2019 GMC Acadia Road Test and Review

2018 GMC Acadia Denali red parked ・ Photo by GMC

While some automakers aim to appeal to families on a budget, GMC aims for a different customer with the 2019 Acadia. This is an entry-level, 3-row luxury crossover with a bold design and an attractive, comfortable interior that makes even the longest trips less of a chore.

With room for up to seven passengers, the 2019 GMC Acadia offers a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive in a range of four trims including a Denali – a badge reserved for the most premium versions of GMC’s vehicles. Even without going all the way to the top of the lineup, the Acadia is an attractive and well-equipped vehicle.

It competes in a crowded segment, so let’s take a closer look at the 2019 GMC Acadia and see if it’s the right choice for your busy family lifestyle.

Pricing climbs quickly, but with solid features even in the base trim.

The Acadia's four-trim lineup starts with the base SL at a price of $30,195 with front-wheel drive only. All-wheel drive is available as an option across the rest of the range. The SL also comes only with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, while the rest of the Acadia range offers an optional 3.6-liter six-cylinder for a more responsive ride. Sitting at the top of the lineup is the Denali, which runs $48,695 when equipped with all-wheel drive.

It’s not an inexpensive proposition, but the range of trims and pricing allows for plenty of flexibility to get exactly the configuration you want without paying for features you don’t need. If you go for the base model, it’s still well-equipped with a 7-inch infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, tri-zone automatic climate control, and heated side mirrors. You won’t feel like you compromised simply because you didn’t get the Denali.

Photo by GMC

Infotainment offers plenty of features across the lineup.

Often a car's base models come with a mediocre infotainment system that includes painfully small screens and the absence of key features. The Acadia doesn’t suffer this problem with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth streaming audio. It also has a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot with available OnStar, and it has USB charging ports in all three rows so there’s no squabbling about who gets to charge their device.

As you move through the trims, features improve with the addition of an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, an eight-speaker Bose premium audio system, and an available rear seat entertainment system with or without a DVD player. It’s a comprehensive offering that is easy to learn and it doesn’t force you into a higher and pricier trim simply to get key connectivity features.

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Take your pick of two powertrains.

There’s a choice of two powertrains, both of which are paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. The base offering is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 193 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers aren’t bad, but we’d go with the optional 3.6-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque. That’s a huge jump and one that makes the Acadia a pleasure to drive. Especially if you’re planning on towing, then you’re going to want that extra torque to make the job easier.

Merging onto the highway was no trouble with ample power in the V6 to quickly get up to speed without feeling or hearing the engine working too hard. It just as easily delivered extra power for passing making the Acadia more responsive than you might expect for a vehicle this size.

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The ride makes you forget it’s an SUV.

The downside to an SUV, particularly one large enough to accommodate three rows of seating, is that the ride can be stiff. These are not small, agile vehicles, so finding a balance between passenger comfort and capability can be a challenge. The GMC Acadia does a good job of providing a smooth and relaxing ride that won’t have passengers longing for the good old family sedan.

The ride quality is excellent, even on rough roads with uneven surfaces and plenty of potholes. Not only is it smooth, but it’s also quiet, so long trips aren’t as tiresome. Heavy rain, wind, and the sounds of other vehicles on the highway stay outside, making it easy to carry on a conversation with all three rows of passengers. This is a capable SUV with a ride quality surprisingly like what you find in a sedan.

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There's seating for seven, but a tight third row.

Part of what set the Acadia apart from competitors is its upscale interior. Leather trims and soft-touch surfaces create a welcoming space for the family. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, making them ideal for long road trips. The second row easily seats three, or two if you go with the optional captain’s chairs. While that drops your total capacity down to six passengers, it lets kids sneak down the middle to the third row and offers more comfortable second-row seating for adults.

About that third row – it’s snug. Two adults fit, but only for shorter drives. There’s not a lot of legroom, so it simply won’t do for larger adults. It is fine for kids or young teens, but even then, it’s not a great place to spend a lot of time. This is a third row that works on occasion but isn’t well-suited to everyday use.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Key safety features are reserved only for top trims.

In crash tests, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the 2019 GMC Acadia an overall five stars with all-wheel drive and four stars with front-wheel drive. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave it top ratings of Good in all crash tests and Superior for available front crash prevention technologies. Several unique safety features are standard, including a rear seat reminder that helps avoid leaving anything behind and Teen Driver, which lets parents customize select vehicle settings to encourage responsible driving habits.

Where the Acadia falls short is in the availability of advanced safety features, which simply can’t be had on base trims. You must go all the way up to the SLT for safety features like a forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, front and rear park assist, and rear cross traffic alert. Only the Denali offers forward automatic braking and even then, it’s an option rather than standard.

Photo by Ron Sessions

There’s ample room for cargo and it can tow.

Sometimes it’s not passengers, but cargo that takes priority. For those times, the Acadia offers 12.8 cubic feet behind the third row, 41.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 79.0 cubic feet behind the front seats. That’s a lot of room for cargo, whether it’s luggage for a trip or supplies for a home improvement project. Overall, it’s good, but if you’re only using what’s behind the third row you may come up short.

If you have a full load of passengers and still need room for lots of cargo or simply have items that are too bulky to fit inside, then the Acadia can tow up to 4,000 pounds. The Acadia might not be the biggest three-row SUV you can buy, but it strikes a healthy compromise by providing room for cargo and passengers without getting large enough to be unwieldy in urban environments.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Fuel economy is good, but not exceptional.

Fuel economy is always a concern with SUVs, especially if they’re going to be hauling the family on road trips. The Acadia isn’t a standout on this front, but it holds its own especially with the smaller 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. This gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. The numbers drop with the 3.6-liter V6 to 18 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined.

All-wheel drive models, as you might expect, come in behind their front-wheel drive counterparts. The numbers are 21 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined with the smaller engine or 17 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined with the V6. The numbers are close, but consider your fuel budget carefully before you choose.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Final Thoughts

The 2019 GMC Acadia offers an upscale SUV experience for those who need three rows of seating and have a somewhat larger budget. While well-equipped in even the base trim, it’s the top two trims in the lineup that offer the best features. Especially when it comes to safety, if you want the most advanced features, then you must go with the top two trims, which is unfortunate.

Seating is comfortable and ideal for longer trips, but that third row is best saved only for the kids rather than forcing adults to make the squeeze. Adding to passenger comfort is a smooth and remarkably quiet ride that makes it easy for the kids to nap or for everyone to have a conversation without straining to hear the third row. Throw in the vehicle's good cargo capacity and towing capability, and the 2019 GMC Acadia is an attractive offering.

Photo by GMC