2007 GMC Acadia

 

 

gmc acadia photos

The Acadia’s suspension employs coil-over struts up front, a new multilink arrangement at the rear with ball-jointed lateral links, and hefty anti-roll bars at both ends. The bars help keep cornering attitudes remarkably level, allowing the chassis guys to keep the spring and damping rates supple. Steering response, via a hydraulic variable-assist rack-and-pinion system, enhances the surprising sense of agility — it’s accurate, informative, and beautifully weighted,

Braking is just this side of phenomenal — 167 feet from 70 mph. We’re talking about arresting 2.5 tons on 255/60-19 Goodyear Eagle RS-A mud-and-snow tires. For contrast, the last BMW X5 we tested [C/D, November 2004] required 168 feet for its 70-mph stop. The last Porsche Cayenne [C/D, January 2005]: 175 feet. The Honda Pilot, now celebrating its sixth C/D 5Best Trucks award: 195 feet. The latest Tahoe: 201 feet, two-thirds of a football field.

So, first-rate for stops. But when it comes to go, the dynamics are a bit ordinary. GM’s DOHC 3.6-liter 24-valve V-6, tuned for 275 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque, provides propulsion via GM’s new six-speed automatic. In our all-wheel-drive tester, most of this power (90 percent) goes to the front wheels most of the time. When system sensors anticipate wheelspin up front, a clutch pack apportions additional power to the rear wheels, up to 40 percent. The system also uses brake intervention to handle side-to-side adhesion differences.

MIKE DUSHANE
The idea of a massive crossover with a V-6 didn’t get my pulse racing. But once I got over the sluggish and noisy acceleration, I was impressed by the Acadia’s agility and huge, attractive cabin (tacky plastic chrome excepted). Where else could I find this much space without boat-like handling? In a minivan, of course, but I’m far too insecure with my masculinity to drive one. The Acadia defines a segment that’s capacious, cool, and reasonably fun to drive.

DAVE VANDERWERP
Here’s another example of what GM is capable of when it invests real money on a new vehicle. The Acadia’s striking exterior, excellent steering and brake feel, and near-minivan levels of passenger space are all superior to the similarly sized Tahoe/Yukon, even if the interiors are similar: handsome but hard to the touch. Downsides include a coarser-than-expected six-speed automatic and a lack of grunt off the line. That said, this is by far GM’s best-ever people hauler.

2007 GMC Acadia