2017 GMC Acadia Review

The seven-passenger base SL trim is only available with a middle bench seat and comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (193 horsepower, 188 pound-feet of torque), a six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, 17-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors, keyless ignition and entry, cruise control, a driver information display, tri-zone automatic climate control, a four-way manually adjustable driver seat (two-way-adjustable front passenger seat), a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration, a rearview camera, OnStar (includes 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot) and a six-speaker stereo with a USB-auxiliary audio input.

The SLE1 trim adds only LED running lights and satellite radio, but the SLE2 steps it up with 18-inch wheels, foglights, a power liftgate with programmable height stops, roof rails, remote ignition, an eight-way power-adjustable driver seat and heated front seats. The SLE2 and above trims come standard with middle-row captain's chairs that reduce passenger capacity to six, but the second-row bench is available.

Opting for the SLT1 trim adds an auto-dimming driver-side and rearview mirror, an upgraded color driver information display, a 120-volt power outlet, a universal garage door opener, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats with lumbar adjustments, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system with a subwoofer. Also included is the Driver Alert I package that comes with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors.

The SLT2 trim adds 20-inch wheels, a 3.6-liter V6 engine (310 hp, 271 lb-ft of torque), a trailering package, driver-seat memory functions and heated outboard middle-row seats. Also included is the Driver Alert II package that has all of the supporting Driver Alert I features plus lane keeping assist, low-speed forward collision mitigation, automatic high beams, front parking sensors, and a safety-alert driver seat that buzzes when alerts are triggered.

The top-of-the-line Denali rounds out the lineup with polished wheels, xenon headlights, a unique grille, a hands-free power liftgate, an 8-inch touchscreen, a navigation system, a configurable virtual gauge display, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated and power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. The Denali is also eligible for the optional Technology package that adds a surround-view camera system and adaptive cruise control with automatic collision preparation.

You can get all-wheel drive on all Acadias except the base SL. A two-panel sunroof is available on SLE2 trims and above. An All Terrain package is also available on SLE1 and SLT1 trims and adds distinct exterior treatments, rear air vents, a cargo management system, 20-inch wheels, hill descent control and a more advanced all-wheel-drive system. It also removes the third row of seats, reducing capacity to five passengers. Finally, a special suspension with adaptive dampers is optional for the SLT2 and Denali.