The Cars Connection: 2010-07-04

Introduction

GMC Acadia - 2007 First Drive: It provides the United States' first glorious glimpse of the sun each day between October and March, it boasts the natural wonder of Cadillac Mountain, and it calls the majestic rocky shores of Maine home. Acadia National Park offers beauty, ruggedness, and countless opportunities for enjoyment. Maybe that's why GMC decided to adorn its first crossover with the Acadia name. GMC pays homage to nature with its own mobile park, one displaying attractive style, capable and versatile utility, and a heritage of durability that brings all that life has to offer available to the active family. Leave it to a truck company to unleash one of the better non-truck crossovers the market has seen recently.
Origins

If the 2007 GMC Acadia looks vaguely familiar, it's because it shares its GM Lambda underpinnings with the recently launched Saturn Outlook and upcoming Buick Enclave. Sales of the General's minivans (Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, and others) never amounted to much thanks to competition like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, so they've been replaced by this new breed of large crossover vehicles. Blending the style of an SUV with the functionality of a minivan, the GMC Acadia and its brethren aim to attract new buyers wanting utility without the minivan's stigma or thirsty reputation of large SUVs.

The 2009 GMC Acadia has a number of awards under its belt like Best in Class Interior Space, Top Safety Pick, Five-Star Crash Test rating, and even Best Crossover Vehicle from Motorweek. With critics raving, it's no wonder that the Acadia is packed with standard and available features. The drive train is powerful, yet fuel efficient and the intro MSRP won't have buyers breaking the bank. However, the up to eight-passenger crossover's low slung exterior design could leave some buyers turned off.

Under the hood, all three trims of the Acadia are fitted with a generous 288 horsepower 3.6L VVT V6. This Variable Valve Timing manages the exhaust intake so that during undemanding driving the crossover can save on fuel. 251 ft-lb of torque is enough to get this model going, but some of the competition, including the Chevrolet Equiunox has it beat. A six-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with overdrive is also standard on all three trims. With 17 city MPG and 24 highway MPG, the Acadia surpasses almost all other eight-passenger models on the market.

, buyers can expect a wide array of amenities on the SLT1 trim. Heated side-view mirrors with integrated turn signals are included, and heated, leather-appointed front seating is featured as well. A six-disc in-dash CD changer comes equipped with MP3 compatibility and a 10-speaker premium Bose speaker system. The MP3 compatibility allows drivers to sync their music player with the Acadia's audio system. Tri-zone automatic climate control allows all passengers to be comfortable with their preferred temperature setting, and rear seat audio controls let the other passengers adjust volume and station settings. Buyers can upgrade to a Dual SkyScape Sunroof, touch-screen navigation system, and Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist if desired.

Safety features like StabiliTrak with rollover mitigation and traction control, daytime running lamps, and a theft-deterrent system with engine immobilizer are all included. The theft-deterrent system will automatically disengage the engine in the event of a break-in, which can stop a thief in his tracks. The full OnStar program is also included for one year. Buyers will have to renew their subscription after that time, and a monthly or yearly fee will be assessed.

In general, the 2009 GMC Acadia is a crossover loaded with features. But, those that don't need room for eight passengers will see a significant increase in fuel efficiency and price in a smaller crossover. With an intro MSRP of $31,890, the Acadia is comparable to the competition. But, to get all of the amenities, the SLT2 trim will cost buyers around $39,600.

gmc acadia

GMC Acadia – 2007 Review: General Motors’ internal model platform designations read like a college fraternity roster. Epsilon! Zeta! Theta! Lambda, Lambda, Lambda! Delta Tau Chi!

OK, that last one may not be an actual GM platform, but the others are real, and right now a lot is riding on those three Lambdas. They take form as GM’s family of new large crossover utility vehicles: the Saturn Outlook, the Buick Enclave and today’s topic of discussion, the GMC Acadia. Not based on any GM car, the new Lambda platform shares more with cars than with trucks, such as a front-wheel drive orientation, suspension designs and driving feel that all share more with cars than GM’s big body-on-frame trucks.

A few years ago, GM promised a renewed emphasis on quality and technology. It’s a claim that has been made before, but with each new vehicle that comes out, it becomes clear that GM wasn’t blowing smoke. Case in point: Our GMC Acadia SLT-1 test car. During our week with the Acadia, we became impressed with its combination of style, versatility, clever touches and a sense of being very well thought through. There’s very little half baked here, just a quality vehicle at a competitive price from General Motors.

For those domestic doubters out there, go ahead and let that sink in for a moment.

What We Drove
All Acadias come with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine with variable valve timing that’s good for 275 horsepower. It’s connected to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. Our mid-level SLT-1 test car included quite a bit of equipment for its $33,960 base price, which included the $735 destination charge. Among the major upgrades over the standard SLE version is leather on the seats, steering wheel and shift knob, power sliding and heated front seats, captain’s chairs in the second row with GM’s new Smart Slide system, and a darn fine Bose audio system.

Optional on our test vehicle were the $1,300 dual Skyscape sunroof, $395 premium paint (a sharp looking burgundy that was probably worth the cost), a $350 power liftgate, a head-up display for $350, XM satellite radio for $199, $150 worth of cargo area audio controls and a $175 115v power outlet nestled in the rear of the center console. All told, our Acadia drove out the door with a price of $36,879, which is right in line with its primary large crossover competitors, such as the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.

Performance
A 3.6-liter V-6 putting out 275 horsepower should be enough to make the Acadia feel almost spry. The engine is certainly willing, with smooth power delivery and even a good growl as the revs rise; this is GM’s new corporate V-6, and we couldn’t be happier. However, the Acadia weighs in at 4,720 lb. in front-drive form, and as a result acceleration is merely adequate. We’re willing to forgive, and it’s not like the Acadia is blocking traffic or anything. We’re just power mad and like as much as we can get. Just keep in mind that the Acadia is meant for hauling families and their gear, not haulin’ butt. We were more disappointed by the drivetrain’s paltry 15.5 mpg during its time with us. That’s better than the full-size Chevrolet Tahoe we tested a few weeks prior (13.2 mpg), but not by a very wide margin, and far off the EPA’s 18 mpg city rating.

The transmission is mostly a willing partner. Its six speeds usually swap quickly, although we did notice some upshift jerkiness at full throttle and the occasional downshift hesitation. Manual control of the transmission is available through a rocker switch on the shift handle. It works well enough, and given the Acadia’s role as a new-age station wagon, paddle shifters would probably seem out of place, even though some on our staff prefer them.

Introduction

Launched in 2007, the GMC Acadia is the first crossover sport-utility from General Motors’ GMC truck brand. Built on GM’s Lambda architecture, the Acadia is a large crossover that is nearly the size of a GMC Yukon. The Acadia, however, weighs nearly 1000 pounds less than the body-on-frame Yukon. The GMC has three siblings that are also built on the Lambda architecture: the Saturn Outlook, the Buick Enclave, and the soon-to-arrive Chevrolet Traverse. To our eyes, the Acadia is the best-looking of the bunch.

GMC offers only one engine in the Acadia, a 3.6-liter DOHC V-6 with 275 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque. A slick-shifting six-speed automatic is the only transmission available. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional.

The Acadia features three rows of seating and can haul up to eight occupants; optional second-row captain’s chairs take the people count down to seven. The interior is spacious, subjectively more so than that of the and twins. Third-row space is good even for adults and the ingress/egress to the third-row is easy thanks to second-row seats that tumble and fold forward. Unlike many GM vehicles of the past, the Acadia has a handsome interior with rich materials and good build quality. Similarly, the exterior of the Acadia has an expensive and well-executed look that reeks of quality.