2017 GMC Acadia Review

If you desire maximum passenger capacity and can do without some of the latest features offered on Acadia, the base SL trim has plenty of room and plenty of basic amenities. For a more full-featured vehicle, the SLE2 trim with the optional V6 engine and the Driver Alert package is a good place to st...

Overall feel from the steering, the brakes, the pedal and suspension is excellent. It's very well tuned for this kind of vehicle. The V6 is strong at all speeds, and the transmission is responsive to your gas pedal inputs.

When equipped with the V6 engine, the Acadia is never at a loss for power. It takes off from a stop quickly and pulls up hills with ease. We measured a 0-to-60 mph time of 6.3 seconds, which is impressive for a vehicle of this size.

The Acadia has a well-tuned braking system that drivers of all types will find accommodating. An easy-to-modulate pedal and plenty of stopping power. Our testing showed that, even after multiple aggressive stops, there was no loss of stopping power.

Lightly weighted steering makes it easy to maneuver in parking lots and at speed on the highway. The drawback, however, is limited road feel when you're driving around turns.

It tends to want to push wide in turns, which is typical in a vehicle like this, but overall it handles its considerable weight quite well.

Overall feel from the steering, the brakes, the pedal and suspension is excellent. It's very well tuned for this kind of vehicle. The V6 is strong at all speeds, and the transmission is responsive to your gas pedal inputs.

The optional All Terrain package adds hill descent control and a more sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. Both items are helpful off-road, but with only 7.2 inches of ground clearance and 20-inch all-season tires, it's better suited to snow-covered roads, not rocky trails.

The Acadia is a very comfortable vehicle for road trips or daily errands. The Acadia has soft, forgiving seats and a compliant suspension that smooths out most road imperfections. Road and wind noise is also kept well in check.

The front seats don't have aggressive bolstering but are comfortable over several hours. The rear seats have short cushions but are well contoured. The third row is tighter than in the previous Acadia. There's enough room for carpool duty, but longer trips would be uncomfortable even for kids.

The Acadia gets high marks. It soaks up rough roads very well and with very little cabin noise intrusion. It's not too soft and always feels in control. The All Terrain model is surprisingly supple for a vehicle with 20-inch wheels and tires.

Very quiet on the road. There's minimal wind or road noise when you're driving on the highway, and engine noise rarely intrudes. High marks.

There's a dual automatic climate control up front along with additional controls for the rear. The layout is simple with minimal buttons. There are eight fan speeds, and the lowest speed is acceptably low. Dual seat heaters (back/cushion) and ventilation are available depending on trim.

The overall design of the interior is straightforward with easy-to-use controls. It feels more like a car from behind the wheel compared to some of its competitors, but outward visibility is about the same. Shorter drivers will appreciate its relatively low step-in height.

The Acadia uses the same overall layout as the GMC Sierra pickup, which is good. A minimal number of knobs and buttons makes it easy to figure things out. But it's not very luxurious looking.

A low step-in height makes it very easy to get in and out. An average-size adult will fall slightly when getting in, so there's no climbing up into the Acadia. The doors are light, and they open wide. We're not fans of the door handle design, however, because the handles can pinch fingers easily.

Feels more carlike than the Honda Pilot. The windshield angle is steep, but the base of the windshield sits low. You can rest your elbows easily on the door and the center console.

With the seat all the way back, you can barely reach the pedals. And your head is nowhere near the ceiling. The high console makes it feel a little tight up front. The second row is about average, but the third row is very tight.

The steep windshield angle reduces the overall view forward. The windshield pillars are average-size. The rearmost pillars are thick with smallish back windows. The mirrors are average size. The rearview camera has good coverage but not the clearest picture.

Inside, the parking button is off center. The quarter panels at the front roof pillar don't line up on the inside or outside. Other interior areas look and feel fine.

There's a decent amount of space with the second row folded, but the 2017 Acadia isn't outstanding in any other areas. There's not an abundance of storage space up front, and the limited area behind the third row means you need to pack light.

The center console is deep but square, so it doesn't fit anything longer than a pen. There is a small bin in front of the shifter for things such as keys. The shallow door bins don't hold anything very sizable. There's an average-sized glovebox and a place for sunglasses in the overhead console.

Open the liftgate and you've got a wide, unobstructed cargo floor (with the third-row seat folded) to work with. Remote-release handles make it easy to fold the second row. Note, however, that with the optional third row in place, there's only enough space for a couple duffle bags.

We like the easy-to-find LATCH attachment anchor points. The raised center seat on models with the second-row bench makes it more awkward to fit a child seat in the middle.

Towing capacity is 4,000 pounds, which is 1,000 pounds less than that of most competitors.

The touchscreen technology interface used in the Acadia is one of the easier systems to use at a glance. It favors the features you use most often, which is a plus. Bluetooth pairing is quick and easy.

The standard GM touchscreen interface is generally good thanks to simple menus and large, easy-to-read icons. There are knobs for tuning and volume, which are always a plus. The rest of the controls are kept to a minimum to reduce clutter.

Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. Bluetooth pairing is simple and quick.