year of leasing this vehicle, the radio display would not dim with the headlights at night, which made it incredibly unsafe to drive. Thankfully GM eventually fixed that issue with a reprogram of the radio but again, it took them a year. Interior components are mediocre, at best. Certainly not up to par with the price point this car is set at. Onstar is also annoying with its advertising every few months. Now for the good: Car drives absolutely great. It's quiet, gets great fuel economy (28-29 mpg hwy), and it is very comfortable to drive. I have had no mechanical issues whatsoever in the 31000 miles I have put on this car. I test drove both this and a Dodge Journey before settling with the Acadia and there simply is no comparison. This car is far superior in how it handles and drives. I don't really understand the complaints about the 2.5L 4 cyl; it provides adequate power to move the car. It is certainly no rocket ship but I feel safe driving this car, even on the interstate. I average 20k miles per year of highway driving and never had a performance issue. You just have to know your limitations. Final thoughts: Very comfortable to drive, decent looks and room. However the Auto start/stop, radio, and Onstar make it a deal breaker for me. I would not own another one, especially if I have to put tires on it after 24,000 miles.
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