The 2024 GMC Acadia Looks the Part, But Does it Drive Like a Premium 7-Seat Midsize SUV Should?
It's bigger and better all around than before.
North America’s love affair with SUVs is as steamy as ever and shows no signs of cooling off. GMC expects the midsize SUV segment to grow from 2.5 million to 3 million units annually by 2030 and it's grown the new 2024 Acadia into a proper three-row vehicle again in an attempt to win more love from buyers.
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Early results suggest GMC may be on to something with the third-generation Acadia. The company says that 91 percent of people requesting information on the Acadia are new to the brand. Intrigued? We were when we first saw it last fall, and now that we’ve driven it, we can paint the whole picture.
Back to the Drawing Board
Back in 2018, GMC zigged when it should have zagged with the decision to shrink the Acadia’s wheelbase by 6 inches. Unstretching its three-row SUV made using the third row, well, a stretch. The 2024 Acadia presses Ctrl-Z on that decision with a wheelbase that measures that same 120.9 inches as the full-size Yukon, making it a sturdy, spacious, and proper midsize three-row SUV. Cargo space behind the third row jumps 80 percent to 23.0 cubic feet. That’s more than the the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander (20.6 cubic feet), the 2024 Ford Explorer (18.2 cubic feet), the 2024 Honda Pilot (18.6 cubic feet), and the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee (17.2 cubic feet).
The standard auto-sensing power tailgate makes it easier to pack for your weekend vacation with just one trip to the car. Instead of having to frantically wave a foot under the bumper with arms full of stuff, the Acadia detects the key fob when it’s near the rear of the vehicle and automatically opens the hatch after a few seconds. The function works whether the vehicle was left locked or unlocked and performed reliably during our handful of attempts.
Not only can you fit more stuff, but the standard power-folding third-row is also spacious enough to comfortably accommodate adults a few inches over 6 feet. The D-pillar has been pushed back, creating a larger rear quarter window that leads to a better experience for third-row passengers.
While demonstrating the seating features, GMC engineers saved a subtle but incredible feature for last. As the second-row captain’s chair was moved forward, we had our eyes on the installed child seat. Anyone with kids and car seats should appreciate this without further explanation. The second row moves fore and aft to balance second- and third-row leg room, and it hinges at the front edge of the seat bottom for third-row access instead of folding up. This kind of trickery is the stuff minivans dream of.
The Acadia comes standard with more than 15 driver aids for parking, highway cruising, and urban driving including adaptive cruise control, bicyclist alerts, reverse auto braking, and Buckle to Drive, which offers peace of mind for parents of newly minted drivers. Seven camera views are standard, with the optional rear camera mirror and trailer assist camera increasing the count to nine.
The standard camera views are sharp on the 15.0-inch tablet-style high-resolution center screen Some of the logic in the new infotainment system seems a bit dull, though. The headlights can only be accessed through the touchscreen, but physical climate controls remain. An 11.0-inch digital cluster handles relevant information for the driver, some of which can be viewed in the customizable 8.0-inch head-up display. The HUD is standard on the Denali trim and optional on AT4 and Elevation trims.
Fewer Cylinders, More Ponies
The V-6 engine in last year’s Acadia has been replaced by a more powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four. Its 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque is nothing to sneeze at in a three-row hauler meant for people and pets. The engine note isn’t anything special, but acceleration is strong enough to make confident moves. Speaking of confidence, spent fuel flows out of a quad-tip exhaust that looks like it was ripped off a C8 Corvette. Having an equal number of exhaust tips and cylinders might be cloying, but it looks great with the sharpened modern exterior design. The new powerplant should also help the Acadia tow at its new 5,000-pound capacity without too much of a struggle.
An eight-speed automatic replaces the outgoing nine-speed, sending torque to the front or all four wheels. Gear changes don't feel as crisp as in some competitors, but the transmission has been well trained on when to pick a new ratio. Downshifts are quick when passing, and the eight-speed never hunts around for gears. The bias toward comfortable fits the Acadia’s target demographic of established adults looking for a vehicle to serve as the means to an adventure and not the adventure itself.
How’s the Drive?
The relaxed drivetrain characteristics continue into the chassis. The steering wheel feels about as disconnected from the road as possible, though it has enough weight for smooth driver inputs. Sport mode makes the effort even heavier without improving the connection. While the average Acadia buyer might not realize what they're missing, the chassis seems rigid and capable enough to provide better road feedback with some steering tuning tweaks.
Whether anyone loves or hates the steering feel might not even matter. As a GMC first, the Super Cruise hand-free driver assistance system is available on every trim, including the base Elevation model. GMC says Super Cruise works on up to 750,000 miles of mapped roads, including two-lane highways and support for certain intersections. As a $2,950 option for the $43,995 Elevation, the Acadia will be the most accessible way to access Super Cruise in the GMC brand. On the AT4 and Denali, it will cost an extra $500 because it’s paired with a rear camera mirror.
GMC set us up with Denali and AT4 trims for our drive. Despite some key differences, handling felt similar in each, even considering the 18-inch wheels and all-terrain tires on the AT4 against the available 22-inch wheels on the Denali. This might be a benefit to anyone looking for some off-road capability without sacrificing a comfortable ride. The suspension is on the softer side but isn’t fazed by smaller bumps and road imperfections. It takes larger movements like turning into a corner hard or an aggressive lane change to highlight the slight delay between moving the steering wheel off center and the car responding.
The Impressive AT4
The all-wheel-drive AT4 has a unique suspension tuned for light off-roading with hydraulic rebound control. It pays off on the road, too, where the extra control helps tame body roll. Both trims are comfortable enough for the average consumer, but we prefer the ride of the AT4. In the dirt, Terrain mode's one-pedal driving and dual-clutch rear differential that shifts torque from side to side is a formidable combination. We drove through a short sand feature that forced one or two wheels off the ground, and the AT4 plowed through. The acceleration through deep sand almost felt quicker than on pavement. The tow hooks up front are true anchor points mounted to the frame. It isn't a hardcore off roader, but the AT4 should take rougher terrain than most drivers are willing to attempt.
Should the Acadia Be on Your List?
The Acadia has great features available across the entire lineup, but its design is what really stands out, especially because the vehicle’s function hasn’t been compromised in the name of fashion. The Forest Storm interior suits the AT4, and the After Dark (all black) and Sheer/Very Dark Atmosphere options available in the Denali are stunning, depending on your taste. The Sheer/Very Dark atmosphere highlights the spaciousness of the cabin with a lighter headliner and dark accents for a truly modern look. The Acadia’s surfaces wear different grains and stitching techniques well, giving a luxury-light feel that fits with the pricing. With a few more pointy corners, the Denali could be at home in a Cadillac showroom except that the ride quality doesn’t quite fit. It’s good, but the design is so good that you’d be forgiven for expecting a more luxurious ride at first.
Keeping the badge on the grille in mind, it all comes together. The Acadia is slowly trickling into dealers now and starts at $43,995 for the Elevation, $51,395 for the AT4, and $55,695 for the Denali. Considering the standard equipment and exceptional interior materials and design, the 2024 Acadia provides solid value in any trim.
Cars should look cool and go fast. At least, that was Matthew’s general view of the world growing up in Metro Detroit in the early ’90s, and there was no exception. Raised in the household of a Ford engineer and car enthusiast, NASCAR races monopolized the television every Sunday and asking, “what car is this?” at every car show his dad took him too before he could read taught him that his favorite car was specifically, the 1971 Chevelle SS. (1970 can keep its double headlights, it’s a better look for the rear!) He learned the name of every part of a car by means of a seemingly endless supply of model car kits from his dad’s collection and could never figure out why his parents would drive a Ford Taurus Wagon and F-150 to work every day when a perfectly good 1967 Chevy Impala sat in the garage. Somewhere between professional hockey player, guitar player, journalist, mechanic, and automotive designer, he settled on the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) with the hopes of joining a NASCAR pit crew after high school. While there, learning about electronics and the near-forgotten art of carburetor tuning (give him a call before you ditch your “over complicated” Rochester Qudarajet) were equally appealing, and the thrill of racing stock cars and modifieds weekly on the school’s dirt oval team was second to none at the time. And then sometime late in 2009, Matthew caught wind of the Tesla Roadster on YouTube and everything changed. Before it, electric cars we not cool, and they were not fast. A budding and borderline unhealthy obsession with technology would underpin a 12-year career at Roush Industries that would take him from a powertrain technician for the Roush Mustang, to building rollercoasters, NVH engineering, and finally to a state-of-the-art simulated durability lab working with nearly every EV startup you’ve ever heard of, and some you never will. And then it was time to go, and by a stroke of luck Nikola Tesla himself couldn’t have predicted, MotorTrend’s test team was looking for the exact kind of vehicle testing background he had to offer. And with it, his love of cars, art, engineering, and writing all suddenly had a home together. At this point in life, Matthew has developed a love and appreciation for all cars and methods of propulsion. He loves reviewing minivans as much as luxury cars and everything in-between, because the cars people need to haul their kids around are just as important as the ones we hang on our bedroom walls.
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